To think giving up smoking makes you feel ill (in the short term hopefully)

[Lifeisbeaut]

DP gave up smoking about 6 weeks ago and has never felt more ill! He has a worse cough than ever and is wheezing. I have read that this can be a normal part of the process and should ease after a few months. A recent chest X-ray came back as clear.
Any advice from long term ex smokers? Did you experience any of these symptoms?

Yep... like the flu... felt awful for weeks! Basically when you’re smoking your lungs aren’t able to work properly and clear the crap out. Once you stop and your lung function starts to recover there is a lot of crap to clear!! It does get better - think of it as part of the recovery process

Good luck! Hard but worth it!

Thanks Slacker. He’s determined. It’s a horrible addiction and I’m so worried he’s got something badly wrong. At least the x Ray was clear.

Yup, all the crap getting cleaned out!

Apparently smoking damages the little cilia in your air passages and stops them clearing the crud. Once you've stopped for a couple of weeks they recover and start pushing the build up out. It's part of getting healthy lungs back. I always warn anyone who's giving up! Mind you, I gave up when I had such a bad chest infection that I couldn't smoke (one draw and I'd still be coughing and retching when the cigarette had burned out) so my chest was awful anyway

Yes - in addition pp’s points, it’s now thought that nicotine can act as a cough suppressant.

I had spots and ulcers for weeks as well

This might help.

The coughing should ease soon... And he'll start feeling so much better.

Yep my mum felt so ill for weeks when she gave up she nearly started again. Now nearly 20 years later she still has not touched one

Yep. I started vaping in May. I felt like utter crud for a few weeks....I'll be honest it nearly started me back on the cigs. But it suddenly seemed to get better. He just needs to power through!

These comments are so good to hear. This is what you don’t hear about giving up smoking.

So true Lifeisbeaut and one of the reasons it's so hard to give up!

Good luck to him x

Did you guys get the wheeze as well as the cough?

Yes . Not for as long poor man but yes x

It’s a horrible addiction. He’s gutted he started! Hopefully there are years of health to come. Thanks all, all well done with you lot cracking it.