I'm 4 month's free of cigs. It's been a tough road, but I'll never go back! I'm just suprised I don't feel better. My breathing feels starnge, not really short of breath, but I'm hyper aware of my breathing and often tend to over-breathe. Went to the ER and the Doc. Had heart checked, x-rays, blood work, and a spirometry test. All came out normal and they tell me it's just anxiety. Now I'm sitting her still feeling out of breath, my chest hurts, my throat hurts, and I have am intermittent throughout the day that just isn't productive. I search the internet and it only makes things worse. I just thought I would feel better, but I felt better when I smoked. Any one out there have anything similar. I'm finding diseases online which match my sympotms, but the diseases are extremely rare so I'm just getting myself worked up and need some relief. Just had my second kid and I'm terrified I won't be there for my kids. Thank you for any help or relief you can provide.
Breathing feels strange after quitting cigs. ... - Quit Support
Breathing feels strange after quitting cigs. Looking for some similar stories to help calm me down.
Hi Mr worrymaster and welcome to quit support
Well done on your 4 months quit..Fantastic effort 
Please let us know your quit date so we can add you to our wall of winners
Please try and be patient...our bodies take some time to recover from all the chemicals from cigarettes.
Do yourself a big favor and don't use Dr google as this will only confuse you and cause you a lot of unnecessary grief. Your tests have come back fine... that is what counts.
i can understand the worry - as we all know the damage that smoking can cause...But to worry about it needlessly wont help your anxiety at all..Try and turn negative thoughts or worry's in to positives..celebrate your freedom from cigarettes
Take a read of the pinned posts - you will read that sore throat - tight chest etc is a very common part of the body recovering
You have two little ones - put your energy into them and not worrying about things that are not there or that you have no control over
All the very best of luck and if you have any questions..just ask away as there is always someone about
Thank you for the response. I quit on November 3rd, 2015.
I smoked for roughly 15 years, about half a pack a day. Once I had kids I just felt incredibly guilty for doing something so dumb to gamble with the time I have with them.
You're right. Dr. Google does no favors. I was freaking out today that I may have CTEPH, a disease that affects about 5 in a million people. Before that it was heart disease,and then COPD. I'm 32, so these diagnosis are unlikely...but that internet can get your mind going.
I know so just need to accept that I did some damage to my body, and focus on the long road to recovery and healthy living. Just get scared when 4 months pass and you're still feeling the effects.
Hey and welcome😀
Congrats on 4 months 👍🏻
I'm almost 6 months smokefree and I can't say I feel physically better but I do feel mentally better and my psychological dependence on smoking has finally run its course👏
Like glolin said.... Our bodies heal at different rates .... Some people feel great right away and some people may feel worse before they get better....
but you've made the right decision.... We're a close support family and we're here for you and each other whenever you need to vent or if Mr Nic comes calling...
Good evening from Canada 🇨🇦
Mate!.... Give yourself a break. There are parts of your respiratory system that shut down from years of smoking that are on just beginning to resurface. The cilia that filtered dust & pollutants are beginning to work again which is likely to cause the cough. I have no doubt, in my case, that anxiety caused breathing problems. All the more reason to practice deeeeeeep, sloooooooow breathing. Exaggerate your breathing. When you lungs are full of air, suck in a little more. When you exhale, drive that diaphragm up & try to empty your lungs completely. What does that do....no idea, but it'll take your mind off other things that may concern you
lolol Roneo-Love that last line -yes distraction helps
Hi mr worrymaster
I agree with what roneo and the others have said
Our bodies heal at different rates, when I quit I generally felt less healthier than when I smoked. It took over six months for me to feel better within myself 😃
I think you're doing great and should be proud of yourself, keep going you will see the benefits 😄
X X
Addiction is a powerful thing. Possibly your nicotine brain is trying to justify why you should smoke again. Hang in there it will get better
Mr Nic tried to convince me why I needed him.... I believed him for 5 months ..... Now I'm free from the psychological dependence thank God... I thought it would never end💃🏿
Thanks everyone. Its just hard to break yourself from a line of thought. I imagined it would be hard for a few weeks, but never months to a year. It makes sense though, I've been beating them up for 15 years. Anxiety is an amazing thing, all the docs tell you you're ok and you cook up all kinds of ideas they may have missed. Similar stories def help, plus summer is coming which I'm sure will help get me out of the house and moving. Today has been better, when I feel anxious I will just hop on here. My biggest problem is searching online for some rare disease.
