Breathing

[Jeanjt]

Went to doctor as gave up smoking 2 months ago and now I am totally out of breathe. Sats good but no air going into lungs so put on steroids and to go back in 5 days if no improvement

[sassy59]

Sorry to hear that Jean and hope there is some improvement very soon. Well done on stopping smoking though. Xxx

[diesel12]

join my club lol! Back on steroids today but hey could be worse

[Hidden]

I give up a wile a go and i still gasp for air but they say it will get better as time gos by so stick with it as you have not smoked for 2 months if you start back now you will be sick your head will spin but the bivest mastak will be to start again

[scorpiolass]

I hope you feel better soon & well done on binning ciggies.

[piggi]

ah, that sounds pretty horrible - how're you coping?

[y_not]

Oh God! Professor Doom & Groom here, When I stopped, nearly five years back, my lungs were (in my opinion) functioning at 110% within a couple of weeks I was breathless, restless, struggling with sleep, night sweats etc, etc

It took the GP just under 3 months to diagnose COPD, refer me, start treatment and arrange a PR course. They assured me that smoking "masks the symptoms" (don't ask - I have no idea how that works) so the good old COPD had already taken a firm grip before I stopped!

My son, a few months later, was on a respiratory ward (for other reasons) and THREE guys were brought in, all recent ex-smokers and all being treated for COPD!

I so hope I'm wrong and you've just got a bit of a chest infection ....

Best wishes

[rubyred777]

Sorry to hear that Jean. Try to do something good for yourself, and end up feeling worse. Doesn't make sense. Hope you feel better soon. ☺Rubyxx

[rubyred777]

I'm wondering what stage copd you are. Thinking maybe this happens more with severe stage. How was your breathing before you quit? 😊.xx

[Bwebb]

Hey Jean,

Glad that you stopped. It took me many years and many tries to do it. Starting back up would only make you have to quit all over again and that plrolongs the agony. Formyou sake, make this the last time you quit. You'll be glad. In my experience it takes some time for some people to feel the benefits of not smoking and excersize helps it happen sooner. Rehab is a great way to get that.

Good luck and good health.

Doc

[Watfordgirl]

Well done for stopping smoking, jean.

It's a funny old game. I know you can feel breathless when your sats are fine. If you think about it, air has got be going into your lungs or your O2 levels would drop. So that isn't a problem. Y-not is probably right - he usually is! - and the smoking masked some of your breathlessness. The steroids will do that too. Or smoking calmed you down and you're now breathless because you're not so calm and also anxious about being breathless.

The good thing is that your GP is keeping an eye on you and do go back if you need to. Sue x

[evermore]

Well done for stopping smoking Jean. Something that might help with your breathlessness is pursed lip breathing. This is where you breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, with pursed lips. Usually this is done to a count of breathe in for 2 and out fot 4. In your situation you could try breathe in for 2 and out for 8. You need to do this around twenty times. What you are trying to do is empty your lungs to make room for air to go in.

I hope this will help. It is a good technique to learn for any of us with lung disease, especially for those scary times when we suddenly become SOB and start to panic. If you can do this breathing it will help and will also calm you down.

[madametobacco49]

Hi JeAN-I went into that at 3 months into my quit(some do it sooner) --and I still have it but getting better gradually--It is quite common from what im reading when people quit--It is frightening--and panicking makes it worse--Id hate to see your lungs get dependent on steroids to breathe--but im not a Doctor and perhaps He knows you needem--I just wanted to tell you this is quite common for some quitters--I hope you are feeling better---Do what you need to do---MmeT

[Help_61]

Seems strange but soon as you give them up every thing starts going wrong

[Jeanjt in reply to Help_61]

I know that's what it seems like

[Hidden]

I had the same thing happen.

You think your breathing will improve because you gave up the smoking but that doesn't happen right away.

I was put in hospital because no air going through the lungs my rehab nurse said, so she took me down to the EMERGENCY ROOM. I was on steroids and I was on oxygen for two months. (I kept feeling like I had something that was trying to take me down since Christmas). Then off for 2 months. Then on for 6 weeks and now I am off of it again so far for 2 weeks.

I believe it takes time. So be patient. It is hard but is worth it in the end.

I have had to learn to listen to my body.

[Jeanjt in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou will go back to docs tomorrow as don't want to wait over weekend been taking 6 steroids for 4 days but no improvement

[Jeanjt]

Did you have your oxygen at home I am really worried I may have to go onto that and really hate hospitals