Feeling Sick After Quitting Smoking,What to do?
Comments(39)Some people feel sick when they quit smoking. Is this normal and what can be done about it? Find out more in this article. There are some smokers who, when they try to quit, they feel sick or nauseous. This can be quite common when coming off an addiction but the good news is that something can be done about this.
Why Do People Get Sick?
When smokers give up using willpower methods then they will crave cigarettes afterwards. This craving can manifest itself in many different ways in different people. Most people will get a feel or irritability. Some people will get a headache. And other people may even feel like they need to throw up. This is all because they were addicted to cigarettes and now are refusing to smoke them. It’s the addiction’s way of getting them to smoke again – making life without cigarettes as unbearable as possible.
If you are feeling sick right now then do not start smoking cigarettes again. Don’t worry, the feeling will pass and it will not last long, certainly no longer than a day. Drink plenty of fluids and call in sick if necessary. So, how can we reduce the chances of sickness happening in the first place? Let’s look at the different quitting methods.
Using Willpower Alone
This is often called “quitting cold turkey”. It’s when a smoker just stops smoking, often they have planned a “quit date”. For most people, this is the most stressful way of quitting. To go from one day with cigarettes to the next day without them. Most smokers find that they need immense willpower to succeed this way. And because of the huge willpower and stresses then this is the method most likely to make you sick. It’s also the method least likely to give you success.
Cutting Down/Using Patches
Whether you cut down on cigarettes or on patches, the effect is the same – you are cutting down on nicotine before quitting cigarettes. If you do it this way, then there will still be a shock to your system but it will be much less than previously. So, you are less likely to be sick and even if you are, it will be for less time.
Hypnosis/Laser Treatment
Hypnosis, acupuncture and laser treatment are all similar methods. What they do is to almost make your cravings disappear. So when you quit, you are extremely unlikely to feel sick at all. The problem is that the cravings only disappear temporarily. So, they will come back after a few days or weeks. But you’ll still be extremely unlikely to feel sick.
Other Methods
There are some other methods that are used successfully by a minority of ex-smoker where you never get any cravings at all. This is the idea way because the quitting process is not stressful and you never get sick.
Has anyone had this happen. I gave up smoking exactly 12 months ago and have had every cough, cold, bronchitis known to man. Have it again now. Why is this and how long could it go on for.
hi sandy, i know exactly what you mean. i got hypnotised in feb, this year.stopped from then.no withdrawals, no cravings, nothing.i was over the moon,except now i have had acute bronchitis for a month,i am on the nebulizer,and all this other bronchial medicine that i never needed before.my dr says as the tar lifts from the lungs it takes the vili and tissue with it.then your lungs are sencitive and easily irritated untill the new stuff is fully grown.
I FEEL SICK TO MY TUMMY! I’m neauseated and have had an unbearable headahce but in the end, it will be worth it.
I QUIT COLD TURKEY JANUARY 1ST 2009 I SMOKE 2 PACKS A DAY FOR 25 YEARS…I AM SICK EVERYDAY PANIC ATTACK AFTER PANIC ATTACK…DR PUT ME ON EVERY MEDICCATION POSSIBLE ..NOW IM ON PAXIL IT HELPS ME A BIT I ALSO TAKE A ,25 MIL ZANAX….I HERE ALL DIFFRENT STORIES..I HOPE THIS IS NOT A LIFE LONG THING I CANT TAKE IT …IM NOT CRAVING SMOKING AT ALL ACUALLY IM VERY PROUD OF MY SELF BUT I CANT TAKE THE SICKNESS…PANIC ATTACK AFTER PANIC ATTACK IT SO SCAREY PLEASE HELP ME WITH ANY ADVICE ANYYYYYONE PLEASEEEEEEEEEEE TELL ME IM NOT THE ONLY ONE GOING THROUGH THIS HERE I THOUGHT I WAS DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR MY SELF AND MY FAMILY
THANK YOU ARTIE
I stopped cigarettes 6 weeks ago – by using a personal vaporizer (a battery operated nicotine device) it’s just like smoking, but without the 4000 plus chemicals added to cigarettes – and no carcinogens either.
Just the past few days I’m feeling nausea and dizziness – from what I’ve read, these are common symptoms – just seems odd that it would take 6 weeks to kick in. I still use the vaporizer to get my “fix” – I’m not afraid of the nicotine, so will continue the use of the vaporizer as long as I wish.
