Shortness of breath after stopping smoking

hi iv been 15 days smoke free smoked for 36 years am relly strugling with my shortness of breath never had a problem before no cough or anything else do i need to worry or see my doc i do have coronary heart desease as well many thanks

This thread is really reassuring. I quit smoking a few months back and recently have had bad shortness of breath and trouble sleeping, waking up thinking I stopped breathing. We have been worried it was lung cancer or something but these symptoms all sound exactly like mine. I'm going to go get checkout out by my doctor anyway this week, but this makes me feel a bit less panicked.

I am currently going through this exact same thing! I quite a month ago... the patch and within the second week went cold turkey... now shortness of breath non stop all day and night. Cant sleep. The doctor diagnosed me anxiety not sleep apnea yet... has anyone else been through this????

Yes! Im in my late 20's When I got out of the Military I quite smoking. I had sever shortness of breath. one DR said i had asthma another said I didn't. It took almost a year of S.O.B I went to a Sports Injury DR. of Chiropractic. My back was all messed up making it hard to breath. and I had a lot of anxiety! Smoking helped mask the anxiety. Thats what helped me. I never want to go through that S.O.B ever again so I will never smoke again!

I quit smoking 5 and a half month ago. I am 43 and smoked for over 30 years. Advice to new quitters: just do it! Drink a lot of fluids, cold or hot. Eat spicy food and milk, which produces a lot of mucus. Then you can cough it out. Force yourself breath deep and cough in a shower. Don't get scared of little blood in mucus. It might last for a week or so. Crave for a cigarette? Take a glass of cold water or nap. Don't exercise too much, because you will be really out of breath. Can't sleep? Then watch a TV for a while. There is a bunch of symptoms you will see for first 5-6 month ( not weeks), but it worth it. It is just about 2 or 3 weeks that I can take a deep breath without forcing the air in. Try pills, patches, whatever works, but keep trying. GOOD LUCK!

I am 24 years old, smoked since I was 13 years old, and am currently on day 27 of not  smoking. I am quitting using the patch. All these posts have really helped. I already have generalized anxiety disorder, therefore, this has been a horrible experience. I have pretty much constant shortness of breather, always very tired, no energy, and just stay down and out. Went to the doctor last weekend for chest pains, she said heart sounded great, did chest x-ray and said lungs looked really good(which was very surprising), and that I picked a great time to quit smoking. I really hope that these things ease up very soon, it gets a little scary and will trick you into thinking something more serious is wrong.

Well pal, I am 54. and on my 477th day of quitting. And finding it tough. It is bad many days, worse on many more. But the feeling of freshness is worth it. Stick to it, good bye to that stick - I am telling myself. True, shortness of breath has its adverse effects physically and mentally. But it is sure to pass. Otherwise, why have otherds quit and stayed QUIT?

Hi everyone I have given up smoking for 6 months this month.When i first gave up i felt fine for a few weeks then all of a sudden i had SOB so bad i ended up in A&E, not just once but about four times.My chest hurt and my back and i could just about breath.I had to stop going to the gym and also swimming which for me was very depressing.I have had bloods and lung tests done also xray which were clear,but my lungs are damaged due to smoking resultig in asthma.Six months on i can say chest pains have gone and breathing so much better that last week i went swimming also an hour long gym class.So to everyone please do not give up hope it will get better.Thank you for this site as i would come here daily to know i was not alone. Best wishes EX-SMOKER.

I found this looking for an artile on shortness of breath after smoking. It has been 9 grueling months for me and I am winded all the time now! i thought it was my imagination, but my boyfriend asked me if I was all right last night because I was breathing so hard. Man, no good deed goes unpunished, does it?

It's been 9 months for me. Honestly, I am afraid to go to the doctor, as I don't want to hear "emphysema" nor COPD." That sounds pretty shallow, I know, but, I also don't want to go to any doctor so immersed in the medicality of practice as to give me bronchodilators and send me on my way. I need the right doctor who will tell me exactly what is going on and what to expect. Good luck ljh, let me know how you are, as we apparently quit about the same time.

Hi masonhorse please don't be afaid it is best to have some tests done as if any thing is wrong you can have treatment quick.I was so afraid for months i really thought i was dieing.I had the tests and was given a inhaler a pink one to take night and day,i am so much better.I know how you feel I really do.And please remember every one is different and it can take longer for some people to recover from smoking,i wish you all the luck .

Did the dr. tell you what it is? I don't want a doc simply to send me on my way with a pink inhaler without something concrete to hang my hat on. Did the doctor use the word "well?" or "cure?"

after many months of feeling ill i have found out the cause of all this and it is allergies after a ct scan and a blood test they thought it was bonchiectasis but i need more tests now to find out allergy thats causing the mucus on my lungs in the meantime i have been given tablets to help thin the mucus they gonna take a month to kick in

I'm a 30 year old male and I've smoked cannabis on a regular basis for over 10 years. I quit 3 months ago and started getting SOB, I was scared to death, thinking I had some permanent damage. My doctor listened to my lungs and told me they were fine. The SOB faded away after a couple of days but I still have some bad days where I have this feeling of restricted lungs/airways and not getting enough oxygen. However, the bad days are getting less common, so I'm hoping I will be ok in a few months. I'm really annoyed that this side-effect of quitting smoking is not mentioned anywhere, you are told that you might have some bad coughs after quitting, but that's about it. Why should so many people fear for their life before discovering this symptom is normal? 

What really seems to help is drink lots of water, like 4 liter (1 gallon) a day, and exercise a lot. It feels like a lot of slime/muscus is coming loose after a workout and breathing gets easier.