That’s me too, had to go to the cardiologist today as ventolin they gave me when I had bronchitis caused SVTs, never experienced anything like that, heartbeat was 190bpm 😳
Anyhow was admitted to hospital for a week getting tests and today I was going to see the doctor in his rooms and could not get my breath.
Doctor listened to my chest and said it wasn’t my lungs, they were clear and I was oxygenating well. BP was high so that was probably part of the problem but he said it was anxiety and as soon as he said my lungs were clear I felt so much better, it’s amazing how sick it can make you feel.
Btw heart is healthy too, it’s been a good day 👍
Yes me, I quit April 21st 2015 for good after failing my first quit in February 2015, I was mid pregnancy and I have had a terrible time with anxiety I fell into a depression after I quit my withdrawal was extreme and I took severe anxiety attacks, I'm over aware of my breathing even now and I still think maybe quitting wasn't the best idea as I was happier and felt healthier before. At a loss just like yourself. I have a theory tho that it's our bodies way of still craving even after all this time it was a crutch after all and even I didn't see it as that by everytime a stress in my life happened I had a smoke so now I can't do that I have no idea how to cope with adult problems since I can't light up. Congrats on quitting tho it's an amazing achievement all the same
I hear ya oshsmom-53 yrs and trying to quit--is really hard--and the anxiety sucks--It is social for me--I get around a lot of people in a public place and I just panic sometimes-NEVER did that in my life--and the breathing is so weird and Im so conscious of it--I am praying this ends cuz I cant go back--I just kno it will kill me if I mess with it anymore--Ive got to go thru the fire and get well--Nice to meet you--MmeT
It's social for me aswell I used to be a really confident person but I always had a cigarette in my hand I smoked for 10 years since I was 14 so growing up anything I learnt I learnt as a smoker, dealing with stress, social situations the works my theory is the anxiety has always been there but just masked.. I want to start exercise to see if that helps I heard it's great for the mind but then I freak out thinking I'd take a panic attack as soon as I get breathless.. It's hard but I'm hoping worth it, nice to meet you too MmeT
I am going on treadmill 15 mins to a half hour a day--and can swim if I want -pool down the hall--It kind of empowers me but I was at grocery store Friday and was fighting the breathing/panic attack thing--so glad to get home and been in since--It gets so all you have to do is think about breathing or what if? and you are off and running--it is so ugly and awful--I Just tell myself its going to be ok--and that im bigger than it--If you read my other posts I have been on b complex and b12--which can cause panic and breathlessness too--so what a whammy--Im off them now so will see--right now Id stay in forever if I could-Are you taking in vitamins ? xxx.. MmeT
Mrworry---I am at 4 mos now to and I could have wrote that letter-I have learned a lot by looking around on internet and reading posts--We are sort of learning to rebreathe correctly and when we become conscious of it we get anxious and freak out--Smoking controlled our breathing before--I always feel like I can breath in fine but cant get it all out--but have taken breathing tests and they are fine-Once the panic sets in it is awful--I have almost like panic attacks if I am at the store or in public--You are not alone--All I have to so is think about it and I get a little light headed--Its a new world for our bodies--I swear I get thru this I will be the most grateful woman on earth--I have a good day and then a not so good one---I go on treadmill everyday even if its only 10 minutes because Im trying to get confidence that I can breath--We sure did a job on ourselves didn't we?/ But its the nature of addiction...I take an anxiety med if im going to walmart or some place busy--or at least have it with me--Hang in there and keep me posted anything you find out--or any progress--Ill do the same--You are ok and will see that child grow up.." It is always darkest just before dawn" xx MmeT P.S. mine can start by me etting anxious--or I notice my breathing,then get anxious and focus more on it--vicious circle nice meeting you
