Within 2 weeks I was breathing much easier. I used to hack for 30 minutes after going to bed before I could sleep. That stopped. I used to hack in the morning when I woke. That also stopped.
But...
Every couple of days, I would feel the need to cough up junk, and produce phlegm. Then maybe once a week. Then maybe every other week. And so it went. Further and further apart. Now, almost 4 months analog free, I haven't had one of those incidents in over a month. I'm told that's my body kicking out trapped garbage from my smoking days. Either way, it wasn't the same as a smoker's cough. It was a "there's loose stuff in your lungs" cough (like when you're getting over a cold. My smoker's hacks were more brutal and rougher)). And once I brought it up, it was over. My lungs feel pretty clear now. Granted, after a 23 year heavy smoking habit, they're not 100%. But they are already markedly improved.
As far as withdrawal goes, it was much easier on me than the umpteen other times I tried to quit. I never had a "nic fit." The only real withdrawal I felt was psychological, and even that was limited to brief episodes - the frequency of which became further and further apart, as well as shorter and less severe. I could usually just chain vape my way out of it. It helped that I already much preferred vaping to smoking.
I did not suffer any noticeable anxiety or irritation. I'm north of 40, so acne wasn't an issue. I didn't notice a marked increase in appetite either, or better put: I didn't eat for the sake of hand to mouth. So no weight gain.
But the list of POSITIVE changes would outweigh any of the above even if they had occurred or were more pronounced:
- My endurance is increasing
- More energy
- Sleeping MUCH better
- Improved mood
- Marked decrease in migraines*
- I don't have yellow teeth/fingernails/skin
- I don't smell like a stale ashtray
- My senses of taste and smell have dramatically improved
- I used to get winded after only a flight or 2 of stairs. It takes 4 times that now (and that will get even better over time)
- And lastly, to put it politely: in regards to male specific health/function - it's like the clock turned back 15-20 years.
* I cannot definitively say my migraines decreased as a result of quitting smoking. But for the past 3 months, I've gone from averaging 3-4 a week, to maybe 3 every 2 weeks. Whether that is directly due to quitting smoking, or a secondary result of other health changes (breathing better, sleeping better, etc), I don't know. But they have decreased.
But...
Every couple of days, I would feel the need to cough up junk, and produce phlegm. Then maybe once a week. Then maybe every other week. And so it went. Further and further apart. Now, almost 4 months analog free, I haven't had one of those incidents in over a month. I'm told that's my body kicking out trapped garbage from my smoking days. Either way, it wasn't the same as a smoker's cough. It was a "there's loose stuff in your lungs" cough (like when you're getting over a cold. My smoker's hacks were more brutal and rougher)). And once I brought it up, it was over. My lungs feel pretty clear now. Granted, after a 23 year heavy smoking habit, they're not 100%. But they are already markedly improved.
As far as withdrawal goes, it was much easier on me than the umpteen other times I tried to quit. I never had a "nic fit." The only real withdrawal I felt was psychological, and even that was limited to brief episodes - the frequency of which became further and further apart, as well as shorter and less severe. I could usually just chain vape my way out of it. It helped that I already much preferred vaping to smoking.
I did not suffer any noticeable anxiety or irritation. I'm north of 40, so acne wasn't an issue. I didn't notice a marked increase in appetite either, or better put: I didn't eat for the sake of hand to mouth. So no weight gain.
But the list of POSITIVE changes would outweigh any of the above even if they had occurred or were more pronounced:
- My endurance is increasing
- More energy
- Sleeping MUCH better
- Improved mood
- Marked decrease in migraines*
- I don't have yellow teeth/fingernails/skin
- I don't smell like a stale ashtray
- My senses of taste and smell have dramatically improved
- I used to get winded after only a flight or 2 of stairs. It takes 4 times that now (and that will get even better over time)
- And lastly, to put it politely: in regards to male specific health/function - it's like the clock turned back 15-20 years.
* I cannot definitively say my migraines decreased as a result of quitting smoking. But for the past 3 months, I've gone from averaging 3-4 a week, to maybe 3 every 2 weeks. Whether that is directly due to quitting smoking, or a secondary result of other health changes (breathing better, sleeping better, etc), I don't know. But they have decreased.
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