How do you feel so far?

Discussion created by Subzero20001 on Sep 17, 2020
Latest reply on Sep 26, 2020 by SuzyQ411

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In January I got the flu and even though I'm a healthy 27 year old man, I got pneumonia and was out for over two weeks. I can't help but point my finger at my constant vaping.

I've been using patches (and duct tape) for the past 2 days. Went from 90-120 mg nicotine per day to 21 mg, and now the craving is REAL. Several times a day I have to fight with myself to not go and buy a disposable vape.

I'm feeling on edge, my gums hurt, I get headaches. On the other hand, though, I already feel as though my airways are less restricted and I can breath more Freely.

Just wanted to express how it's been for me so far in hopes that others can relate. If you're so inclined, please leave a post about how you're feeling so far and how long ago you quit. If there are enough replies, maybe I can gauge what people are feeling based on the number of days from their quit date.

Outcomes

22 Replies

smiling_accountant Sep 17, 2020 10:22 PM
Welcome, glad you are here! I think we all vary in how we felt physically when we quit. I've struggled with insomnia, but was prepared for that from prior attempts. In the early days I was definitely short tempered. But I noticed the improvement in breathing within days and it's continued to improve. I'm on day 73 and starting to feel more normal again. Still struggle with insomnia, but that might be the Wellbutrin or just me, I've never slept very well. Stay close and reach out for support when you need it. What do you use the duct tape for?
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- Subzero20001 @ smiling_accountant on Sep 17, 2020 11:39 PM
  The duct tape is to keep the patch corners from unsticking. Also, congrats on the 73 days! I'll be there soon too.
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  - SuzyQ411 @ Subzero20001 on Sep 18, 2020 12:30 AM
    Like your optimism Subzero20001... as far as your questions go, I did not keep a diary of my quit which I now wish I had so I could answer questions about my quit in a straighforward manner. (I will add that for about two years of my "smoking career" I did vape; from 2012 to 2014, then went back to cigarettes.)
    .
    I am now at 8 mos. and 12 days free of cigarettes but still use nicorette gum as a back-up, usually 2-3 times daily. I have dropped down to the lowest dose of 2 mg and at the suggestion of elder-member Nancy Youngatheart.7.4.12 , I now cut the pices of gum in half to reduce my nicotine intake. I truthfully cannot wait for the day when I have achieved a sustained period of zero mg. of nicotine in my system.
    
    Looking back, I now wish I had gone cold-turkey and yet I know I'm really too much of a chicken ( a different bird); I do not do well at all with discomfort! I no longer have days of extreme back-to-back cravings, though they will crop up once in a blue moon. My cravings now are mild to what they used to be. And so, I ask myself, why not just quit the gum?
    
    Hmmmm..... think I'll just cut the gum into 1/4 size pieces for now... and take it from there. Yes, I am procrastinating and yes, I am skittish about the whole thing as this quit is the first quit in my 60 years of smoking that I've ever gone this long and I don't want to relapse. Sorry for the rambling but somehow needed to say all of this.
    
    In closing, I wish you well. Keep posting and please fill out your profile and your quit date so we can better help you~
    ~Suzy
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Giulia Sep 18, 2020 12:54 AM
And here i thought you were making a joke about the duct tape. Figured you used it over your mouth when a craving hit. Gotta keep a sense of humor about you during this process.

How do I feel so far? Well, I've been quit 14 1/2 years. I feel pretty proud of myself. I still have an occasional craving but it's more like a pesky mosquito, not the biting horse fly of long ago. I feel ever so grateful that I quit when I did, that I am no longer a slave to this addiction. I feel I made the right decision. I feel really good about myself as far as commitment is concerned. I feel I am the Champion of my quit and that I've learned a lot about myself and life in general through the experience. And I especially feel that if I can impart any of those feelings and any of the knowledge I've gleaned to anyone else beginning their journey, the joy of the accomplishment will be that much greater.

