I'm week 10 of quiting on patches and have severe health anxiety. I'm still coughing up rubbish plus some blood anybody in the same boat?

[MMoo]

I've been doctors loads of times had clear chest x ray etc and currently doing CBT for anxiety. I'm really having a rough time quiting.

[jillygirl Administrator Queen Bee]

Firstly well done on reaching 10 weeks of quitting. Most of us cough up a mucus substance when quitting. I am no expert but would wait for Emjay our advisor to contact you. I think I would go back to the doctors and tell them you aren`t happy and ask why is there blood when you cough up. Otherwise ask for a second opinion. please let us know how you get on. )

[MMoo]

I just spoke to doctors and said its prob a tear (paper cut) in the top of chest. Its quite common if your been coughing loads for such a long time. As my chest ray was clear she didn't seem too concerned at this point

[jillygirl Administrator Queen Bee in reply to MMoo]

I suppose you have got to trust the doctors. See what Emjay has to say may be has some useful advice.

[Hidden]

Hi Morriemoo. Sorry you're not feeling too good. I never had a problem coughing up anything when I stopped, I didn't have a cough but there are plenty of people on here who did get a cough after they stopped. I'm with Jilly perhaps see a different GP? I think if you continue to cough up blood in your phlegm, you should maybe press them to refer you to a Chest clinic so you can have a scan. I don't understand why you would be coughing so hard for so long, there must be something irritating your lungs. How many did you smoke and for how long?

Has your anxiety problem started since you stopped smoking or were you already suffering with anxiety prior to that? It's brilliant that you're 10 weeks quit and though it doesn't seem that way when you're coughing your heart up, just think how much worse it would be if you were still smoking. But......10 weeks in the longer term of smoking and quitting is not long really. You're coming up to the 3 month mark, make or break time for a lot of us. Once you get past about 12 - 14 weeks then things seem to get a little easier and you start to accept that you may well not smoke ever again. At the moment the one half of your mind is telling you this is far too hard why are you even bothering, go on have a cig, while the sensible part of your mind is saying NO, you must stay stopped. This leads to lots of stress and angst and it makes it very difficult to focus on anything else and makes for lots of short temperedness.

I would think your CB therapy will be coming into its own though in helping you with the stress of stopping smoking. Keep plodding along, you will start to feel better soon.

[MMoo in reply to Hidden]

I smoked 20 + rollies for 20 years. I don't have a persistent cough. I think my cough could be linked to my anxiety. When I feel phegm on my chest I make mysel cough so hard until its gone. I still cough up clear phegm wirh loads of brown rubbish. More after I exercise

[MMoo in reply to MMoo]

Seen loads of different doctors including A and E all said chest is clear and fine. Maybe it's all in my mind. I don't know. I know that I will never smoke ever again!

[Hidden in reply to MMoo]

Well that's good then and reassuring for you. Hopefully your therapist will help with ideas you can use to help with your anxiety in place of smoking.

[MMoo in reply to Hidden]

Yeah hope so. The easy option would be to pick up a fag. And I've come clos but that isn't going to happen no matter what. Thanks for everybody who replied. Nice friendly bunch

[MMoo]

I always had anxiety but smoking helped me cope. Now I don't have the fags it became uncontrollable. I'm finding the relaxation tapes works really well