Spirometry

[Klys]

Just a thought, but I have never been asthmatic before last July, when this all started for me, no attacks of breathlessness at all. It all started two weeks after I stopped smoking! So the nightmare began.......

[Hidden]

Hi I have asthma and copd with a lung age of 66% so slightly better than yours. I find the worst thing with my asthma is when I have an attack. It is very scary when your throat clamps shut and you can't breathe for a few seconds. Make sure you take your asthma inhaler (the blue one) everywhere with you as this really helps. Tak

e care. x

[stilltruckin]

I googled 'breathlessness following smoking cessation' and found a multitude of people on various forums complaining of the same phenomenon, but no authoritative medical explanation for it. Indeed the official position, unsurprisingly, is that quitting will relieve breathlessness, not cause it . . .

Then I remembered a guy I worked with many years ago who swore that smoking helped control his asthma attacks, so I googled 'smoking helps my asthma', and found this: booksie.com/health_and_fitn...

And this: thecommentator.com/article/...

Which contained a link to this: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/184...

[john21 in reply to stilltruckin]

smoking will not help your asthma

[stilltruckin in reply to john21]

Maybe not, but vaping might . . .

[rubyred777 in reply to stilltruckin]

Why do you say that Stilltruckin? Kind of an interesting thing for you to say.

Rubyxx ☺

[stilltruckin in reply to rubyred777]

I'm basing that on data from the last link in my post a few posts above, i.e..,

'. . . Nicotine is an anti-inflammatory, but the association between smoking and asthma is highly contentious and some report that smoking cessation increases the risk of asthma in ex-smokers. To ascertain the effects of nicotine on allergy/asthma, Brown Norway rats were treated with nicotine and sensitized and challenged with allergens. The results unequivocally show that, even after multiple allergen sensitizations, nicotine dramatically suppresses inflammatory/allergic parameters in the lung . . .'

[megannell]

"Hello to you Klys..you say in your post that your breathlessness all started for you after you stopped smoking..did i read that right..?. reason i am asking you is..like you i had a lot breathlessness...a few spasms in my ribs, which i at the time. I thought was my lupus and r/a...Wrong!... It was then my problems arrived for me..the day i stopped smoking was the day i couldn't breath either.infection after infection i got... Breathing was so hard for me.. it felt like i was dry drowning... is the only way to explain it..i had x rays, spirometry tests... and was told i had 4th stage COPD Fev1..27% ...all this it seem'd was cause i had stopped smoking.at the pulmunry rehab, i was told by the nurses the reason being for my breathlesness was while we smoke we burn off small hairs in our respitory tract.. Because the manufacture's put a sedative substance in cigarettes otherwise they would burn the back of our throats.. and then we would never smoke them and they would go outa business..So after we quit the little hairs all grow back and its that that makes us breathless and cough... and in around four to six weeks my breathing would be much better. as if i thought.. wrong...That was in May/June.2014..its now febuary2015.my cough went my breathing is never going to be perfect. but at least i don't feel i am constantly drowning.my biggest issue to date is constant infections. but that is part the condition...although i have gone a long way around to try to reassure you.. You too will feel so much better soon, from quitting smoking Klys..so please try to be patient and dont be fooled into smoking again. i nearly did..thankfully i didn't.. wishing you all the best..promise you.. It will get better. for you...Megan."

[Klys]

Hello Megannel, so sorry to hear you have this condition. Has your Fev1 improved by any chance. I will never smoke again. When you say I will feel better, do you mean you improved. Do you still have 4th stage COP or was that temporary as I know readings can vary from time to time. In UK they did all the tests and and said I signify asthma though here in Cyprus they are saying perhaps copd and asthma. I have a feeling these readings can fluctuate, what do you think. I do wish you well and hope you continue to feel better.

[smilingpreacher]

It is true that many smokers have reported breathlessness after quitting smoking. A smoker takes in over 4,000 chemicals and this sometimes changes the physiology of the body in other to adapt. You have less oxygen in your body if you are a smoker and oxygen level improves greatly after you quit smoking; hence the argument that breathing should be better. But understand that quitting smoking entails giving up an addiction, ending learned behaviours and this could give rise to symptoms that are psychosomatic. It is best to check with your GP just in case there are other factors causing the breathlessness; possibly narrowing of the airway tubes (Bronchodilators or other stronger medications if Asthmatic; might help but leave this to your GP to decide) .

I would strongly advise against taking up smoking again once you have quit smoking. There is no great benefit to reintroducing toxic substances into your body.

If you continue to smoke you are at risk of cancers, respiratory diseases and cardiovascular disease. If you are pregnant smoking could affect your child's development...

Way the options!

