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Quitting Smoking Symptoms

dropin_biking

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Well I quit smoking cold turkey just over 4 weeks ago, and switched to vaping. Noticing a few side affects, just wondering if anyone else has experienced any of this? Not overly concerned, just wondering if this is the norm, or if there is anything I should look further into.

Cold sweats.
Especially late at night trying to fall asleep. It was happening a couple times a day for the first 2 weeks, happens still almost every night, not nearly as bad though.

Hard coughs. They are clean, but it feels like I'm trying to cough something stuff. I've just recently (the last week or so) Started coughing pretty bad in the morning. It cleans up after a few minutes and I cough out some nasty stuff, but my lungs feel strange when I first wake up and get back into regular breathing patterns.

No appetite. I know nicotine can suppress appetite, but it seems like since I've quit, I haven't had much of an appetite. I've always ate well, and fairly regularly. I just find myself forcing myself to eat a lot of time.

Dehydrated. I've always been pretty good with my water intake. Small cup of coffee or tea in the morning, than mostly just water throughout the day, milk too. But yeah, I've noticed myself waking up absolutely parched, and need to get a few glasses of water into me first thing in the morning to feel better. This started just a couple days after quitting, and turning to vapes.

So, any input or advice? I would greatly appreciate it. I'm not too concerned about anything. I can shove the food and water into me, it's the cold sweats and hard coughs that have me perplexed. Maybe the cold sweats are from nic withdrawl? I do only vape 6mg, I haven't tried 12 or 18. Would it be worth a shot? Since day 1 I never QUITE got the nic kick I was hoping for.
 

Raymcconn

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Hello and congrats on stopping smoking.
The first three sound like your body is detoxing from all the crap in the stinky.
The fourth one is normal. Vaping causes dehydration. It is important you drink water water and then more water. For some this is easier to do than others. I am one that it is not, I keep a bottle of water filled on my desk and one all the time at home.
 

Letitia9

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All normal. I was so dry in the mornings all I wanted was something cold and wet. Switched to Monster from coffee or tea. The coughing will ease up, just your body getting of tobacco nasties. Vaping is a tool, not a miracle cure Withdrawal from tobacco is a process you have to go thru.
 

dropin_biking

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Thanks for the input. Anyone know what it is about vaping that dehydrates you? I burn the devils lettuce and I get noticable dry mouth, but it doesn't suck my body dry, vaping sure seems to. I'm not a fan of energy drinks or even most pop, too sugary for me. I'll make sure to keep up on the water intake, guess it would help everything else.

Anyone know how long this sort of stuff might last? Like I said the cold sweats are much better, but I feel like the coughing is just getting started.
 

Letitia9

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How long it lasts is an individual thing. For some it passes in a couple of weeks, for others longer. Keep in mind it is also time of seasonal change and symptoms may be worse than usual. Put another pillow under your head at night and ride it out. I am sympathetic, we all went thru it. Vaping just dehydrates, small price to pay IMO. Exhaling thru your nostrils will help some by keeping them moistened.
 

bobnat

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Just as one should expect, a third of people lose weight, a third gain weight and a third stay the same. So, that's part of your experience is within the norm.

You really have to step up your water consumption. Even when you think you've had enough you must force yourself to drink more. I get up every morning and drink 24 oz of cold water before consuming anything else. I'll feel like shit if I don't.
 

Kranky Kanger

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Cold sweats. Perfectly normal for nicotine withdrawl. Try a juice with a bit higher nicotine content. Slowly back it down over time. When I started vaping (to quit smoking) I started with a 12mg nicotine content in my juice. I'm down to 4mg currently, and will be dropping to 3mg within the next couple of weeks. I'm pretty fortunate, my local shop will do nic from 24mg down to 0mg in 1mg increments. Made the transition much easier for me.

Hard coughs. Also perfectly normal for quitting smoking. You've been putting tar and all that other crap in your lungs for however many years. The combination of quitting and the addition of the vapor tend to loosen that shit up. Your body wants to get rid of it, so you cough it up. I did the same thing for the first few weeks after quitting. It'll get better and you'll breath much better over time.

