Side effects after quitting smoking?

xmysterix

I'm also on day 3 smoke-free (not nic free yet, though). No yucky feelings yet except for some panic/anxiety from psychological withdrawals, but no hacking/sneezing. I'm using nicotine mints right now but will replace them with Altoid smalls (taste is similar). Not worried about weight when I go nic-free because I'm actively logging/exercising. Oral/manual fixation and anxiety are two reasons for weight-spiking munchies post-quit but the main reason is that nicotine is a stimulant which subtly boosts metabolism and reduces appetite.

syemon

1 year 2 months down !! keep going dude its crap at the start but ull get there ! replace them with a glass of water helps with craving , this is how it helped me

parvezm

MY DAD taking nature made super b complex. this is known to prevent cancer as per research by Canada doctor and he takes vitamin c. super b complex known to remove nicotin from your body

MakePeasNotWar

I quit cold turkey 4 months ago. I did some research a d found that many of the withdrawal symptoms are actually caused by blood sugar fluctuations (nicotine causes the liver to release glucose into the blood, apparently). Sipping diluted orange juice through the day (counting the calories, of course!) staved off much off the irritability and confusion I had experienced from previous attempts to quit.

The coughing is normal, and can last anywhere from a few weeks to several months. Mine has only recently started to subside. It is normal to feel worse for a while after quitting but it gets better and stays better.

Your metabolism does slow slightly when you quit nicotine, so if you want to prevent weight gain, you will need to be extra careful. I have gained about 10 pounds, but it seems to have stabilized and I am confident I will lose it by dropping my net calories going forward.

I got tons of reliable information and support on the whyquit website. It's free, so hopefully it's ok to recommend it, and not considered spamming or anything. I really feel it helped me immeasurably.

BokBagok

#QuitNow! Since Jun 7, 2012:
520 days smoke free,
8,330 cigarettes down,
$3644.38 and 34 days, 17:00:00 saved!

Stats from my quitnow app right there. Cold turkey after almost 20 years. I encourage everyone trying to quit to visit quitnow.com. There a lot of great articles there that really put you in the right head space to quit. Some of the methodologies I got there to help me with my quit, I'm using now to help me cut back on my calories.

Canaan10

I wanted to add my withdrawal experience because I'm going through all the same things as everyone else. I quit on October 17, 2013 and the first couple of weeks were fine. Going into week 3 I developed a cough and started coughing up crap. I've still be going to the gym and my weight is holding steady. However, now that I am into week 10, the cough has gotten considerably worse, my sinuses are also draining, and my ears are plugged with mucus as well. Went to my doctor and she says I'm fine - no ear, chest or throat infections (my throat is sore on and off too) - I'm just going through the good work of detoxing all the crap out of my body. This is my second quit. I had quit for years, then picked it up again due to emotional/stress difficulties and smoked for 10+ years! Yes, I had quit for several years, then picked it up again. Oh well....I feel like I'm fighting the good fight again and am actually okay with all the lousy symptoms because my body is clearing out. I'll get through it. I'm not worried about weight gain because losing a few pounds later is not really a problem once the metabolism sorts its self out. I've been super careful about staying away from sugary stuff, alcohol and fatty foods - generally just staying away from overeating in general.

Congratulations to all the brave people who are quitting and dealing with the addiction monkey on their back! It's rough, but it's a good fight and well worth it. I am so looking forward to getting back to where I was - smoke free to the point that I didn't even think about it any more. Good life - HERE I COME!!

maxxy1105

I had been smoking since i was 17 years old. I had quit my smoking for 3 days. Actually i quit smoking is for my own family, especially for my daughters, they are still small. Is there any side effects for those who just starting to quit from smoking? For example, feeling discomfort at chest part and tired? Anyways, congratulation to those who success quit their smoking habits.

