It will come, for the first 6 weeks i did notice that i could climb stairs etc with ease and no huffing and puffing, but i slept alot! I had headaches too. Now i have energy and want to get outside but with the weather it will take a few more weeks.
I don't feel any better.
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It will come, for the first 6 weeks i did notice that i could climb stairs etc with ease and no huffing and puffing, but i slept alot! I had headaches too. Now i have energy and want to get outside but with the weather it will take a few more weeks.
I have a log about once a week now, maybe as much as three a week. In this moment, I can't honestly remember the last one I smoked, but pretty sure it was within the last week.
I went cold turkey, in my 20's no less, for 8+ years. Eventually (like after 1.5 years) that led to me feeling better being able to get out and exercise and enjoy physical activity, but not able to sprint without being overly winded. Then again, I don't recall being say 13 and being able to do lots of activity without getting seriously winded. I also recall feeling kinda sorta fat when I went cold turkey.
At any rate, as a vaper and truly moderate smoker, I do feel a lot more healthy than as a full time heavy smoker. Here are the things I notice as improvements:
- no longer wheezing, even a little bit
- am coughing on a daily basis far far less. Used to be daily about 3 to 7 times a day. Now is like 1 to 2 times a week that I have a coughing fit (more than an "ahem" type moment, but never a "get that guy a glass a water" type fit).
- can taste and smell things better. Not wickedly better, but slight improvements here can make a world of difference.
- far less mental stress. No longer in some place with someone and constantly thinking / seeking break to step outside for a puff. Without incessant craving, no longer feel as distracted as I did when only smoking.
- honestly the mental stress would be biggest one for me, but coupled with first and second item I mentioned, I am just more prone to get out and do an activity 'just because' whereas as an abusive smoker it always felt like a chore and rationalized as better to not engage in that.
I think quitting cold turkey is better, but not necessarily ideal. One thing I've noticed from going cold turkey (3 times) is that after awhile (like say 6 months), I can get some tiny illness and get a bit hypersensitive about it; whereas when I was full time smoker, or now even as moderate smoker, it'd have to be real pain / illness that's going to keep me down for the day. I fully recognize this could just be me, but I've seen this trait in enough people to realize it is not just me. In my life experience, if a person has an addiction, it is challenging to get hung up on the little dramas and little inconveniences from pain. At times this can come off as insensitive, but when you've been cold turkey and have that perspective, you realize it is really about how people cope with things. Addicts (even the not so obvious type addicts) have their coping mechanism well established. Non addicts tend to make mountains out of molehills as a way of coping. Yeah, it's a little messed up, but can make for a great mental crutch when used 'appropriately.'
I went cold turkey, in my 20's no less, for 8+ years. Eventually (like after 1.5 years) that led to me feeling better being able to get out and exercise and enjoy physical activity, but not able to sprint without being overly winded. Then again, I don't recall being say 13 and being able to do lots of activity without getting seriously winded. I also recall feeling kinda sorta fat when I went cold turkey.
At any rate, as a vaper and truly moderate smoker, I do feel a lot more healthy than as a full time heavy smoker. Here are the things I notice as improvements:
- no longer wheezing, even a little bit
- am coughing on a daily basis far far less. Used to be daily about 3 to 7 times a day. Now is like 1 to 2 times a week that I have a coughing fit (more than an "ahem" type moment, but never a "get that guy a glass a water" type fit).
- can taste and smell things better. Not wickedly better, but slight improvements here can make a world of difference.
- far less mental stress. No longer in some place with someone and constantly thinking / seeking break to step outside for a puff. Without incessant craving, no longer feel as distracted as I did when only smoking.
- honestly the mental stress would be biggest one for me, but coupled with first and second item I mentioned, I am just more prone to get out and do an activity 'just because' whereas as an abusive smoker it always felt like a chore and rationalized as better to not engage in that.
I think quitting cold turkey is better, but not necessarily ideal. One thing I've noticed from going cold turkey (3 times) is that after awhile (like say 6 months), I can get some tiny illness and get a bit hypersensitive about it; whereas when I was full time smoker, or now even as moderate smoker, it'd have to be real pain / illness that's going to keep me down for the day. I fully recognize this could just be me, but I've seen this trait in enough people to realize it is not just me. In my life experience, if a person has an addiction, it is challenging to get hung up on the little dramas and little inconveniences from pain. At times this can come off as insensitive, but when you've been cold turkey and have that perspective, you realize it is really about how people cope with things. Addicts (even the not so obvious type addicts) have their coping mechanism well established. Non addicts tend to make mountains out of molehills as a way of coping. Yeah, it's a little messed up, but can make for a great mental crutch when used 'appropriately.'
