Stories & experiences

Hi Dak, the way I understand it, cilia are the minute hairlike structures which expel muck and irritants from our lungs. Smoking stops these cilia from working, but cigarettes make us cough and clear some of the gunk. It can take a few months for the cilia to recover after quitting, and during this time ex smokers can be susceptible to chest infections.

I found deep breathing, and deliberate coughing helped, anything to clear the congestion. Also using a few pillows, and sitting up a little to sleep should help with your breathing. And just hold on to the thought that your lungs have nearly recovered to the point where they'll be able to clean themselves the way nature intended! All the best, and huge congratulations on being smoke free for four months.

Hi Dottily,
Thank you so much for your response and your support. To say the least I am having a bit of a rough ride at the minute but hopefully the journey will be worth it.
Dak

Also, when we smoke it is so poisonous it kills any viruses around. Giving up makes you a bit more susceptible. Garlic is amazing for building up your immune system. Keep on going as it is your lungs clearing themselves out.

Thank you Mary for your response.
Having gone through this there is no way I will smoke again. :-)

Hi Dak
Yes, every time I quit this happens. I cough up some pretty disgusting looking goo from my lungs for months. I'm on day two of this attempt and I'm not looking forward to that part, but I always put it down to my lungs repairing themselves after years of me abusing them so if they cause me a bit of pain then I probably deserve it after everything I put them through.

Good luck.

Thanks Quittingformykids for the response.
My cough is just getting worse and now I am only averaging 3 to 4 hours sleep a night before I wake up coughing. I do not feel any health benefit from not smoking and unfortunately there is no further NHS support being offered. I think I became a statistic in that regard. Anyway enough about me, your username says it all and this time really quit for yourself and your kids. You know they would want you to.

I to have had similar issues, 93 days now, early on very congested, thought by now should be feeling better, 30 years been smoking I guess we have damaged ourselves and our body is fighting to heal itself. I do sleep really well now, apart from occasional congestion and coughing it is so much better than when smoking, I would wake at night for a smoke, cough every morning for 5 minutes and due to no taste would pour salt on everything to get some flavour. Now everything tastes salty, blood pressure is now normal, previous was very high, so I reckon am going in the right direction.

Dak I feel so bad for you being so sick. Part of the quitting smoking bonus is that you start to feel a big difference in your health and that's real incentive to keep going. I guess though if you look at this differently, you might have gotten sick while still smoking and then imagine how bad it would be - you'd likely be in hospital! I sure hope u start to feel better soon so you can reap the rewards of your very hard fought battle! All the best to you!

Dear Kam, thank you for your response.
You probably have a very good point and there is every chance that the illness is coincidental to me quitting smoking. Having had a really bad weekend, I have this morning asked to see a respiratory consultant and will pay privately as the normal wait can be in excess of 8 weeks. Only hope this will be beneficial.
I just hope that this post is not off putting to others as I am sure my experience is not the norm but I felt the need to share my experience.

Oh Dak your post is not off putting at all, you are seeking input and support and that's what we are all doing! Glad to hear you are going to a specialist hopefully you will get some relief soon! Feel better,

Thanks KAM :-)

Hi Dak. Firstly, thanks for your kind comment on my 200 days. I know how you feel with the chest infections and coughing. i recently had a chest infection and took the whole course of antibiotics but that wasn't enough. No soon had I finished the course the infection was back with a vengeance with me having these coughing fits where I felt like I was going to cough up a lung. A second course of antibiotics didn't stop the coughing with these coughing fits occurring any time of the day but particularly at night robbing me of valuable sleep and making me feel like a zombie. I was to the point, just like you, of getting a referral to a specialist. Luckily for me however, after a total of 6 weeks of these coughing fits, they suddenly stopped. After reading your story I couldn't believe how similar an experience yours is to mine. Congratulations on the 4 months mate. Chest infections and coughs only strengthen our determination to persist and keep away from the cigarettes. Cheers.

Thanks Will, your response has made me feel a whole lot better by the fact that you have experienced similar.
I am not sure if my problem has been made worse by the Dr putting everything down to quitting and only reluctantly giving me a low dose of antibiotics for 5 days, then a gap and then a further 5 days of tablets meaning that the courses were interrupted and the infection allowed to persist. I feel a little better this morning on day 3 of the new course of antibiotics which are double the strength and also a treatment of steroids.
I will continue with the referral to a consultant as I need some confidence that my symptoms will be managed correctly.
My distaste for smoking is only heightened by the experience I am now having and this strengthens my resolve.
Will, we are a similar course and I and others on this site recognise your achievement to date and hope that you will remain smoke free for the remainder of your life.
Regards Dak.