I’d just like to find out what’s going on with the nausea and dizziness. I feel miserable all the time now – felt WONDERFUL the last 6 weeks though.
I stopped smoking one month ago. I too now have bronchitis. I have never had it before in my life. Guess it is true about the tar being lifted and lungs being more sensitive
i feel sick too. i dont think i can do it cold turkey. its been 12 hrs and im dieing to get another pack. i used to smoke a 1/2 pack and the last pack lasted me 2 days, and i think 1 more pack and i can quit compleatly.
I quit exactly a week ago today – this is my second time quitting – the first time, I quit over a year via willpower and had NO side effects – none. Already a week in, and have increased my work out regime to 7 days a week including yoga, spinning and pilates and am already starting to feel side effects. On top of this, I have turned vegan in an attempt to shock my body – I have succeeded. Although my throat hurts, I am coughing tar and have a mild headache, I understand that my body is getting rid of almost 12 years of garbage (and I am only 28). Hang in there all, it WILL get better.
i have somewhat of a cold. i smoked about a pack to 2 packs a day for about 7 years.i just got tired of smoking it made me really depressed especially when i woke up but at the same time i loved the hell out of em when i was out drinking or at work. i guess it was a love- hate relationship. however, i just kind of stopped out of nowhere. i have had small slip ups but not enough to make me start up again. unfortunately, i did replace my smoking habits with eating habits and plumped up a bit but i think i could stop my food addiction just as fast as my smoking addiction.(hopefully)
i have been quit smoking 4 5 weeks now i no it early but im just using pure will power no medication to help my cravings i seem to be winning so far it seem very easy but i always seem to feel sick be sick have a flemmy throat most of the time and bad head aches is there anything u can do to help relive these probs
I quit smoking exactly 15 days ago and although I feel better than ever, I’ve gotten extremely sick. My nose will not stop running,my eyes are watery, and my body aches soo bad! AND my stomach feels bloated – ALL the time. I’m really hoping these things will go away soon. I definetly don’t plan on picking up a ciggarette seeing that I can breathe 20x better at the gym..and working out is what I love to do the most so theirs no way in hell I’ll jeapordize that! BUT I can’t believe how sick I am and how aweful I feel. I’m assuming its just my body cleansing itself but whatever it is, it really needs to pass cause I feel terrible right now.
This usually happens. Once you take care of the initial surge of pain you will have everything going fine. Don’t ever touch that cigarette again.
this is my 6th day of stopping smoking and probably my 4th attempt. I use patches as they take off the edge when going through the cravings. Yesterday i began to feel a sore throat and when i woke up this morning very late i might add felt like i was suffering with the flu (a virus). Having these symptoms is actually putting me off the cigs so if you imagine puffing on smoke going down your sore throat, imagine how that must be seeping into your body, horrible. I think your body is working so damn hard to fight the cravings your immunity to bugs is weakened hence the cold flu symptoms. Isnt gonna make me start again…no way
I stop smoking 10 month ago, I dont remember realy craving it, And i realy easely get over my need, and i smoke for 10 years.
But since i stop i am sick, Gas, diarya, stomach pain, acid reflux, all nine yeard.
But i am pround i did, i now wonder what to do to make the sickness stop.
You can try the mini guide which helps you to a overcome the problems while quitting smoking here: http://www.newquitsmoking.info/minicourse.html
Let me know your thoughts…
I quit 4 days ago cold turkey, I’m doing real good. Since day three I came down with a bad cold runny nose cough watery eyes and chest feels congested is this normal and how long will it last
Hi I’m new to quiting and today is my first day I’m using commit and it’s working
great. I smoked for 12 years and had about 7 a day. I have had strong cravings but the commit really works. Hopfully I can stay smoke free. I’m very happy to see people suceeding. I pray for all and good luck to all of us for choosing to quit. Keep me posted.
I’ll do the same.
Just updating today is day 9. Cravings are
sometimes unbearable but commit helps me
out a lot. I feel very very sick today I have a headache
and just feel plain sick. I hope things get better
I’m doing the best I can do.
I quit over a month ago, one pack a day for 28 years. Just prayer and cold turkey, PRAISE GOD! I have had a awfully dry cough and a few other symptons, but overall I am just so thankful.
Be encouraged everyone, you can do it!!!