How you feel will change as you continue on the journey. You'll be amazed at how much you are empowered by it. The beginning is tough. Just hang on and you'll discover the magic of the transition.
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- SuzyQ411 @ Giulia on Sep 18, 2020 1:00 AM
  Brava Giulia...
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sweetplt Sep 18, 2020 8:09 AM
HI and Welcome to Ex’s Subzero20001

I am 655 days (2 years December 3rd) smoke free and I like it...The beginning days of quitting are tough, but doable...once you get a lot more time down, you will feel better, but honestly it takes going through many things with out the nicotine to start feeling better. I suggest you read at My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX and replace smoking with vaping...it will be helpful to your journey. Also, read blogs about addiction/quitting etc, Lastly, keep close to the support site and keep busy. Here is a list to get you started 100 Things to do instead of smoking!
Oh I think breathing exercises really help those tough moments, try it...

We are here for you...we know how you feel...Colleen ~
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RoseH Sep 18, 2020 9:02 AM

Click below:

10 Ways to Overcome Cigarette Cravings in 5 Minutes

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zaxa11 Sep 18, 2020 9:21 AM
Good for you! I too am quitting vaping and cigarettes. This is day two. Please listen to your body. That's about all I can say. I'm out of breath just walking down my hall...and then I think one cigarette won't hurt me. What kind of nonsense is that? Your body is telling you, that no matter how uncomfortable, you are doing the right thing. GOOD FOR YOU!!!
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Youngatheart.7.4.12 Sep 18, 2020 9:42 AM
Welcome to our community!

I quit a little over eight years ago, and I feel maaaaaa-velous! I have not had a cold or the flu since I quit, and when I am swimming laps, I can go up to six strokes without having to take a breath. It has made a WORLD of difference to me. Every once in awhile I STILL can think, "gee, a cigarette would be nice right now," but I know that I am just romancing that brief hit of dopamine that made the world seem all peaceful and stuff --- until I needed it again, then again, and on and on. It's very easy to let that thought go right on past now!!!

The first couple of weeks of a quit suck - no two ways about it. Get through them the best you can. Changing up your routines and staying all-the-time busy are ways to make them a bit more manageable. Keep a cold bottle of water with you at all times from which to sip. This WILL get easier as your body and life adjust to life without the drug. I'll give you some hints later of things to do to start you thinking later in this welcome.

Although primarily a smoking cessation site, I have seen a huge increase in the number of people coming for help to break free from vaping. You will need to substitute “vape” or “device” as you do the reading I will recommend. Research suggests nicotine may be as addictive as heroin and cocaine. Because vaping is available to you most anywhere, anytime, I believe it might be more difficult from which to break free than regular tobacco products - but it CAN be done!

I recommend that you educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind To that end, I suggest Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” . Vaping was not a concern when this was written, so you will need to sub “vape”as necessary. This is an easy and entertaining read which can be found online or at your local library. If you do nothing else to get ready for your quit, please do give this a read. Here is a video to inform you further about nicotine addiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWMgPHn0Lo&feature=youtu.be.

Considering vaping to be “safe” is far from a given - there is much research to be done. What we know is that vaping raises your blood pressure and spikes your adrenaline, which increases your heart rate and the likelihood of having a heart attack. There are many unknowns about vaping, including what chemicals make up the vapor and how they affect physical health over the long term. Recently vaping has been in the headlines because of the possibility of it causing severe lung damage in young people. An August, 2019 study at the University of Pennsylvania showed that a single instance of vaping immediately lead to reduced vascular function: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190820101601.htm

Nicotine addiction is nicotine addiction - no matter the delivery device - and how to beat any of them is about the same. Every time you read :"cigarette" in the information I will give you, just sub "Juul" or “vape,” or “device.” The one thing different I would recommend is that you first start to reduce the nicotine content of the pods. Start with a lesser amount in, like, one in every four, then three, etc. until you are only using the smallest amount, or reduce the amount of nicotine in the pods over time. That way the physical withdrawal should be more manageable. You might find useful information, as well, here: https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/quitting-smoking-vaping/quitting-e-cigarettes.

The idea is to change up your routines so the vaping associations are reduced. Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand in a place different from where you vaped. Maybe switch to tea for a bit. If you always had that first puff with your coffee, try putting your kicks right out of bed, going for a quick walk, then taking your shower and THEN your coffee! Rearrange the furniture in the areas you used to vape so the view is different. Take a different route when you are out and about so you aren't driving by your vaping supply shop. Take a quick walk at break time instead of vaping.

