worse cough now

I've been trying to give up smoking recently but i've found that i've developed a very irritating cough everytime I go for a day without smoking.
The only way I seem to be able to stop coughing is to have another cigarette, which in turn stops my cough immediately!
Any ideas about this appreciated

Thanks for all the advice

As the others have said - smoking has filled your lungs with gunk. While you're still smoking, it stays there. You might not be coughing when you're smoking, but it's not good for you at all - all the gunk stays where it is.

When you stop, your lungs begin to kick back into action and clean themselves. This is a Good Thing - if you decide to quit, expect this symptom... good luck whatever you decide. Personally, the cough I get when I have quit lasts a week and then goes away.

Yep, stop the Junkie Thinking that is telling you that your cough is getting better when you smoke.
Drink plenty of water, suck on some lozenges, and cough and hack all you need to. When you cough after quitting, it's a signal your body is trying to clear out all the garbage you keep putting in by continuing to smoke.

If you really wanted to quit then the cough should not deter you. Are you sure your not using it as an excuse to keep smoking? Figure out if you want to quit. If so, get some medication and be prepared for the cough.
Go see your doctor. Im sure he/she would suggest you take a cough suppressant rather than smoking.

You are a lot closer to death than you can imagine.

Stephen, Your lungs are trying to cough up all the crap that is inside them.
You have to stop smoking long enough for the cough to go away -- maybe two weeks or a month. My theory is that smoking suppresses your immune system and that's why the coughing stops. Also, you have to be committed to quitting. "I'm coughing so I need to smoke" is a pretty lame excuse. If you're not ready to quit, think about the reasons you want to quit and perhaps get into some sort of quit smoking program. Talk to your doctor or insurance company about the different programs available to you. Do your research, join a program, then quit. -- Mike

Thanks to everyone who answered to this. I have now stopped smoking for five days. My cough is still there but hopefully it will go soon.

I am sick for the first time after quitting eight months ago. That's pretty good for me because I used to catch colds really easy when I was smoking, and my kids and wife have all had some pretty bad colds that I didn't catch.
Anyway, I have what I think is a bacterial infection in my throat. On top of the sore throat, my tonsils are all swollen up to the point where they interfere with my breathing. I think my immune system not only kicked in, but over-kicked in to beat this cold. Oh well! I'll go get some antibiotics tonight and hopefully that will be the end of it. -- Mike

Quoted from the pamphlet I got with my Zyban prescription:

"If I'm bothered by coughing: Remind myself that this symptom is actually my body beginning to repair itself from damage caused by smoking - this shows that I'm healing."