Any Ex Heavy Smokers out there???

Question

How long does it take for your lungs to clear????????????

I'm 22 days of the cigs now and i also smoked dope SUPER HEAVY so my lungs are quite bad, well their not dying or anything but i do struggle to get air from the bottom of them and when i breath out i'm quite raspy is that the word? lol

My workmate suggested i go running which i am going to tomorrow so that sould help!

I'm now reading Paul McKenna's QUIT SMOKING TODAY book so there aint a chance in h**l i'm going back on the cigs lol... These past couple of weeks has been a bit rough but i'm over the hil now!!!

BUT HOW LONG DO THE LUNGS TAKE TO CLEAR NORMALLY???

Answer 1

You should be feeling fine in about a week....  If not, then you have something else going on.  I was a heavy smoker for 15 years and I never had any trouble with my lungs at all.  Some people are just more prone to lung problems than others.  

Answer 2

I am 6 Months into being smoke free from smoking 1.5-2 packs per day for 25 years and I am still horking up some good chunks. The general consensus is that it could take up to a copuple of years to completely clear the lungs.

Working out has helped and I have a puffer I use on occasion. Don't give up, I know I won't!

Answer 3

For a run down on how long it takes for everything to clear have a look at this:

http://www.yourlunghealth.org/stop_smoki...

As for myself, I found that for the first couple of weeks I had worse coughing and phlegm (nice!) than when I smoked, but I figured my lungs were just clearing themselves out. I also had more asthma attacks (I'm an idiot, I know!). It will get better though. For me it was the month-long mark when I felt a big difference and my wheezing got better.

Answer 4

Each and every day your lungs are getting better. Just focus on that and don't look for an exact number of days. Just think....right now with every breath you take your lungs are going "aahhhhhhhh...thank you!"

Good luck and keep it up. I did it after 18 years.

Answer 5

Well Done M8 ive stopped what 6 n a half months now n never felt better, think it takes about a year all in for your lung function to be 100% again, Good Luck  

Answer 6

nope, they're all dead because quitting is for quitters!!

Answer 7

22 days without a cigarette? AWESOME!!!!! I was a heavy smoker for 15 years and quit about 11 years ago.  And you are absolutely right, you are over the hill now!

Your lungs begin to heal themselves within 20 minutes of your last cigarette.  That's why heavy smokers will sometimes notice they cough a lot in the morning; your lungs have been healing themselves overnight and want to expel all that gunk.  

Keep reading your book and check out the links below.  When I quit all those years ago, my dr gave me a printout of the page you will see on the American Lung Association link I posted below. I hung it on my refrigerator. That one sheet is what kept me motivated to quit.  I think you will find a lot of great info on their site. According to that page, your lung function increases 2 wks - 3 mos. after quitting. Just that one website will answer a lot of your questions.

http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvL...

http://www.smokefree.gov/

I would also assume that keeping yourself well hydrated will help flush all the toxins in your system.  Just please dont get discouraged.  Think about it like this:  I'll bet you feel a little bit better than you did yesterday, and tomorrow, you'll feel better than you did today.

Give yourself a big pat on the back!  And Congratulations!  You, my friend, are a NON SMOKER!

Answer 8

You should start feeling better in about 3 months.  I would go to the dr. due to the wheezing and still having trouble breathing.  This is a sign of asthma and or COPD.  I was diagnosed with COPD the end of Dec 2006 and I still have trouble breathing especially on very humid days.  I smoked for 15 years, started very young.  Please go to doctor.  They can give you albuterol for help breathing.  Another great drug is Advair and Athrovent.  I feel for you.  Good Luck!!!!!!!!

Answer 9

They clear as you go when smoking. It's not like you're carrying 5 pounds or tar in there. You need to wait for them to heal some, though.

Answer 10

Ok, first let me explain you are far far far from the hill, let alone over it. The fourth week will be harder than the second and third week. The 8th week is going to be extremely hard as well. Many fall on at the end of the third month as well. Remember how easy it is to fall and you'll help yourself. See, in another month or two your body is going to start saying, let's just have one with that beer or with those friends. And one will lead you right back into smoking like the day you stopped. My friend lasted 2 full months before she decided to have just two with some beers one night, she hasn't stopped since.

As a heavy, ex-smoker myself... i know how many times i stopped and sometimes lasted for the full three months and then wham... one slip and boom i was back on them full time again. When i stopped back in the 94 i finally learned how many failures happen in the first YEAR and that helped. I learned that one slip and i would be back on again. I learned that the first three months are the biggest danger zones.