Hi Dak. Firstly, thanks for your kind comment on my 200 days. I know how you feel with the chest infections and coughing. i recently had a chest infection and took the whole course of antibiotics but that wasn't enough. No soon had I finished the course the infection was back with a vengeance with me having these coughing fits where I felt like I was going to cough up a lung. A second course of antibiotics didn't stop the coughing with these coughing fits occurring any time of the day but particularly at night robbing me of valuable sleep and making me feel like a zombie. I was to the point, just like you, of getting a referral to a specialist. Luckily for me however, after a total of 6 weeks of these coughing fits, they suddenly stopped. After reading your story I couldn't believe how similar an experience yours is to mine. Congratulations on the 4 months mate. Chest infections and coughs only strengthen our determination to persist and keep away from the cigarettes. Cheers.

Thanks Dak. This is the second time I have given up smokes in my life and I am determined to succeed. The first time I lasted for 10 years and in a moment of weakness decided I was 'strong' enough to have just one cigarette. That was nearly six years ago. I remember it took me about a year before I started to feel well but after that I managed to get really fit and it was the best I had felt all my life. I started jogging and participating in fun runs and even managed a 22km run! I'm no where near that level of fitness now but I am breathing better than I have in a long time. About a year ago I went on steroids due to inflammation of the linings of the lung and they definitely helped. In your case they should give you a better chance against the infection. I think it is a great idea to get checked out by a specialist. It will give you peace of mind you deserve. I have worked closely with my Doctor through the quit experience and I really don't think I would have made it this far with out his support. I definitely wouldn't have made it this far without the support of the community on this site. People like yourself, sharing similar experiences and a common goal. I'm looking forward to hearing how it works out for you. Keep up the good fight! We can and we will succeed!

I have been back to see the stop smoking nurse at my GP's surgery and shared with her some of the responses on this forum in respect of my condition and in particular the extremely similar experience of Will. I have asked that the current course of antibiotics is extended as I think they may be starting to work and have asked about steroid treatment. She will consult with my GP who I will see again on a Friday. I am a great believer that individuals know their bodies better than anyone and in particular if something is not right and I will stress this to my GP.
The broad experiences of quitters on this site should be used to inform doctors and nurses and perhaps quitters could be better briefed on what to expect especially when using Champix as this seems to result in people stopping quite quickly which must be like a shock to the system.
Thanks again to all those who have responded and I will update having seen my GP.

My Doctor was very receptive to the information provided by the quitters on this site and acknowledges that her knowledge was limited and accepts that it is likely that I have inflation in the lungs. She has now documented my case as a study to potentially help others in the future. I am on a further course of steroids and antibiotics but (touch wood) am starting to feel a little better and hopefully soon may start to feel the benefit from not smoking.

Hey Dak, just wanted to check in and see how you are making out? I sure hope you are feeling better! Good to hear that your doctor was so receptive to your feedback from yourself and others on this site, you've just helped out a future "quitter"! Really hoping you can soon breath easy and enjoy the benefits of this battle!

Hi KAM,
Thank you for asking. I have just finished the course of steroids and have 3 days of antibiotics left but intend to start back to work tomorrow.
I do feel better, the cough has more or less gone and I am sleeping for longer periods which is a bonus.
The appointment to see the respiratory consultant is on the 19th June and hopefully I may have some firm answers and a management plan moving forward.
I am looking forward to getting back in the gym which I have desperately missed over the last month or so but recognise that this needs to be a gradual process.
I have everything crossed that I am on the road to recovery x.

Today I have seen the respiratory consultant and was a little shocked at his diagnosis. Firstly he has said that I am recovering from pneumonia that I had coincidently contracted at the same time as quitting smoking. Secondly he has diagnosed me as being asthmatic and explained that smoking had masked the asthma for all those years. He has now prescribed a steroid preventer to work alongside my reliever and finally I feel positive about the future as a non smoker. Thanks again for all your support.

Hi DAK. I don't know if you will see this post but it's great to see that you and the Doctor are making progress with your illness. I myself am an asthmatic, have been all my life. As a result I have always been prone to chest infections which were only made worse by the smoking. It seemed every cold I had would end up with a chest infection. It also would take me longer to recover. That is one of my main reasons for giving up. I take a preventative asthma treatment every day but when I was smoking I was getting through a months worth in less than three weeks! Now it's more like 6 to seven weeks. Just an update for you - my cough periodically comes back. I have been discussing with my Doctor who explained that a side effect of the blood pressure meds I have only started to take over the last few months is coughing. He has asked me to persevere with it until the weather warms up and if it is still occurring he will look at changing my medication. On my side I am going to increase the exercise and try and take off some weight and cut down my beer consumption in the hope this lowers the BP. Good luck and all the best.