[patj]

I am like Megan myself gave up smoking in April 2014 and felt so much worse for not smoking. I have severe COPD and have constant infections, I'm on Azithromycin every other day. I'm still not smoking and never intend to start again tempting but no. Giving up smoking doesn't stop the COPD being severe nothing can, the damage is already done but you are certainly not making it any worse by giving up not smoking will only help not to get any worse. So do be strong and stay off the ciggies just think its them that have caused this problem. It will get better, good luck and keep that will power going. We are all here for help and advice. Patj

[rubyred777]

Hi Klys,

Here I am being honest with you. I'm afraid to quit smoking! I dont want to feel worse! That seems to be what happens

50 % of the time and its scarey. I know I'm

wrong , but it sure doesn't seem like it reading some of these posts. I'm sorry

Klys, but I'm just saying what we all think

before we take that big step. Maybe we could hear from some members that feel better after stopping.Dont mean to interrupt your post. I am sorry Klys.

Rubyxx

[Nikkers in reply to rubyred777]

I stopped smoking in 1992 and have never felt completely right since. I wouldn't start again as I couldn't afford it now, and I know that it would make my condition even worse. But I would never condemn anyone for smoking as I got a lot of pleasure from it and I really miss it even after all this time. It's down to the individual to stop, or not! You cannot nag someone into stopping if they really don't want to, and I wish the do-gooders ( most of whom have never smoked) would understand that.

[Dragonmum]

As a follow-on from stilltruckin's post; I too am asthmatic - the usual meds and abs three or four times a year were an accepted part of my life. I was also a pack a day smoker until I realised that it was making my condition worse so had to find a way out. I had tried everything, even hypnosis - some worked for a while, I even managed two years abstinence at one point but always fell off the wagon. OK. so I'm weak-willed if you say so! I switched to the electronic cigarette in January 2010 - it has saved me literally thousands in cash, but, best of all my health has improved out of all recognition and I do not feel "deprived" - it's hard to do without something you've enjoyed for 60+ years but I find vaping (as it is called) infinitely more pleasurable than smoking - I think it is the vast variety of flavours that ensure I stay away from anything that reminds me of tobacco, which in fact I now find totally repugnant - even the smell puts me off. My asthma meds are cut to two puffs of iprotropium at bed-time and even the two infections I have had over that five years have not resulted in an attack. Just my two-pennorth to clarify. You have to get off the tar and carcinogens in tobacco cigs - there are none in an e-cig!

[rubyred777 in reply to Dragonmum]

Hey Dragonmum,

I believe it. I totally feel nicotene is getting a bum rap. Check out alzheimers and parkinsons in relation to nicotene. Its got alot of good things going for it. Sure, some bad, but what doesnt.

Rubyxx

[onamission]

I was diagnosed with COPD just over 10 years ago now and when I gave up smoking with the help of Champix I developed this cough I couldn't lay flat in bed and without sounding discussing the rubbish that I was coughing up was really bad for about 6 months and I think Stilltruckin has a valid point.

My Mom had COPD and continued to smoke and she said it helped her but I do think that after giving up you do develop a nasty cough,

[Dragonmum]

The bad press for nicotine is rubbish - it may affect a handful of people but if they're smoking anyway how would the nicotine in an e-cig affect them adversely? Also the nicotine in gums, patches and inhalators is on a par with e-cigs; the scaremongering is down to the losses suffered by Government (revenue), Pharma Companies (profits) and Public Health (fat salaries).

[vittorio]

...Yes Klys , - sadly thousands with COPD have said the same thing , and I've heard it hundreds of times - " Within a few days of giving up the ciggies, the trouble starts " , and I too, experienced the same phenomenon -, AND FROM WHAT I CAN FIND OUT - no one really knows the reason why, if fact I know a Doctor who admitted to me that " IF MY PATIENTS KNEW WHAT THEY WERE IN FOR, STOPPING SMOKING, - NO ONE WOULD EVER GIVE UP CIGARETS " - So what does that say about this rotten illness folks ? - we are told that the Liver can and does "Repair" itself, if excessive drinking is stopped, having been bashed around with Alcohol over the years - pity the lungs can't seem to do the same thing , ! Oh, and one last thought - watching the TV Anniversary programmes on the death of Churchill - into his NINETIETH YEAR - we were told, it was estimated he "SMOKED OVER A QUARTER OF A MILLION CIGARS " - and apparently his lungs were in " REASONABLE CONDITION WHEN HE DIED " - aint fair folks ! - life is full of contradictions ........

[Egomatt]

I was told by my consultant that while you are smoking you are keeping your airways open because the smoke acts as a bronchi dialator like albuterol etc !!! I had the same problem your having, I took at least a year before I felt any better after quitting the dry hacking cough and phlegm carried on for ages now all I have problems with are triggers like perfume washing powder bleach second hand smoke bombfire smoke or fumes from traffic and cooking so I try to avoid all of the above ....

[Klys]

Glad you are feeling better though, did you have to use bronchilators at all? I am on Elpenhaler and Spiriva just now, and it is so good that I never need the reliever at all. I walk five kilometers with no problem at all. Actualy I did that before without the Elpenhaler or Spiriva and just carried my reliever in case but never had to use it when walking. My breathlessness seemed to happen during the night when sleeping, so whether I have asthma or copd or both I am not yet sure.