Shortness of breath after stopping smoking

Thanks so much for your honesty. Going on month 3.... apparently have a ways to go.

Hsving thst problem as well. Did you ever get to cough it up?

Hiya yes I give up 3 months ago I feel out of breath no energy and only just started bring greedy brown phlegm up. I smoke 25 aday and have smoke 25yrs

Hey guys, i am 23 years of age and started smoking since I was 13. My choice of cigarettes were Marlboro Reds and smoked about a pack every 2 days and at times, a pack a day depending on what I'm doing anything what I was going through. I decided to quit smoking cold turkey in the beginning of April 2015. Here was my experience. The first week after I quit, I suddenly had my first panic attack. I never experienced this nor have I had a history of it. Then I started having trouble breathing (shortness of breath) and started to hyperventilate. It felt I couldn't catch a "satisfying breath" and at times, I felt like I was going to pass out. From this, I started to develop lot of anxiety which led to several episodes of anxiety/panic attacks. It was so bad that it interrupted my daily activities and it seemed at one point that I had to put my life on hold. My episodes were so bad that it landed me to the ER a couple times and several trips with my primary doctor. My doctor diagnosed me with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) with a slight of depression. I was prescribed medication but was highly against it because of the risks/long term effects and decided to not take them. Prior to me quitting, i considered myself healthy/mentally stable and had a lot of good things going on. It seems like quitting smoking may be the main causes of these issues. At times, I just want to go back to smoking and see if everything goes back to normal... I just want my life back

I was the same exact way and decided against the meds as well. When doctors told me GAD I was shocked as I never had anxiety before quitting. I smoked for 30 years and quit cold as well. It took a good year to feel better and now just over 2 years mostly back to normal. I no longer have anxiety or panic attacks like in the beginning. At times I will get a feeling of being off but it only lasts a few minutes. I guess smoking really altered the brain chemicals?

Thanks Keith for continuing to update even after you got well. Yourself, as well as Angel,David, and Ralph kept the rest of us going. I am on month 3 and still suffering, yet improving slowly. Thanks for the inspiration.

Tomorrow is my 3rd week of quitting. I can't breathe both in the day and at night. I lie down in bed just crying because i cannot breathe. I've been a smoker for 12 years, its frustrating that all I'm trying to do is the right thing here and all i get is breathlessness. And it doesn't help that all everyone tells me is to ride it out. How to ride it out when i feel like im drowning. I think i need to go ER soon.God bless those with the same problem, i hope the light at the end of the tunnel appear soon.

Stay in the "fight" and don't give up !!! You win the war against smoking one day at a time. I am at nearly 3 months and things are just barely starting to get better. The first month was hell on earth, the second slightly better, etc...

Omg this is so me, I'm at 1 1/2 years after smoking 50 years. I'm so glad I read your post, I feel so much better knowing that it takes at least 2 years thank you

You are close. 2 years now and I feel great. Man the beginning was hard. Sometimes I forget just how bad I was. I'm convinced that it was all mental. Every test the 3 er trips all came up clean yet I was unable to breath. I was so focused on it that I forgot how to breath properly which caused the sob. Hang in there know I was where you were and now feel great. All w/o taking meds. Keith

No problem. I always check in because without this site I would have started right back to that nasty habit. I still can't figure out how some people quit and we're fine and me had a mental breakdown. But I'm past all that and feel great. I rarely catch colds now too. Still take my fish oil and vitamin d daily as they really help. If you have any questions please feel free to ask. Good luck.

You are in the beginning it's all normal to feel this way. Think about it did you feel this way when you smoked? You quit that deadly habit and get worse. I'm telling you now it's all mental. You will be telling new people a year from now the same thing. Let it happen and know it won't kill you.

Why Vitamin D and Fish Oil? Am 3 months in and it has been hell. SOB, anxiety and depression. Keep hoping every day that I will feel better.

Smoking depletes vit d and was way low when tested. Also, taking 2 Country Life Omega 3 Mood 2000mg. Read the reviews on Amazon really helped my mind and calmed my anxiety. I have cut down to every other day or so. I have also skipped a week now that I'm back to feeling good. I won't cut it out completely since I'm not a fish eater. Also, check out Calms Forte sleep aid. I took it anytime anxiety kicked in and it helped big time. It does not make you sleepy like other sleep aids. It calms your brain from running away. These are what worked for me. Deep breathing helps as well. I was there and got through it w/o any prescribed meds. Doctors wanted me on all sorts of stuff. I did not want to start taking anxiety meds so then I would have to try and get off of that too. Too many stories of people trying to get off of that crap. Keep yourself busy working out helped, listen to some meditation songs at night with the headphones on. That helps too. Hang in there.

Just to add, in my 3rd month I had already been to the ER 3x thinking I was dying from the SOB. After my 3rd visit I had my doctor run every test and all came back clear. I also went to a cardio doc every test done was good there as well. Once I knew all these tests came back normal I knew it was all metal and that I would be able to overcome this as I refused to let it get to me. The more I ignored the symptoms the less and less it happened. There were times I was out to dinner and my SOB was so bad along with the anxiety I could have gotten up and ran freaking out. Instead I just sat there carried on with my family and ignored it. They would go away after awhile and the more I did this the less it happened. It was about the 12th month where I would then go weeks before the SOB would happen. Now I can't remember the last time I felt like I was going to pass out. I can now run miles and feel ok.