Shortness of breath after stopping smoking

Best wishes Ralph....and thanks for all your posts...I will continue posting as well.

Ok...so, this may sound kind of crazy...but, when I stopped smoking "cold turkey"....I discovered immediately that the "electronic cigarettes" made me sick so I went to cough drops....Halls cherry, specifically.... anyway, I chewed them in place of a cigarette....Now I think I am addicted to them. At my first doctor's appointment when my SOB developed, my family insisted I ask if they could be the reason for my SOB and my family doctor said No....they could only give me diarrhea....so, I never questioned their side effects again. Just the other day I was at a low, not going to lie....I was feeling helpless and sorry for myself and was trying to see what in the world I did differently this time to cause such a horrific side effect because I quit before and the only thing was the cough drops. I literally can chew 15 a day if not more...I laugh at the addiction, but because the side effects, according to my family doctor, wasn't SOB I didn't take it too seriously. So yesterday at work my co-worker sees me popping my cough drops and grabs my bag. She starts typing in SOB from cough drops and low and behold there are people out there that have developed SOB....I don't know...but because it was the only constant thing I have done since I stopped smoking and it was around the time I developed SOB I am stopping the cough drops today to see if there is any change....I will be sooooo pissed off if I was the culprit this whole time...Let's see what happens....

When I first quit, I was chewing up a box of Tic Tacs per day. I ended up with several cavities, had them filled, and had to stop my new addiction. Now I am just a fatter non-smoker.

That is crazy if that is what was causing it. For me, I think the SOB is all anxiety related. I never had SOB, anxiety or any ailment for that matter until I quit. When my anxiety is in check then I notice there is no SOB. I really think it takes a good year or so for your body to get back to normal. I just take one day at a time and hope that one day I just feel as good as I did when I smoked. I'm close some days even better but then it hits and I take a few steps back. Oh well. Keith

hahahahaha...that's so funny!

One day at a time, right Keith....and hopefully we will come to the day when there are no more back steps...

Exactly and I am at the point were I have many more good days now than bad. I know it will be even better once this weather breaks here in NY. I love being outdoors so being cooped up in the house does not help. The one thing I wonder is that many of the people dropped off this site because reading the posts made them think about how they were a smoker? Maybe it's too much of a reminder?

I know....I am looking forward to the weather breaking as well here in Jersey. I am glad to hear you are having more good days than bad...that's so encouraging...!!!! And you are probably right about why people have dropped off this site...I can't explain how much this site has given me hope and the ability to discuss issues with people that know what I am talking about because they are going through it as well.

I would be pissed as well then I would just have to laugh and be relieved.

I don't think it is so much a reminder, but maybe they are getting better and don't need the reinforcement of it as much. When I followed the "Why Quit" program, I was on the website, non-stop. It grew to be less and less over time.

I see what you mean. I'm at the point were I would no longer need reinforcement because I know for a fact that what I'm feeling are the effects of quitting even 8 months later. I enjoy looking at the site giving advise to others that may not have tried something that I have. I have read every posts on every subject under the Nicotine Addiction link and it's very interesting to see what others have been through and are feeling now.

well people today is my 260 days smoke free . I am in the hospital again, this time with pneumonia,what luck.it seems as it was coming down for the last week, but I thought I WAS JUST HAVING A RELASP,MY doctor said my lungs are raw from the tar being removed,so i m very susceptable to every little germ that comes by I talked too the doctor that I fired ,he explained things to me so i m gonna drop the lawsuit agaist him and the hospital good luck to all .I HAD TO GET my neighbor to call 911 left my oven on,my doors wide open, my little jack russel outside, want get out of here till monday THANKS RALPH

You got to be kidding you can't catch a break. I am sorry you are going through this but you will come out feeling better in the end. I really think it takes a year or so to fully recover from us quitting. Why others have no problem is beyond me but people like us I think a year. I really hope you feel better soon. Today was a great day in NY I felt alive outside messing around with the kids and stuff. Feel better Ralph. Keith

I hope you are feeling better. Just another bump in the road on the way to recovery. It took us a long time getting where we were, and it is a long way back, but so worth it!

As of now I am completely off of the meds, which were sleep aids,anxiety and prilosec otc. All due to the recent surgries I've had. Earlier I was convinced I developed some kind of heart condition,now I know better. The surgeries helped me realize that I had no heart condition and those mental demons are a S.O.B.