Feeling tightness in my chest after quitting, how long will it last?

[erika5]

This is crappy and I don't want to feel this way anymore. I'm using the patch and I've been smoke free for 13 days now. I just can't stand this tightness in my chest. I already have anxiety issues and this is making my anxiety worse. How long does it usually last and what about the patch... should I stop using it, could it be making the tightness worse?

Thanks,
Erika

[sherri10]

For the junk in your lungs, try N-Acetyl Cysteine.

[peter-s.]

Hello Erika, You are doing great. It is completely normal to feel some tightness in your chest. Your body is gearing up
to throw off the toxins that you were inhaling every day. Nobody said the road to tobacco free living would be easy.
Think of it this way: Each and every time you feel the tightness in your chest, it is yourself and very automatic body
reactions that are expelling that nasty tar and nicotine from your lungs. throat, mouth, tongue, teeth and etcetera.
It is not natural for you to feel tightness in your chest. You should feel moderately better soon. It is definitely allright
to consult with an M.D. There are many sites a click away from right here and right now. Please don't take a single
drag of a single cig till you get back to some one here at BecomeanEx. We are on your side. We're the good guys.
Guess what Erika, Tomorrow is the first full day of summer. Don't put another single one of those ciggs to your lips.
I just re-read your posting of 20 hours ago. I could use some support too. Tomorrow, I'll be six fabulous entire
months cigarette free. I feel great but I know that I can never ever ever have a single drag. If I do so, I'll be addicted
all over again. We are different. We are Ex. We are what we are and better every day. Go Erika Do It. SuperSummer.

[erika5]

Thank you so much everyone and WAY TO GO for quitting. I do feel better in many ways but this chest tightness is the only thing that I gets me. I just get anxiety about it and have to stay on top of the feeling before the feeling gets on top of me. Those with anxiety and panic will certainly understand that statement. I completed 20 days smoke free, still not active (too much school work) and still not coughing. I looked into the N-Acetyl Cysteine and it says that you can find it in food but I don't know what kind of food. Is it better just to by it in the bottle at the pharmacy? What about taking something like muccinex or something like that?

[sherri10]

Have you ever been diagnosed as having panic attacks??? It just seems that after 20 days that should have passed by now. I know for me that smoking really helped me deal with life and prevented me from feeling a lot of the anxiety I would have to deal with. As far as the N_Acetyl Cysteine, I found it at a health food store in a bottle.

[steve12]

Chantix is one of those FDA approved drugs which can be used to get over smoking habit. It works on body by giving you the same feel good effect like smoking and hence reduces the craving for nicotine. [referral link removed] This medicine should only be used in accordance with the instructions of a physician as there are various side effects which may vary from person to person and it includes change of taste, sleeplessness and many more. I have smoked for more than 10 yrs, but now I am spending a smoke free life from last 2 months. Thanks to chantix. Along with having this medicine, you should also have will power and feeling that you want to get over this habit.

[Andstillirise]

Hi erika5 , 

i suffer from debilitating anxiety and panic attacks . When I quit a little over a month ago I had tightness in my chest , felt light headed , a little queasy and off balance . 

Its all a part of quitting and having anxiety while working through the quit . 

I quit cold turkey without any aids and still had tightness in my chest so I’m not sure it’s the patch . 

It sounds weird and while you probably don’t want to hear this , EXERCISE helps A LOT ! 

It helps tremendously with the physical symptoms of anxiety and helps with cravings . Get your headphones out , throw on some shoes and get to walking . It truly helps . 

Do you have any Xanax? At night sometimes I take a half of .25 just to take the edge off because I still have anxiety , mostly at night . 

You can do this !!! I promise it gets better !

[CommunityAdmin]

I've commented on a couple other popular topics that bring a lot of people to the EX Community from elsewhere on the web. This one is one of them as well. I assume this to be a common symptom after quitting for people and so they search and find us via the various search engines.  For those who have commented in the past.  What advice would you give to new people today now that some time has passed? Has anything changed since you last commented that might alleviate this symptom?  Do you have any new recommendations?

For people coming here who found us because you searched the symptoms, what have you tried? How far are you in your quit journey. Have you spoken with your doctor and what have they told you to do?

Mark
EX Community Manager

[CommunityAdmin]

erika5‌, scottie‌ sherri10‌ Andstillirise‌ steve12‌

Lots of people come from the search engines and land in this post. I'm wondering if you could comment now on how things have been since you last posted in this thread? 

If you're coming to us and this is the first post you're reading. Please join and post your story!

Mark
EX Community Manager

[Andstillirise]

Just made it a year smoke free on April 13 th . Still have tightness in my chest sometimes but it’s due to anxiety . How have I confirmed this ? Well , I had to put my beloved dog down recently and I had the tightness for over a week 

Also since all this covid crap I noticed I have tightness sometimes . 

[jhonell25]

Hi I found this post while searching for answers, its been 2 weeks i think since I quit smoking. I smoke cigarettes plus 60mg salt nic all the time. I quit because I know I’m getting so addicted to it. Then about a week after I quit I had a super tight chest like it’s annoying I can’t breathe properly I gotta take some deep breath. In the morning it doesn’t usually happened but from what I read here it also happens at night when I’m relaxing and about to sleep. The tightness in my chest is crazy it happened for about 3 days so the other day I went to get check for corona virus because I was getting paranoid out here. But it went away now, idk what was it right now I still feel it a little bit or maybe I’m just over thinking I don’t know but yeah this what I felt since I stopped smoking. And it’s true too that you want nicotine to help you breathe better but I’m trying my best not to smoke ever again I can do this!!