Shortness of breath after stopping smoking

“Even the smallest act of caring for another person is like a drop of water -it will make ripples throughout the entire pond...”

Well today makes 450 days of no smoking, I know I"m a lot better, but not at what i expected after 450 days, Its September the 14 2014. I have an excellent oxygen level of 95 to 98 but it still feels like i"m out of breath, and no matter what I try i cant get my oxygen level up to 99 or 100, 98 is a breeze but I want 99 or 100 that would put my mind at ease. any way By all that i have read that in 2 1/2 years my lungs will be brand new, then i am gonna become a lung doctor""""" J/K THANK YOU EVERYONE AND KEEP UP YOUR not smoking .... Ralph

Keith do you take your oximeter with you whenj you go out or doing exercise? and if so how low does your oxygen level get to? and how long does it take to get back to normal, and can you get your oxygen level past 98 when your at rest? Thanks

hahaha Ralph...I think after our experiences we should all become lung doctors! .. :-)

I do not take it with me. The only time I measure it is if I feel SOB from stress. My levels will usually be around 96 then. Most times it's at 98 and few times at 99. Most times my resting heart rate is between 55 and 62. I really need to push myself to get it up to 121 for a good work out.

hplar62, we are all doing our best here to conquer a very powerful addiction and each and everyone of us is entitled to speak up. As long as we don't hurt or offend anyone, no-one has the right to make someone else feel bad for what he/she said. That's what bullies do and it doesn't have it's place in this forum (actually, doesn't have it's place anywhere!) If a comment irritates you, take a deep breath (if you can) and go to the next one.

Yes completely normal. I have been quit for 15 months and still get it but nothing like it was in the beginning. Don't panic and give it time it will get better. Try to exercise it will speed the lung healing along. I think a lot of the SOB is due to the anxiety that happens when quitting. Nicotine is a powerful drug and when you stop and your brain is no longer getting the stimulant it causes anxiety. Keith

Oops thought this was a resent post. I see it was back in 2008. How that Richard is better now and stayed quit?

Normally, a red blood cell carries no more than 97% oxygen. And i was worried why my oxygen level with my oximeter would never go over 98% so i did some research and thats what i found out, you can force more into your plasma which carries your red and white blood cells, but its not normal for your blood to carry more than 97 %, just thought I would share the info with you guys. THANKS RALPH

Like you I was a smoker for 50 years, just quit 19 days ago. I felt great for the first couple weeks, but now have shortness of breath, and major nasal congestion. I just figure it's my body trying to heal itself. I luckily feel too bad to want to smoke again, just gonna try to wait it out, even if it takes a few months.

Today makes 15 months for me ,June 21 2013 to today september 21 2014, its been a long dark road with a lots of bumps, but I feel so much better, cant see the light at the end of the tunnel yet, but I'm sure its close by, I think I felt the best at the 6 months marker than I do at the 15 month marker, why I dont know, but i never wake up short of breath, I sleep very good ,but I cant do any hard work without feeling like I:m gonna pass out and die.I sure hope it gets better because there is lots of manual work around here that needs to be done. GOOD LUCK TO EVERONE THANKS RALPH

Ralph...I hope soon you will begin to feel better...

Reading your post and realized that I'm at 15 months as well. Mine passed on the 20th. Hope we all keep pressing forward with our recovery. Keith

Hi All, First I would like to say thank you for all the messages on this blog.  I find them very comforting escpecially since I'm expieriencing alike symptoms.  What I found really remarkable is that many talked about about day 45 being a very bad SOB day for them  and I'm now at day 45 and I feel like I am breathing through a straw.  The SOB is really bad even at rest.  I was a smoker for 37 years.  It's odd that the SOB comes and goes.  I had the spidometry test and my lungs are 96% compacity so my doctor thinks its all anxiety related but these symptoms feel very real to me. He prescribed a axniety medication (Xanax) which has been very helpful to calm me.  But the symptoms are still there and you would expect ones anxiety to increase if you cant breath.  Anyway keep blogging. Joe  

Anxiety has so much to do with the SOB...I truly believe. Good luck on your road to recovery!