rukeduke

Well I have been reading all these posts and feel a little better. I had my last smoke on 01/01/14 at 12:30am. I now have a sore throat and I feel like I am now starting to get a sinus infection. After reading posts, I think maybe it is all due to not smoking. I am really hoping! I wish everyone continued success in breaking this nasty habit. As far as fitness, I do walk on the treadmill 5 days a week but have an appointment at Curves on 01/07/014. I need to do more. I have been on metformin for 7yrs for insulin resistance and was recently taken off (about 5 weeks ago) for extreme side effects. To be honest, I really thought I was on Metformin for PCOS and not for insulin resistance. I was trying to get pregnant and was diagnosed with PCOS. When I had all these side effects and they stopped when I stopped metformin, I asked my Doc what I needed to be on it for anyway. I had my daugthter about 4 years ago and I don't think I need any meds anymore. Thats when she explained that PCOS is caused by insulin resistance and that I was on meds for that and not just the PCOS. Well I guess I was just in "I want a baby" mode and did not retain that I was insulin resistant. Well I immediately went out and got a book about insulin resistant diet. I have completely changed the way I eat and feel great. I will find out this Friday how I'm doing when I go to doc and go over blood work, Fingers are crossed that I have made a significant change and not have to be on any meds. I think that quitting smoking was the next step for me to becoming healthy for my daughter. Good Luck to everyone!!

donnystedham

I quit 8 years ago and still remember that horrible first 6 months. Hang tough my friend it's worth it. I smoked for 26 years believe me I know the withdraw is tough. Talk to people to get you through, have a person to make you accountable to not smoke.

rukeduke

Well 7 full days down without a smoke! I had my first real craving for one last night. I literally had a picture in my head of going outside and lighting up, thank god it was 10 below zero! Anyway made it through! So excited to be on my eighth day without a smoke, just had to share. Good luck all and stay strong!!!!!!

BokBagok

Well 7 full days down without a smoke! I had my first real craving for one last night. I literally had a picture in my head of going outside and lighting up, thank god it was 10 below zero! Anyway made it through! So excited to be on my eighth day without a smoke, just had to share. Good luck all and stay strong!!!!!!

Go you! You made it through Glory Week! Well done!

rukeduke

Thanks for the support! start of day 10 now smoke free! Hope all the quitters are still going strong! Good Luck

Mayonnaize

Hey Guys. Well done to everyone for taking a giant leap towards a better life! Thank you for the kind words of encouragement, it really helps to have a support team who can relate and give advice. I quit 3 weeks ago after 20 years of on and off smoking ( quit 6 times previously) Practice makes perfect This time around was fairly easy after I came to realize a simple truth: My body is the greatest instrument i'll ever own!! And as such should be treated with the utmost respect and appreciation. After quiting my daily routine consists of a daily reminder of why I quit, meditation, tai chi, light excersize, lots of water and keeping my mind occupied. The tai chi and meditation really helps a lot with maintaing your sanity as it strengthens your will power immensely and helps you controll your emotions during those really stressfull periods like at work or in traffic. Water is a good substitute to the constant nibbling and to my surprise I actually lost weight this time around. Getting back to my reason for visiting this site. I havent really felt this sick on my previous attempts but then again I didnt smoke as much. Havent been sleeping well, coughing a lot and experiencing a bit of a head cold. Relieved to see that its a normal reaction

My friends, when it gets tough just remind yourself that we are capable of much more than we realise. We ARE tremendously more powerfull than any addiction!

JmeRae

I have also recently quit smoking. Unlike most of you , I did not quit "cold turkey." I have been using nicotine gum, and spray to supplement the nicotine. I had tried to quit seriously once before using Champix (Canadian), and the side effects were brutal. I have ADHD and use Adderall to control it. Nobody warned me about the way that nicotine affects the body's ability to metabolize drugs. Sleep problems are a normal side effect of quitting, but I experienced full-blown insomnia. I wouldn't sleep for 3 or 4 days at a time. I have never felt so sketchy in my entire life. Because I wouldn't sleep for days on end, when I finally could sleep, I would crash HARD! It really screwed up my life. I was a student then (as I am now), and this unpredictability really affected my attendance as well as my grades. I felt paranoid, and like I was losing my mind. A friend of mine had similar side effects of paranoia. Anyway, it was too hard and I started smoking again. Nothing was worth the mental and emotional stress that I went through. Additionally, a colleague of mine had to attend the funeral of a young man who committed suicide while taking the same drug. That was the last straw.
After that experience, I felt doomed. I thought that I would be a smoker forever. Luckily for me, my boyfriend's constant and persistent nagging (albeit with the best of intentions), somewhat forced me to try again. It was my new years resolution and 've stuck with it for going on 13 days. Surprisingly, I haven't had that bad of a time. I think about it constantly, but am able to remind myself that any justification I would make to smoke would only be the voice of my addiction, and that the reasons and benefits of quitting are far too numerous to give in.
With the nicotine gum, I haven't experienced the unpleasant side effects that I did previously with the harsh pharmaceuticals. No constipation, which was AWFUL the first time, and no headaches or vomiting. I have gained a bit of weight, but I have noticed that I feel much less bloated this week than I did last week.
My desire to exercise was very minimal in the first week. I go to hot yoga pretty regularly, but have abstained from it since I quit. Up until the last couple of days I have tried to stay at home when possible, so that I wouldn't buy cigarettes. I know that I most likely would have otherwise!
I've started juicing again. Hopefully the phytonutrients will speed up the detoxification process.
I know that my journey is far from over. I will eventually have to ween myself off of the gum, but I was most concerned about breaking the hand to mouth habit. Nicotine itself isn't especially harmful to your body, its the harsh chemicals in the cigarette smoke that is so toxic.
Like some of you, I have a list of things to do to pass the cravings. I've been drinking a lot of water, juicing, playing games on my phone, working on personal organization, trying to eat a mostly healthy diet, and when things get hard and I want that hand to mouth action, I use flosser picks, and floss. These are especially helpful after a meal or when driving. I never flossed enough before anyway, so it's kind of a win-win situation...although I feel bad about the environmental impacts of using the picks