Exact same again once I notice my breathing that's it I panic then I'm having anxiety it's a vicious cycle but Iv managed to be able to talk myself back to normal for about 8 months now so I'm winning YHAY
so I may battle this crap for how many more months?? Omg
do you think in time it will stop? Are you able to talk yourself out of it before it is to bad? what do you tell yourself?? Did it start at about 4 mos?? so many questions--sorry you are living with it but glad Im not alone--it is so strange MmeT
My anxiety popped up about a month into quitting. It gets better, but it's still there. I'm trying CBT techniques to relieve my attacks now...which is basically training your inner thoughts to be positive instead of negative with processes. Its a simple thing if you want to look it up. Also, I went through about 6 weeks of constant panic attacks, those are gone now. So things are getting better and I believe theybeill for you as well. Fisrt thing is to go to the Doc and rule out all the scary things that may have occured with smoking. Once your last that then it's a mental thing to beat cigs and allow your body and mind to heal. I think anyways! I'm still struggling lol
Mrworry--How on earth could you go thru 6 wks of that crap?? Omg--Its like doing battle with a demon--If im out like in the store--all I have to do is think about it and its like a swoon sort of feeling--like I get sorta dizzy and my breaqth changes--It is just hideous Im still thinking some of it was the dam b12 I was taking--cuz never hadem till then..AZ gets real anxious on b12 too--so you never did any kind of vitamin?? You know metaphorically it is literally a feeling of losing my crutches--like im falling and nothing to hold me up--I think if people knew how bad this could get they would think twice before quitting--I would have--Not that I regret it--but ignorance is bliss and the info sure isn't out there--4 mos and still going thru hell? thats crazy Well you arent alone--there seem to be some of us experiencing this weird phenomena with panic--what a shock--thought I was nutz and alone...!! I hatem so bad now--arrrghhhhhhh xxx MmeT
So there is hope. Thank you Osh!
Thank you for sharing. Its so nice to know that I'm not alone or going crazy. 4 months out you would think you should feel amazing. Ciggarettes are pure evil, and I'm amazed how much damage they cause both physically and mentally. Ill never go back because this process has been the hardest thing I've ever done. Heck. One night I was so scared I called a mental health help line because my panic attacks were so bad.
Hi Mr worry master and welcome to quit support😊
Congratulations on your quit, 4 months is terrific👏👏👏
Yes I remember everyone saying oh you must feel much better now and actually feeling worse😩
It's a bit disheartening alright but I think we automatically think we should feel better and when that doesn't happen, we worry. Please don't visit Dr. Google and instead pop on here for much better answers😉
I already feel better with like minded folks going through the same thing. Funny thing is I run about 1.5 miles a day trying to get my stamina up, and I breathe just fine while I'm working on something or busy. But when the thought crosses my mind I go into a tizzy. Searching the internet like mad, gasping for air, scared I've damaged myself beyond repair, heart racing, morbid thoughts....and then I'm exhausted and hyperventilating. Anxiety is a powerful thing, I never knew how much cigs kept that that at bay as a coping mechanism for me. I'm trying to focus on celebrating my repair and quitting now mentally when a symptom pops up, instead of manically freaking out and choosing worst case scenarios.
Ditto on feeling better that not alone--now we wait for one of us to say--they have stopped--Joy Joy
one thing is I don't cough--I don't kno if that's good or bad --MmeT
I cough intermittently, but I think that's different for everyone. Everyone gets the gunk out different from what I've seen. I usually hock a thick mucus gunk every morning and that's about it. But damn if my chest doesn't hurt all day long.
