Stopped smoking and feel like crap - 48 hours in

[MaitlandGirl]

I feel awful :( Seriously can't afford to smoke anymore so I've reluctantly given up. I say reluctantly because I would give anything to be able to afford to keep smoking but the $$ just aren't there in the budget. We're trying to save money and I'm feeling very resentful that I'm the only one sacrificing anything and that the rest of the family are just carrying on with their lives as normal.

I quit cold turkey and so far so good but I feel awful. I'm chesty and coughing a lot, almost constantly wheezing and my chest feels constantly tight. Then of course there's the horrendous 'constantly switched on' feeling with my brain and the restlessness almost all the time. I feel like I'm on speed or something all the time.

When will this fade? Not smoking is hard enough but the way I"m feeling is enough to make me do whatever I can to find the money to be able to afford to smoke again.

Whatever you do, don't give up. I know exactly what you're going through but it's really important to push through this pain barrier - I promise you it will only last another week tops. I too stopped and my life descended into hell shortly after (what makes it worse, I have asthma). I couldn't understand why my breathing got SO much worse, I was struggling to walk to work without wanting to collapse! I did some research and its because they put a chemical in cigarettes which in effect opens up your airwaves so that you inhale more of the smoke. It's the same stuff they put into inhalers to allow you to breathe more effectively (how ironic). Also, when you smoke, it deteriorates little cells on your lungs which help you to breathe, it takes a couple of weeks for them to repair when you stop smoking. It WILL get better, I now am 3 months smoke-free and will never look back, it was worth every bit of the pain! Good luck xx

If its only going to be for another week or so then I'll tough it out, I mean I have to until at least Wednesday as I literally have no $$ to my name until then. I haven't had asthma in years, but I had bad bronchitis in 2009 and I feel just like I did then - truly shocking and very, very unwell. I'm looking forward to feeling better, I never felt ill when I was smoking and I honestly didn't expect to feel so bad having stopped. If I still feel this bad after Wednesday is it worth visiting the Dr?

It doesn't help that no-one in the family has noticed that I've stopped smoking. Not sure how as I went from 20 a day, to nothing and I'm in a completely foul mood. Between the lack of nicotine and the near constant anxiety and twitchyness I'm a mess but no one has noticed.

So today, I'm feeling very sorry for myself, deeply resentful of the lack of support I'm getting from the family and thoroughly pissed off that yet again it's me that has to give something up. I'm also feeling pretty irrational, hopefullly that will pass soon too.

Glad I found this thread and maybe we can all help each other, plz!

I started smoking quite late in life, more socially to start with but has developed into a full blown addiction. Lately I've been disgusted by how much I smoke and been trying to quit except it made me smoke more!!!!

I keep thinking I'll enjoy a last cig and quit but I never feel like it's my last cig!

I got really sick. Full on fever and bad chest infection, my throat is painful! Smoked through the first 2 days. But ran out of cigs and haven't smoked all day. This is the first time I've managed to get to almost lunchtime without a cig!

I need help!!!! I don't want to get in my car and drive to buy some more! I can't afford to keep throwing away money like this. I want to stop but I also love smoking!

I stopped 8 years ago (read Alan Carr).... I felt hungry and restless, remember having a hacking cough....then bang on 2 weeks it all went away. Hang on in there. Promise yourself you'll do 2 weeks and review how you feel then.

This is a common phenomenon when people stop smoking suddenly. It will get better (promise!) your lungs are still vulnerable to infection though so if you are feeling very very unwell with fevers etc then please go to see the doctor

I'm 48 hours in too. I want a fag but I don't want to be a smoker IYSWIM.

Allen Carr is helping- have you read his book OP?

I was listening to Alan Carr which made a difference but haven't listened to him for ages.

Everytime, I Iisten to the cds, I feel like I should be having a cig! He constantly says if ur smoking a cig now...makes me want to light up!

2pm. No cigs!
I hope I can do a full day and not lose it!

So how bad can the symptoms get? I'm already sick anyway. Have a cough and chest infection. Do u think it could carry on for another couple of weeks? What should I expect? How do I prepare myself?

@MaitlandGirl

Isn't it a good thing that no one has noticed? Less pressure?

I haven't told anyone that this is another attempt either because I don't want to let them down.

First stopping really sucks. Your body immediately starts to heal itself by getting rid of all those settled toxins in the lungs. So it detoxes and makes you cough it up while those receptors in the brain scream to be satisfied.

I couldn't quit without the mist and the little placky thing with the cartridges to come off the mist. It's so good to have more money though. Nearly a tenner a pack is a big hit on finances.

Don't give up, keep getting back on that horse and even better sign up for the stop smoking at the chemist so you can get any nicotine replacements cheaper.

Well done for getting this far. This is the hardest bit - it gets easier! Try to distract yourself, easier said than done I know! I used to look at one of those health benefits timelines to help motivate myself.

Stay with it, you can do it, you've got off to an amazing start, 2 day cigarette free is not easy. I remember my first week being hell on earth, I had no physical withdrawal symptoms but my anxiety levels went through the roof, I spent a full day crying over nothing.

Eight months in and I can honestly say there's no going back for me, I've done nights out cig free, surrounded by my smoking friends and I've just come back off holiday where cigs were peanuts and I wasn't tempted.

You can do this.

@MaitlandGirl Yeah it's really shit but it honestly will get better ! It's worth it

I’m 13 hours in (yes I was asleep for some of it) doing cold turkey. Already had a cold so thought I may as well do it now.

Hang on in there, you're doing amazingly well when I quit, the first 2 days were the worst but you'll be over the worst of it soon, if you're not already. Take care of yourself during this time, as others have said you may be vulnerable to infection. A cough is quite normal though, I think. Your lubgs clearing themselves out.

I quit 10 past midnight on the 1 January 2019. This afternoon the 3rd coughing up some nasty stuff. I'm using a combo of boiled sweets for the moderate temptations and an ecig with a cotton candy "oil" in it for high stress times. Not used ecig today. For my previous efforts day 3 has ALWAYS been the worst. Yeee to me!!! I am telling myself I'm not quitting smoking. Just at this precise moment I am smokefree and probably the next minute as well.

Maitlandgirl and all the others. Did you make it?