Why aren't I coughing after quitting?

[tyke1980]

Hey everyone.  I am 25 days nicotine/smoke free today which I'm very proud of.  Came close to giving in many times but somehow pulled through.  Anyways, I've attempted seriously quitting 2-3 times prior and within a day or two, I would develop an awful cough where I would cough up gobs of icky phlegm and spit it out.  I only quit for a couple weeks at those attempts but EVERY time without fail, got this awful cough and phlegm.  I knew it was a good sign that my lungs were healing and cleaning out gunk. 

However, this time, NO COUGH.  This concerns me as I don't feel like my lungs are getting healthy and cleaning out.  It's almost defeating in my mind because I actually looked forward to seeing all the crap come out of my lungs as odd as that may sound but it's almost encouraging to know and SEE that this is what was in your lungs and gave me motivation to keep going.  

Should I be worried that I"m NOT coughing anything up this time?  Are my lungs still healing or what's the reason behind this?  It concerns me because it's not the same as the other "quits" and is discouraging.  I see my lung doctor in 2 weeks for a breathing test which always was good but am going to ask these questions there too.  

It almost makes me think I could go back to smoking if I"m not seeing any benefits.  I do feel some when exercising but lately I've been out of breath a lot doing only the lightest of activity and that makes me feel defeated too.  I'm not planning on picking up a cig, just those feelings that get in the way.  

Any advice or experiences you can share with me?  Is this normal?   Thanks and much love to all of you!  

[TW517]

I didn't have any chest clearing, productive coughs until about 4 weeks.  Then it would clear up for maybe a month, and return again for a couple days.  That went on for about 6 months, then finally went away.

[tyke1980]

Thank you for sharing your experience.  I'm frustrated because I have a severely dry throat and losing my voice which is so different from last time I quit.  I cough but it's dry and feels like cotton.  I feel like there's something in my throat that I have to clear but there's nothing there.  It's a bit concerning since this came on suddenly but I'll be seeing my pulmonary doctor next week if all goes as planned.  Thank you again!

[Karine]

Day 24 here ! Congrats to you on Day 25:)  I too have been concerned that I am not coughing up anything.  Although coughing was part of my morning routine when I was smoking and now I don't have that morning cough anymore . I definitely know I am breathing better . I noticed my sinuses are less stuffy but they seem to be still clearing out .  I have heard that everyone is different .  I have had two chests X-rays and a CScan of my lungs in the past 6 months was told lungs were clear . I don't know what that means since I was smoking then. I just believe I am detoxing and healing and cleaning my system by continuing not to smoke. 

[tyke1980]

Oh congrats to you as well!  It's a huge accomplishment to make it this far and I'm very happy for you and hope we both have continued success!  I'm thankful I"m not the only one who is concerned about that quitters cough and not having it.  I'm glad that you're breathing better and not having the morning cough.  I guess thinking back, I had a cough too but never thought about it until now.  I hate to say it but what I"m feeling now is awful too.  Severe dry throat despite drinking a ton and raspy voice.  I feel like I have to cough but it's just dry as dust.  I'll be asking my doctor next week.  I'm happy that your chest xrays and scans were clear and mine were too and I was also smoking.  Every time I went in and they told me my oxygen levels and lungs were good, I figured they were giving me permission to keep smoking (warped thinking).  They obviously told me to quit and gave me resources but you have to be ready and willing.  I would watch those commercials of people with O2 tanks and missing part of their throat and that STILL didn't scare me.  It wasn't until I realized m breathing was more labored when exercising and then the final call was the infection in a tooth that wasn't healing.  I just decided one day to arm myself with support groups, reminder texts from apps and just NOT wanting to.  I didn't want the day I find out I have cancer to be my "quit day".  What an awful day to decide to quit, so that's what I think about now.  Thank you for sharing and if anyone else reads this and also suffered from an extremely dry throat, cough and discomfort, please share with me what it could be!  Thank you Karine for sharing!  Hope you keep up the good fight!

[Karine]

One more thing I do remember having a sore throat the first couple of weeks .  But you could have allergies !  My oxygen levels were all good too ... Even when i caught pneumonia last fall.   Thats when I started preparing for my quit  because that scared me and when they told me my lungs were clear , i  did think at first well I am good to smoke right ?? NO silly me but that's the addict talking .  Anyway that's when I started preparing for this quit not my first attempt btw many many other attempts.  i am on chantix btw.  Here is to you and me and everyone who just started there quit ..2019 the year we become smoke free! 

[tyke1980]

Sorry for the delay!  I ended up going to the walk in a couple days ago because of the throat issue and had a viral infection but feeling better today.  It's funny how we can ignore all these dangers of smoking when we see it on TV or hear about the stories but it doesn't affect us personally so it's easy to say "that'll never happen to me".  It isn't until something happens to us that scares us into quitting or at least attempting.  Doesn't matter what the reason is for quitting or at least trying as long as we do.  I've had many attempts too.  Some lasted a couple months (rare) and others a couple hours to a couple days/weeks.  Nothing long term though and this may be the longest "quit" I've had.  It has gotten a bit easier but still get the urge depending on the situation.  I could not take Chantix.  I tried Wellbutrin but ended up very suicidal and had to have the cops called on me for safety checks.  I know meds work differently for everyone so people shouldn't be afraid to try it but take precautions as you would any other medication.  So glad it's working for you!  Yes, here is to all those fighting the good fight!  xo

[Ericnc]

If you’re still around, what did the doc say?  I haven’t coughed this time either. 

[tyke1980]

Hello Eric!  I did go to my lung doctor and it went really well.  My lungs are in excellent condition and my Spirometer test I have done 2x a year was above average for a non-smoker which was great news for me!   My O2 leel was also 100%.   I asked about the lack of coughing this time around and she didn't have much to say and didn't seem concerned at all when I brought it up.  When I asked, she said that was good and nothing that gave me the impression that it was abnormal.  Whew!  I was a bit concerned for a while but thankful.  I did to my own research on the lack of coughing (sometimes not wise to do your own research) and a lot of sites said that it can be a good sign because coughing can be related to the development of more serious health conditions that can appear after quitting.  I would rest assured that you're more than likely OK but when you quit and are concerned, I would highly recommend going to get checked out just to be certain.