Sorry for rambling on. It's late and I've been searching "weird side effects of quitting smoking" for a couple of hours. My weird side-effect has been a foul tasting phlegm in the back of my through. I think its from post-nasal drip. It has persisted pretty much since the day after I quit. I'm not sure if its from a cold I had prior to quitting or a side effect. Has anyone else experienced this? I've also read that it may be due to tonsil stones. Prior to quitting, I had a strange tickle in my throat that caused a lot of discomfort. After a lot of irritation I coughed up a hard little white/yellow chunk. It smelled terrible! (Don't ask why I have to smell everything). Anyway, I googled it and it fit the description of a tonsil stone, which relates to post-nasal drip mucous, calcifies and hardens in the folds of your tonsils. They get full of bacteria, and smell awful.They are hard to see and often go unnoticed. The most common symptom is bad breath, which I had noticed prior to expelling it, Smoking exacerbates the odor... Anyway, not sure of that is what is still going on, but I am experiencing the drip, and disgusting phlegm. Just looking to find out if it's normal.

Thanks!

Hang in there everyone! Think of the benefits!

christa0130

I know this is a weird topic but I need a little support right now in my quit smoking journey. I quit cold turkey at the beginning of this week. But I've started to feel like I'm coming down with broncitus or a very serious chest cold. Sometimes my lungs feel like they are burning and I sneeze A LOT!

Now with that said I've had no cravings for another cigarette. That is the saving grace but these other side effects are killing me. I was wondering if anyone else experience heartburn or cold like symptoms when they quit smoking. Also how long should I expect thiese 'side effects' to last?

Thank you!

I haven't had a cigarette so far this year and I'm just starting to go through this. Every time I workout, my lungs and chest burn as if I was trying to smoke while working out. I hope it goes away SOON!

goalss4nika

I've never smoked, but I just wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS :drinker: :drinker: on quitting :flowerforyou:

jaxbeck

I hope the quit is going well! I'm over 2 months in & I still have some chest pain & shortness of breath

craft4fun

I coughed up a lot of thick gross stuff when I quit, but I had smoked for 45 years & I was up to 3.5 packs a day. Hang in there it will be worth it.

Canaan10

Okay, here's an update from what I posted earlier. I'm just over 8 months with my quit and it's definitely easier. The coughing, sore throat, plugged ears, anxiety, etc. are definitely on the decline. I don't have cravings on a consistent basis any more, although there are the odd times I do crave, but I just ignore it. I've gained a bit of weight, but nothing to be concerned about as I've been going to the gym and the whole metabolism has to work itself out anyways. I'm only up one size, and that's nothing to be worried about. My energy level comes and goes, but I just force myself to go to the gym or go on walks or bike rides to get my endorphins up because that REALLY helps. I have not had a single cigarette, but I still chew the nicotine gum as it still helps. The funny thing about the gum is that it has helped me narrow down the feeling of the nicotine addiction. What I mean is that when I smoked I didn't really recognize the 'feeling' of nicotine addiction, but when I quit and started chewing the gum, I could really feel the effects of the nicotine withdrawal after a period of time when I didn't chew any gum. So, now I can identify with the feeling of nicotine addiction and am finding other ways to burn off that irritated feeling that the addiction brings on. In any case, I'm still cigarette free and am closing in on a year. I fully expected the crappy effects of quitting to last a year, and then after that the metabolism and body stuff starts to ease off. Good luck to everyone and hang in there!!!!!