Quit smoking but major withdrawls

[goingthruhardtimes]

I started smoking when I was 17 and am now 40. I have been looking thru alot of the posts here but do not see anything on withdrawals after quitting smoking. It has only been 18 days since I stopped smoking and I have been having a very difficult time. I have been having alot of chest pains (actually went to the emergency room twice) all tests came back fine, ie.....EKG and bloodwork, can''t find anything wrong. I get so dizzy that I feel like I am going to pass out, my brain feels like it is spinning in my head. I am sooooo tired and just want to be alone! I have problems breathing, heart pounding, headaches, pain in the middle of my back and up to the back of my head along with everything else mentioned. Does anyone else feel like this or has anyone else felt like this? If so how long did it take for this to stop?? I feel sooo bad for my husband and children because I just do not want to be around anyone. I am really hoping that someone can shed some light on this whole thing for me.

 

[neatfreak]

Honestly, you might want to find a support group for ex-smokers (either online or IRL). This board doesn''t get a ton of traffic since it''s just one piece of a diamond board. You might have more luck with lots of people to help elsewhere.

Best of luck to you!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 11/25/2008 1:14:58 PM
Author:goingthruhardtimes
I started smoking when I was 17 and am now 40. I have been looking thru alot of the posts here but do not see anything on withdrawals after quitting smoking. It has only been 18 days since I stopped smoking and I have been having a very difficult time. I have been having alot of chest pains (actually went to the emergency room twice) all tests came back fine, ie.....EKG and bloodwork, can't find anything wrong. I get so dizzy that I feel like I am going to pass out, my brain feels like it is spinning in my head. I am sooooo tired and just want to be alone! I have problems breathing, heart pounding, headaches, pain in the middle of my back and up to the back of my head along with everything else mentioned. Does anyone else feel like this or has anyone else felt like this? If so how long did it take for this to stop?? I feel sooo bad for my husband and children because I just do not want to be around anyone. I am really hoping that someone can shed some light on this whole thing for me.

Welcome!

I am so sorry you are having such a hard time, it will get easier. So thats good that you have checked out ok with your doctor, are you using any nicotine replacement therapy? I would see your MD and tell him or her how you are feeling and see what they recommend. These days NRT can make the whole process easier and really help with withdrawal, ' the fogs' as some of us call them and the various other unpleasant symptoms.

There is a thread here for those who want to quit, please feel free to use it and let us know if we can help in any way. There are some success stories in there ( mine included) which might help you stay motivated!

Best of luck and stick with it, you can do it!

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/quitting-smoking-support-thread.84960/

 

[chiapet]

Date: 11/25/2008 1:14:58 PM
Author:goingthruhardtimes
I started smoking when I was 17 and am now 40. I have been looking thru alot of the posts here but do not see anything on withdrawals after quitting smoking. It has only been 18 days since I stopped smoking and I have been having a very difficult time. I have been having alot of chest pains (actually went to the emergency room twice) all tests came back fine, ie.....EKG and bloodwork, can''t find anything wrong. I get so dizzy that I feel like I am going to pass out, my brain feels like it is spinning in my head. I am sooooo tired and just want to be alone! I have problems breathing, heart pounding, headaches, pain in the middle of my back and up to the back of my head along with everything else mentioned. Does anyone else feel like this or has anyone else felt like this? If so how long did it take for this to stop?? I feel sooo bad for my husband and children because I just do not want to be around anyone. I am really hoping that someone can shed some light on this whole thing for me.

First of all, good for you on deciding to quit smoking! Just think of all that extra $$$ you''re saving so you can buy more bling

Your withdrawal symptoms sound pretty severe but keep in mind that most of it is probably psychological. When I quit smoking, I got headaches, gained 10 lbs, mood swings, etc... Have you tried exercising or going for walks? Or take up knitting or something to distract you. I agree with the previous poster about joining a quitting smoking support group online. It always helps to communicate with other people who are going through the same thing as you are.
Good luck and don''t give up!

 

[Smurfysmiles]

I am getting the worst headaches from quitting I can''t stand it so I definitely feel ya there

 

[goingthruhardtimes]

Thank you all for the posts. Today is a little better day

. I guess that I will just have to deal with things one day at a time. I do know for a fact that I will not go back to smoking because I do not want to EVER go thru this again!!!!

 

[Pandora II]

I've quit twice - first time I quit for 4 years this time I've been off them for 4 months.

The first time I was in hospital for a month with pleurisy on large amounts of morphine - by the time I got out I had gone through the worst.

This time, I got pregnant - worked a treat. I've got such bad morning-sickness that even the thought of a cigarette will give me nausea. I confess to a couple of sinful ones in the first weeks (when I don't share anything with the foetus), but not one since week 5.

The patches might well take away some of the worst of the physical symptoms - also try some caffeine to help with the headaches.

Good Luck!

 

[Lillers]

I actually used to work in a smoking cessation clinic, and there''s two ways your body reacts to quitting. Most people suffer both to one degree or another.

1. Physical withdrawal: This is where your headaches and pain are coming from. We would recommend to people to use nicotine gum/lozenges to help relieve these symptoms. The good thing about the gum-type products is that you can use them when you feel you need them. The patch is also good, but it gives a 24 hour slow release of nicotine, which you may not need.

2. Psychological withdrawal: Your chest pains may stem from anxiety, especially since the ER found nothing physically wrong with you. Many people feel "calmer" when they smoke cigarettes (why people smoke more when they are stressed, for example), so when you quit, it can actually cause anxiety. For this sort of withdrawal, we would develop a "trigger plan" for people.

A trigger plan is something you develop to help control your cravings and anxiety. For example, we tell patients when they feel like smoking, to choose an alternate activity to help release stress. Many people enjoy taking walks, going to work out, doing an activity that occupies the hands and mind (like knitting/sewing, crossword puzzles, etc.)

Sorry for the long post, but I have seen so many people go back to smoking because of withdrawal symptoms. I wish you the best of luck, and remember, its only temporary! The health (and financial these days!) benefits of quitting are SO good for you! Good luck!

 

[Lorelei]

That was an excellent post Lillers, thank you so much! Would you mind adding your advice to this thread and the other quitting smoking thread when someone asks for help please? That would be great to have the input of someone like yourself!

 

[monarch64]

I quit smoking almost two years ago, still so happy I made the decision. I used nicotine gum at work but was off that pretty quick. One of my friends used Chantix and was really happy with it, it worked well for her. You might try talking to your doc about it if you''re interested in going that route.