Shortness of breath after stopping smoking

That's great to hear. Those anxiety meds are great at first but then quickly fade and make you feel numb. If you ever feel down or have a bad day just post it and we will support you which is much better than any drug. When I was really falling apart in month 2 and 3 I had my brother to talk to every day sometimes 4x a day. I owe him big time otherwise I would have never have made it. He quit 8 years ago and went through this not as bad but he knows how tough it is. Having a support group is better than any drug I found. Keith

I was lucky as well to have friends and family to support me. The anxiety meds I was on was such a low dosage I could quit without side effects.....so I did. I really don't think it did anything except kill my sex drive, which unfortunately for me has come hack with a vengeance and I have been stuck in and out of hospitals lately...grrrrrr

Sorry sorry to hear that Ralph....I hope you get well soon :-(

ok...so today was one of the most difficult mornings for me here at work...usually, it's a game to see if I can make it in my building without have to stop and catch my breath...well, my husband and I were running late because of all the clocks we switched forward, we forgot the bedroom...!   So, we were rushing and he thought it would be best to drive me in so that I can get a little closer to the door and didn't have to worry about parking...my SOB was horrific because I was rushing....I noticed if I have a lot of bags it makes it worse, so, my husband grabbed all my bags and slowly walked me to just about to my door where I had to stop because I thought I was going to drop and pass out....he was making small talk as people were walking by so it wasn't awkward...well, a co-worker came by and said hey...let me take over to my husband and I just burst into tears....Never ever did i want to become one of those people that need help... I am so sick of feeling like this.  Once I am at my desk...I am fine...the SOB is manageable...it's just getting into the building...I am so upsept :-(

You sound like you have a really good guy on your hands. Don't be upset it will get better it takes time but I understand your embarrassment and frustration. Last night I had really bad anxiety before going to bed and for no reason at all. I had the best weekend relaxing going to kids games and stuff but why it happens is beyond me? Just keep posting and hang in there we are here to support each other until we feel right again. ~Keith

I know...it's a hit or miss...I wish I knew what triggers it...and thanks Keith....you are right....I am so thankful for this forum.

I quit smoking in September, 2013, so about 6 months now. I smoked 1-2 packs a day since the age of 18 through age 32.5. I started experiencing bothersome SOB about 1 month ago, 5 months after quitting. I used an e-cig to quit and I quit the ecig about 2 months ago. I have not experienced any coughing up episodes.   I think I'm gonna to try using Mucinex to see if I can clear out mucus from lungs because this SOB is very concerning and annoying. It's good seeing so many others with the same issue. I had X-rays, blood tests and lung capacity tests and all are normal.      

I tried mucinex because I read and heard that would help...but i just didn't stick with it...maybe I should try it again....good luck

Out of curiousity...what are they telling you is the cause for your SOB?

Honestly I don't think the Mucinex will do much and you will need to just ride it out knowing that it's all part of the healing process. Drinking a ton of water and hot tea helps a lot. Give it time the SOB will slowly get better. All the test came back normal so that is the best part just stay on course and don't pick up another cig ever. I think e-cigs have addictive additives as well... ~Keith

I had a plan with the ecig and it worked. Very easy to quit with them. What I did: -1st month I used high nicotine cartridges -2nd month I dropped to medium nicotine -3rd month I dropped to low nicotine -4th month I dropped to no nicotine 2-3 weeks after changing to no nicotine I stopped wanting the e-cig. And to this day I have no cravings for Nicotine or cigarettes and have not used an ecig in 2 months. I know a ton of people that quit smoking with the e-cig. It's truly the best thing out there to quit. I loved smoking and if it were healthy, I would have never tried to stop. I've tried cold turkey, nicotine patches, gums, Chantix, etc. Nothing has ever worked for me except an ecig.

I quit cold turkey and man was it freaking hard. I'm almost at 9 months and still think about a having cig daily but it does not bother me any longer. Like you said, if I could still have one and it was healthy I would knock people over to get to the store to buy a pack :) I hope with time I will feel as good as I did when I smoked but until then, I will just take it one day at a time. I am close about 80% ~Keith

Let me ask you something...at your worse when your SOB was real bad...did you ever feel as tho someone was sitting on your shoulders as you were trying to walk....that's how I feel....I can barely move and it's been 9 months for me....

I have not felt like that. That is bad I feel for you but hang in there it has to get better. If all your test are ok then you know it's just the healing process. If there was any major issue the tests would have picked it up. I really think it is mostly anxiety related which is why all tests come back fine. ~Keith

I am a 32 year old female who smoked for sixteen years and I am now three months in on my quit, and I am so glad I found this forum. I have had so many withdrawels. I still have SOB but its not all day everyday  now. I do not cough, but i have found that when I can cough up some of the nasty stuff, my breathing is way better. Smoking was my best friend and I miss it very much, I don not have cravings any more but I do miss my cigarettes. My mother passed away of lung cancer almost five years ago and I made her a promise that I would quit but I never did until now. I am a mother of five children who also begged me to quit smoking because they were scared I would die. Then in Oct. 2013 I lost my dad to a very rare cancer, my dad was my world. I woke up one day and told myself it was time and i could do it, both my parents were such strong people, how could I be so weak to not be able to give up this horrible death trap. My parents and my children are my motivation for my quit. It has been  a hard battle thus far, the anxiety has been off the charts, but seems to be getting better with time. When I catch myself wanting to go get a cigarette I think about my kids. They are my world and if I can keep them from having to go through the pain I did watching my mom die from these horrible death traps then its worth it. Reading this forum helps me alot, thank you all.