I started vaping about 5-6yrs ago, after trying unsuccessfully to quit cigarettes for 25+ years. But after 6 or so years of happily vaping, I think I'm quitting that too. And yeah, for health reasons.
First off - Thank God for e-Cigs! Really, I tried just about every way to quit tobacco that there is, but none of them stuck. I could quit for months, and the mere whiff of a smoker walking by would stir up a nicotine craving as-if I'd never quit. Anyone who says e-cigs don's help smokers quit is either ignorant or deceitful. Really, from the moment I picked up an e-cig, I never wanted the real thing again. And, after a couple months of vaping, the stench of real tobacco made me sick to my stomach. So yes, I can thank e-cigs for making me that annoying anti-smoker that I always wanted to be.
But, 5-6yrs into vaping, I'm ready to be even healthier. I say this because there's really not a lot of long-term health data out there, about vaping. 6yrs into it, and here's what I've observed:
1. Smoking is out - As stated above, e-cigs are a great way to quite smoking. Whoever tells you otherwise is full of poop
2. My taste buds are dead - Honestly, I think that my sense of taste and smell right now is worse than it was, when I was a smoker. When I first started vaping, flavors were a big part of the fun. Now, I can barely tell whether I'm vaping peach or chocolate. It's gotten to the point that I rely upon people around me to tell me what flavor I'm vaping, by the fact that they can smell it from across a room, while I can't even tell you what I'm vaping. As someone who is also into cooking, this is unacceptable, and it's starting to worry me. Now, three or so days into quitting vaping, and my senses of smell and taste seem to be coming back, but only marginally....? Any other long-term vapers experiencing this?
3. My lung capacity is poop - When I first switched form regular cigs to e-cigs, the boost in lung capacity made me feel like Superman. Six or so years into it - not so much. I get winded doing just about anything. In all fairness, some of that is likely due to other factors... I'm a fairly active guy, always on the move, but aerobic exercise has never been my thing. Still, this lack of lung capacity is what has prodded me into exploring the cessation of vaping. Any other long-term vapers experiencing this?
4. Other vaping things have been great - Aside from the taste, which has mostly degraded in the last couple years, and the lung capacity which is at least partially due to a lack of exorcise, other things about vaping have been great. I almost never get sick, never wake up hacking, and don't stink. Still, I think it may be time for a change.
5. The money was good - On more thing... when I first quit smoking for vaping, I spent a ton of money of crazy e-cigs and gadgets (this was 6 or so years ago). Once I settled on a particular e-cig, I focused on economies of scale. I bought a few gallons of bulk juice, and rolled my own wicks and atties (before it was cool to do so). I estimate that I've spent $15-20 a month, on vaping, for the past 6 or so years. As a former pack and a half a day smoker, that's now about what I'd spend in a day.
6. Vaping was always pleasurable - I never felt guilty vaping, and it was always a nice reward. In other words, I love vaping, except for the lung capacity thing, and perhaps the taste buds...
Caveat - I should also say that my reduction in lung capacity, while somewhat noticeable for years, has recently gotten much worse. I attribute some of this to the fact that I recently switched e-cigs from the circa 2009 mechanical mods that I was using to newer 2015 VV mods that put out 5x the vapor.
So, three or so days ago, I decided to also quit vaping, at least for a bit. I wasn't entirely sold on the idea, but was interested in seeing what the impact would be. This is somewhat uncharted territory, as there aren't that many people who have vaped as long as I have around.
1. Lung capacity now coming back fast - A few weeks ago, my kids' XBOX One kickboxing game felt as if it almost killed me. This was the catalyst for me considering quitting vaping... 12minutes of a kickboxing cardio routine felt as if it was giving me a heart attack, literally. A decade or so ago, while smoking a pack and a half of cigs, I'd do a 1hr KB cardio class, followed by an hour fight class (with humans). Now, 12 minutes of punching at air (I couldn't complete the 20minute program) had me considering dialing 9-1-1. 48 hours into quitting vaping, and I just did the 20 minute KB video game, without much hassle.
2. Little difference in taste buds/smell - Haven't noticed much difference here, but will continue tracking. Honestly. I'm not overly concerned here. While I do love to cook, the loss of some taste/smell has helped to keep my weight down. Still, I am hoping for a bit more of it to come back?
