Coughing...not coughing.

[cpk]

I have read repeatedly that smokers cough more after quitting because they are "clearing" out their lungs. I had a bad smoker's cough but it completely vanished within 8 days after I quit smoking. Now, I am not coughing at all. I was smoking l/2 pack daily light cigarettes after lifelong on/off habit...but the point is I was coughing, and in about a week it went away. I had tightness in chest but used a vaporizor running 24/7 -- and have been doing deep breathing. So what's with this information that you have to cough after you quit to clear out your lungs?

[beacon]

Hi, I did not cough after I quit.  I smoked a pack a day for more than 30 years. 

 

When I smoked I coughed, while sleepinng, while laughing, but not after I quit.  I had other issues related to quitting:  dizziness, anger, bleeding gums, weight gain, etc. Of course, I got good things like a sense of smell, taste, glowing skin, lung depth , better blood work.....Each person reacts differently it seems to me from seeing many quits here.

[robert]

What  you are describing is normal.  Some stop coughing after a few days, some after a few weeks, and some don't cough at all. If a cough lasts more than 3-4 weeks after quitting, it would probably be a good idea to see a doctor.

 

Your lungs will clean themselves at their own pace without coughing -- not  to worry.

[Nancy]

I never coughed much after I quit, either.  I think everyone is different.

[cpk]

Thanks. Thanks so much for this information. It seems that some kind of hyper-sensitivity has set in and I am questioning everything...all of a sudden I am so aware of my health...which I obviously wasn't regarding as very important when I smoked. My thought is that maybe I was over-all neglecting my health and now I don't even know what is normal or not normal. I have been worrying about fatigue...but I haven't been exercising so, duh, yeah, I feel sluggish like a slug-a-bug. So it isn't just smoking but general unfit health.

[cpk]

Nancy, I like your "one puff is too much" ---

 

I have been reminding myself that cigarettes are killers that travel in a pack. This helps me because this was always my downfall. I'd want "just one" -- and I would hide single smokes everywhere in my house and car...because I couldn't bear that thought of not being able to have one puff.

 

Thanks, everyone, about the replies about the coughing/not-coughing thing. On other sites people post that coughing is necessary to clear the lungs. I just got hung up on this.

[Nancy]

Nancy, I like your "one puff is too much" ---

 

I have been reminding myself that cigarettes are killers that travel in a pack. This helps me because this was always my downfall. I'd want "just one" -- and I would hide single smokes everywhere in my house and car...because I couldn't bear that thought of not being able to have one puff.

 

Thanks, everyone, about the replies about the coughing/not-coughing thing. On other sites people post that coughing is necessary to clear the lungs. I just got hung up on this.

That is why we have a daily NOPE pledge...Not One Puff Ever.  It helps to pledge each day, because once you do, you can't smoke that day without breaking the pledge you made to yourself.

 

A little technical tip, CPK, if you want to reply to someone, if you will use the "Quote" button at the bottom of the post, the person you are talking to will get a notification.  Congratulations on your quit!

[cpk]

That is why we have a daily NOPE pledge...Not One Puff Ever.  It helps to pledge each day, because once you do, you can't smoke that day without breaking the pledge you made to yourself.

 

A little technical tip, CPK, if you want to reply to someone, if you will use the "Quote" button at the bottom of the post, the person you are talking to will get a notification.  Congratulations on your quit!

Thanks! I was wondering where this little button I needed was!

[Colleen]

CPK....The reason for the coughing is excess mucus in the lungs.  Some people don't have any mucus.  People that continue to cough are continuing to produce excess mucus and should get checked out.  

[cpk]

CPK....The reason for the coughing is excess mucus in the lungs.  Some people don't have any mucus.  People that continue to cough are continuing to produce excess mucus and should get checked out.  

I have definitely been obsessing about my lungs. I could just relax and drink more water. You know, nothing's feeling "normal" at this point. Anxiety. Thanks for your comment and support.

[Nancy]

Thanks! I was wondering where this little button I needed was!

Well done!

[Nicole Diver]

I stopped coughing almost to the day that I quit.  So it's different for everyone.  :)

[cpk]

I stopped coughing almost to the day that I quit.  So it's different for everyone.  :)

Thanks. This site is full of great peeps! :wub: I'm loving that I found this train!

[Still winning]

The problem with all of this quitting is how differently everyone reacts. From physically to mentally. Re the cough tho I didn't have one after a few days (35-40 per day here) and then it came back after a month and it still hangs around a bit (I did get my lungs checked at around 3 months because of this but nothing there). So perhaps the cough is coming later but I hope not for your sake.

 

I understand what you're saying. It can feel like you are repeatedly hitting yourself with the health hammer, like, why didn't I notice I was doing this andmaybe causing damage etc. The thing is, you've done the best thing medically by choosing to stop now. Concentrate on that for a while, 19 days is amazing! And yes, there isn't one, there is always a pack...so it's no longer an option.

 

Be proud of how far you've come! Make sure you are being kind and gentle to yourself for a while, after all this whole time is you healing yourself and healing needs a bit of time and support. Make sure you plan in treating yourself too, nothing like seeing the fruits of your quitting labour to motivate you. 

