How long did your "quitter's flu" last?

[Gunner83]

Just hit week 2 of no cigs, and the past few days have been horrible. Constant headache, bodyache, totally stuffed nose, sometimes dizzy, threw up a few times, freezing one minute, sweating bullets the next.

Just curious, for those that had the pleasure of getting the quitter's flu, how long did it last? Some of the symptoms are going away, but my nose is stuffed up like crazy, and my headache pretty much hasn't gone away in days. Eventhough I've taken Advil and the like.

 

[Mustang73064]

Actually mine lasted 2 weeks plus and I really did have the flu and a sinus infection. Talk about a triple attack. Now the wife had the quitters flu for about 7 to 10 days.

 

[GreenEyesDon'tLie]

I still have it at 2 and a half weeks. It's starting to get a bit better though. It's not constant now, it comes and goes. I haven't had headaches, but my sinuses feel like they're going to burst. Sudafed helps, but only the old style stuff behind the counter.

The worst part for me is when I can't taste anything for hours at a time.

 

[Sonoradog]

Oh yes, I got it. And I was around people with a cold, and got that. Sinuses... Headache... Lasted a month. Better towards the end but still not fun. But worth the wait!
Lungs don't hurt. I can take a deep breath. I can taste and smell great. My clothes and truck don't stink like ashtray...
When I rub my eyes when I'm tired it doesn't burn...
Quitters flu was a small price for all that!
vape on my friends...


sonoradog
Vapor for Life!

 

[zapped]

3rd week you'll be home free...I never had all those symptoms but I slept a lot....actually a good thing for an insomniac and i was sore as hell at week two as all the carbon monoxide left my body but it will get better.By the third and fourth week you'll be amazed at how great you feel.

 

[Robino1]

Damn! That sounds bad! I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. I have had no side effects from quitting cigs. I'm 6 weeks quit. <knocking on wood> Just some minor coughing up some phlegm. Are you sure you don't have the real flu? Be careful, sometimes nic sick will give you the headaches and vomiting. Keep fluids in you regardless.

 

[cocacola31173]

3rd week you'll be home free...I never had all those symptoms but I slept a lot....actually a good thing for an insomniac and i was sore as hell at week two as all the carbon monoxide left my body but it will get better.By the third and fourth week you'll be amazed at how great you feel.

That can cause body aches? I was wondering what was wrong with me. Im into week 2 of no cigs and there are days I am sore all over. I just thought with the cold weather coming in I was feeling my age...LOL

 

[daddytwigs]

About 2wks or so..
I just posted a few links and a story about my exp. I think you can visit my profile if you're interested. I'm just too lazy to link to it
You'll be in the clear soon. Keep vaping

 

[Bunglega]

3 weeks for me and VG juice amplified the congestion ... I actually switched to Camel snus for a little while as Vape + Flu was more than my lungs and sinuses could handle.

All good now (6 months of Vaping) ... Hang in there.

 

[zapped]

That can cause body aches? I was wondering what was wrong with me. Im into week 2 of no cigs and there are days I am sore all over. I just thought with the cold weather coming in I was feeling my age...LOL

I cant quote the exact terminology used by my Doctor but yes it can cause body aches as your muscles re-adjust to lower levels of carbon monoxide in your blood and less lactic acid.

 

[Scott Blake]

3 weeks for me and VG juice amplified the congestion ... I actually switched to Camel snus for a little while as Vape + Flu was more than my lungs and sinuses could handle.

All good now (6 months of Vaping) ... Hang in there.

Mine lasted 3 weeks as well. The only thing I could vape was ice menthol. The rest I either could not taste, or they made me deathly sick to my stomach. It gets better. Just hang in there.

 

[Gunner83]

Are you sure you don't have the real flu? Be careful, sometimes nic sick will give you the headaches and vomiting. Keep fluids in you regardless.

