Shortness of breath after stopping smoking

I would listen to your body and not push it on the cardio because you may just pass out....and when it deals with the mucus/tar...I didn't cough for over 1 year after I quit smoking, it was weird...to me that's a great thing that it's coming out....you are, at least, expelling it...good luck for a speedy recovery.

I had the exact same problem as most of you on this thread. I thought I was in fairly good health when I decided to quit and I imagined how much more healthier I would be once I stopped the only bad habit I ever had. I was in for quite a surprise when 3 months into my quit I developed severe shortness of breath. Mine was not caused by anxiety, I think it was caused by mucus and tar that started to break loose and flood my air passages. It was dry and hardened at first and nothing was moving until 3 months in. Once it started breaking up, all hell broke loose. I hadn't been seriously sick with anything in over 35 years before quitting. Minor colds and a few times maybe the flu. 3 months before I quit I was playing football and running around faster than some of the 20 year olds I was playing with. (I am 45) Smoked for 27 years. Now I seriously could not walk 20 feet without almost hyperventilating and passing out. I went to the emergency room 3 times in a three month span and struggled & suffered at home for 6 months. The doctors gave me antibiotics, steroid shots and inhalers, also prednisone twice. That did help periodically and helped me clear out a little more of the tar and gunk that was in my lungs. I am still taking the inhalers as needed and am still clearing out more tar each day. It's been 10 months now and I am a little better but nowhere near 100% yet. I am hoping I will get there but there's no guarantee I will. All I can do is try. The cigarette companies put bronchodilators in cigarettes, they keep your lungs wide open so you don't know how bad your lungs are until you stop. I have tried just about every natural / herbal / home remedy / myth / hearsay...ect. ect. out there on the internet. I would also like to thank all of you on this thread. I have been lurking for most of the 10 months and have read and reread this entire thread, hoping to find the answer. The things that are helping me are, prescription drugs: albuterol, advair or asmanex. I only take the prescription stuff sparingly as needed, sort of like emergency only. I don't want to become dependent on any of it. Of course I don't tell my doctor that because he expects me to take it constantly. I have figured out I can go days without it and only take it when I can't get my breathing under control. Over the counter natural stuff I take everyday: NAC (n acetylcysteine) helps thin mucus better than mucinex - Quercetin w/ bromelain - helps keep inflammation in the lungs down and is better than taking prednisone too much. Mucolid / Ambroxol helps thin mucus when I feel it's extra heavy. Other stuff that helped me early on: mullein tea, mullein extract and mullein capsules. Breathe easy tea by Yogi. Clear lungs by ridgecrest, Mullein Lung Complex, Wild oil of Oregano capsules, Garlic, Horseradish, Apple Cider Vinegar, Vicks humidifier with the vicks vapo liquid. I'm sure I tried many more things I have forgotten but I can only remember the things that really helped. I hope it can help someone else out there. Just remember...it takes time. Especially if you smoked for a long time.

I am just so intrigued about how many people are going through the same situation...and even tho it's very scary at the beginning....I am proof that you will get better...it's just the in between that's scary.

hi mike thanks for your reply, it looks like you have a done a lot of research to get some help you need on your quit smoking ordeal, it looks like I have a long way to go to be smoke free. I did forget to mention I do have copd and I will probably always be on an inhaler. I am 65 and have smoked for over 40 years, I started smoking when I was in the service and uncle sam gave them to us free in our c-rations. I will probably never have clear lungs from the tar and nicotine, but hopefully get better with time. its terrible getting out of breath just going to the bathroom, or trying to do anything that takes a little energy. I have written down the things that said helped you breath a little better. I really do appreciate you for telling me a few things I can try, thank you-- Dale

Yes Angel it is amazing. I never imagined quitting would do this to a person. I do have hope because of you and Keith finally getting much better. I didn't think I was going to survive much longer at all. It was so terrible in the beginning I almost had to call for an ambulance several times. I couldn't do anything without gasping for air. This doesn't happen to everyone, my brother smoked longer than me and quit 3 years before I did and he had no breathing problems at all. @tiredofsmoking, my doctor said I may have copd too but he said my lungs didn't show the usual scarring that most copd patients have so I am hoping I don't have it yet. Quitting smoking will stop the progression and you can remain fairly stable but if you continue to smoke, the damage will continue at a more rapid pace. Another thing I forgot to mention....I first started quitting using e-ciggs the first 3 months and I thought they may have contributed to my problems. I immediately stopped using them when the shortness of breath first started so I don't know if they did play a roll in all of this. However they may have been the reason why the tar in my lungs started to break up more and more. It seemed the more gunk I got out the better I could breathe for a short time until more loosened up. I think I did get some sort of infection because the antibiotics really helped clear a lot of stuff out. I was on 4 rounds, each a month apart. As of now 10 months later I am feeling somewhat better and can better control the symptoms with the help of the medications. I still clear out gunk, usually daily but can feel my lungs being able to take deeper breaths and they feel a little bit lighter (if that makes any sense). I do wish good luck to all of you!

I completely understand what you are going through...let me tell you...my symptoms were so REAL to me, that as sad as it was...I was "grooming" my husband to be both father and mother to our girls...I truly felt that there was no way in the world I was going to make it through to the other side...so, this is why I am so excited even more so about the holidays this year because I truly felt I would not be here for them this year! Let me tell you...I also heard it might be the onset of COPD but my lungs did not show signs of it yet...I think they all say that when they don't know what the hell it is! I can tell you I am feeling fantastic...every now and again I have to catch my breath...but I feel like a new person and I truly believe everyone on this forum will, you just have to get through the "storm"... Hang in there, my friend.

I am so happy for you and everyone else here that quit. To this day, my wife will never understand how bad I felt because she never smoked. Like you, I felt as if it was over and I would never get better. As a result of quitting, I developed anxiety and still cope with it a few days a week. It's really not bad at all at this point like it was in the beginning. I will take mild anxiety over smoking any day so I guess it was a good trade off. ~Keith

I have had this I only smoked for 3 months and I quit about a week ago I don't have a clue what this is I was fearing it was lung cancer or somthing and shit myself as I'm 16 when will it get better?

Me too, Keith!

Hi Hank...everyone is different, but because you only smoked for 3 months...I would bet it won't take you as long as it did for some of us who have smoked for years. If you feel like there has been no improvement...I would go to the doctor's . Good luck...and hope for a speedy recovery...

Why do you say that ,that is a very dangerous drug? all doctors prescribe it at one time or another.

I am about 50 lbs under weight. and cant gain any weight

hi hplar62. I am also under weight and cant gain a pound, I drink ensure just to try and help but don't know if it does any good, and its hard to eat very much at a time. I try to eat as much of the high calorie as I can and nothing seems to work, being to skinny is just as bad or maybe even worse than being over weight. I wish I knew something that would add some pounds on me. I am 65 so the middle aged spread has passed me bye. I try to avoid looking in the mirror because I don't like what I see. I keep hoping that some day I will start gaining some weight, but im just about ready to give up on that ever happening, I guess I will just be a boney ass the rest of my life. Dale

I been smoking a pack And A Half a day for about 2-3 years I found out I was pregnant a week ago and cut from 30 cigarettes a day to 5 cigarettes a day with in a week Of Finding Out and yesterday I quit cold turkey , today I was doing fine until I got stressed out From arguing with my fiance , then my muscles and my chest got super tight and I have shortness of breath , will this pass or is this a serious problem ?

Maybe it's time you and Ralph(hplar62) should see a Dietitian?