That's very interesting. I don't think I've ever seen it put quite that way. Most people say that addicts use their problems as excuses to indulge, but your observation does match some of what I've seen.
I guess it depends on the individual. That might be a low-level version of what some people call an addiction to drama.
Congratulations! You had a wild ride, and it can't have been easy.
I just read it. I'm glad you persevered and achieved your goal. Good for you. *clapclapclap*
I quit due to the cost. The money I now save from not smoking is spent on food. In that regard, quitting smoking has lead to an improvement of my health...
...but I am extra cautious now to avoid inhaling construction materials and other toxic pollution, because I probably don't have the lung cleaning technology of my body working very aggressively any more.
Did you hear the one about the uranium miners that DIDNT smoke and then got lung cancer, but the smokers did not? No joke.
...but I am extra cautious now to avoid inhaling construction materials and other toxic pollution, because I probably don't have the lung cleaning technology of my body working very aggressively any more.
Did you hear the one about the uranium miners that DIDNT smoke and then got lung cancer, but the smokers did not? No joke.
What I really notice is what someone above mentioned...sneezing isn't a painful experience any more, I can now take a deep breath without that little stabbing pain in my chest.
I actually feel 10 times better. I was a pack and a half a day for over 20 years. I actually have more energy and can breathe better. I think if you are still smoking, even a little, you aren't going to see much if any improvements because you still are putting tar and all those chemicals cigarettes have.
There's no way you can compare how you feel with how those who quit smoking cigs altogether. I honestly feel much healthier.
The only way you could test this is to stop smoking for a month or 2 and see...
Btw: my husband stopped smoking and started vaping a few days after me. He actually has started jogging again. He quit a few years ago because he couldn't catch his breath. He also can smell now. He had gotten to the point he couldn't smell anything at all.
Quitting altogether is the big difference here. Sure, there may be some who don't feel an impact right away... Or it's so gradual they barely notice. But me and my husband both see considerable improvements. Even our tastes have improved.
There's no way you can compare how you feel with how those who quit smoking cigs altogether. I honestly feel much healthier.
The only way you could test this is to stop smoking for a month or 2 and see...
Btw: my husband stopped smoking and started vaping a few days after me. He actually has started jogging again. He quit a few years ago because he couldn't catch his breath. He also can smell now. He had gotten to the point he couldn't smell anything at all.
Quitting altogether is the big difference here. Sure, there may be some who don't feel an impact right away... Or it's so gradual they barely notice. But me and my husband both see considerable improvements. Even our tastes have improved.
IDK... I feel amazing since switching. I did quit cigarettes entirely though. I am also middle aged and was feeling that. I changed up my diet and exercise situation in a big way, several years ago, which was a huge help. Now that I've also quit smoking, I'm better than I was 15 years ago and tend to date and socialize outside of my age group. I also gave up not drinking a good beer from time to time. My kids are grown, I can do whatever I want LOL
So maybe for me it is a combination of a lot of things. I wouldn't say that vaping is a panacea... it just got me away from smoking
So maybe for me it is a combination of a lot of things. I wouldn't say that vaping is a panacea... it just got me away from smoking
"So, come on, 'fess up -- are you just saying you feel amazing now to get people to try vaping? "
Frankly, that's offensive. I don't lie and I don't try to control the behavior of others by that nor any other means. I leave that to those with mental and emotional issues who, incidentally, are in great supply these days. I do, however, share my joy. Sorry you haven't had the experience I have. There could be any number of reasons for that.
Frankly, that's offensive. I don't lie and I don't try to control the behavior of others by that nor any other means. I leave that to those with mental and emotional issues who, incidentally, are in great supply these days. I do, however, share my joy. Sorry you haven't had the experience I have. There could be any number of reasons for that.
A lot of anything like this will be psychological. The idea that you haven't entirely quit gives a lot of insight into the idea that there might be some apprehension. Whether conscious or not you haven't 100% bought into what you're doing, and that alone will effect how you perceive things.
