Still going strong but weird things going on !

[Rjg45]

Well I guess around 6/7 weeks now from initially being told to stop after catching pneumonia and being scared sh**less !!!

So automatically stopping ( cold turkey ) not that I was in any condition or having any desire to smoke , my tobacco went in the bin and that was it ...

Reading up about doing cold turkey on here and other sites seems a task .. I'm thinking as I was so bloody ill things were masked thankfully and the nicotine withdrawal went and passed pretty quick tbh ,

... as said , was home from hospital , after being on industrial strength antibiotics via a drip then more to take when I got home to coughing up blood / pus and Phlegm of all colours so smoking was the last thing on my mind and the withdrawal wasn't really heart fealt tbh

My sleeping is better now , I'm back to work after being off for around six weeks , that was holiday , where I got ill then getting sick ... so back to work , feeling confident ... chest feels great but sure I'm getting the quitting fatigue symptoms , deffo last week anyway , but also having pneumonia can knock you for 6 and takes time to get strength back ... So yes , still a little fatigued but getting better ...

Weird things happening are , the habit bits .. I didn't smoke in the house , as being the only smoker , I'd smoke in the garden , yesterday , after breakfast , I automatically grabbed the key fir the back door , put it in the door then thought ' what am I doing "

that's what I'd do to go out for a cig ..!!!

Strange how habit things are still there but cravings are not ... I just shrugged it off and that was that ... other than that it's pretty good ..

weight is going on a little ..hey ho !!!

I have plans .. I've got this far and bloody impressed myself and have no intentions of going back , so got positive ideas now to lose the weight ...

My follow up X-ray next week to see if my lungs are clear from the pneumonia, fingers crossed I'm ok ... it's weird how you worry more about yourself once something happens to you Than you ever did when you smoked !!!!

Sory for being graphic again , and I know was a streptococcus bacteria infection I caught , but smoking makes all the worse ....

Be strong to you all and stay strong , talk to people close to you about your achievements and be chuffed about it ....

Finally .. last week whilst out shopping , just going into a shop , there was and elderly woman smoking outside sat on a bench ... omg , the smell was absolutely disgusting and really found it quite offensive !!!" Really is not a nice smell is it " , my wife said !!

[Nozmo Valued Contributor]

Don't worry about the "forgetting that you have stopped" episodes. I got those for months and was forever reaching for my lighter in my pocket. Weird indeed, but it does eventually go away.

[Psycho666999]

Hi, I've found out that I have pneumonia, had steroids and antibiotics 1 after the other, but was told to not quit smoking till infection has gone. This has scared me, my lungs hurt and I want to go cold turkey and quit, the docs have said I will make myself worse. Feel trapped! Any advice welcome

[Rjg45 500 Days Smoke Free in reply to Psycho666999]

I think that’s rubbish advice from your doctor !!!

I had caught streptococcus pneumonia back in August and got quite bad ..was in hospital for 3 days on an iv with the industrial strength antibiotics ! Really thought I was going to die , I was border line sepsis , and been ill for about 5days with it and just thought I had the flu ..so it took quite a hold ..

From what I gather , my X-ray didn’t look very good with a big shadow one side ..

. I’ve smoked for a good 30 yrs , I’ve had that horrible wheeze at the top of my throat for a while upto that ..

They told me I need to stop

Within a day or The blood and muck associated with the pleurisy and the Stabbing pain started to weaken ..

Only advice was to stop , not tomorrow, not next week ...Just stop ..

Smoking has been a massive part of me And governed me .. I quit just like that ..Cold turkey ...was hard , bloody hard ...

I know smoking hadn’t directly caused the pneumonia but does contribute to what’s going on inside your lungs..

pneumonia does and has knocked me for six , with lack of stamina etc and so does quitting the cigs ..so a combination of both does make you feel crap and weak ...

This was on the 18th August , 11th of October now ... I’ve not had anything to do with tobacco, vapes ..anything ... I’m pretty much better now ...my chest feels so clear ..I had my six week X-ray last week , so just waiting on that , it breathing is clear ...can’t remember the last time when my chest fealt this clear !

