Questions about switching from smoking to vaping

[MetalSteve]

I made the switch from smoking to vaping six weeks ago. It's been a surprisingly effortless transition, though I'm still getting used to it and haven't found my ADV yet.

Since I switched, I have noticed that my sense of smell improved, climbing stairs is a little easier, and I feel a little "lighter" while walking. However, I have yet to go through a period of coughing and I still have the congestion I've had forever and always attributed to smoking. I expected that a week of coughing would happen within the first couple of weeks of quitting and I hoped this would help with the congestion too.

My questions are: when did you experience these changes after making the switch? Am I being impatient? Is there something I could do to help this along?

Background: I smoked for over 20 years, 25+ large American Spirits RYOs a day for the past several years. I'm vaping about 2 ml of 50 mg nic salts through a pod system a day.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Jebbn]

I never experienced a sudden cessation as far as coughing etc. I don' even know when I stopped with my morning hacking session. I think it was just a gradual process for me. It was about 4-6months before I realised I wasn't spending the first half hour of the day coughing and hacking.

 

[Vapedog]

Personally, no difference to me. I have always been fitness orientated from my youth. My choice to stop smoking was future decline due to smoking which I saw in older friends and relatives. I still feel the same now as the day I first decided to quit smoking cigarettes. I know others experiences are different and to be honest I am thankful that I feel this way.

 

[tailland]

Am I being impatient? Is there something I could do to help this along?

It's gradual. And some things start much earlier than others. Sit back and enjoy the ride. After 6 months, you can write down your first résumé :ß

 

[bombastinator]

There are lists and lists here of weird effects former smokers experience as their bodies slowly discard years of built up damage and junk from cigarettes. One for example, is suddenly starting for a few days to cough up horrible nasty hardened junk from deep in your lungs left over from smoking. That can happen months after quitting. It takes 5 years for the human body to replace most of its cells, and cigarettes affected ALL your cells. Have patience and expect a bit of strangeness. It really is all good in the end though.

 

[ceeceeisme]

I made the switch from smoking to vaping six weeks ago. It's been a surprisingly effortless transition, though I'm still getting used to it and haven't found my ADV yet.

Since I switched, I have noticed that my sense of smell improved, climbing stairs is a little easier, and I feel a little "lighter" while walking. However, I have yet to go through a period of coughing and I still have the congestion I've had forever and always attributed to smoking. I expected that a week of coughing would happen within the first couple of weeks of quitting and I hoped this would help with the congestion too.

My questions are: when did you experience these changes after making the switch? Am I being impatient? Is there something I could do to help this along?

Background: I smoked for over 20 years, 25+ large American Spirits RYOs a day for the past several years. I'm vaping about 2 ml of 50 mg nic salts through a pod system a day.

Thanks in advance.

Persistent coughing is also a symptom of asthma. You may have asthma but are unaware due to attributing the cough to many years of smoking. Wouldn't hurt to see a doctor if in a couple of months you are still coughing like you are smoking.

 

[DaveP]

What happens after you quit smoking? A timeline

 

[vapdivrr]

The coughing for me was a detox thing, it was just inhaling something different. I couldn't believe that I didnt cough while inhaling smoke, but inhaling vapor , I coughed for a week. Every puff of my vape, I kind of couldn't handle it, like a potent weed or something....after a week or so it was gone....took me around 6 months to see other positive results

 

[JCinFLA]

However, I have yet to go through a period of coughing and I still have the congestion I've had forever and always attributed to smoking. I expected that a week of coughing would happen within the first couple of weeks of quitting and I hoped this would help with the congestion too.

I never went through any "period of coughing" when I switched from smoking to vaping, after 42+ years of smoking 1-1.5 packs a day. I had also even been diagnosed with the beginning stage of COPD at least 8-10 years before I quit smoking.

Everyone's body is different. There's no "set in stone" steps or processes that your body will go through since you've switched to vaping. Just be happy about the positive changes you've noticed so far...like those you mentioned in your post. You'll probably experience more, too, as time passes since your last ciggie!

Since you said you'd switched to RYO smokes before switching to vaping, that may have something to do with you not experiencing the coughing that some do. I know that within 2-3 weeks of me switching to RYO, my little smoker's cough I'd had every morning for years...had vanished. Since they didn't have all the chemicals regular ciggies did, I attributed it to that difference. Was smoking the RYO for about a year before I switched to vaping. Maybe that's also somewhat contributed to your own lack of coughing, too.

When you say you have continued congestion...do you mean in your lungs...or in your sinus and nasal cavities? Depending on where it is, the causes could vary a lot.

 

[Letitia]

We all go through detox a bit differently. You are already seeing improvement but if you have concerns a doctor visit isn't out of line.

 

[MetalSteve]

I never went through any "period of coughing" when I switched from smoking to vaping, after 42+ years of smoking 1-1.5 packs a day. I had also even been diagnosed with the beginning stage of COPD at least 8-10 years before I quit smoking.

Everyone's body is different. There's no "set in stone" steps or processes that your body will go through since you've switched to vaping. Just be happy about the positive changes you've noticed so far...like those you mentioned in your post. You'll probably experience more, too, as time passes since your last ciggie!

Since you said you'd switched to RYO smokes before switching to vaping, that may have something to do with you not experiencing the coughing that some do. I know that within 2-3 weeks of me switching to RYO, my little smoker's cough I'd had every morning for years...had vanished. Since they didn't have all the chemicals regular ciggies did, I attributed it to that difference. Was smoking the RYO for about a year before I switched to vaping. Maybe that's also somewhat contributed to your own lack of coughing, too.