No appetite. Not quite so normal a symptom for quitting, but I have heard of it before. Not sure what causes it, most likely stress or something like that. From what I understand though it will go away over time. The key is to make yourself eat normally. This symptom should subside as the others do. If not then see a doctor obviously.

Dehydrated. This is a common side effect of vaping, not smoking cessation. I noticed that my fluid intake almost doubled once I started vaping. Not uncommon at all. Just keep up on your fluid intake and you'll be fine.

The bottom line is, your symptoms should start to subside in another month or so. If not then I would highly recommend seeking medical advice.
 

dropin_biking

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Alrighty guys, figured I'd chime in with some updates on things. Holy shit, have things been changing.

I upped my nic a bit, seemed to really do me some good. It cut back on my number of puffs, and my juice consumption. I'm not after big hits as much anymore, and I found some wicked Banana cream pie that taste delicious.

Been upping my water intake, and pissing like a race horse. Feels amazing though, my skins been coming back to natural colour, my body has been adjusting well, and I even put on what looks like a little bit of water weight, I'm not complaining!

I seem to have my appetite in check, it's more even and predictable. I'll still say I'm maybe not eating as much in one sitting as I used to, but I'm certainly eating more often, and have found the flavours of foods are getting stronger and stronger.

My coughing is still pretty bad, but predictable. I wake up every morning, hack my lungs for 5 minutes, cough out the nastiest brown/black shit, and I'm good for the day. I can feel my lungs being emptied though, I feel like it's near its end. Breathing has been wonderful this last week and a bit.

No more cold sweats, not sure if that was from upping my nic, managing my water intake, or simply kicking the smokes. Falling asleep is much easier at night, and I'm sleeping better, waking up with more energy as well.

The ONLY thing I've been wondering about now, is why does my first vape of the day kill me? Not literally ofcourse, but I get the nastiest 'burnt throat' dry cough trying to complete my first vape in the morning. This can be at low wattage, lots of air, small easy draw, the second vapor touches my throat I die. Goes away after that first or second puff, and two or three dry coughs. I just find it strange is all, can't pin-point it. I brush my teeth and get a couple glasses of water into me first, than go for my vape when I start my coffee, usually about a half hour after I get up. Anyone else experience this?

All in all, I'm amazed at what these cigarettes do to the body, and am so glad I'm on the "home stretch" of things. Thanks again for all the advice and encouragement guys, means a lot!
 

bobnat

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Good on you! It's a process, just stick with it. I suggest exercising after a while and get your lungs working hard to increase capacity.

When I wake up, I'll take a few hits, but it never tastes very good. I suspect it's because we're naturally dehydrated after sleeping 6-8 hours. When I hit the kitchen I chug down 16oz of cold water. It feels great. After eating, my vapes taste the way they should. So, chug away on that water.
 

Letitia9

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Some juices or coils are just harsh after sitting for a few hours. I seldom have that issue since I started using rtas. Helps if you can remember to not inhale the first few pulls.
Glad to hear vaping is going well for you now, it does get better and better.
 

dropin_biking

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I've wondered if it had anything to do with the coils and juice simply sitting overnight. I'll know more once I get going with my RDA and other style tank. Makes a bit of sense considering it seems harsher on my factory triple coils vs my built coils.

I've been trying to get a good amount of water into me before vaping. Brushing my teeth first helps a lot too. Maybe I'll try putting off the vape a little longer in the mornings.

As for exercise I've always been active. I average about 100km a week on the mountain bike, but it's getting cold and riding weather is going away, not sure what I'll be doing this winter to stay busy. I've always done lots of cardio, probably why my lungs never got too terrible after smoking for 10 years. That's where I've been noticing improvements in my breathing, they simply don't need to work as hard, and feel lighter. My airways are much more open than they've been in a long time. Last time they felt close to this good was when I raced cross country 6 years ago, but even that's no comparison to how they feel now. Even when I get winded, I catch my breath MUCH faster than I ever used to.
 

Letitia9

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Maybe I'll try putting off the vape a little longer in the mornings.
Doesn't matter how long you put it off, it will still be harsh. Get it out the way early rather than dread it longer. Just my way of thinking about it.
 

