This is more like it...

[zigzzagz]

Been quit smoking for 3 weeks completely, and 1 week of dramatic cutback for 4 weeks total. All this done because of a lung infection of some type that scared me into quitting. A few days after quitting though, my lungs just straight seized up on me like a rusty old motor. Chest constriction, trouble breathing, heavy chest and the chest pain that had started several weeks earlier with the chest inflamation. Well, I'm happy to say that in the last week I'm probably about 70% better, though it's hard to quantify of course. The chest constriction is gone, most of the chest pain is gone, just a slight heaviness in my chest which seems to dissapate when I go for my daily walk. I toned down the severity of my excercise for the moment and the hardest part is a 2 block long hill which I walk at a normal to brisk pace but I'm no longer forcing my lungs into jogging.....I don't know what the heck I was thinking doing that but whatever. My throat still feels rough at times, my energy levels are not 100% and my chest does feel a bit weighted at times, none of which I had before I quit smoking or before the lung inflamation, so I hope to get that back. Of course everyone is cutting there lawns right now, and all the flowers are popping up and I do suffer from hay fever. Normally used to just sneeze but now it seems to hit my throat.

Anyone else had this kind of chest tightness when they quit? How long did it last??

[Hidden]

Hi Zigzzagz welcome to the site. Do you live in the UK? If so, perhaps it was the pollution we suffered a couple of weeks ago that caused the tight chest, especially if you already had a lung infection. If you're not in the UK, I don't know. I must admit when I smoked and we, on the rare occasion, had really hot weather my chest used to get quite tight. Lots of people on here have found their chest seems to get worse for a short while after quitting but soon gets better, sorry I can't be more help. Hope you soon feel better and start to feel the benefits of stopping smoking.

[zigzzagz 6 MONTH WINNER in reply to Hidden]

No, acttually I'm over here in Canada. Vancouver to be precise though I don't even know if it's a big enough city to be known about by the average person in the UK. I've heard, by reading the quit smoking / lung health site during my quit here that the UK is having a very serious increase in lung serious lung disease due to uncontrolled polution. COPD/emphysema and another grouping of lung diseases referred to as interstitial lung disease has doubled in the last 5 years..........and here I thought you guys had got rid of those london fogs......the pea soupers as they called them. I'm just danged glad I got out in time myself and hope the damage doesn't catch up with me any time soon.

[MMoo]

Hey zigzag,

Yeah my chest definitely got tight on and off for nearly 6 months I reckon.

After a while and once all the crap has cleared you really notice difference thou.

going to be so worth it in the end.

take it easy fella.

iam

[zigzzagz 6 MONTH WINNER in reply to MMoo]

Whew........6 whole months you say?? Well, I'll cross my fingers it isn't quite that long but what ever will be will be. There's sure no way in hell I'm going back to smoking after this bit of torture I've gone through. Fear is a great motivator I tell you and you taking your breathing for granted, don't even realise you're doing it really, until that day that you have to struggle to breathe. I tell you man, that's a scary day. I'm not so foolish as to say NEVER, because addiction is insidious, but from where I stand right now I'm about as close to certain as you can get that I won't smoke again.

[ChrissieG in reply to zigzzagz]

Hi Zigzzagz - it's lovely to meet you! So I've read through your posts, how is your chest feeling now? Has it improved at all? I know that it must be terrifying to struggle for breath and so the memory of that would be enough to stop you smoking again for the sake of your health!

I have heard of Vancouver and I think it is on the West side of Canada and if I remember, although I could be wrong here, is it a port? Sorry if I'm wrong. And I can reassure you that the days of London Smog have gone and what happened a couple of weeks ago was a freak of nature where weather fronts were bringing up sand from the sahara dessert which did affect those who suffered from lung disease (asthma; COPD etc) which wasn't very nice.

So how are you coping without the cigarettes? Are you using anything replacement therapy to help or are you just going through it "cold turkey"?

You must have been stopped for about a month now is that correct? In which case, you are doing brilliantly and must be pretty pleased with yourself

Anyway come on to the site again to let us know how you are getting on and especially if you could use a bit of support to keep you going, everyone is very friendly and always, always happy to help!

[MMoo in reply to zigzzagz]

Yeah I felt the same. There were times when I didn't want my breathing to fully recover ( and I know that sounds crazy) but I didn't want to forget what I went thou to ensure I wouldn't start smoking again.

I'm now at the stage where my breathing is so much better. The best it's been in years, but I still do have the old days where I get a little short of breath and also a little tight chested. Yesterday in fact I flobed up a big ole lump of brown rubbish, so even now I know my lungs are still healing.

I've also learnt that tobacco companies put a drug in tobacco to help keep your airways open, so of course you don't realise how bad your breathing is getting until you stop!

Nice to hear from you and I'm glad your hanging on in there!!

[zigzzagz 6 MONTH WINNER in reply to MMoo]

Tobacco companies putting in something to keep your airways open?? I wouldn't put it past them the dirty buggers. They is the enemy.

Yes, Vancouver is in western Canada, is a port city of about 2m people considering all the greater Vancouver area. I like it a good bit except it rains too much but I guess that's what you get when you build a city on the edge of a rainforest

I quit right about the middle of march I started a hard cut back for about 5 days on something like the 10th and quit entirely around the 15th so I've got around 6 weeks in.

[gibbers 7 MONTH WINNER in reply to zigzzagz]

I'm unsure if this is entirely true, but I can tell you that when I was in the army the smokers were typically better runners than non-smokers. Always thought of this as counter-intuitive but a few of them said that smokers are able to process oxygen better under duress. None of us knew for sure nor did we feel the need to research this.