When you say you have continued congestion...do you mean in your lungs...or in your sinus and nasal cavities? Depending on where it is, the causes could vary a lot.

Thanks for your comments!

Regarding the RYOs, I do think this may play a part in my experience. Since I smoked "natural," "additive free" tobacco for so long, it seems like it could be possible that I have less junk in my lungs to expel. Or, like you mentioned, I expelled it years ago after I switched to natural RYOs.

The congestion I mentioned is nasal/sinus and lungs. It's like persistent, mild cold symptoms. I need to blow my nose several times a day and there's a slight tightness in my chest. I've seen doctors occasionally over the years and was never diagnosed with anything. To my knowledge, these symptoms are often associated with smoking. And I was a pretty heavy smoker.

 

[Letitia]

Thanks for your comments!

Regarding the RYOs, I do think this may play a part in my experience. Since I smoked "natural," "additive free" tobacco for so long, it seems like it could be possible that I have less junk in my lungs to expel. Or, like you mentioned, I expelled it years ago after I switched to natural RYOs.

The congestion I mentioned is nasal/sinus and lungs. It's like persistent, mild cold symptoms. I need to blow my nose several times a day and there's a slight tightness in my chest. I've seen doctors occasionally over the years and was never diagnosed with anything. To my knowledge, these symptoms are often associated with smoking. And I was a pretty heavy smoker.

Are you using high vg juices? That could explain the chest tightness. Adding a couple drops of distilled water to your tank should help if that's the case. Not tap or bottled drinking water.

 

[MetalSteve]

Are you using high vg juices? That could explain the chest tightness. Adding a couple drops of distilled water to your tank should help if that's the case. Not tap or bottled drinking water.

Most of my juices are 50/50. I don't think I've experienced worsening symptoms since I started vaping.

 

[Letitia]

Most of my juices are 50/50. I don't think I've experienced worsening symptoms since I started vaping.

Honestly sounds more like symptoms that come with season changes, possibly weather related depending on where you are.

 

[charlie1465]

Welcome Steve....and great that you've given up the killer sticks and are already seeing the benefits are appearing.

When I stopped after 35 ish years I was coughing daily especially in the morning but also at other times as well. I was exactly the same as you are describing with no big revelatory cough which brought up black tar or other substances

I definitely had friends who said that they brought up black bits after they'd given up but everyone's different. If you think about it it probably depends on how efficient your coughing was when you were still smoking as to how much you need to do when you stop. You cough because your lungs are irritated yes? So this doesn't necessarily mean that you've got lots to cough up and also your body is very good at reabsorbing unwanted substances so therefore doesn't have the need to cough. Does that make sense?

I simply found that 1 the horrible coughing stopped (especially in the morning) and 2 my sense of smell and airway freedom got better and better. It's funny how we are all conditioned to expect this carbon and tar to be present and it's not there for many of us.

Good luck and keep it up

 

[charlie1465]

I thought that i'd better add that if you still feel that something isn't right then a trip to the doctor is probably called for...after all smoking is known to cause some nasty long term effects so a visit might be called for just to rule out the possibility

 

[JCinFLA]

Thanks for your comments!

Regarding the RYOs, I do think this may play a part in my experience. Since I smoked "natural," "additive free" tobacco for so long, it seems like it could be possible that I have less junk in my lungs to expel. Or, like you mentioned, I expelled it years ago after I switched to natural RYOs.

You're welcome. Does sound like the switch to the RYO's may have been beneficial to you, too.

The congestion I mentioned is nasal/sinus and lungs. It's like persistent, mild cold symptoms. I need to blow my nose several times a day and there's a slight tightness in my chest. I've seen doctors occasionally over the years and was never diagnosed with anything.

It could be allergies to something(s). For years I thought I was getting a cold every Fall and every Spring. In discussing those times when it happened, and my symptoms, with my doctor...he said it wasn't a cold at all, but was likely caused by an allergy to a plant/tree that blooms at those times each year. Turned out that both schools I'd taught at for 30 years...must have had them on their grounds. Once I retired from teaching almost 15 years ago, I've never had those what I previously thought were "colds"...again.

Maybe another visit to your doctor would help, especially since you've quit smoking...yet the symptoms persist. Better to know for sure what it is or isn't, than sorry later.

 

[MetalSteve]

It's funny how we are all conditioned to expect this carbon and tar to be present and it's not there for many of us.

Thanks!

I'm beginning to think I am just being impatient. I just assumed that cutting out all the cigs would have an immediate and dramatic effect. Perhaps that's too much to ask after smoking so much and for so long, lol.

 

[MetalSteve]

Maybe another visit to your doctor would help, especially since you've quit smoking...yet the symptoms persist. Better to know for sure what it is or isn't, than sorry later.

I'll bring this up next time I go. Thanks!

 

[Beamslider]

I smoked a pack and a half a day for 50+ years. Never had coughing spells when smoking and didn't have any after switching to vaping.

The only noticeable effects of the switch for me were improved overall health. I used to get a cold around once a month, haven't had a cold in around 3 years now. I used to get short breath quite easily, this no longer happens and climbing stairs are no long a problem. I sleep better and feel a lot better than when I smoked.

I have gone thru several stages in 3+ years of vaping. Started out with low volume cigarette like vape with high nicotine (50mg). Gradually changed to higher volume devices with lower nicotine and have ended up currently with DTL at 2 mg nic.