Physical health improvements

[XTakk]

I know everyone's body is different in how things effect them but I'm interested to hear more about everyone's health changes since quitting smoking or their thoughts on wether the vaping has possibly slowed the return of their health.

How long after quitting smoking did it take for you to feel an improvement in your overall health or health in a particular area?

did quitting smoking help spur some added motivation to getting back in shape, improve eating habits, or even contribute to how well you hygienically take care of yourself?

did anyone take up a sport given these improvements? Running, biking, walking, etc.. And to the tune of cardio exercise or sport how do you feel vaping is impacting these? If you took up running for example, of course smoking would hurt your game, but do you think vaping has slowed your progress to any degree?

Im not not taking offense if this gets moved to another forum, but I know a lot of the vets browse these and it felt like a good place to possibly generate some motivation from you alls success stories for some of us newer guys.

 

[AthensGa]

I used to have these coughing fits in the morning. Not everyday, but several times each week. They were these intense heart racing, can't hardly breath, sweating like a pig coughing fits. They were gone within 2 weeks of going off analogs. Also gone is the constant light coughing, phlegm and wheezing. I'm currently at about 1 month off analogs and hopefully the next thing that clears up is my perpetually stuffy nose.

Gee doesn't that paint an attractive picture. LOL

 

[mediocre toker]

Definitely improved health including:
No more tightening of the chest area
No more heart murmurs
Greater vitality and better sleep patterns
No more hangoverish feeling in the morning
Better stamina during ...........well, everthing

one sideffect.
Hiccups especially after a meal when the craving for the old cigarettes kicks in and you reach for you mod to vape. HIC HIC HIC

 

[OlDogNewTricks]

Hi. Repairing the damage to your body will vary from person to person, if any at all. There is no hard and fast expectation with regard to the effects of smoking. I have had a reasonable degree of lung function improvement that I do feel. Am I as 'spunky' as I was in my 20s? Not even close. Do I feel better, breathe better? Absolutely. A recent pulmonary function test showed a 5 percent improvement after vaping exclusively for only three months. I was very, very impressed with that. Is my COPD gone, nope.

I highly doubt that I am going to adopt an active lifestyle. Haven't had one of those since I was in my 20s. However, being able to do more in my day to day life and possibly living longer with my wife is something that I am very grateful for. Just my two cents, YMMV. Good luck and have fun!

 

[Silverlock]

I noticed I don't get winded as easily as I used to, my sense of taste has improved and I can smell again, it's not all peaches and cream though (a good flavor vape btw), I've realized that my job stinks... literally stinks, I work at a metal recycling yard and after just a few weeks off the old cowboy killers I started smelling the hydraulic oils, the junk , the fumes from our equipment, and all the other odors associated with my job that I just never noticed before. Even with all that I'd still never go back to smoking, I guess I'll just have to invest in some air fresheners.

 

[Amberina]

My asthma went away completely! (I already know- WHY would I smoke if I have asthma?? Just shows you how addicting cigarettes are) I went from using my rescue inhaler daily to not at all within first 3 weeks of vaping. I am also no longer out of breath constantly and my voice has become clearer again.
Also- my kids are happy because I don't have to run outside every ten minutes to smoke. They would get so upset with me because every time we were doing something fun (watching a movie, reading to them, playing or anything) I would have to take a million breaks to smoke. Not anymore!
Vaping is some great stuff!!

 

[wonner]

Except for the fact that I do not cough anymore, I didn't see any other changes. I was hoping my taste would return to normal, but that did not happen either.

 

[Contagium]

After close to 4 months I've noticed a couple big changes. I don't wake up and start coughing in the mornings! My sense of smell and taste seem to be super-powered at times. At other times it still kind of shorts out and doesn't seem to work at all. I'm guessing that after 25 years smoking my brain just isn't accustomed to the extra stimuli.

One really cool thing that happened this weekend. I have been weaning myself off the nicotine and have dropped from 24mg to 4mg over the course of 4 months. I left my PV inside while working in the yard this weekend and completely forgot about it for well over 2 hours. I didn't feel any edginess or anything when I realized it. It seems my actual physical need for nicotine has gotten so low that I don't even notice it if I'm not paying attention! My mental addiction to sweet creamy strawberry vapor is another story

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

Had no sense of taste and/ or smell and always believed it was because of sinus issues. Now have 60% taste and smell since I quit smoking. 7 months after quitting smoking at the cottage had to haul and spread over 100 wheelbarrows of topsoil uphill 100+ feet. Took me about 6 hrs and told my wife if I was still smoking it would've been a 2 day job and would've been in bed by 9:00...went out with friends that night Can now swim a continuous 5 miles in the Bay...when smoking maybe 100 yards.
Best of all it given me a renewed sense of quality of life and has enabled me to become more fit- being a participant in sports activities I once loved rather than a spectator.
Teeth...Dental Hygienist and Dentist are extremely pleased with my oral health. When smoking had to visit every 3 months for a very deep cleaning. Now go every 6 months and takes maybe 15 mins.
Complexion- neighbor at the cottage saw me 7 months after I quit. He raved about how healthy I looked and the color in my complexion.

