Question:
Smoking and carbon monoxide levels

does anyone know how long it takes after you quit smoking for the carbon monoxide to leave your system and you oxygen levels to come back up to normal?    — Michelle L. (posted on April 11, 2003)

April 10, 2003
I'm not sure if this is your question but I had my breathing tests and after 20 years of smoking (I quit the end of January, 2003)my breathing was at 108%, I was quite surprised...however, I assume everyone is different. I asked the Doctor if my breathing would get better in time and he said no it can't get any better. He did say that if it had been a lower percentage time would help.
   — Dana W.

April 11, 2003
I spoke with a friend earlier and she said her husband had done some "research" on the subject and he found that it takes 2 weeks for your body to rid the toxins... he quit smoking two weeks prior to his surgery and it went off without a glitch!!!
   — Stephanie C.

April 11, 2003
My plastic surgeon said that we all should quit. (I knew that :-) ) He recomended 1 month before and 1 month after. If I didn't he said that he would not operate. Good Lux
   — Robert L.

April 11, 2003
Okay, according to helioshealth.com, here are the benefits from quitting: within 12 hours after your last cigarette, your body starts to heal itself. It says within those 12 hours your carbon monoxide and nicotine levels begin to decline rapidly and the lungs start to heal the damage caused by the smoke. So I would say that within a few days the carbon monoxide should be cleared out. I know it's hard to quit, but you will have less chance of getting pneumonia during surgery with clearer lungs. Hope this helps!
   — beeda