I want to quit soooo bad but I keep throwing up and I’ve been getting THE worst headaches!! Any advice??? Email me felicia.nolen@gmail.com I need any advice or tips that u could give me! PLEASE EMAIL ME I seriously need help and am considering not quitting. It would be so much easier!! Thanks in advance for all the advice and tips I will get from u all!
Felicia
i quit smoking 2 weeks ago and have been sick the whole time. i quit cold turkey…the first week was really bad. i was a huge b**** at work to my coworkers and at home to my boyfriend. and now i have also been having a really bad sore throat, sinus congestion, and lots of phlegm.
none of this is making me want to smoke at all. in fact, i thought it was going to be really hard but it’s not. i even went out to a club last night and was on the patio, drinking, and didnt even want a cigarette. the sight and smell makes my stomach churn and i cant believe i was ever one of those people.
Im going to keep it short. All of u ladies and gents trying to stop or have stopped, my absolutely genuine advice is DONT GIVE UP and HAVE A GREAT REASON to stop smoking. I am into my 8th week without, and to be quite frank with u, i found it a doddle my 3rd time around.
I strongly believe that u need a very strong personal reason to stop smoking. God forbid, if the doctor told u that u had cancer due to smoking, i bet u would dump ur ciggies in a flash without a second though ! So isnt it better to do it now, while u have a life ahead of you ? Just an example.
For me , my motivation came from a girl who i admired dearly, and ended up losing in a car accident. I loved her like nothing on earth and always remembered her sweet words and requests for me to stop, which i ignored at the time.
My emotions got so high that i decided to stop FOR HER , and this is my over riding reason why i have did it. I will never touch another cig again. God rest her soul. Love u always till me last breath.
I recently kicked the habit on January 1st after 15 to 16 years of smoking. At first it felt great, like I was doing the right thing, but just weeks later I started having problems. On top of random anxiety/ panic attacks I am also having stomach problems such as nausea, gas, diarrhea, stomach pains and growling noises from my stomach. This all just started to happen recently with no past problems of this kind. Its now mid March and the problems still exist. Has this happened to anyone else and can I expect this to ever go away???
i quit smoking a month ago.. i quit cold turkey which i thought would be hard..but finding out my mom has lung cancer has made me never want to smoke again…I keep get sick though..nothing major..but i get small cold like symptoms and i have had to sore throats already..and digestive problems..it kinda sucks but i think im starting to get better..i just wanted to see if anyone feels this way too after they quit
hi can anyone help. i gave up smoking 4 weeks ago. i had mouth ulcers to start of with then into a cold then back into a throat infection on penacillen now straight back into a cold with also catching thrush from the tablets. isnt giving up smoking great?? just wondered if anyone could lend me an illness haha
hi all i quit 4 weeks ago using allen carrs easy way to stop smokoing clinics it works wonders no withdrawl pangs, no weight gain nothing, but ever since i quit i have had a very sore throat were i thought i was always chocking, always felt i had a cold sniffles, and my ears felt like they were going to explode, doc put me on nose spray for my sinises,and to help with the throat, and ear drops, am starting to feel better now, doc said its all from stop smoking, our body is cleaning its self out, so a couple of weeks of sickness is nothing compared with if we were to get lung cancer, can u imagine the sickness then. hang in there every one it will pass. good luck.
It has been over a month since I quit smoking and I feel sick all the time. I feel dizzy,having B/P Problems, feeling tired all the time and just want to lay around all day. I m ready to feel like myself again!
I’ve stopped smoking 8 wks ago and since then i’ve had chest pains light headedness, not sure what it is but i only smoked 5-6 cigs a day but also smoked a joint of cannibis before bedtime, now i’ve got this awfull cold and acute bronchitus, sinitus which is making my nose bleed a little is this normal.
See this site: http://www.newquitsmoking.info/
It has a book which can help you to get out of stress. It has lots of simple techniques.
I quit smoking cold turkey about two months ago. About a week after I quit I developed a deep cough and laryngitis. Went to the Dr. and he gave me Augmenten,because he thought my ear looked red. Took it for 10 days and a couple of days later had a temp if 103 and awful diarrhea. Went back to the Dr. and he said I had c. diff, a bacterial infection in my intestines. So I was on 1500 mg a day of Flagyl. Could all of this be caused by quitting smoking? I’m a 67 yr old female and have smoked off and on for 50 years. I’m certainly glad I quite and have no intention of going back.
