Panic & Anxiety about lung cancer after quitting smoking

[mamasnug]

Hi everyone. I quit last week after 20 years. I'm 39 years old. I felt great for a day then started having anxiety attacks, looking up symptoms on Dr. Google, imagining dying and leaving my 4-year-old alone. I drove myself into a crazy state for a week. I have had panic attacks in the past under great stress. I had one bout with depression at 21. This health anxiety is new to me, and I have a doctor's appointment today at 2:15 pm for a checkup. I was always under the impression that it's best not to know. In fact, that's how I smoked for 20 years - I turned off my better judgement switch. Now that this switch is back on, fear has flooded me. I kinda knew that I was having anxiety attacks but have been hard pressed to thwart them. Part of this, for me, is that I have taken my head of the sand and it scares me. In a way, I felt like that youthful, nothing can happen to me, thought pattern was gone, as well it should too, I'm 39, not 29.

I have been depressed all week, unhappy, having trouble breathing, looking up symptoms of lung cancer, etc., I don't want to go down a road where I'm now worried about everything, not just this. In fact, I was looking up all kinds of things -- this really sucked the joy out of my week, scared the hell out of me, made it way harder to stay off the smokes that it should have. In fact, I almost smoked Saturday because I thought, whatever, why go through this before I even know if I'm healthy.

Is this panic, anxiety or what? I think I'm in the right forum to get some good advice.

Thanks for reading.

[Trixie]

Well done on taking a big step in stopping smoking:flowers: your lungs will thank you for it.

Your body is crying out for nicotine that is why you feel so awful ignore it and if you want something to fight it with count out all the money you will save by not smoking and then think what you can buy with it.

I always advise people that are giving up to put the money that they would normally spend on cigarettes in a jar and then at the end of the month count it out... 20 cigarettes a day at £4.50 a packet = £126 per month (4 weeks):ohmy::ohmy:

[mamasnug]

I went to the store Sunday to get a Red Bull for my friend. It felt odd not purchasing smokes, it felt like I was forgetting something, I got a lotto ticket instead and walked out with way more than than I'm used to leaving a store with. I've noticed the savings already. The cigs are nearly $5 now, that's 35 a week I forked over to kill myself a little every day. So stupid. :)

[Trixie]

I went to the store Sunday to get a Red Bull for my friend. It felt odd not purchasing smokes, it felt like I was forgetting something, I got a lotto ticket instead and walked out with way more than than I'm used to leaving a store with. I've noticed the savings already. The cigs are nearly $5 now, that's 35 a week I forked over to kill myself a little every day. So stupid. :)


Imagine what you will be able to buy at the end of next month:D

[xfilme]

Yeah I know the feeling. I quit smoking 6 months ago. Since then Ive been ill ill ill.... And ive had probs with my chest and throat since January. Im really anxious too about lung and oral cancer. Im scared karma's gonna get me to punish me for doing it in the first place. Its a hard thing to put to the back of your mind isnt it. But no matter what way you look at it. Not smoking is better than smoking.

[VictorJoubert]

http://quitsmoking.about.com/cs/afterquitting/a/after_quitting.htm
Here is a site I have been looking at where it explains what happens to you when you quit... It only gets better. I quit in Jan this year and I feel much better now. Yes you get withdrawal symptoms and you feel like you wanna kick everyones ass when they upset you, but you will get through it. I was on Antidepressants for anxiety and I am now just about done with them. I started feeling better once I quit. Just think how healthy your body is getting now. I am using herbal medicine and I drink green tea and all those stuff to clean my body. It is never too late to quit. Whenever you feel like that again, just come on this site and read some stories and you will feel better, thats what I do. You gonna feel better... Good luck!!!

[drummermike]

I quit when I was 35 in my early 40's now. But I have used nicotine gum ever since. And I don't worry about the gum. Nicotine has powerful anti-anxiety effects despite the controversy. So it works for me. Someday I'll give the gum up to, but the heath risk from the gum are far far less then smoking. So far no proven negative health effects have come from nicotine gum alone. But I am sure some will be found eventually.

As far as lung cancer, it slowly progresses and usually later in life. Your quitting is an excellent step, and within about ten years you will have the same risk as a non smoker. You are still young. The lack of nicotine in your body and the physiological cravings are probably contributing to your current feelings. ?? hope you stick it out.

[justbananas]

YES STICK IT OUT. your lungs and body have already started repairing themselves and you'll prob feel exhausted as a result of that and withdrawing from the habit. literally your cells are working to repair the damage. as mike says, within a few months healing will happen.. a few years tons more, and within a decade yes your lungs should be back to their full function and your risk back down. CELEBRATE IT! buy something great or take up a new daily habit .. hmm i dunno like find a mint you can get addicted to or drink vitamin water. i don't care if it's wrong .. i'm all about replacing one addiction for another. that's how i quit. as long as it's a reasonably healthy one!