 

x

[cpk]

What  you are describing is normal.  Some stop coughing after a few days, some after a few weeks, and some don't cough at all. If a cough lasts more than 3-4 weeks after quitting, it would probably be a good idea to see a doctor.

 

Your lungs will clean themselves at their own pace without coughing -- not  to worry.

Okay, this is good news, and very reassuring. Thanks.

[BAT]

I didn't get the cough after I quit either. I remember wondering the same thing. It just never happened.

[cpk]

Thank you, everyone, for your input on the coughing, no-coughing thing.

 

As I was writing this I remembered that I quit once about ten years ago, and had no coughing. In fact, no really bad after effects. Or maybe I can't remember. I think before --- when I'd quit --- I'd have a memory lapse about how bad smoking was as an addiction...and so I would take it up again.

 

Also, I still hung around with smokers. I even let them smoke inside Little Red Rider (My Bat-Mobile!) --- so, now, it's different. I'm keeping a journal so I remember every little twist and turn in the road. (Like how I felt physically so bad the first week I constantly wondered if I should go to the hospital...) Also, how I would go out in the middle-of-the-night in a dangerous blizzard to buy smokes. And how addicts who were so-called friends kept "generously" pushing cigarettes in my hands.

 

It's a new life. If I start coughing, I'll deal with it...if and when. That's not now. Now I am okay, and feel good about my quit birthday. Thanks again, all.

[Tyme2B]

I have read repeatedly that smokers cough more after quitting because they are "clearing" out their lungs. I had a bad smoker's cough but it completely vanished within 8 days after I quit smoking. Now, I am not coughing at all. I was smoking l/2 pack daily light cigarettes after lifelong on/off habit...but the point is I was coughing, and in about a week it went away. I had tightness in chest but used a vaporizor running 24/7 -- and have been doing deep breathing. So what's with this information that you have to cough after you quit to clear out your lungs?

[Tyme2B]

My understanding about the cough after quitting smoking is that it is very individual. If a person has a chronic bronchitis & even a mild COPD when they stop smoking, the cough is a part of this disease & will take longer to diminish. The cilia in the lungs can sometimes start to regrow or even just begin to function again after years of mucous clogging their action in our lungs. Drinking plenty of water & juice loosens the mucous so it can be coughed up. I still have a cough in the morning after being smoke free for a month. However the cough is much improved & non productive now. I am hoping that after a lifetime of smoking about 12-15 "light" cigarettes a day that my lungs will improve. Several people on the Board have mentioned their Pulmonary Function Tests improved after quitting smoking. My Doc told me it would take 10 yrs to return to a non smoking state....good thing I quit now! Certainly if a cough does not go away or if there is fever or coloured sputum, a person needs to see their Doc right away. I know how easy it is to worry about what we perceive as "normal" post smoking body language. We are so focused on the quit we get nervous about any "different" reactions or symptoms we may have. But I am learning thanks to this Board & my own research that we ARE all different in our response to long term smoking & quitting smoking. Fortunately there are some commonalities that keep us sane! Good job cpk! You are doing great!!

[ChRiSpY]

Different strokes for different folks.

 

Still waiting on my quit cough.

[Tyme2B]

Different strokes for different folks.

 

Still waiting on my quit cough.

We are all different Chrispy. You will lose your cough when your body is ready. For now it is nature's way for our lungs to clear so not a bad thing. I'm still waiting too.

[cpk]

My understanding about the cough after quitting smoking is that it is very individual. If a person has a chronic bronchitis & even a mild COPD when they stop smoking, the cough is a part of this disease & will take longer to diminish. The cilia in the lungs can sometimes start to regrow or even just begin to function again after years of mucous clogging their action in our lungs. Drinking plenty of water & juice loosens the mucous so it can be coughed up. I still have a cough in the morning after being smoke free for a month. However the cough is much improved & non productive now. I am hoping that after a lifetime of smoking about 12-15 "light" cigarettes a day that my lungs will improve. Several people on the Board have mentioned their Pulmonary Function Tests improved after quitting smoking. My Doc told me it would take 10 yrs to return to a non smoking state....good thing I quit now! Certainly if a cough does not go away or if there is fever or coloured sputum, a person needs to see their Doc right away. I know how easy it is to worry about what we perceive as "normal" post smoking body language. We are so focused on the quit we get nervous about any "different" reactions or symptoms we may have. But I am learning thanks to this Board & my own research that we ARE all different in our response to long term smoking & quitting smoking. Fortunately there are some commonalities that keep us sane! Good job cpk! You are doing great!!

Great post. Thanks for this. I can't believe how hyper-sensitive I am post-smoking. Maybe this is what "normal" feels like??? Everything is brighter, and more intense. I think I will just try to relax on the ride. :wub: cpk

[Kristin]

Great post. Thanks for this. I can't believe how hyper-sensitive I am post-smoking. Maybe this is what "normal" feels like??? Everything is brighter, and more intense. I think I will just try to relax on the ride. :wub: cpk

Enjoy being more alive!

 

I am still amazed every day by how things smell and taste after 17 years of not really knowing. Also breathing is so great, deep down into the lungs.... I had no clue.