You should ask someone else if they have noticed any differences in how you hold yourself and in you in general since you've started vaping. I guarantee they'll have some things. You don't smell like cigarettes after a smoke break anymore will probably be in there somewhere.
Also, switching from smoking to vaping alone isn't all it takes. Taking care of yourself in other ways will go together with the benefits of quitting cigarettes and give you that energy and good feeling-ness you're looking for.
I myself lost about 100 pounds through exercise and diet before deciding I had to stop smoking.. I was tired of smelling like crap and not being able to go for a run.. I would get maybe a quarter mile before wanting to fall down dead.(that was with about 45 minute a day on a stationary bycicle, and then after i learned more about how to use the bike cycling fast slow for 25 minutes a day) Since I've started vaping (it's only been a month and a half now) I ran to work the other day(That's 3 and a half miles) Full tilt, and I was only slightly out of breath when I made it there. Many smokers know the morning phlegm that they have to spit out.. Black, tarry and nasty every day they wake up. Since the 7th day of no smoking I haven't done that once.
I have friends with similar stories.. they're the reason I started. I believe you have your own good story, you just have yet to realize it. Put the cigarettes in the trash. ask a friend what they've seen and hopefully you'll start to build your own list of "oh wow's"
** edit **
I thought I'd also add that if you have a sedentary lifestyle (i don't know what you do during the day, this is just a broad generalization) You're much less likely to notice physical changes over extended periods of time. If you're not exercising those things that are changing often it's hard to have anything to compare to. I found that out with losing weight. I started by trying my best to eat better. But I was still sitting around all day on my computer playing with photoshop and watching old wrestling clips. So when the scale started to read lower I really didn't believe it. tried to fix it even. Once I started exercising It was much easier to notice changes in my body as they were taking place.
You should ask someone else if they have noticed any differences in how you hold yourself and in you in general since you've started vaping. I guarantee they'll have some things. You don't smell like cigarettes after a smoke break anymore will probably be in there somewhere.
Also, switching from smoking to vaping alone isn't all it takes. Taking care of yourself in other ways will go together with the benefits of quitting cigarettes and give you that energy and good feeling-ness you're looking for.
I myself lost about 100 pounds through exercise and diet before deciding I had to stop smoking.. I was tired of smelling like crap and not being able to go for a run.. I would get maybe a quarter mile before wanting to fall down dead.(that was with about 45 minute a day on a stationary bycicle, and then after i learned more about how to use the bike cycling fast slow for 25 minutes a day) Since I've started vaping (it's only been a month and a half now) I ran to work the other day(That's 3 and a half miles) Full tilt, and I was only slightly out of breath when I made it there. Many smokers know the morning phlegm that they have to spit out.. Black, tarry and nasty every day they wake up. Since the 7th day of no smoking I haven't done that once.
I have friends with similar stories.. they're the reason I started. I believe you have your own good story, you just have yet to realize it. Put the cigarettes in the trash. ask a friend what they've seen and hopefully you'll start to build your own list of "oh wow's"
** edit **
I thought I'd also add that if you have a sedentary lifestyle (i don't know what you do during the day, this is just a broad generalization) You're much less likely to notice physical changes over extended periods of time. If you're not exercising those things that are changing often it's hard to have anything to compare to. I found that out with losing weight. I started by trying my best to eat better. But I was still sitting around all day on my computer playing with photoshop and watching old wrestling clips. So when the scale started to read lower I really didn't believe it. tried to fix it even. Once I started exercising It was much easier to notice changes in my body as they were taking place.
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You're the second person who hasn't understood that that was a joke, despite the "come on, 'fess up" phrasing and the inclusion of a large smiley. I guess this section of the forum just isn't much for humor. I'll bear it in mind.
I dunno; I have trouble believing that it's not dose-related.
Considering the contributed wisdom on this thread, I'm leaning towards the ideas that I may be getting too much nicotine and that I may just not have been badly off in the first place (so feeling little difference). The first I can fix gradually. The second I should probably just be happy about -- more energy would be nice, but not if it really meant that I'd been more lethargic for the past several decades and was just coming closer to normal.
Having your sense of smell return is not necessarily a good thing!
The cough when you first go to bed at night and when you get up in the morning should disappear. I also had wheezing and crackles when lying down some nights but not since my last cigarette.
I was fairly active and prefer stairs to elevators (claustrophic) so I didn't have an increase in stamina. If anything, I'm less active now because I'm not fidgeting around waiting for it to be smoke break or shivering outside or walking half a mile to get off campus to smoke.