Hi Will Power,
I am still not smoking and coming to terms with being asthmatic, trying to manage my condition. Ha bing had yet another chest infection treated with antibiotics and steroids, I feel as if I am more of a burden on the health system now than when I was a smoker. The smoking kept my asthma at bay for over 30 years and I was able to live a relatively healthy lifestyle (other than the smoking). Whilst experiencing an asthma attack the other day, triggered by the heat and humidity on holiday in France I really did start to think whether stopping smoking was worth it? Don't worry I have no intention of starting again but I am yet to see any real benefit from stopping. Even financially I now have the cost of all my meds to pay for!!!. Anyway WP thanks for the update, I really appreciate it.

William Power and Kam - How are things?

Greetings from the US Dak. I have been without a cigarette for a week now. Was diagnosed with pneumonia this past Tuesday, on second round of antibiotics now. Am curious to know if you felt like you were blowing your nose constantly, as well as the constant coughing. I can't get my ears to stay unplugged, and just feel overall pretty crappy and no energy.

Hey from the US all! I am on day 3 after being diagnosed with pneumonia too! Hope you are feeling better Chocomkr. I am coughing and blowing like crazy. I couldn't sleep so woke up, grabbed my iPad and looked up "coughing after quitting" and here I am. 1st round of antibiotics almost done. Hope I don't need another. Hardest time of the day for me it seems is right before I start to cook dinner I pour myself a glass of wine and have a cig outside. Also in the car while driving. Energy level still low. Hopefully things will improve.

This website has been. A bit of a godsend as i have all these symtoms and some. I have given up for about a month but i have also given up smoking dope as well. Im a bit embarrassed to admit to that but it is what it is i guess.
I have an awful cough that appears at any time and i feel like im going to bring up a bit of lung. My sleep is way off, waking up at four am often in a cold sweat. I have a headache pretty much all the time which ibelive is linked to my sinuses? I have also a metalic taste in mymouth all the time and a sickly ibs sort of feeling with a watery mouth. I also find that i am anxious a lot of the time about my new job, i have very little get up and go and i guess feel a little depressed. My back is one big knot which i constantly catch whrn coughing. I suppose i should also add that i lost my mum atchristmas and was diagnosed with prostate cancer in
January although that is a low count and im just having my psa levels monitored every 3 months. I know im stressed but im hoping that giving up the tobacco and dope at the same time is the reason, if so then i know i can toughit out and come through the other side. Oh and i have hardly any puff and get out of breath very easily, prior to giving up i was down the gym 4 times a wekk and swam regularly.
Anyways great site and hopefully other people may have had similar experiences that they can share. On the plus side i havent had a chest infection and i dont really cough upmuch in the way ofbrown stuff.
Thanks for listening tomy rambling, oh and im 47 and have been on both since i was 17

Sef

This website has been. A bit of a godsend as i have all these symtoms and some. I have given up for about a month but i have also given up smoking dope as well. Im a bit embarrassed to admit to that but it is what it is i guess.
I have an awful cough that appears at any time and i feel like im going to bring up a bit of lung. My sleep is way off, waking up at four am often in a cold sweat. I have a headache pretty much all the time which ibelive is linked to my sinuses? I have also a metalic taste in mymouth all the time and a sickly ibs sort of feeling with a watery mouth. I also find that i am anxious a lot of the time about my new job, i have very little get up and go and i guess feel a little depressed. My back is one big knot which i constantly catch whrn coughing. I suppose i should also add that i lost my mum atchristmas and was diagnosed with prostate cancer in
January although that is a low count and im just having my psa levels monitored every 3 months. I know im stressed but im hoping that giving up the tobacco and dope at the same time is the reason, if so then i know i can toughit out and come through the other side. Oh and i have hardly any puff and get out of breath very easily, prior to giving up i was down the gym 4 times a wekk and swam regularly.
Anyways great site and hopefully other people may have had similar experiences that they can share. On the plus side i havent had a chest infection and i dont really cough upmuch in the way ofbrown stuff.
Thanks for listening tomy rambling, oh and im 47 and have been on both since i was 17

Sef

hi Dak just read your conversation such a relief as i thought i m the only one who is suffering from these problems... been a smoker for 4 years its been 4 months since i quit still having problem my breathing.... thanks alot for sharing your experience it really helped me going. hope you are doing good and wondering how KAM and williampower must be doing... ?..

hi Dak just read your conversation such a relief as i thought i m the only one who is suffering from these problems... been a smoker for 4 years its been 4 months since i quit still having problem my breathing.... thanks alot for sharing your experience it really helped me going. hope you are doing good and wondering how KAM and williampower must be doing... ?..