3. Quitting Vaping easier than cigs - Though I'm not that serious about it, it was certainly easier to quit/cut back e-cigs than the ral thing. No mood swigs, crazy cravings, etc. So far...
First off - Thank God for e-Cigs! Really, I tried just about every way to quit tobacco that there is, but none of them stuck. I could quit for months, and the mere whiff of a smoker walking by would stir up a nicotine craving as-if I'd never quit. Anyone who says e-cigs don's help smokers quit is either ignorant or deceitful. Really, from the moment I picked up an e-cig, I never wanted the real thing again. And, after a couple months of vaping, the stench of real tobacco made me sick to my stomach. So yes, I can thank e-cigs for making me that annoying anti-smoker that I always wanted to be.
But, 5-6yrs into vaping, I'm ready to be even healthier. I say this because there's really not a lot of long-term health data out there, about vaping. 6yrs into it, and here's what I've observed:
1. Smoking is out - As stated above, e-cigs are a great way to quite smoking. Whoever tells you otherwise is full of poop
2. My taste buds are dead - Honestly, I think that my sense of taste and smell right now is worse than it was, when I was a smoker. When I first started vaping, flavors were a big part of the fun. Now, I can barely tell whether I'm vaping peach or chocolate. It's gotten to the point that I rely upon people around me to tell me what flavor I'm vaping, by the fact that they can smell it from across a room, while I can't even tell you what I'm vaping. As someone who is also into cooking, this is unacceptable, and it's starting to worry me. Now, three or so days into quitting vaping, and my senses of smell and taste seem to be coming back, but only marginally....? Any other long-term vapers experiencing this?
3. My lung capacity is poop - When I first switched form regular cigs to e-cigs, the boost in lung capacity made me feel like Superman. Six or so years into it - not so much. I get winded doing just about anything. In all fairness, some of that is likely due to other factors... I'm a fairly active guy, always on the move, but aerobic exercise has never been my thing. Still, this lack of lung capacity is what has prodded me into exploring the cessation of vaping. Any other long-term vapers experiencing this?
4. Other vaping things have been great - Aside from the taste, which has mostly degraded in the last couple years, and the lung capacity which is at least partially due to a lack of exorcise, other things about vaping have been great. I almost never get sick, never wake up hacking, and don't stink. Still, I think it may be time for a change.
5. The money was good - On more thing... when I first quit smoking for vaping, I spent a ton of money of crazy e-cigs and gadgets (this was 6 or so years ago). Once I settled on a particular e-cig, I focused on economies of scale. I bought a few gallons of bulk juice, and rolled my own wicks and atties (before it was cool to do so). I estimate that I've spent $15-20 a month, on vaping, for the past 6 or so years. As a former pack and a half a day smoker, that's now about what I'd spend in a day.
6. Vaping was always pleasurable - I never felt guilty vaping, and it was always a nice reward. In other words, I love vaping, except for the lung capacity thing, and perhaps the taste buds...
Caveat - I should also say that my reduction in lung capacity, while somewhat noticeable for years, has recently gotten much worse. I attribute some of this to the fact that I recently switched e-cigs from the circa 2009 mechanical mods that I was using to newer 2015 VV mods that put out 5x the vapor.
So, three or so days ago, I decided to also quit vaping, at least for a bit. I wasn't entirely sold on the idea, but was interested in seeing what the impact would be. This is somewhat uncharted territory, as there aren't that many people who have vaped as long as I have around.
1. Lung capacity now coming back fast - A few weeks ago, my kids' XBOX One kickboxing game felt as if it almost killed me. This was the catalyst for me considering quitting vaping... 12minutes of a kickboxing cardio routine felt as if it was giving me a heart attack, literally. A decade or so ago, while smoking a pack and a half of cigs, I'd do a 1hr KB cardio class, followed by an hour fight class (with humans). Now, 12 minutes of punching at air (I couldn't complete the 20minute program) had me considering dialing 9-1-1. 48 hours into quitting vaping, and I just did the 20 minute KB video game, without much hassle.
2. Little difference in taste buds/smell - Haven't noticed much difference here, but will continue tracking. Honestly. I'm not overly concerned here. While I do love to cook, the loss of some taste/smell has helped to keep my weight down. Still, I am hoping for a bit more of it to come back?
3. Quitting Vaping easier than cigs - Though I'm not that serious about it, it was certainly easier to quit/cut back e-cigs than the ral thing. No mood swigs, crazy cravings, etc. So far...