Mrworry,I got real sick with a screwed up type cold when I quit--but haven't coughed since--I did 30 minutes on treadmill a bit ago--am hoping that will help this breathing obsession,irregularity or whatever the hell it is--xx MmeT
I was 5months pregnant when I quit, I spent the next 2 months in my bed crying literally thinking I was going to die. Panic attacks one after the other it was horrific, I was letting it win and I had a 3 year old that needed me probably what pushed me to get help, rang mammy up and she came over with a brown bag, it helped but it was like a switch flicked and my life and myself as a person where never the same again. I tried rescue remedy and it was really good then slowly I started going out of the house again basically, and it's crazy that quitting smoking done this too me, I had to teach myself how to live again. When I was preoccupied I was fine once I was nervous, stressed, in any social situation and the 'Jeepers I haven't had an attack/I'm breathing normally' thought crept in all my hard work was over and I was back in the house hiding. I had to learn to ignore it to calm myself to say this isn't real I'm fine I'm alive I'm grand it's ok don't freak out. The scariest thing is trying to take control of your mind but once I did I have since had a relatively good handle on it. I'm not 100% I don't go out with friends anymore as alcohol is a trigger for my panic attacks now also, I'm 25 and go to bingo hahaha but I'm rebuilding I'll get there and so will you's, I think it's not a case of 'will it be like this forever' it's more a case of 'this is my life now' and in time it hopefully will stop
In regards to the cough I also don't have one I found it seriously weird for ages also haha but it's normal now and I love Wakening up with the cloud in my head too
Osh mom I have the cloud too! I absolutely hate it. It's amazing how a cig in the morning could help me clear my head and feel more alert and ready to take on the day. Of course that was the cig's poison polluting my body and destroying everything. I'll take the foggy head any day. I find it goes away after 10 minutes and a glass of water.
Hello everyone, thought I would follow up. After two really good days, I find myself having a bad day. Anxious, worried, out-of-breath again. SOOOOO frustrating. I've on day three of an intense workout program, so I'm really focusing on becoming healthier. Sometimes I just can't believe that cigarettes can have a mental effect this long out, and a physical one as well. won't give in, I won't go back to smoking. But I would be lying if I didn't admit that I think it would be easier to go back and save myself from this on-going feeling of shittyness. I hope everyone out there is doing well in there journey.
Hiya mrworrymaster , I'm almost at 2 years quit and i struggle with my breathing. I feel that I can't take enough air in, the only way I can describe it, when you eat wayyyyy too much food and you can't breathe properly because of it.... That's how I feel. When I swim or walk I have no breathing issues but when I think about breathing I really struggle.
I've had blood tests, lung function, spirometer tests, heart checks and a heart ultrasound! It's not copd and all my tests are really good. Next week I am going to physio to learn how to breath again.....! Will let you know how I get on coz maybe it could be useful to you too 😊
Great quit by the way, 4 months is fantastic 😊😊😊🚭🚭🚭🚭
Thanks droopyj. Your post scares me a bit that you've been quit for two years and still have some issues. Thank you for the honest answer though!
It's so strange, I can workout for over an hour. Run, Walk, Work...basically anytime when I can't think about breathing and my body does it naturally. But then I get a little hint or thought to think about it and it's all screwed up. I keep coming back to the anxiety issue. I just thought I would be happier when quitting, but that's simply not the case. I might be healthier, but mentally I feel more weak than ever. I pray that it's just the chemicals getting out and me learning to live life without ciggarettes as a coping mechanism. I keep telling myself that If I was going crazy I wouldn't really know I was going crazy...right...? I'm sure hope anyway.
I would love to hear how the Physio goes, I'll take any help I can get
To be honest my breathing issues started after I had my gall bladder out, and had a panic attack when I came round. The docs tell me it's just a coincidence...... They think it's to do with giving up smoking! Maybe we breathe differently when we smoke?? Either way hopefully the physio will help 😊 As to the two years... Maybe I'm just special 😂😂
I hope that's the case. Haha. I think Cigs just wreck crap in our bodies, and it takes a long time to clean up the mess. I'm 32 and smoked for 15 years..so I have to remind myself that I'm not going to feel perfect...ever lol...but I will feel better. 4 months is a blip when matching up against 15years.
Try 30+ years 🙀 It's good your giving up now so at least your body has time to recocer😊
Well anytime you quit you're doing better for yourself!
I get that to....it anxiety for me....
I try to distract my mind....then im ok.
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