At first, I thought it was the regular flu, since people around me had it. Maybe it's a mixture of both? Lol, I'm not sure. Either way, it sucks bad and I want it to be over.

I'll have to admit, I'm a bit disappointed to hear it lasts so long for some people. I was hoping it wouldn't last more than a few days. I feel miserable, and already called into work 2 times because I just felt that bad. I have a very physical job, and I just can't do it with my body aching and not being able to breath through my nose at all. Tonight is my normal night off, so hopefully by tomorrow night, I'm at least better enough to go into work. Ugh.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I'm on day 17 and today is the first day I started to feel alot better. I finally feel like I can breathe again!

 

[RosaJ]

I've been vaping for 9 months now and never heard of "quitter's flu." If your headaches aren't going away and you're vomiting, then you should go to the doctor right away, it could be something totally separate from vaping.

I did go through a lethargic period, but as soon as I raised the vg and lowered the nic, I was back to normal. Never had headaches nor sore muscles though.

Check out the Health and Medical Issues thread in this forum. Hope you feel better.

 

[carlton M]

Yeah! It was the withdraw from the 4000 other chemicals in cigs, and it was awful! Lasted about 2 weeks, thought I was dying!
But I didn't and Now feeling so much better!
Stick with it!

 

[Buggs5347]

I never heard of "quitters flu". Sounds to me you either have the real flu, or are sensitive to PG in your ejuice.

I started with VG only juice and had no problems until about a month down the road when I ordered some PG/VG juices - then I had headache, sore throat, sinus problems, nausea, mouth ulcers, achiness and a whole host of other symptoms. Went back to VG only and I'm fine.

 

[yzer]

Quitter's flu is real.

http://quitsmoking.about.com/od/glossaryofterms/g/Quitters-Flu.htm

I didn't get quitter's flu, even after smoking a pack and a half a day for 35 years. I cut down the cigarettes slowly over five months before quitting entirely. Maybe that helped.

Four months after quitting all cigarettes I did get some allergic reactions to vaping. It was caused by either PG or flavoring ingredients and I'll probably never know which. Switching to all VG unflavored fixed that problem for me.

 

[opal]

this is the first time that I DIDN'T get sick quitting analogs.. every one I've ever known that quit got sick when they stopped smoking.. icky coughing up lungs sick...
I tried half heartedly a couple times and instantly got sick.. not with the e cigs tho - not even a sniffle. *knocks wood*
but.. this time I'm healthier (not my knees but that's another story) and I take boat loads of vitamin C daily and if I feel anything coming on.. doubling up on the C stops most things in their tracks.. Lots of water too

 

[noi_max]

I had a cough, but nothing else. Guess I'm lucky

For a while after a tobacco quit it's normal to remain coughing up tar and crap that has been in your lungs and lining your throat.

On a personal note, I can't believe I did it for so long. 20 years. There is probably some irreparable damage done to my system and i'll just have to live with it. One of the classic justifications for smokers not to quit. "Damage is already done..." Of course that is rubbish. You will be healthier in the long haul for giving up the stinkies, even if you suffer from a chronic ailment left behind from being a smoker.

Vape on and don't look behind!

 

[GreenEyesDon'tLie]

I never heard of "quitters flu". Sounds to me you either have the real flu, or are sensitive to PG in your ejuice.

I started with VG only juice and had no problems until about a month down the road when I ordered some PG/VG juices - then I had headache, sore throat, sinus problems, nausea, mouth ulcers, achiness and a whole host of other symptoms. Went back to VG only and I'm fine.

"Quitter's flu" is definitely a thing, but that name is new to me. More generally called cessation symptoms. Not everybody gets it so bad, but it's your body in the process of cleaning itself out from the toxins in analogs. All of the symptoms you listed are related, if you quit smoking without vaping you probably would have gotten the same thing.

I do have a theory that PG can affect the symptoms though. It's bacteria killing and hygroscopic properties seem to jump-start the detoxing process