Shortness of breath after stopping smoking

Thanks Ralph...same to you...

Today marks my 10th month,The last 2 weeks has been like my 1st and 2nd month. breathing so bad I almost had a panic attack,what causes this is a mystery to me, cant walk to the mail box. have a great day everone. THANKS RALPH

So sorry to hear that Ralph....Take your oxygen...I hate it too, but I have to admit...it does make me feel better....

Wow oxygen, SOB, anxiety all this after we quit smoking. Makes no sense? I can't see how much longer this healing can take? We did a good thing by quitting. Strange how we felt better before makes me so mad. I can see progress though. The last two weekends were great no SOB or anxiety was out and about the whole time felt great. Today I was a little off but better than last Monday so I hope it keeps going this way. I'm glad all your test came back fine so just hang in there and stay strong. ~Keith

Thanks Keith...I am trying....it is crazy tho, right?!  

My oxtgen does not help me any more. I breath a lot better with out it , I put it to the test , I ran around my house then put my oximeter on my finger and took deep breath without the oxygen and it took only half the time as it took with the oxygen machine to get my level back up to 97 Oh your 1 year is coming up tomorrow congrats. THANK RALPH

Thanks Ralph for remembering!  

I really feel you are close to feeling better. I think a year or so and things start to settle down. I had a good week with only Monday being a bit off. All other days no SOB or anxiety. I hope this feeling lasts? Hang in there. ~Keith

I have been having some better days lately and my anxiety has been gone now for almost a couple of weeks....I hope I am getting better....and I hope you feeling better continues for you as well Keith....:-)

This Forum has given me back my sanity. thank you. I quit cold turkey in January because I wanted to save money to take the family on a nice vacation. I felt that I was selfish for too long spending all this money on myself. about 2 weeks after I quit, I had the shortness of breath and pain in my joints (like arthritis). Also by smoking I was being charged and extra $500 for my health insurance. Now I've spent more money on copays/coinsurance and prescription meds than what I have saved so far. I also can't go on a nice vacation until I can walk again. I guess I have to give it at least a year to get back to normal, but at least from this forum I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It's only been 3 months since I quit and I smoked for 25 years 1/2 - 1 pack a day (I am 52 y/o). It's just so weird that I know a lot of people who quit and they did not go through this. Even my Dr's say they have never heard of this happening. I was never sick before and now I have bronchiastasis. Has anyone also had gotten arthritis after quitting smoking? thank you everyone for posting your stories it gives me hope. - Frances

Don't listen to doctors they have no clue and if the symptoms last more than a few weeks they look confused and say it should not be. I'm telling you it can happen and not sure why some don't have issues and others like us do. The 3rd month for me was so hard but hang in there is does and will get better trust me. The doctors wanted me on anxiety meds which I tried for a few weeks and stopped. They were bad news and was just another drug I would have to get off of. Eat well take a good multi vitamin and fish oil daily. Exercise as much as you can handle. It will take every once of will power to not give in. There were many nights I sat up in they middle of the night freaking out and been to the ER a few times from panic attacks. Mind you I never had any of the symptoms prior to quitting smoking so I knew it had to be that and could not last forever. Well here I am in my 10th month and feel good. Sure I still have a bad day here and there but is nothing can't handle. Hang in there and try to do it w/o meds from the doctors. Do some deep breathing exercises it helps. Also Calms Forte really helps with anxiety for me at least. Keep posting and reading here for encouragement if not for this site I would have lost it. ~Keith

Well folks I just dont have words to speak, So glad to see you lovely people are doing so well. So today makes my 310th day of trying to break the world record of old folks living past the young age of 125, dont know if i will make it yet but I"m gonna give it a try. As always I wish you kind people the best and hope you get well soon THANKS RALPH.

Angel you can buy an oximeter on e-bay for about 15 dollars and then you can always tell your oxygen level ,when it gets low you just stop walking. I bought ona a few months ago and it saves me a lot of panking, they are very small and they fit in your pocket uses 2 aaa size batteries. good luck Thanks RALPH

Your S O B should not last over 6 months , and no , That is the first time I have heard of arthritis and smoking , but I would not doubt it if it causes arthristis this is a screwd up drug, Thanks RALPH.

Thanks Ralph...I just ordered one....lol....yet another thing to become obsessive about for me lol...Ok...so, welcome Frances.  Here is the latest....I have been my biggest advocate when it comes to my health because the doctors are very dismissive...4/26/14 was a year for me...in the last 6 months I have had 2 chest x-rays, so much blood work I can't even count, 1 CT Scan for my lungs with dye for my lungs to rule out blood clots, 1 echocardiogram with dye to rule out any blockage, a pulmanary functiong test, a sleep apnea test and yesterday I met with my doctor for a review.  Based on all of the ruling, I am only breathing at 60% capacity, they still won't connect it with me stop smoking even tho it occred 3 weeks after I stopped and never had SOB before, all the tests come back fine, except for sleep apnea which has NOTHING to do with my breathing...my doctor is at a loss!  He wants me to come back in 6 weeks to repeat the pulmanary functioning test because he has no other test he can run and he still believes it a coincidence that the SOB started after I stopped.  I said to him than explain all the people in your pulmanary office there because of SOB after stop smoking...I asked him if they all had the same mere coincidence as I?...He looked at me like a deer in headlights...no answer...My husband said do you think it's all the things put in cigarettes that made her body go out of whack and in time it will readjust and he said that's why he wants to see me in 6 weeks....anyway, the anxiety has disappeared so that's good.   And, other thank this SOB and my lungs acting whacky all my organs are in great shape.  So, I will continue waiting.