Given up Smoking - Any Experience?

[Diva]

I've recently given up smoking after many years due to concerns over my health and I thought it may help my HA not to be making the effects of smoking any worse. Almost immediately my chest felt really good, no cough, no wheeze, which is great.

Has anyone had any experience of giving up and the side-effects? I'm on patches and have an electric cigarette so I'm not suffering any nicotine withdrawal, but I have been getting bad indigestion and trapped wind, with a mild stitch-like feeling under my right ribs, especially when sitting down.

Any shared experience would be great as I'm starting to think the symptoms are nothing to do with giving up smoking!

Thanks

Donna

[lindajane1971]

well done on becoming a non smoker!! :D
on the 16th of this month it will be 4 years for me :)
I was very lucky and did it without patches etc and had no side effects but my sister has stopped for one year now and she has a problem with recurring mouth ulcers.
common side effects are, mood swings, chest twinges, wheezing, heartburn, coughing up gunk, mouth ulcers and dizziness. Not sure about the wind but the rest fits in.
Good news is they are short term and means your body is doing its job in getting rid of all the bad stuff.
The only thing that annoyed me was my sense of smell became so good that I can smell a smoker at 100 yards and it's an awful smell. Was horrified to think that I must've been like that too!!
keep up the good work!!!!

[Diva]

Thank you

Yes, my sense of smell has really improved too, just wish I could get rid of the indigestion and wind - not exactly sexy is it! (mind you neither was wheezing!)

D

[Sammy J]

Hi Donna,

Am in the same boat! Keep trying (with patches and e-cig) but am suffering with such bad reflux and indigestion the stress makes me have a few real cigarettes at night as by then I'm starting to freak out.

Back on the wagon tomorrow morning as I'm determined to beat it (managed 4 days last week but started the evening smoking Sat night).

It's very difficult :(

Sam

[Matt King]

I gave up cold turkey about 6 months ago. I'll be honest, it wasn't easy cutting nicotine straight off. I wish i at least tried the patches. My health anxiety was bad enough to provide all the willpower i needed though. Smoking started to make me feel terrible and send me into panic attacks thinking the sensations i was feeling were my heart/lungs failing me (i'm only 21 and doctors said i was healthy).

But yeah, i found withdrawal heightened the anxiety but it's TOTALLY worth it. I almost never think about smoking unless i'm stressed out and i was getting through a large pack of tobacco in under a week (about 20 a day).

And really the best part is the freedom. Not having to worry about getting your next pack etc. It feels like your life is dependent on it. Plus the hundreds of other benefits: Money, smell, time, moods and obviously health.

Good luck with it :D

[Diva]

Hi
Thanks for the responses, it's good to know I'm not the only one who's getting the indegestion as a side effect. What is reflux? Is it like acid heartburn? I'm not getting that, mine is more like trapped wind so that I need to wind myself like you would a baby, then the discomfort goes.
Weird!

[Sammy J]

My heart burn doesn't really 'burn' as such, it's more a pain (and quite a bad one at times). I think mine is also wind as I start burping like a lunatic when the pain is there. Hate it :(

[Diva]

Hi again

Mine too, no heartburn, just pain and discomfort and the burping!

I'm constipated and bloated too!

Donna

[mk4402]

Which e-cig are you using? I ask because the quality varies greatly, I stopped for about a year with a decent one, but it took me going though 2-3 useless ones, the V2 ones and greensmoke are the better ones, I also found the menthol ones seemed more like a real cig than the fake tobacco ones that just tasted like a BBQ

I started smoking again recently after almost a year off but nowhere near as much as I was, and the ecigs defo helped

[Diva]

Hi there

I've tried skycigs and vapesticks and prefer the vapesticks. I've only ever smoked menthol cigarettes and for some reason prefer the apple flavour vapestocks.

Giving up has certainly helped my HA (especially now I know others have had the same digestive side effects) as after only a month I feel so much healthier and not so fearful.

Thanks all

Donna

[uk23]

Congrats you all of you, I have no willpower when it com to giving up. I managwd it for six months but it was horrible and I got more and more out of breath, lungs hurt more and fekt like jumping of a building - that was with the patches

[ammiemum]

i gave up smoking 17 years ago and i was smoking 40, sometimes 60 a day!!! I had accupuncture- it was absolutely brilliant- no side affects, no moods or even thought of smoking a cig... [treatment lasted 2 months but worth every penny!] I did have the usual problems getting the 'gunk' from my system, but i walked a lot and am just so pleased i did it. No-one thought i would be able to ................woo woo
GOOD LUCK and remember that if you smoke one, you don't have to give up giving up, just keep trying . You will do it.