As of roughly 1AM, March 16, both supervenusfreak and I quit smoking. Surprisingly, I’m not having that rough a time with it…I didn’t have any of the physical withdrawal, only that vague “loose ends” habit-response-without-a-habit feeling, like I was supposed to be doing something I wasn’t doing.
However, and this is something I noticed the last time I quit (which came about after spending two weeks in the hospital for something unrelated), I’m now SICK. Starting about Wednesday my sinuses were stuffed up. Starting yesterday, my throat was starting to tickle. This morning, my throat HURTS and my ears are blocking up. Add in some heartburn and scratchy eyes and it’s not fun at all.
Okay, the thing here is, I’ve quit smoking twice now. And both times I got sick (or at least congested and runny) about a week after I quit. Is this a common reaction? Does anyone else get sick like this when they quit smoking? Was smoking actually strengthening my immune system or just drying up my nasal passages?
I don’t mind losing the cigarettes, but I would gladly give up this nasty malaise…
Your nasal passages and respiratory tree are beginning to wake up, after years of being stunned insensate by smoking.
The surface cells are regaining their abilities to do their proper jobs, looking around and trying to figure out how to sort out the mess that they’re now expected to cope with, and starting to gear up for a new regime.
Change is painful. Suffering is optional. It’ll pass.
I ANA smoker or doctor, but what smoking does is paralyze the little tiny cilia in your lungs. Essentially, it’s the job of the cilia to keep your lungs clean. When you smoke, you paralyze them and make them dirty all at the same time. So, once you stop smoking, they wake up and start working again. This is what you’re experiencing now. Those little cells are starting to clear the surfaces of your lungs.
You may want to try taking an allergy medicine, like Claritin-D. (Make sure you have to get this from the counter. You don’t want the stuff off of the regular shelves. IMO it doesn’t work nearly as well.) This will alleviate the sinus problems while leaving the cilia to function.
Hooray for both of you!!! I know it’s not easy, but worth it! Not only will you feel better, but think of the time and money you’ll save.
My husband struggles with this. He’s quit for a couple of years or months at a time several times since I’ve known him. He does go though what seems to be a similar time of lungs adjusting type feeling sick each time.
I quit a little over a month ago, after 20 something years. I joined a quit group at work, and three of the seven people in it got sick just after quitting. I wasn’t one of them, but I kind of wished I was. I thought it might help me stay quit that first 2 weeks. (stayed quit anyway! yay.)
I’m not a doctor, but I’m pretty sure smoking isn’t at all beneficial to the immune system! Although I have told myself that before. It’s one of the sick ways my nicotine addiction wants me smoke again.
Way to go! My boyfriend’s promised to give up smoking when I get pregnant (not for a few years yet). That way, we’ll both be sick and cranky! Won’t it be fun…
Anyway, keep us updated on how it goes, and stick with it!
Thanks, all! Like I said, I’m not really having much of a problem with it as I thought I would. I actually feel a little guilty about that, like I’m getting a free pass while some people are struggling.
Don’t question it.
Seriously, I quit last year (Halloween). I haven’t felt sick, had any cravings, anything. I’m not gonna jinx it by thinking about it too much heh.
i grok the getting sick thing only too well. i’ve been smoke-free about three and a half/four years now and while i was a smoker i never got bronchitis. i didn’t get sick immediately following quitting, but now, well past the ciggie-era in my life, i’ve had it twice.
WTF? :eek:
my doctor has no explanation for it. she just looks uncomfortable about it when i grill her on the subject.
I took today off to celebrate my year since I quit. I don’t remember feeling sick after quitting, but it was a point when there was so much else going on in my life (had just accepted job offer that was going to require the cross-country move) so I don’t remember.
Hey, don’t knock if if this is your major symptom associated with quitting!
Congratulations to the both of you. Please stick with quitting. I quit 2 - 1/2 years ago using the patch and joining Quitnet.com. Quitnet has a lot of answers to questions that new quitters have, if you want to take a look at their site. You don’t have to join if you don’t want, but I found it helpful. I didn’t get sick like you, but everybody is different.
The nice thing is that I HAVE to celebrate the date annually. I quit on my birthday, and I usually ask for my birthday off (or whichever nearest weekday is, if it falls on a weekend)!
Congratulations!
I quit 2 months and a week ago yesterday. I noticed I started getting a wheezy cough about two weeks after quitting and it lasted maybe another two or three weeks. It was an annoying little back of the throat tickle cough that got especially bad when I laid down.
That guilt feeling? I got it too! I was surprised how easy it was after the first night.
Y’all for Y’all jayjay! I quit for Lent last year. I made it. Yay me! I know y’all can do it!
You had a bday? Well… cause it’s you and all and since you know that you are one of the dopers I most [del]want to seduce[/del] meet I shall give you my super speshal bday wish…
I quit smoking last October, and in early November I was in the hospital with pneumonia. I don’t actually believe they have anything to do with each other, but it’s a fun alittle ad hoc ergo procter hoc argument for me.
And I just quit - no patches, meds, gum, nothing. I just quit wanting to smoke. I occasionally really want a cigarette, but mostly, I’m fine. And I feel much, much, much healtheir these days. And I looooooved smoking.
