Shortness of breath after stopping smoking

Went to the ER twice myself. Thought I was having a heart attack, even had an angiogram....came back good. I eventually bought a blood pressure cuff. It actually helped mentally to alleviate my anxiety.

I know anxiety sucks. I never had it until I quit. How long since your last cig? I could be good for a few weeks then get hit hard for a few days which freaks me out. I went to see a therapist to see if a little talk therapy might help but all they want to do is place you on Zoloft. I really don't want to go down that road and never needed that kind of meds before. So many people say it has nothing to do with quitting but reading the posts on this forum makes me think otherwise. I am heading in the right direction because I feel so much better than I did in the begining months. I could not eat lost 30 pounds had 24/7 anxiety major gastro issues it was bad. All of that is now gone except for the here and there anxiety. I also gained the weight back eat healthy and exercise daily. It is going to take time to heal after smoking for 28 years. Keith

You are heading in the right direction...and about the anxiety...you are right....too many people are experiencing the exact same thing when they never before had anxiety....It can't be a coincidence.... On a side not...I was able to walk in again to my building I am feeling a big improvement even though I noticed this morning when I was rushing that i kept having anxiety attacks and had to really focus on snapping out of them in order to breath "normally"... Feeling this was is very exhausting.....seriously...I just want to go back feeling...well, quite honestly...the same way I felt when I was a smoker, ironically....because I felt perfectly fine....now, I can't even walk a mall or sing a song from beginning to end which I just discovered :-(... I know it may see m trivial to some but it's very upsetting to think of the things I normally would take for granted... I live near NYC and sadly enough, my husband and daughter will be attending the superbowl events this week but I declined for fear of the SOB...I hate that...but I just don't like the feeling of not being able to breath and about to pass out if I over do it... It sucks.

I live out on Long Island :) Do not put off going places because you fear being SOB. My family went out this weekend with friends and I had SOB but I did my best to have fun an ignored it. You know what? it went away once I paid it no mind. You have to continue enjoying life and not let the anxiety control you. Go with your family enjoy who cares if you get SOB you are not going to die from it from what I have studied no one really has. Once you start doing this you will see the anxiety will not happen as much. Be strong enjoy going out with your husband and daughter if you don't and sit around you will get anxiety for sure because you will be just thinking about it more and more. Keith

Your right...maybe I should...my husband had to remind me that when he took me to IKEA which is one of my favorite places, he could barely catch up with me lol....so,...I will see....thanks...

Today makes 220 days for me. what a screwed up world.got sick about 3 weeks ago had to go back in the hospital. while i was there the doctors decided that they were god and i was their toy, so they played shit games with my body no food or nutriunt of any kind only 10 % of the requried oxygen. kept me unconcice for 11 days. so today my attorneys fileed a 50 million dollar lawsuit against these gods and the hospital, scumbags. thanks Ralph

?????????????????????????????? Are you serious

wow, why were you in the hospital in the first place? I'm 221 days free and still have SOB here and there sucks but I'm getting better. Tomorrow I go and pick up my Zoloft prescription which I will hold on to just in case? I'm also going to try an all natural product called SAMe. I have read that it helps lift your mood and works the same as anti-depressants but without all the nasty side effects? I feel ok health wise but I still obsess over it daily with the what if's. If this stuff helps calm the mind then that will be good. The Inositol does help but not as well as it did 3 months ago so maybe I need to change things up? Hope you are feeling better. Keith

I quit two weeks ago. Cold Turkey after I was purged courtesy of a stomach virus. I now have insomnia, shortness of breath and frequent headaches. I had none of these before I quit.

I quit smoking 6 weeks ago and I also have been short of breath. I started breathing exercises inhaling deep as I can through my nose and exhaling thru my mouth it has seemed to help alot. I also keep a small stir type straw handy and suck breathe thru it because its the inhaling of that sort that the lungs need to help expand them. I also use my tread mill 3 times a week to help build up my lungs. Its hard work to try and undo what I have done to my lungs , Ive smoked for 35 years , but so thankful I have finally quit and no desire to smoke any longer..good luck to all of you ..

I still have bouts if insomnia....now being one of them, but slowly things are getting better.

I also have bouts of insomnia....I assume it is anxiety about the SOB issues I am going through....I have had several days where I was seeing significant improvement, but, unfortunately, I am back to feeling real crappy....I can barely walk 5-10 steps without feeling as tho I ran a marathon....sometimes, I don't have to be doing anything, just sitting, and I develope SOB...ugh....back to the doctor's in 2 weeks for a repeat of all the tests and to add some new ones to the list...It's been 9 months now....and out of the 9 months...I have had a total of 6 days where I felt good....Very frustrating! Thank goodness for this forum...

Today makes 230 days for me,was in the hospital last month for 12 days the bill was 223,000 can you believe that ? I feel worst now than when I went in, cant walk now, breathing so much worst,,what a bunch of scumbags., I went in because of a lung infection, but boy did i ever get the shaft 12 days 10 of them unconsice no food lost 17 lbs now I weigh 119 lbs. thanks Ralph 02/06 2013

how old are you and what id your weight?

I am 46 and even my husband has no clue what I weigh lol...let's just say I am fluffy...but I have always been...even when I smoked....this occurred 3 weeks once I stopped...so, it's not like my weight was an issue...because 3 weeks before I was able to walk into my building while smoking a cigarette... Do you think my cigarette smoking camouflaged the fact that I was fluffy...?who knows?! Seriously tho...I am only 5'1 and am overweight based on my height...I know that...but I have always been...This is why I can't connect the two....