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Respiratory Disorders  (Expert Forum)
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Strange breathing
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Strange breathing

by Jay1_23, Nov 05, 2004 12:00AM
As I mentioned in my previoius question I have really abused marijuanna to the fullest extent.  By the way I am 19 used to have very strong and large lungs.  
Last winter I became very very sick and was coughing literally mouthfuls of dark green thick mucous out of my lungs and lower trachea. I went to doctor and he gave me anti-biotics.  While I took these pills I kept smoking marijuanna.  During this time I also quit smoking cigs.  After the antibiotics i quit coughing as much mucous out of my lungs, but i still had breathing difficulties, expecially in cold wheather(really shaky, uneven breathing).  I have gone to the doctors many times regarding this and my stuffy nose/nasal passage which hasnt gone away in over a year.  I been marijuanna free for 2+half months.
  
I wake up with random lung pains/discomfort in the morning, and the discomfort and abnormal breathing continue the whole day. While laying down I have also experienced sharp throbbing pains in the dead center of my chest(rarely though). I suspect that a lot of the aveoli deep in my lungs are clogged with excess(or thick) mucous.  I have had lung x-rays and respiratory tests.  The tests say im good but i am defenately not good.  My doctor gave me a 2 week trial of an athsma inhaler corticosteriod but I don't really notice any change in my abnormal lung function.  I did notice though, that I have been able, with much effort, to cough out a white pasty mucous from the bottom of my chest.

Sorry for pushing the max of this post, but my doctors are frustrating me.  Thanks for any help.

by National Jewish, Nov 11, 2004 12:00AM
Your complaints may or may not be related to your past smoking of marijuana, which is as bad for your lungs as cigarettes.  Since you have stopped smoking, you have done the most important thing that you can do for yourself.  Congratulations on quitting smoking!  You may want to look at our Quit Smoking Topic Center at http://www.nationaljewish.org/topic/smoking_cessation.html for ways to help you stick with your wise decision to smoke no more.  Also check with your doctor for other quit smoking resources in your area.

In the healthy lung there are small hair-like projections called cilia that clean the lungs by moving mucus up and out.  Smoking paralyzes this cleaning system.  When you quit smoking your lungs began to recover from the inflammation caused by smoking abuse.  Most likely this inflammation is causing your symptoms.  Coughing up mucus is a good sign.  It shows that this cleaning system is working again.  When you were smoking this mucus would just stay in your lungs.

As long as you have quit smoking before there has been permanent damage to your lungs then you will get better as the cleaning system cleans your lungs.  This may take up to a year after you stop smoking.  Your chest x-ray and breathing tests are good.  So this shows that you quit smoking before your lungs were permanently damaged.  Your breathing should return to your pre-smoking condition in the next 9.5 months.
Member Comments (2)

by Clotter1, Nov 09, 2004 12:00AM
sounds like pnuemonia (pneumonia)

by sandra151167, Aug 03, 2009 03:16PM
A related discussion, smoking was started.
Continue discussion
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