I smoked an average of about 10 roll ups a day for 2 and 1/2 years. Stayed quite fit whilst a smoker but food lost its taste every morning a need a smoke to fucntion and was obviously slowly increasing my risk of getting some nasty disease. Since quitting 2 weeks ago I've had a couple of nights of extreme coughing and have become tired all the time. I didn't struggle/don't struggle with nicotine cravings really but this coughing would be cured with a couple of cigs. This site and has been a real help, I'm not the only one to struggle this way. Thanks guys. Peace.

I've been a smoker for 25 years never quit longer than a few days. I've been pretty scared cause I know many others who quit and have ended up so unwell they have needed to be hospitalised. I have made the decision to cut down first rather than go cold turkey in order to save my body from the shock I see cold turkey quitters go through. Smoking suppresses the immune system so quitting sends it into overdrive when all the little bugs we have lived with unaware start getting attacked. For me cutting down seems like the best approach because I have been such a heavy smoker so long. Anyhow to be continued ...

Hi I hope one of you is still out there and could help me it with some information. I'm 24 been smoking socially since I was 17 (not everyday and not heavily) the past 6 months though I've been smoking 1 or 2 everyday. Anyway I never found myself addicted to cigarets was mainly just a thing I did for the sake of 'why not' after quiting the herb over a year ago. So I havnt dealt with any withdrawal symptoms or anything. I'm in my second week now but I have this chronic cough with a wheeze when I exhale. Went to the doctors sat that test where they get you to breathe really hard in a tube and man I was dying from it but it seemed to be clear from chronic bronchitis. At the piont now of lack of sleep because it is so bad st night and when I wake up. I don't know if I should bother with doctors or unsure if it just passing phase while trying to quit? I cough til I puke it's been so bad the last couple of days I feel like breaking down over it. Hope someone is still out there and had been a lot of help listening to your experiences. Thanks

Theweeze: I signed up just to reply to your comment. I quit in January and for more than six weeks have had the same problem - especially at night. I cough so hard that I pull muscles. That tickle in the throat builds up until I have to cough and then my throat constricts and I wheeze and gasp for air until I manage to cough it out and then I can breathe. Until it builds again. Four hours sleep max. Doc and ER doc not helpful, even after lung x-ray. I have a nebulizer (Albuterol+steroid), inhaler, throat spray and cough drops. None of them really help, but sometimes just enough to fall back asleep. Plain extended release Mucinex daily has been very helpful. Hot water or hot tea help the most to calm/prevent "fits." I've done a lung cleanse and drink the "Breathe Easy" tea. I keep looking for better answers, but from what I've read, this is the payment some of us have for choosing to smoke. Seems like most just deal the best they can and then some day (six weeks to four months) it will stop. I'm crossing my fingers, I've never been so miserable. I will not start smoking again, but it pains me that I breathed so much better when I was smoking!

I've been looking for people going through this and my husband found d this page. I am 42 years old, been smoking for 20 of those years, and have been sick a handful of times in my adult life. I quit August 1st of last year and immediately got a sinus infection, 2 weeks later I got bronchitis. Steroid shot, 2 rounds of antibiotics, 2 rounds of steroids (one 6, one 12) prevacid daily, inhalers. They told me same thing, susceptible to lung infections, more sinus issues, blah blah blah. Cough, cough, cough. I keep spit cops everywhere because if I went thlo the bathroom every time, I'd never leave. While having bronchitis for 5 months, I get sever sinusitis. Omg I wanted to die. So tons of nasal spray, antibiotics, finally broke down and went to a Pulmonologist. More steroids, 2 steroid inhalers, a chest x-ray THEN a CT scan. Finally better for a week. Haven't smell anything in 6 months and actually smelled a few things at the grocery store in the laundry aisle. Anyway....A week later and I'm up all night coughing, wheezing, congested, and quite frankly miserable. I can TOTALLY RELATE to you saying you see no benefits. I literally can't thing of one thing that's improved since I quit smoking. My husband says I smell better but I wouldn't know. Hope everyone feels better. So happy to see I'm not alone!

Sorry I have not been on here for a while but family health issues have taken priority.
Firstly I remain a non-smoker and that is the positive thing.
Mrs. T - I too have suffered with my sinuses and recently had nasal polyps removes and my sinuses widened at the same time under general anaesthetic and although my breathing improved initially, I think my sinus infection has returned giving me bad headaches. I too have no sense of smell.
My asthma is relatively under control and (touch wood) I have not had a recurrence of the chest infections.
Am I glad that I quit...absolutely and I know that I will never smoke again and believe me recent events with a close family illness have tested my resolve to the max.
I am a firm believer that the long term benefits of not smoking far outweigh the short term problems as my body has adjusted to being chemical free.
Be strong and good luck

As many others have said, reading over this has been insightful.