 

[MicheleMarie]

One of the things I'm noticing, with cold weather being back is that my hands and feet are actually warm these days - in the past they've always been freezing (even in warm weather) and I always thought I had a circulation problem. Now I know it was from smoking because my feet and hands stay toasty warm

 

[ConradM]

I'm only 5 days in but these are my experiences so far... Sense of smell has improved dramatically. To the point where I can smell smoke trails of smokers that walked in front of me minutes prior. I have more energy, like tons more energy. Yesterday I went to work on 5.5 hours of sleep. Normally I would be dragging but I was full of energy. Mentally I was tired, but my body wasn't. To take that even further I came home last night and did my normal workout and was able to cut my workout time by about 15 minutes even lacking sleep. Before I wouldn't be able to finish a workout without the right amount of sleep the night before.

 

[ConradM]

One of the things I'm noticing, with cold weather being back is that my hands and feet are actually warm these days - in the past they've always been freezing (even in warm weather) and I always thought I had a circulation problem. Now I know it was from smoking because my feet and hands stay toasty warm

That's something I'm curious about. I ride motorcycles and in sub 50 degree weather my fingers lock up after 20 minutes.

 

[Chas F.]

I took up vaping because I couldn't run for cr*p while smoking. In the first 3 days of not smoking my running ability increased dramatically. In the days/weeks/months since then I've seen improvements in my sense of smell and taste. Because my sniffer works better than it has in the past, I'm much more aware of how I smell and think more about those around me.

There are downsides to a better sense of smell/taste but I'm sure you can figure that out.

 

[Catuela]

Take this for what it is worth as I have only been analog free for 9.5 days.

-I have usually had heartburn everyday or every other day prior to 9 days ago. I have not had heartburn since.
-I often get a pounding in my chest prior to 9 days ago. Has not happened since.
-I on average get 2-3 headaches a week for the last few years.. I have not had a headache in the last 9 days. (I am sure my increased hydration after starting vaping has contributed)

-Will

 

[TCO76]

No more morning cough crew checking in.. I have had a different experience so far that is probably quite odd to most though. I Haven't really noticed a huge taste change yet. I don't think that applies as much to vapers as it does to people who just quit smoking IMO. Energy? Well that is where it gets tricky for me. I notice that when I am working I stay busier. That is all I can say about having more energy at the moment. As far as having more energy to accomidate my "lifestyle", not so much... I used to work out religiously, and track my cals, and had this fitness thing all dialed in. The minute I quit smoking cigs, that all just came to a screeching halt. Probably more to do with the mental part, and where my mental energy is being utilized. I decided to just take a break from all of that per a suggestion from another forum. My reasoning is that, quitting a 24 year addiction, that revolved around everything I did was more important in the long run than keeping a perfect workout schedule. Just taking that "stress" off my plate for a little while has been a good thing. I am starting to actually feel better mentally and now, (after thanksgiving) can pick those things up and be a lot more effective at them than I ever was. The hope that I get out of all of this has boosted my confidence in areas I never thought needed boosting. I don't smell like a b-hole anymore and that is fantastic.. So to those who still smoke... YES you smell like a B-HOLE.. there I said it.

 

[ConradM]

Take this for what it is worth as I have only been analog free for 9.5 days.

-I have usually had heartburn everyday or every other day prior to 9 days ago. I have not had heartburn since.
-I often get a pounding in my chest prior to 9 days ago. Has not happened since.
-I on average get 2-3 headaches a week for the last few years.. I have not had a headache in the last 9 days. (I am sure my increased hydration after starting vaping has contributed)

-Will

I didn't even think about it but, my headaches have gone away as well.

 

[Catuela]

I didn't even think about it but, my headaches have gone away as well.

I am $200.00 into vaping vaping now. I wold have paid 5 times that to get rid of my heartburn and headaches. I hope they stay gone.

 

[james chapman]

I have been off cigs for 2.7 yrs. my smell,taste breathing,stamina all improved. I have been going to the gym for 2yrs in March. When I first started I could not swim from one end of the pool to the other without being totally winded. 22 laps make a half mile. I now do a half mile swimming and a half mile water jogging. keep in mind I am almost 3 yrs older,I am 51. I smoked 35 yrs and was at 2.5 pks a day. I was having trouble breathing,sleeping and yes my buddy did not want to rise to the occasion. No problem there now and PLEASE I am not being nasty,but as Dr Oz said the sign of a good heart and health is if you get one in your sleep and that is like being a teenager again. Oh yeah go back to smoking? NO bleeping way!!! It will not happen overnight,but you will see it everyday. I do have Crones,so I do not plan to give up nicotine,as the attacks are more frequent. The health benefits are incredible!

 

[Jflores86]

I can breath better. I get congested less frequently. My sense of smell and taste is heightened.

 

[pgaeta]

I sing in a band. I was constantly losing my voice to the point where I was thinking of giving it up. The ENT doc shoved a scope up my nose and down my throat and said I had a badly inflamed larynx. This had gotten much worse over the past year. Within one month of starting vaping and stopping smoking, all the symptoms were GONE. Not lessened - gone!