Hi I have now hit the 48hr mark of being smoke free (cold turkey)- i have been having panic attack after panic attack probably more than 5 panic attacks a a day feel sick, head feels cloudy. I hope i make it i hate smoking but love em at the same time
Seems to be a common phenomenon, give up and then feel sick with bronchitis, wheezing, coughing and general ill feeling. I went through the same, tried to give up for ages with patches and inhaler, the only thing that has worked for me was the little 4mg mint tablets that you slowly let melt in your mouth, take a bit of getting used to but it gives you that little nicotine hit when you need it as opposed to the slow release patches which didn’t take the urge away for me. Everyone is different so don’t be afraid to try a few different approaches.
I really feel that when you give up smoking then your body actually starts to detox and releases more of the toxins that have accumulated in the lungs, i would say the tar traps a lot of those chemicals. Please correct me if I’m’ wrong anyone. When the body is detoxing it is essential to drink lots of water, at least 2 litres a day to help the body flush them out quicker.
Other than that stay busy and start to feel some pride for giving those nasty boys up, once you start to feel better you wont want to go through all the detoxing again, that’s motivation enough for me.
I, as of today, have been smoke free for 16 days. at precisely 4:30 pm last night my throat started to get sore. This morning I cannot swallow without an extreme amount of pain. This has been the first negative thing to have happened since I quit. I am wondering if I may have actually caught some type of virus as apposed to “quit-smoking-side-effects”, since my symptoms came on SO suddenly. There is no cough or achiness. Anyone know??
I stumbled on to this site by mistake and I am glad I did. I quit smoking (cold turkey) exactly one month ago today. I too feel sick in my stomach most of the time. I can honestly say that I was hardly ever sick before I quit…and now it seems like I am either feeling sick or something hurts somewhere! I also have to comment on the taste of food. I keep hearing that food will start to taste better..and I am still waiting for that to happen. For me, the things that I thought tasted very good when I was smoking, now don’t seem to taste the same…and certainly do not taste better. Some things I have actually just stopped eating all together..because the taste is so different now, that I know longer like it. Like the newest tv add says…”QUITTING SUCKS”….but I guess dying from smoking sucks more. I wish everyone 100% success in quitting…good luck to all of us:)
It has been just over 24hrs without a smoke. My brain is having no problem telling me how stupid I would be to pick one up at this point but my stomach is in knots, I am completely on edge, and I can’t keep my eyes open!
I quit using velarian root. It sedates you some but you just have to deal with some of the anxiety and be strong and count the weeks. Your whole “body” will feel challenged.
i quit a couple of weeks ago because i was thinking i had pneumonia i had no pain but had this terrible wheezing in one lung that was getting a little better each day and figured it was the perfect opportunity to quit because i didn’t even feel the need or want to keep on with this habit
a week later i could have SWORE i was having a heart attack. doctor tells me its pleurisy after an x-ray, but finds no pneumonia just a case of bronchitis and this pleurisy.
having some very strange things happen to my body over the last few weeks.
i dont feel like i am getting any better when im at home. but i have noticed when im out running or walking i feel a million times better
i quit 4 weeks ago 80 aday went cold turkey i have never felt so ill chest pains lungs kill nose bleeds but it will be worth it in the end does any ones lungs hurt them when they lay down lifting lot crap of them which is all good,
Wow, I know this is a horrible thing to say but I feel so much better now that I’ve read other peoples stories. I quite smoking 4 months ago with the patch, after smoking a pack or more a day for years…… it was so difficult, I still went through withdrawls, but I got really sick with the worst flu I’ve ever had in my life a few weeks into it. I still haven’t recovered. I thought I’d feel so much better after I quit and was so proud of myself and now i have severe ANXIETY ATTACKS, cronically sleepy, or panicing for now reason……….. it’s crazy. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I haven’t even been able to fuction… work or anything because I’m so sick. It makes me feel like smoking again and I feel so alone. Sorry to say but if I would have known I would feel this bad, I would have never quit to begin with but I’ve come to far now to go back. I can’t…….. i actually tried…….LOL but not funny at all really…. I took one puff of a cig and coughed and felt sick…….. like the first time……. Oh, another thing I wanted to add, just by reading.. I also smoked weed for a few years straight, EVERYDAY…… and I quite about 6 months before I quit smoking and it was just as hard……… so very hard.. addictions are a bitch….. but was the best thing I’ve done. Keep up the good work everyone….. even though I don’t feel this myself, it is the best thing you can do for yourself.