It’s a shame it’s taken me to getting seriously ill to quit but sometimes that is what it takes for some people ..

I still feel the habit ones sometimes and diss the thought and it’s gone in seconds ... I hate the smell of cigarettes now so much ..it really does stink of s*#t !!!

I’m so chuffed with myself for stopping as well as my wife and my son ..

my advice ..just stop and see how you go ...there is so much help On here if you get stuck .. just don’t give in ..once the craving bit has gone... crack o with other things ...

Walks in the woods , plenty more oxygen to get in your lungs .. my lung capacity feels massive now , with no noises lol and no pain ..

I’m hoping there’s no damage from the pneumonia..not heard anything so that’s a good sign ..my docs visit , he was please how they sounded ...

I wish you all the best ..but I feel that If someone says ..quit next week or whenever..that’s just fuelling the mental side to say , “ I’ll give up another day when I feel better “ ...

Hospital Doctors told me ... a lot of people say they will stay off them , only to start again when they feel better ...which sounds more like obvious to me ...

So again , I think what you’ve been advised ..it not right ...it’s your body at the end of the day and you need to make the decision...

[RoisinO1 Administrator 3 Years Smoke Free in reply to Rjg45]

Rjg45 - really thrilled for you and how well you have come along since your first post here, well done, great mindset and I really feel you are on this remarkable new found journey for the long haul, congrats!! Keep in touch...

[Psycho666999]

Thanks for your reply, yes i wasn't happy with the advice at all. Doc said with my asthma and infection, quitting cold turkey will make things worse. Too be honest not sure how much worse I could get. On 4th lot antibiotics and steroids, hot and cold constantly, sick, and coughing up a lot. Had to book emergency appointment at docs not coping at all. Well done on quitting all I want to do I'd go cold turkey. My x ray wasn't good infection and shadowing etc, really frightened me

[Rjg45 500 Days Smoke Free]

Yes , that’s what I fealt ...frightened by what had happened and the shock of it ... it’s not the norm is it ... tubes in your hand , being pumped with drugs , blood , pus and muck ...also being put in a respiratory ward in hospital is also an eye opener !!!

Well if your still Ill with the illness , then your not going to want to smoke ...well at least I hope your not ...

When I was sent home , I was given a tablet course of drugs , more amoxicillin for 6 days ... in that time I had thrown everything away to do with smoking ...and just forced myself to not look back ...

your brain tells you otherwise though , thsts the nicotine receptors in your brain craving ...

you need to tell them to F off and move on .. I found drinking a glass of water ... not gulping it ..just a sip heard and there and try get in with something..cravings last minutes..and you’ll find they last even shorter then longer and shorter then suddenly nothing after a few days ...

yes. There will be sleeping probs I found , but again , all goes the longer without... you body is mending ...

I found my chest started to feel weird when the temperature drops .. I think it’s because the infection I’ve had , plus no muck in there now ... there clear .. I do t have a cough at all and no muck ...

you need to re build ... I’m just taking it slowly .as said ..long walks are good , in the woods if you can , more oxygen....

it’s easy for me to say now as doing it ...but just do it and don’t look back ...be strong with it

[RoisinO1 Administrator 3 Years Smoke Free in reply to Rjg45]

Welcome Psycho666999 to our community. Wishing you a speedy and full recovery, I can't really add anything more to Rjg45 excellent advice other than to reiterate to stop now, it will help your recovery, yes there may be stronger physical withdrawals as you are recovering from your infections and your body will be rewiring, repairing and recovering too from the smoking - but you can do it.

Create a new post when you put out your last cigarette, we will here waiting and to help you along - get a supply of water, fruit, honey (preferably raw to take every morning and night to help clear out the lungs for at least the first 6 months of your quit) and vicks / Eucalyptus oil to vaporize regularly. We look forward to seeing you soon on Day 1