You need to distract yourself through any craves. You can take a bite out of a lemon (yup - rind and all), put your head in the freezer and take a deep breath of cold air, do a few jumping jacks, go for a brisk walk or march in place, play a computer game. Keep a cold bottle of water with you from which to sip. Don't let that vaping thought rattle around in your brain unchallenged. Sometimes you need to quit a minute or an hour at a time. You will need to be disciplined in the early days to distract yourself when a crave hits. Get busy! Here is a link to a list of things to do instead of vape if you need some fresh ideas:
https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instead-of-smoke

The conversation in your head in response to the "I want to vape" thought needs to be, "Well, since I have decided not to do that anymore, what shall I do instead for the three minutes this crave will last?" Then DO it. You will need to put some effort into this in the early days, but it gets easier and easier to do.

Stay close to us here and ask questions when you have them and for support when you need it. We will be with you every step of the way!

Nancy
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- SuzyQ411 @ Youngatheart.7.4.12 on Sep 18, 2020 7:58 PM
  WOW Nancy! What a supportive, in-depth and organized epistle of your quit experience! PLUS, with links to add extra knowledge along the way!!! If you were the student and I your prof, I would give you an A+, a 4.0, and encouage you to submit for publication. And you, Subzero20001, have just received a successfully travelled map from a prized elder of our EX clan. Use it to good use, and allow us fellow Ex'ers to be your "go to's" along the way ~
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  - Subzero20001 @ SuzyQ411 on Sep 19, 2020 8:39 PM
    Yes, I'm seeing a huge amount of support here! Today was still rough, but going through everybody's helpful and inspiring replies has been aiding me in resisting temptation.
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    - sweetplt @ Subzero20001 on Sep 19, 2020 8:48 PM
      Good Job Subzero20001 ... hang in there and keep close to the support site...
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elvan Sep 18, 2020 9:59 PM
Welcome to EX, this is the most informative & supportive site anywhere. I credit them for my 6 1/2 year quit. I could not have done it without them!
You sound like you have a really good attitude.
Welcome.
Ellen
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maryfreecig Sep 19, 2020 10:49 AM
Have you read this?
How to Quit JUUL (or vaping in general)

Welcome to Ex. Stick to your goal to quit--one day at a time.
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Barbscloud Sep 20, 2020 8:19 AM
Welcome to the Ex. Keep moving forward one day at a time.
Barb
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elvan Sep 20, 2020 5:48 PM
Keep stacking those days, it will get easier and easier. Promise.
Ellen
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Jen_819 Sep 24, 2020 9:33 AM
Hi! Today is Day 4 for me. It is tough, I am not going to sugar coat this journey! This is my third rodeo and I am not falling off this bad ass bull!! Still today a Marlboro Light sounds good, but then I think about the nasty taste in my mouth YUCK!!! I take deep breaths often and it feels so good. I also got the Quit It app on my phone and I love it!!! It tells you how much money you have saved, how much time, how your body is recovering, and lets you set goals for what to do with the money saved! I am here if you want to talk. I work from 8a-4a CST and get so bored (we have been slow). I stay busy by reading everything I can on this site. Good luck and YOU GOT THIS!!!!
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- SuzyQ411 @ Jen_819 on Sep 24, 2020 10:21 PM
  CONGRATULATIONS ON *** FOUR *** DAYS *** NOT *** SMOKING *** Jen_819
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indingrl.01.06.2011 Sep 25, 2020 7:05 PM
https://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/understanding-nicotine-withdrawal-symptoms I hope your feeling better and I am so thankful YOU chose to be a NON SMOKER
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SuzyQ411 Sep 26, 2020 6:17 PM
Just stopping by to say you are on my mind.... How are things going for you Jen_819 ??
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- Jen_819 @ SuzyQ411 on Sep 26, 2020 8:14 PM
  Hi! I am doing good, just trying to get through the weekend. Staying busy. Going to make some habanero jelly tomorrow to stay busy. Maybe go get some fall mums:) thanks for checking in on me! Hugs!!
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  - SuzyQ411 @ Jen_819 on Sep 26, 2020 9:27 PM
    Diversional activities are a great way to not smoke; glad you have found some great ones to keep you busy!!
    {{{ HUGS }}} back atcha!!
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How do you feel so far?

Outcomes

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