Hi All,
I am 40 yrs old , started to smoke at age of 16 not a heavy smoker though 7-8 sticks a day and cold turkey quit on sept 2019 , hardly smoked a 2 -3 sticks before quit for 4-5 months, did not know about withdrawals, just left the habit thinking i can just give it away just like that, after 15 days time i started feeling sick and 2 months went in being sick from GERD/ Acid reflux , left chest shoulder and neck pains, irritability, low self esteem, insomnia, restlessness, muscle spasms , fog, confusion etc, anxiety and depression .. snapping of left shoulder blade which is making cracking, grinding and muscles staying sore later after 2 months , been to several doctors, done ECG, EKG and blood tests done every thing came up fine but the thought of something wrong happening inside my chest whenever tingling pain in chest was killing me every day... So I kept on googling for symptoms and figured out and started to learn about the nicotine withdrawals by that time i came to know all of this I was morally down down and went crazy thinking, Friends and Doctors started saying its all in my head or I am creating stories , no one believed to what is happening to me, Then step by step as months passed by I followed some websites and gave myself time and patience hoping everything will become alright, I did not take up to strong medicines only counter medicines so that nothing affects my body with another medicinal withdrawals ..that is how my 8 months passed till now gases or do not know what want hurts my chest, I been continuously burping and farting. tingling pain in my left chest area makes me confused and depressed daily, i do have 3 little kids ( 2, 4 and 8 yrs old ), feel bad to not be part of them in their activities, usually pretend to be with them i keep feeling guilty of not being a part , i quit thinking i will be a role model for my children . I want to take care of them and i am almost into tears every day inside with pain and grief in me not knowing who to express, Neither want to go back to smoking nor I have that urge of smoking, Yes sometimes I feel did i make wrong decision of quitting I wouldnt have such pains in me but going back I feel i do not want to cause myself harm any more. Honestly i do not understand what is happening to me and how long this strange feelings continue, left chest area feels heavy, some times cold , sometimes tingling pain, some thing crawling behind my upper back in spine area, this feeling increases more when I sit, and when I stand burps continue and gases keep passing and sudden tingling pain in chest, snapping of left shoulder blade which is making cracking, grinding drives me crazy and affects my mood. it becomes scary daily, I have been the bold guy all the time, never bothered about any circumstances. but this has become my daily thought and concern. I really want to come out this thought circle.
I really really feel lonely and seek support to understand what is really happening and has this happened to any of ex-smokers in group.