Rossum

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Doesn't matter how long you put it off, it will still be harsh. Get it out the way early rather than dread it longer. Just my way of thinking about it.
I keep saying: Everyone is different.

Me, I've never had the problem of feeling my vape is "harsh" first thing in the morning.

Oh, and water? That's for people who can't handle coffee. :D
 

Letitia9

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Me, I've never had the problem of feeling my vape is "harsh" first thing in the morning.
You like th don't you? The lack of th is the first thing I noticed when I switched to rta. Was so happy, and I was still at 12mg then.
 

Rossum

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You like th don't you? The lack of th is the first thing I noticed when I switched to rta. Was so happy, and I was still at 12mg then.
Hard to say. I can't say I've ever really noticed much in my throat at all. I just find low-nic juice to be bland and unsatisfying. :oops:
 

Letitia9

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I remember being almost disappointed when I realized 18mg was too much, did enjoy the smoother vape tho.
 

AndriaD

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Well I quit smoking cold turkey just over 4 weeks ago, and switched to vaping. Noticing a few side affects, just wondering if anyone else has experienced any of this? Not overly concerned, just wondering if this is the norm, or if there is anything I should look further into.

Cold sweats.
Especially late at night trying to fall asleep. It was happening a couple times a day for the first 2 weeks, happens still almost every night, not nearly as bad though.

Hard coughs. They are clean, but it feels like I'm trying to cough something stuff. I've just recently (the last week or so) Started coughing pretty bad in the morning. It cleans up after a few minutes and I cough out some nasty stuff, but my lungs feel strange when I first wake up and get back into regular breathing patterns.

No appetite. I know nicotine can suppress appetite, but it seems like since I've quit, I haven't had much of an appetite. I've always ate well, and fairly regularly. I just find myself forcing myself to eat a lot of time.

Dehydrated. I've always been pretty good with my water intake. Small cup of coffee or tea in the morning, than mostly just water throughout the day, milk too. But yeah, I've noticed myself waking up absolutely parched, and need to get a few glasses of water into me first thing in the morning to feel better. This started just a couple days after quitting, and turning to vapes.

So, any input or advice? I would greatly appreciate it. I'm not too concerned about anything. I can shove the food and water into me, it's the cold sweats and hard coughs that have me perplexed. Maybe the cold sweats are from nic withdrawl? I do only vape 6mg, I haven't tried 12 or 18. Would it be worth a shot? Since day 1 I never QUITE got the nic kick I was hoping for.

I've heard people say that cigarette withdrawal is somewhat like flu; the one time I did it cold turkey, I was really nauseous, so I'd pretty much go along with that. The brain will do a great many things to try and get what it wants; it can make you suffer pretty much any malaise you can imagine, so I don't think think your symptoms are in any way odd or strange.

It does make you dehydrated to some extent; for most it's fairly minor and can be addressed simply by consuming more liquids of all types -- there IS such a thing as too much water, which is just as bad for you as too little, as it flushes all your very-necessary electrolytes right out of your body. I personally drink 8-12 oz of coconut water (the chocolate flavored, mixed with about 20% chocolate milk) daily, because its high potassium balances a typically-high sodium diet (the modern diet!); it also has calcium and traces of magnesium, but I also drink about 8 oz of milk daily, and eat a bit of avocado and 60%-cacao dark chocolate for more magnesium.

I also recommend a cool-mist humidifier, particularly in the winter and/or if you live in a dry climate; run it at night, and in the morning you won't feel like you huffed the whole Sahara. :D But drinking water when you first get up is a good thing to do in any case, to get those sleepy kidneys moving! :D (and the sleepy guts which also need water to do their thing!) :giggle:

