Health issues after quitting smoking?

Sorry this is a repost, but I wasn't sure what catagory would be best, so I choose two.

I quit smoking on February 18th after 20 years of smoking and haven't had a cigarette since then. Howevever, some days I feel worse than I did while I smoked. I go through days where I feel great and I go out hiking and climb big hills without feeling bad, then I have days where my lungs feel all tight, and I can't lie down without wheezing, I cough like crazy but don't bring anything up, I can't wlak to the corner without getting out of breath and no medicine seems to help. I'm not sure what is going on.. I'm guessing not bronchitis, since I will go through 3 days of feeling great, then a couple days of feeling like hell, then back to feeling great. Any ideas?

As silly as this sounds, don't worry about it, because it is natural.

What is happening is your lungs are healing themselves. One of the ways they do that is by releasing a lot of mucus which has the gunk from cigarette smoke in it. What I mean to say is that they create mucus to help remove the stuff that's in your lungs. That's what creates the wheezing and the sense of breathlessness.

I quit smoking once for four years, and I can honestly tell you the first year of it was absolutely the worst. I must have been sick half of that whole year. Now that I have started smoking again, that miserable year sure weighs heavily in my mind, because I know I need to stop, but I know it will be unpleasant.

Eventually, after the majority of the stuff is out of your lungs, you will begin to feel better. For me it took a year, but I know other people who felt better much more quickly. I think a lot of it depends on different factors like what kind of cigarettes you smoked, how many, what your air quality is like where you live, etc...Just hang in there, because it will get better.

When I quit before, there were three things that helped me when I was most congested. One was the drug that is now available OTC as Mucinex. It used to be available by another name and was prescription only. You have to drink a lot of water when you take it, and it helps loosen all the gunk in your lungs. You said that medicine doesn't seem to help, so try that if you haven't already.

The second thing that helped me was steaming. Since I am very lazy, I just took my face steamer and plugged it in and put a towel over my head to make a little tent. You can do it with a bowl of steaming water, as well. What you want to do is breathe in as much of the water vapor as possible. That will help loosen things up for you. You should then blow your nose as much as you can to clean out your sinuses, and also try and cough as much as you can. Hopefully, it will be productive coughing, meaning it is bringing up goop.

The third thing is something that my doctor taught me a long time ago and which they use for kids with cystic fibrosis. You lay down on the bed with your upper body hanging off the edge, and then you have someone cup their hand and thump you on the back over the lung area. This really helps loosen mucus and gunk. It works the very best if you do it after a steam treatment. You would be amazed and disgusted if I went into more details ;)

The main thing to realize is that the stuff you are going through is actually positive and good. It means your lungs are doing just what they are supposed to do. Since you smoked for 20 years, there's a lot of gunk built up in there, and your body needs to release it the only way it can. I have read repeatedly that after 10 years of not smoking, an ex-smoker's lungs will have renewed themselves and repaired the damage from smoking, and will appear like the lungs of a person who has never ever smoked in their life.

I just want to add a big congratulations and a hug to you for making this hard transition. I think it is super, and I hope to follow you some day (just not today) into the land of the ex-smokers. Good job!

Be well.

I think the best thing is to join a gym or get a personal trainer to help you with the wheezing. Working out can help you stop and get in better shape! Also eating healthy will not hurt!

see a doctor it sounds like your sympotms are asma. my fiance has asma and everythign you described is what he goes through until he can find his pump. sometimes adults dont develop it until later in life.

Congrats on being a non-smoker.
It sounds normal to me- your lungs are trying to clear up 20 years of smoke, and some days are better than others. It seems like you do strenuous exercise, which probably expands your lungs, and their trying to adjust. Since it's only been about 6 weeks of non-smoking, I'd give it more time. You're healing, and sometimes that's not a linear process.
You can check with your doctor to be sure though

sounds to me like you have asthma.....that is why you have good days and bad days. It is NOT normal to feel this way even when you have stopped smoking. You mentioned that you are not bringing anything up....probably because there is nothing to bring up....the wheezing you are experiencing is from bronchospasms NOT mucous...Advair is a very good medicine to use along with Albuterol aerosol treatments....ask your doctor about your symptoms you talked about (shortness of breath, tight chest, good days and bad days).....all are classic symptoms of Asthma.......it can kill you so don't delay treatment..........resp. therapist....