Shortness of breath after stopping smoking

I read the other day that trying to take deep breaths instead of short, shallow ones is better for you, and to think about what you are doing when you are doing it.  I guess it is like meditation.  Anyway, I have been trying this when I am out walking, and it is getting easier to walk and breath.  Mind you. I am almost 67 years old, overweight, and I smoked for almost 50 of those years, so even if I am 18 months out of my quit date, i am still better off now than I would be if I had kept smoking.   I think the deep breathing exercises, (it was hurting at first), may help all of us with the breathing, sob,  and anxiety issues, but to me it is obvious, that being in the group forum is a big help also. I am grateful.

I do find it easier to take deep breaths when I am walking but I truly think that if I try and push myself, I will collapse on the ground because of the  the pressure I feel in my head and chest and overall body in general... Did you ever feel that way?...I am afraid of having a heart attack or stroke so I just stop walking and wait until "it" passes.... Now yesterday I had a horrific day.....SOB and anxiety for no reason and today....I feel as tho I am at a 75%-80% improvement, having done nothing different.... This is what gives me hope that I will get better....these "good" days...!

Oh...and I guess my frustration with not feeling well now is because when I was a smoker I felt fine...I didn't quit cold turkey because of health issues, I quit because it was becoming more and more inconvenient to smoke and people looked at you like you had two heads and it was just messy....NOT for any health issues because I never had SOB a day in my life....I felt perfectly healthy....I developed severe SOB 3 weeks after I stopped....So, now I wonder what would have happened had I continued smoking....would I have ever experienced a day of unhealthiness like I do now....  I mean, I know smoking is not good for you but can you imagine going from feeling healthy, but a smoker, to feeling like you are dying each day once you quit... very sad.

Wow, this is exactly my situation. I quit because it was such a hassle and I started to hate the smell on my hands and clothes. I was just saying to my wife yesterday that I went and did a good thing by quitting and was screwed because of it. What if I stayed smoking would I have developed SOB and anxiety? I'm I really adding years to my life? Know one knows for sure what the future holds anyway. I really think cigs had some major dopamine release into our brains and now that that stimulant is gone it will take a long time for our brains to adjust to that now that it's missing.

The whole thing is sickening...I can't get a grasp on it and why it's happening to me when I quit before without side effects...Anyway, I guess time will tell for all of us...  Hang in there...Lord knows I am trying...

Today makes 9 months for me . My quit day was June 21 2013. Today is March 21st 2014, Its been a long hard painful road giving up my 47 year partner, days I thought I was dying. days when I could not catch my breath, days when I laid up in the hospital with tubes up my nose.doctors saying they did not understand. my problem. lungs looked fine heart beating great every thing was great.but they had no clue that my brain was telling me I can not breath also I was breathing great accordind to the doctors and all vital signs was normal. some day maybe they will know what causes us to have these nitemares of panic . Im want to tell all of you today I" m felling better than I have in a long long time and its only recently that this has happened. so I wish you all the best of health and I knoe soon you will all feel a lot better than you do today , just have faith in your body. it will get well beleive that. THANKS RALPH

Ralph...your words could not have come at a better time for me....yesterday I had a great day 75%-80% feeling better, today, not so much....maybe 35%-40%.  It's the people on this forum that gives me hope that I will get better...so thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I agree. I had the worst night last night in a long time. Felt like I did in month 1 or 2 really bad. My anxiety was so bad that it was close to being a full blown panic attack. Drove my poor wife nuts. Finally at 2 am I had no choice but to pop a xanax to calm me. None of my all natural stuff was strong enough to relax my mind. Today is another day will see how it goes. ~Keith

So sorry to hear that Keith....Don't you just hate the feeling like you are constantly complaining about your health to your spouse....sometimes, even when I am feeling like crap I try not to say anything because it's all I seem to talk about....he talks to me about sports and all the trades that are going on right now and I speak to him about my breathing or lack thereof....I find I annoy myself constantly talking about it lol  We just have to believe that we will get better and we will be able to encourage others on this forum as well...  

Ralph, how did you change your way of thinking to get rid of the panic and anxiety? It was not long ago maybe a month or so you were saying how bad you felt. What changed? Did it just all of a sudden just go away? ~Keith

No it has not all gone away , but it sure as hell has gor alot better lately, not good enought for sex, but I can walk a few miles I can take a shower, sleep is not very good but with more time I know it will be better.I hope yours and everyone elses is inproving day by day7 , that is the way mine is inproving, each day I push myself a little futher, not to far because i have learned if you do too much exercise it will set yo0u way back , so use comon since, dont over do yourself with exercise it is a killer if you overdo it THANKS Ralph

Has anypne called the tobacco company or the sciencest that put this cig together? do it, if they dont want to answer your question tell them the next call will be to congress, follow up with your request, you will get answers . Thanks Ralph

Today I sent out 37 text messages to news sites across this country about this problem . Now i"m sending out texts to some members of congress and senators about this problem, it may not do any good to start with , but I will do it every day from now on. Remember its the squeaky wheel that gets the grease, you people should not take this laying down. you got to fight for what is wrong. My brain is beginning to work again. Have a great day every one Thanks Ralph

I am so peeve off that these tobacco companies would stoop to such low behavior to put garbage into their cigS to cause millions of more death each year most of you think that S O B does not cause death, but your so wrong, it causes S O B which causes panic attacks which leads to older peple and young people with weak hearts to have heart attacks. If no one is around then they die . its always ruled a heart attack. But what caused that heart Attack???? THANKS RALPH

Ralph, we have no one to blame but ourselves. The warnings on right on the box and we still did. ~Keith