Shortness of breath after stopping smoking

Yes this sounds alot like me ..been to E.R. a few times also to a lung specialist last month and he says nothing is wrong with me. I was also tested for a heart attack and no it wasn't . I am breathing a bit better these days its been 2 yrs since I quit.I am still having chest pain on a regular basis but it is getting better slowly. I think one day I will be back to normal. I also smoked for 29 yrs. About a half a pack to a pack a day.

its frustrating i know i just try get through each day .i keep telling myself i will get better eventually the mucus will clear .guess we have to have faith in our bodies ability to heal itsself .wish i never had smoked but time to look to the future . hope you get right again

That bis the way to loom at it. I am about to celebrate 1st anniversary of quitting. It has been difficult to keep away, but I did. And I hope to, I plan to, whatever be the adversities on the path to good health and say, "I too ran"

478 days smoke free! The shortness of breath was pretty bad for several months. With time to allow my body to heal and breathing exercises, I am better. After decades of damaging my lungs, I understand I will never be the same, but I am better. Sometimes, I still fight the urge to smoke. It gets better with every passing month, but it is not gone. I'm not sure it ever will. Still determined to never go through this again. Kuddos to all who are willing to fight their way through this terrible addiction. Coldfeet, congratulations on celebrating your one year anniversary. My nonsmoking friends have long forgotten about my smoking, unaware it is still a daily part of my life. Cheers to us!

hi all i have stopped smokeing a month ago and yes i have the sob it is very stressing and tiresome have to keep yawning to try and get some air in my lungs i did try the electronice cigs not sure if thats whats makeing me short of breath ? has anyone else tried them ? would love to know :)

Thanks kd. Let us hope there will be more to co-celebrate.

Electronic cigs are only namesake. They help mainly the manufacturer and not the smoker. Give it time to peak and subside. It is your body your are taking care of, not a pet. Will the urge and sob away.

smoking is shit i dont want to smoke shit anymore

I too quit smoking after using Chantix but I ended up in the hospital with a heart condition that I didn't have prior to using Chantix. But now I'm noticing how short of breath I've become. I was never this way before and it's after doing simple tasks such as walking from one room to another.

Hi everyone. I just want to say thanks to everyone for sharing their stories on here. I'm a 27 year old male who started smoking at about 15. I quit just over a month ago and am finding the side effects almost unbearable. Reading these posts has made me feel a lot better. Just knowing I'm not alone. I quit on a whim with the help of a patch. I felt awesome the first couple weeks until the Shortness of breath came. It's so bad that I can't sleep some nights. Every time I lay down I feel like I'm suffocating which triggers a panic attack. I've never had problems with panic attacks or anxiety before. I basically have to stay up until I'm so tired I fall asleep instantly, and even then I only sleep in 2 or 3 hour spurts. I just developed a cough this past week but it's a dry cough and nothing comes up. I also have swelling in my feet and ankles. Does anyone else have any of these other side effects?

MNtoAus, Why not check in with your doc? He or she will be thrilled you quit smoking and be very willing to help. You seem too young for swelling of your feet and ankles. I used Muscinex to get the junk moving in my lungs. That seemed to help. My doctor also gave me an inhaler when the lungs got tight. Anyway, breathing is easier if you use an air conditioner during hot and humid weather. Drink lots and lots of fluid. Keep your feet up when possible and give muscinex a try. Try breathing deeply when you take hot showers to help get things moving. The panic attacks can be really awful. Try using lots of pillows to keep yourself upright. Maybe watching the tv will help keep your mind off the breathing, or some kind of noise to focus on. And, if you were my son, I'd drag your butt to the doctor's. You can't take chances with your heart and lungs. Let us know how your doing.

That is a very helpful idea. I have been doing that for a long time now. Sorry that I did not I mention it earlier, though my wife scolded me for packing myself with pillows last year. And long walks are good, as increased circulation will clean up the mess inside and around blood vessels faster. But, at times, the sob catches up without warning. Only way out is to relax and rest, no strenuous activity even such as pushing a bike much less kicking it.

Thank you. I was beginning to think maybe I had emphysema or something. The deep breathing exercises helped a lot. I never thought that when I inhaled on a cigarette it would mimic deep breathing. I began deep breathing as though inhaling on a cigarette and began to feel much better. Thanks for your information. Still going to make an appointment with M.D. to make sure there are no other underlying issues that may need to be followed up.Again, thank you.

A smoker for 30 years just turned 50. I gave up smoking twice within the last 5 years. The first time 3 years ago for 8 months and this time for 6 months to date.I found after a few months on the first attempt that I was surfing in cold water and began to cough I then had what appeared to be an asthma attack and I nearly drowned. I went to the hospital emergency section who did some tests, they told me that I was not asthmatic and that it was most likely a post nasal drip. My problem was not getting better after 8 months and I took up smoking again. I could surf, run play sport as good as I always could. I gave up smoking on my doctors advice 6 months ago and again whilst surfing got out of breath and nearly drowned, I went to the doctor who suspected an infection, he put me on antibiotics for three weeks and I had a chest Xray, all clear.I was coughing less as a result of the antibiotics and once I felt good I went for a ride on my skateboard. It was a cold morning I rode it along the foreshore for a mile or so, when I got really short of breath. I thought I was going to collapse and die and asked passer bye to call an ambulance, The ambulance put me on an inahler and stablized before dropping me at home. I am feeling like taking up the smokes again for at least I can live a normal life. Can anyone out there give me some useable advice or let me know how long I will need to wait before I can function again?

I smoked for almost 13 years and quit 4 months back for good. I was on 15-17 sticks a day for the last 3 years. I have started heavy exercising after quitting to keep myself quit. I am experiencing shortness of breath and it has become a bit acute since 2-3 weeks. I am planning to visit a doctor this weekend for his opinion.