Help me !!!

[Andstillirise]

Day 7 and I’ve been good all day. Had a few cravings but kept myself distracted . 

Went for an 8 mile hike and now I’m home in tears . 

I met a woman there and we started chatting and I mentioned I was trying to keep myself very busy because I just quit smoking a week ago . 

She said “ I quit 3 years ago and gained 50 lbs “

i just assumed maybe she wasn’t careful but she she said she got hypothyroidism after she quit and that caused the weight . 

She said everyone she knows who quit also has hypothyroidism or some adrenal problem where they gained a ton of weight and feel worse . 

Im totally freaking out . I’ve had to take Xanax and lay down because I was so panic stricken . 

Is this true? 

I know I read a few people on here have the thyroid problem but is it prevalent with almost everyone ? 

I assumed the thyroid meds would adjust the levels and weight would go back to normal . She said the meds are hard the mind and made her foggy , anxious and suicidal . 

She said it’s been so bad on a few of her friends they are back smoking !!!

i need to know about this so I can prepare mentally and get my thyroid checked right away if I feel off or start piling on the weight .

This is not news I wanted to hear , friends . 

Plesee me shes being dramatic 

[Beck37]

I know a couple people on the site have it.... I also know my dad smoked 2 packs of cigs a day, died of lung cancer and looked like a skeleton when he passed. 

[YoungAtHeart]

And the tales of this stranger you happened to meet on a hike is an :"expert" with her limited sample size?   I know of one person here on the site who experienced this - I also know of a minimum of two people who have been diagnosed with lung cancer years after they quit, and several who have severe COPD years after they quit.  Do you think that means that quitting smoking caused that?

I would have a conversation with your doctor about it - the sooner the better.

Don't panic in the meantime!!!

Slow, deep breaths; slow, deep breaths!  Call your doctor on Monday.  And don't smoke over it in the meantime!

Hang in there - and breathe!!!!!

Nancy

[Andstillirise]

I am NOT going fo smoke over it or anything else .  . Think I stated that in first post . 

[Mandolinrain]

Well I quit nearly 5 years ago and I gained about ten lbs. I also lost it quickly . I have no idea where they got their information. Yes some develop thyroid issues but I have never heard to was directly related to quitting smoking. That being said, I just can't give you a knowledgable answer. I only have my own experience I am 100% sure of.

Please dont panic. I think it may be a good idea for you to set up an appointment with your MD and discuss your concerns. Everyone is different. For me activity and diet play a huge roll with my weight management. When I quit smoking I did have increased appetite but I recognized it and addressed it right away. I choose increased walking routine and whole foods along with periodically fasting and I still do to this day. It works for me.

Others do have medical reasons that cause weight fears/gains. So my recommendations would be to discuss with your MD, who is familiar with your personal health history to ease your mind and get  you headed  in the right direction to address your weight gain fears. Okay? Easy peasy. You will get professional opinion and go from there.

Hope this helps

[Barb102]

If you do gain some weight it can come off. If 

you die from COPD you will be very thin. There’s a commercial that says someone didn’t want to stop smoking because she may gain weight. Then another woman says she lost 25 pounds on chemo. You can snack healthy. Drink lots of water, exercise, walk. All things that will keep your mind off cravings too. Please don’t give yourself excuses not to quit. I wish I had quit sooner before fire I got sicker. Please follow Nancy’s advise and see your doctor   Discuss this fear with him/her. Stay strong 

[JACKIE1-25-15]

Yes, she is being dramatic.  A wise elder once told me not to borrow trouble.  You can make this quit whatever you want it to be.  It is your own. That lady probably was sitting on a bench and not moving.  How many people did she know that quit smoking? Everybody does not gain weight.  Everybody does not end up with a thyroid problem if anyone says you will ask them how do they know. We all have fears but fear is only False EXpectations Appearing Real.  It is my understanding that you have room to gain a little weight, right?  Quitting smoking will make your life better not worse.  You can do this.  One day at a time.  

[Barbscloud]

First of all I'm not a doctor, I'm speaking for myself.  I'm aware of two people on this site who developed hypothyroidism after quitting in the year I've been here.    Don't panic over "whoever" this woman was.  Sounds like an exaggeration of how many people she knows...  Some may not believe it, but here is some of the research.  You can choose for yourself.

Weight Gained after Smoking Cessation May Be Caused by Onset of Hypothyroidism 

Vol 6 Issue 1 p.3 | American Thyroid Association 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4481724/ 

A link between hypothyroidism and quitting smoking?   This one is on the Ex!

https://eje.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/eje/154/6/1540777.xml 

The point is, it's not most people.  From what I've read, if withdrawal symptoms and weight gain continues longer than normal, ask your doctor to check your thyroid.  That's what I did after almost one year quit when the weight just kept going up no matter what I did - dieting and excise did nothing.  I only wish I had done it sooner.  Sorry, but again, I'm tired of being told to diet and exercise when for some people that has it had no effect.  That's when it's time to contact a doctor.

That lady probably was sitting on a bench and not moving.

I find this insulting.    I walk 2 miles a day, do a 2 mile aerobic walking CD 5 days a week, stretching and weights 2 days a week.  And now that I'm training Charlie, I'm I out walking him 3 times a day.

The bottom line is that quitting smoking is more important.  I haven't started smoking again because of it.

Happy Easter

[marciem]

What I'm seeing here Barbscloud‌, is someone who started the quit with a phobia about weight gain and is 7 days in, and borrowing trouble.

You, on the other hand, gave it a very long time with no relief from the weight gaining before you got the thyroid checked.  Hopefully there is a happy medium, as a first few weeks quit may actually be too soon for a solid hyper/hypo thyroid diagnosis.  That would worry me.

As much as I understand how tired you are of hearing it, and I know it didn't work for you, healthy diet and exercise WILL work for most people, over the longer term.  That's why I so much agree with you when you say 

Barbscloud wrote:

The point is, it's not most people.  From what I've read, if withdrawal symptoms and weight gain continues longer than normal, ask your doctor to check your thyroid.  That's what I did after almost one year quit when the weight just kept going up no matter what I did - dieting and excise did nothing. 

[Barbscloud]

She actually wrote about this the other day before she met this "women",  so there have been some prior posts. (Weight gain phobia ).  Thanks

Barb