By the way... CONGRATS on stopping smoking! I'm very proud of you!!! It's a hard thing to do but a very worthwhile thing!!! Yeah!

Now, remember what i said about it taking months to really get through the hardest parts. This will arm you with knowing you can't slip and just have that one cig. If you know better and don't do it, you'll be on your way to being smoke free.

Now, as for making your lungs feel better you'll need to be smoke free for about 3 to 6 months before you really start to see a difference. It depends on how much heavy smoking and for how many years. Just figure on 6 months before you see, hear and feel a difference in your lungs.

I don't suggest running at this stage. Walk instead. Not very fast either. A nice pace for a longer period of time out in the open air. Running will only make you hack and cough more and take away fluids that are trying to heal your lungs right now. Just walk. It's great exercise and no shin splints and not as hard on your lungs. Remember, you want to HEAL your lungs, not make it harder on them. You can do lung exercises as well, fill your lungs with tons of air and hold it for awhile, then slowly release it. Fill them slowly as well. Build them bigger and bigger, but again, going to take months for it to really show.

Now, it will take years for your lungs to heal completely. Around the first year you will feel a major difference in your lungs and you'll start to feel really good in there. By the second year you'll stop thinking about it but at the fifth year you'll look back and say.... wow.. my lungs feel GREAT! Generally takes 5 full years to remove all the chemicals from your body that you inhale with smoke.

Last piece of advice... find new friends who don't smoke. I know it sucks, but if you hang out with smokers in this first year, you'll eventually cave and smoke again. No one believes themselves to be that weak, no one is strong enough to manage not too though. It's just like with any kind of addiction.... you have to change your playground and playmates. In otherwords... don't hang out in places that allow smoking. Don't hang out with smoker friends. Your body will inhale second hand smoke and want that cig worse than ever. Also, your body won't be able to heal as second hand smoke is as bad as first hand smoke.

Clean your home really well. You'd be surprised at how many of the chemicals stay in your home and you are still breathing it in. Wash all your bedding, put your pillows in the drier for 15 minutes each with a fabric softner sheet. Will help get the smell out, but if you can afford it, buy new pillows. Vacuum your bed when the sheets are off. Steam clean the carpets, you can rent a machine at many stores for very little. Scrub the floors with a new mop, buy a new broom and sweeep well too. Wash all curtains, steam clean the furniture. Wash down the walls with a very light detergent water. You dont' want the walls to be soapy for have bubbles. You can use straight hot water and like a cap of white vinegar in a half a gallon of hot water. Clean fans well, ceiling fans too. Clean the light fixtures so that when they heat up they don't give off old cig smell. Wipe down every lamp shade with a very light damp cloth. Wash all your clothing again, add in some of that bleach for colors to help get rid of the smells. Clean out your car and really air it out. If you can, steam clean the inside as well. The carpet and seats. Clean the dashboard.

You'll be exercising yourself and your lungs... plus removing all those nasty chemicals so that you can help your lung recovery even more.

Good luck! I know you can do this if you really set your mind to it. Also if you know that you are never fully over the hill. Do you know what is the worst year AFTER you've stopped smoking? The 10th. A large study was done and for those who were able to stop for the first year, often slip up in the 10th year. I can attest that af

Answer 11

Quite a while from the look of your stoned face I'd give it a couple of years.

I hope this helps :)

Good luck though you are wise to do so.

Answer 12

Well dude I'm 19 years old, I started smoking when I was 13 about a pack day and it got and it got worst. I quit last year and it was hard cause I feel like its a part of me. Anyway what I did was I went to a Dr and suggested to nicotine gum it actually worked. But of course my body still wanted to smoke...!!! So along with the nicotine gum I exercised lift weights. Now I'm smoke free.. and yah I admit sometimes I still wanna smoke. I just discipline myself..

Ei... Just keep trying to quit, Some people takes a couple of times before they break the bad habit . Good lack

Answer 13

I quit it over 4 months after one pack a day for over 32 years of smoking. Still have tight chest, dry mouth, stuffy nose... on and off, it's tough quitting smoking but it will be getting easier.

I have experienced anything from palpitations, diarrhea, night sweats, hot flush, shortness of breath, anxiety, nausea, tingling feet and legs after quitting smoking. I did not anticipate those bad withdrawals coming, only thought of only craving thing after quitting. Nicotine is a serious narcotic!!

Hang in there, you will get tough but it's worth it to healthier life.

Answer 14

couple of years, take it easy when u run and bring a bottle of water, try to not drink or smoke, and get ur m8s to hide ur cigs and vow to not complain about it, KEEP IT GOING!!!

Answer 15

7 years for total restoration