Quit smoking a little over a month ago and here I am, sitting awake at 330AM because I can barely breathe.

I smoked for around 14 years and near the end it was approaching a pack a day. I quit because I would occasionally wake up coughing or congested and finally got so tired of it that I said smoking just wasn't worth it anymore. The annoying thing is that since quitting everything has gotten significantly worse.

It's not that I expected to feel great right away, but some improvement woulda been nice, like a "good job, keep at it" instead its like "hey...ya know, you could breathe better when you were actively killin yourself....just sayin...."

Hopefully in the next couple weeks this clears up. I just want a good night of sleep :(

Hi all but especially to Dak. I have read all your posts on here and am hoping that all will be well with me eventually. I too have got pneumonia (now into week 3) firstly let me explain, I'm 51, smoked since about 16 to 26 and then gave up cigarettes until i was about 32 or 33. Again i too thought that I could just have the odd "social cigarette", big mistake.. Since then I have tried and failed several times to give up. The longest being about 8 or 9 months. I went to a hypnotist last October and felt really great and strong about finally quitting and also read Alan Carr book The Easy Way to stop smoking. And it worked. I stopped and after a couple of weeks felt great, a new found energy plus I opened a savings account and transferred all my smoking money into it. All was going well until about March/April when under stress from work and undertaking professional exams for my job I relapsed kidding myself that I could control this and only smoke a few here and there. I would say to myself Ill stop now once exam over. Never happened. Exam came and went in May and I was still smoking. I got a chest infection about 3 weeks ago and doc prescribed course of antibiotics and steroids. It didn't clear and when I went back was sent to A&E in hospital for further check as she wasn't happy with my lungs. Turns out I have pneumonia and the consultant I saw well advised me that I need to quit smoking. I did immediately that was 2 weeks ago. I've been on antibiotics since and they don't seem to be hitting infection. I may have to be hospitalized if they don't kick in by next week, My cough is so painful and I get coughing spasms and fits that I think i'm going to vomit. I will never ever go back on cigarettes as I'm so worried now that I've done some permanent damage and ill be left with breathing difficulties permanently. I found this page as something made me wonder if my coughing could have been escalated by quitting smoking and not just the symptoms of this pneumonia. Wishing you all well in your personal battles.

I am 54 years old and I was told I had COPD 7 years ago. I immediately quit smoking, but as the years pass by my condition got significantly worse, and I started having serious attacks. I used to be able to exercise, but it became so hard because I`m constantly out of breath. My pulmonologist started me on oral steroids to help control symptoms and minimize further damage but my symptoms never stopped getting worse. In January this year, my pulmonologist and I decided to go with natural treatment and was introduced to NewLife Herbal Clinic natural organic COPD Herbal formula, i had a total decline of symptoms with this COPD Herbal formula treatment. The infections, shortness of breath, fatigue, dry cough and other symptoms has subsided. Visit NewLife Herbal Clinic official website ww w. newlifeherbalclinic. com



I have had great improvement with my over all respiration with this product and i breath very much easier, i can never be thankful enough to nature

Hello Guys.. My dad was a smoker for 25 years or more with 2 packs per day.. He quit the smoke before 8-9 years.. The next year he cought and sneezing all the time.. After that he start to have neuro neurological issues.. First like a stroke but this wasnt a stroke.. Weakness.. instability and more until he had an MND diagnoses.. Still the doctors dont believe that its MND but they dont beileve that an infection maybe can do that.. He had active tuberculosis 35 yeas ago and recendly he had a positive lyme igg.. I just writing this maybe someone had a same experience or something.. He is 56 now.. Thank you all for the info that i have read on this site..

Greetings everyone from Ireland, i am in the same boat as most of ye quit smoking 2 months ago as a result of getting a bad chest infection, have been off them since but this cough is driving me crazy! Hoping it will eventually go away. I went to the doctor numerous times complaining of chest pain and cough after 2 rounds of antibiotics still wasn't better so he sent me to the hospital to have chest x-ray and blood tests etc all came back ok but it was discovered I now have asthma and I am on an inhaler. I smoked for 5 years , I'm 25 now hopefully this cough will be banished soon!

I quit smoking 14 days ago. Yesterday I developed what feels like bronchitis = deep, painful, raspy cough and my lungs feel raw. I don't have a fever so I suspect it's "smoker's flu" rather than a virus.