I'm also one of those people that the nurse would always ask if I was a jogger because my blood pressure & heart rate are lower than average.
I love not smelling like smoke. I love not freezing/sweating my .... off. I love not letting night flying bugs into the house. I love not freezing my family out of the car by keeping the window cracked. Am I healthier? I doubt it. My allergies & rheumatism got worse but they were getting worse every year anyway. It was just a dramatic change after I quit.
The cough when you first go to bed at night and when you get up in the morning should disappear. I also had wheezing and crackles when lying down some nights but not since my last cigarette.
I was fairly active and prefer stairs to elevators (claustrophic) so I didn't have an increase in stamina. If anything, I'm less active now because I'm not fidgeting around waiting for it to be smoke break or shivering outside or walking half a mile to get off campus to smoke.
I'm also one of those people that the nurse would always ask if I was a jogger because my blood pressure & heart rate are lower than average.
I love not smelling like smoke. I love not freezing/sweating my .... off. I love not letting night flying bugs into the house. I love not freezing my family out of the car by keeping the window cracked. Am I healthier? I doubt it. My allergies & rheumatism got worse but they were getting worse every year anyway. It was just a dramatic change after I quit.
I knew you were joking!
I do think the skin gets a little thin around here sometimes. But to each his or her own. I wouldn't worry about it or quit using smileys or anything.I think your post was a heartfelt search for answers. I think you've gotten some, and I'l add mine. The main thing I've noticed in the four months since I quit (approximately 1.5 PAD) is the improvement in my sinuses, some improvement in taste (although I think I have a limited palate), some improvement in my ability to smell and in how I smell. After 40 ears of smoking, the damage to the lungs won't be repaired overnight and much of it won't be repaired at all. Everything I've read indicates that an improvement in lung function takes the longest to show up after quitting. I would suggest to try and make the commitment to quitting completely. Once I found that I could go a day comfortably without smoking I just sort of made a mental promise to myself to not go back. I would also try some different juices. I use mainly tobacco juices (24 mg), but I've tried different PG/VG ratios and I'm going to start mixing my own soon.
Hang in there, and if nothing else, look at it as a gateway to quitting completely, and after you've titrated your nicotine down, you can quit vaping also.
I knew you were joking!
Thanks.
I definitely like trying different juices! Maybe someday Alice in Vapeland will be open when I'm awake, so that I can order the sample. I know about Giant Vapes, but I like to try before I buy.
Velvet Cloud is great. So is Aroma Ejuice, and that's the only place I get WTA, but more variety is nice.
I also go through coils like nobody's business. A cleaned coil just isn't the same as a new coil, and a new coil every 2-3 days keeps me (mostly) off cigarettes. Sometimes I wonder if this is actually any cheaper
, but I'm not worrying about that until the quit process is finished.I will probably finish this pack of cigarettes, but I'm hoping never to open another.
I think I will go to see my doctor. I need to see him anyway about an unrelated issue, and while I'm there I'll ask him if he hears any difference in my lungs.
No I haven't "misunderstood." Rhetorical questions in the form of a "joke," don't change the thrust of the overall intent of the OP. Choosing them as a quote simply serves to point out, briefly, exactly what that is. When you're here a while you begin to notice synchronicity for lack of a better word. I had just posted on this thread:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...ho-claim-vaping-safer-than-smoking-liars.html
That thread should clear things up. People think they can get pretty nasty as long as they profess to be joking. That's a very old tactic. I, personally, have a very good sense of humor but none when it comes to ascertions of lying. Masked antis can get pretty desperate and stoop as low as character assassination.
In gradeschool I had a teacher who would quit smoking and instantly "feel better" (and he'd always be back to smoking a few days later). I always figured it was hype to convince themselves and keep their quit up. I sure never felt it.
Turns out smoking was masking a medical issue and not smoking actually makes me ill. Nicotine helps but it needs other drugs to help.
But I can smell things better, which I don't consider to be a good thing, the world really stinks.
Turns out smoking was masking a medical issue and not smoking actually makes me ill. Nicotine helps but it needs other drugs to help.
But I can smell things better, which I don't consider to be a good thing, the world really stinks.
That's interesting. Would you be comfortable sharing what the issue was?
I'm not trying to diagnose anyone else over the wire. I'm just curious.
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