Here is my story... I was fine smoking 20 cigs a days approx... Before this happened to me I had drinks two days before and ate out next day in a restaurant... Highly acidic food I would say. The day it happened I had black coffee and smoked two cigs in my wash room and after that begun bath. While bathing my breath become short and rapid i felt my BP is rising... I was bending again and again to pick water by mug from the bucket and seems it made the acid reflux. Anyway.. I ended the bath and rushed to doctor where my BP was 110/190. Was given some injection to reduce BP. Had burning sensation around my solar plexus and was given to drink some antacid. I was referred to cardio. I did ecg and 3d stress echo and various blood test all normal. was put in CCU overnight for observation. all test were fine. send back home. But my breathlessness and anxiety and sensation around left side of chest continued. I was prescribed buosprin which i stopped taking after few days as it gave me insomnia. Than docs gave me alprax and amlopress for BP and anxiety. Met with gastro Doctor and he declared I have GERD. and put me on nexium and refereed me for endoscopy. I did not do endo. Did not get relief. My breathlessness may hit me anytime....I became sensitive to loud sounds and bright lights...two weeks passed fighting chest sensation, breathlessness, BP irregular but only when breathlessness hits me... Met another doctor and she prescribed me with ciplar and pexcep cr... and other antibiotics for GERD. later pexcep cr and antibiotics discontinues and replaced by nexito plus.
3 weeks passed with zero smoke...what I feel today is:
1. at times thoughts like death and end of life makes me anxious and that hits my anxiety button. career and other aspects like money also hit my anxiety button if I think about them.
2. Breathing issues like rapid and shallow continue... I have lost focus and low in energy.. cant run and exercise as I am scared to loose breath. I only walk for 30 minutes in relax mode.
3. No craving for smoking. had one sided pain on right temple for two days took voveran sr 75 mg.
4. I smoked 20 cigs everyday from last 18 years. quit last year in 2015 fro 2 months without any trouble.
5. Planing to meet Psychiatrist and pulmonologist for anxiety and breathing issues.
have been on zero caffeine and all natural foods vegies and fruits... Still feel sick!
Any suggestions!
Written by
catharsis1
13 MONTHS WINNER
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If I have read your post correctly then you had all these symptoms before you quit smoking?
Has your doctor given you a diagnosis?? Sounds as though you are having anxiety or panic attack issues??
There is a forum for that which might be better suited for you.
As to the quit smoking you do get withdrawal symptoms which could be adding to your situation. These will diminish and go😊
I suggest you have a look at the pinned posts as that may help you. In the meantime have s look st the other forums for your anxiety issues and if you have any questions about your quit, just come on and holler 😊 Keep up the great quit😊👍👍🚭🚭🚭🚭🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀
thanks a lot droopyj.. appreciate your reply. I did not have any anxiety issues before smoking and I have never been treated for them earlier. May be one hypothesis I may relate that I did have anxiety issues and I smoked so to keep it suppressed! But guess most smokers do this! isn't? Hyperventilation and anxiety is something I am fighting for... GERD yes, i had this issue earlier as well before quitting. Thanks for encouraging words!
Ok now I'm confused.... Did you give up smoking then everything happened or did you give up smoking when you had the health scare and you went into hospital?
Sorry my brain is fried and I'm a woman if a certain age ...🙀😊😊
In that case definitely look at the pinned posts.... 😊
We are all different but some of us have had breathing issues. I have been told that mine is due to over breathing/hyperventilating.If you click on my name, I did post a couple of things I was given which might help you and there are also some breathing techniques on the pinned posts. Have a look at those.
I don't know what GERD is ... Sorry!
Did you have any symptoms when you quit last year? What made you go back on them? have you quit cold turkey?? Sorry a lot of questions but it can help us to help you 😊
gerd is acid reflux...last year i had no issues it was smooth ride and cold turkey. Got in some parties and broke the promise. This time again cold turkey but i smoked a lot i guess since last one year.
Some have suffered with indigestion/heartburn etc.. So I'm sure one of them will be on to give any advice about that 😊
Last year was a trial run, and you have come back to quit (which is a great thing👍) Cold turkey too, which is a brave way to quit but it means that you get straight on it and have that nicotine out if your system quicker.. We have quite a few quitters who have been successful with CT😊
Your doing great, let us know your quit date and the admin team will sort you out a badge next to your name 😊👍🚭🚭🚭🚭
I can relate to the anxiety/depression bit and am currently on medication. I was always prone to it but stopping smoking brought it to the fore 15 months ago
I believe the health scare gave you a kick and now you are regretting all the poison you put into your body.
While we smoke we have a terrible cough , the odd twinge yet we carry on saying to ourselves its just age, everyone coughs.
As soon as we give up we become highly attuned to our body and then we PANIC.
Giving up smoking was the best thing we have ever done.
Let me tell you something - you are going to be ok, for sure. Ill tell you that again , you are going to be ok.
You need to give yourself a holiday from your own persecuting thoughts.
As you start living your new life you will fight and win the anxiety battle.
Now be kind to yourself, you have improved your health considerably in the past few week and don't let you brain bring you down
Jim I would definitely agree, as if you are prone to anxiety/depression it does appear to get worse when you quit, but you do come out the other side. I would breath and tell myself I am going to be fine , and let it wash over me . It's tough and I really feel for those who are prone to it as I understand how hard and debilitating it can be. But as you say sometimes we need to give ourselfs and our mind and body some me time anD recuperate
Hi Catharsis, After reading your post , I think Droopy has already given you good advice. Like Droopy says we can only try and help and support people with their smoking problems. I think perhaps you may get more help on the anxiety forums.
I found throughout all my history of illnesses that exercise is a big part of getting better and getting your confidence back. Sometimes its too easy to dismiss advice, which can benefit you. xx
Cath , so sorry just replied to you before I read this post. I am glad you went to see GP and you are in safe hands. I hope you start to feel better soon and they get to the bottom of it. I guess quitting is also adding to your symptoms. I am sure the docs will get to the bottom of it
Hi I gave up cold turkey a year ago, I had really bad breathing anxiety problems to start with, I would wake thinking I had not been breathing ( as if would wake) lol then I would lie counting my breathing making sure I was, all you have to keep saying is, yes I am , it works, but I also did a lot of the breathing exercises pinned here, my doctor gave me a puffer to start with when I was worried about doing anything strenuous to start with and I found that a life saver, hope you feel better soon x
sounds like the panic attacks I had for a time during my quit--not pleasant but did get better--I also had breathing issues which were part of PA's I think--which came first? I dont know--I am still working with normal breathing--but no panic attacks--this post is 2 weeks old --hope you have solved it by now--Good luck-MmeT
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xx
16 Months Today Smoke Free
Unexpectedly quit 
Breath still feels short. Still anxious and worried. 4 months out, wished I felt better.
hello from a newbie :)