Andria
 

MD_Boater

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My coughing is still pretty bad, but predictable. I wake up every morning, hack my lungs for 5 minutes, cough out the nastiest brown/black shit, and I'm good for the day. I can feel my lungs being emptied though, I feel like it's near its end. Breathing has been wonderful this last week and a bit.
Over the next year, spit anything that comes up into a white napkin. You'll see little pepper looking black stuff floating in it. Over time, there will be much less of it. You'll be amazed at how much will come out. I have a theory that the VG actually helps float these little particles out of the tiny pores in your lung tissue which allows you to cough them out. It seems to act as a cleaning agent.
The ONLY thing I've been wondering about now, is why does my first vape of the day kill me?
That's because your throat is used to having a layer of crud all over it from the cigarettes. It is clearing up just like everything else. Vapor is actually hitting your throat now. It's a little sensitive. Go figure.
 

dropin_biking

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I'd say it's all pretty good now. Coughing is getting pretty minimal, it's been getting cold as hell outside and the fresh air is nice. Don't ever remember breathing this deep last winter.

Cravings are next to none, been offered a few smokes from friends who didn't know I quit, needless to say they were surprised hahaha. I've sure been craving the vape though, safe to say I'm addicted, but that's okay. Been vaping a lot more of my 6mg juice, and a little less of my 18mg, which is good. The 18mg barely cut it, even just a couple weeks ago, but now it seems to be a bit much, still finding my balance. Really enjoying my Ammit tank for the smaller hits (And way better juice consumption compared to the Melo 300 with a 2 coil RBA)

I've been slowly kicking sugar and other nasty foods, not too sure why, but it's a good feeling. Got my appetite under control, enjoying a lot of flavours I never used to (fish is a big one) And starting to not like some flavours as much (Salty bacon is a big one)

About the only down side I've come to realize is anytime I go to smoke the devils lettuce I DIEEE! My lungs just can't handle it like they used to. I used to mix it with tobacco a lot to dull the kick down, as a smoker that worked, now I'm on straight lettuce it throws me into a coughing fit, not the worst thing in the world, the more you cough, the more you get off ;) I will say I'm much more able to pick up on different flavours, way more than I used to as a smoker. Looking into an atomizer that might gett'er done, if you guys have any suggestions.
 

5150sick

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I'd say it's all pretty good now. Coughing is getting pretty minimal, it's been getting cold as hell outside and the fresh air is nice. Don't ever remember breathing this deep last winter.

Cravings are next to none, been offered a few smokes from friends who didn't know I quit, needless to say they were surprised hahaha. I've sure been craving the vape though, safe to say I'm addicted, but that's okay. Been vaping a lot more of my 6mg juice, and a little less of my 18mg, which is good. The 18mg barely cut it, even just a couple weeks ago, but now it seems to be a bit much, still finding my balance. Really enjoying my Ammit tank for the smaller hits (And way better juice consumption compared to the Melo 300 with a 2 coil RBA)

I've been slowly kicking sugar and other nasty foods, not too sure why, but it's a good feeling. Got my appetite under control, enjoying a lot of flavours I never used to (fish is a big one) And starting to not like some flavours as much (Salty bacon is a big one)

About the only down side I've come to realize is anytime I go to smoke the devils lettuce I DIEEE! My lungs just can't handle it like they used to. I used to mix it with tobacco a lot to dull the kick down, as a smoker that worked, now I'm on straight lettuce it throws me into a coughing fit, not the worst thing in the world, the more you cough, the more you get off ;) I will say I'm much more able to pick up on different flavours, way more than I used to as a smoker. Looking into an atomizer that might gett'er done, if you guys have any suggestions.

You can get a vaporizer for the 'other stuff" too.
You'd have to look around on those type of sites but once you found a decent one it should solve that problem entirely.
 

AndriaD

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About the only down side I've come to realize is anytime I go to smoke the devils lettuce I DIEEE! My lungs just can't handle it like they used to. I used to mix it with tobacco a lot to dull the kick down, as a smoker that worked, now I'm on straight lettuce it throws me into a coughing fit, not the worst thing in the world, the more you cough, the more you get off ;) I will say I'm much more able to pick up on different flavours, way more than I used to as a smoker. Looking into an atomizer that might gett'er done, if you guys have any suggestions.

Can't really go into details since it's against VU rules, but I had the same problem. http://www.seegovapor.com/vhit-series-vaporizer/seego-vhit-reload

Andria
 

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