# My sad experience after 6 years of vaping



## bjorncoetsee (13/7/17)

I wanted to post this for a while now but i was hesitant because it's not something vapers want to hear. I decided to post it anyway. 

This is my honest experience after 5 or 6 years of vaping. I was a non smoker when i started vaping about 5 or 6 years ago,i would smoke 1 cig when i went out or on occasion, nothing more. At that time was top fit, i did mma, crossfit, callisthenics. I didnt get sick at all, maybe once or twice a year. As the years went by, i started vaping more and more till i reached 30mls a day. I could start to feel the effects on my fitness level after 2 or 3 years of vaping. Today, i cant even last a full 3 minute round in boxing anymore. My chest tightens and i cant breath till the point where i get paranoid. Its not the normal unfit out of breath feeling, it literally feels like i cant breath at all, like something is blocking the oxygen. I get bronchitis atleast once every 2 months now. My taste and smell has decreased drastically. Im still well built and go to the gym everyday, but no more cardio or boxing due to my chest tightening. I just do weights and callisthenics. But even that tightens mychest, butat least not as bad as boxing. 

I feel sad because fitness was my lifestyle. 
And i just cant leave vaping, im too addicted, im on 3mgs nic because 0mg just dont deliver flavor, i cant go anywhere without my vape, not even to the bathroom. 

I love vaping,and would suggest anyone who smokes a pack of cigs a day, to switch to vaping, a higher nic atleast 12mg,in a small setup, mtl, so they dont need to inhale alot of vapor to get that same nic hit on 3mgs. If ur a non smoker, stay away from anything u inhale.It definitely changed my life, not in a good way.


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## Yagya (13/7/17)

Hi. I'm sorry to hear about your health issues and hope you can get up to speed again in the near future.
did you actually have yourself checked out properly by the hospital, ie. full check-up with x-rays, etc.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## stevie g (13/7/17)

30ml a day is too much for your lungs to clear out.

I've been there. Cut down.


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## Oupa (13/7/17)

Sorry to hear... that does not sound good at all. Could it perhaps be asthma?

Could I ask which flavours you vape most often? (no need to mention brands).


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## craigb (13/7/17)

Just curious, is it not possible that the tightness in your chest could be from another, unrelated medical cause? 

Not that I'm trying to defend vaping, no one is claiming it's is 100% healthy. 

Inhaling foreign substances has to have some effect on our bodies, but given the specific environmental pollutants in certain areas (CBD's, factories, highways) I'm not 100% certain my vape is worse than normal air (as opposed clean air) 

I used to play squash 4 times a week in high school with 10km a day sprint training during the week. I was pretty damn fit. 

I started smoking in matric, stopped playing sport and training. Fast forward almost 20 years and 5 flights of stairs killed me. When I switched to vaping I was able to do 7 flights. But trying to help my daughter with football training is... entertaining. 

Long story short, I agree switching from smoking to vaping is a good thing. But non smokers that do start vaping should seriously consider what they are getting into and be sure it's something they want to do.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Daniel (13/7/17)

Thank you for sharing and the honesty , I too have felt the effects of vaping .....

Was a heavy smoker before I started vaping a few years ago , but quickly went from 12mg to 6 to 3 now even 2 maybe.

I also experienced more bouts of bronchitis , at which time I quit vaping and well , went back to smoking ..... after my Dr told me it's time to quit for health reasons I started vaping again. Only now have I really felt a change in my respiratory functions , I am still very unfit but that's another matter entirely . I have since changed my vaping style to MTL & Semi Restrictive Lung hits and it's much better ..... 

Definitely feel that non-smokers and people thinking of taking up vaping cause it's 'cool' should reconsider. The term 'harm reduction' comes to mind about vaping .... but best is to not inhale anything except semi-clean air (face it our cities are toxic).

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## aktorsyl (13/7/17)

At the end of the day, what it comes down to is:

1) Vaping is NOT healthy; but:
2) Vaping IS much healthier than smoking.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 7


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## SmokeyJoe (13/7/17)

In the end, vaping is not harm elimination, its harm reduction

EDIT: To give credit where credit is due. This is a qoute from the Suck My Mod Team, not my own. But i feel this statement incompasses so much about what vaping is

Reactions: Agree 4


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## Average vapor Joe (13/7/17)

Bruv 30 Ml's a day is faaaar too much. It's as if you are inhaling 24/7. In sorry to hear about your troubles though. Good luck fighting the addiction and good luck with your health. Most importantly go and see a doctor bro. Rather not leave anything to chance. I don't think any of us are living in a fantasy world. We understand vaping for what it is and as you said anything in your lungs that isn't oxygen is going to be bad for you. Good luck and God speed bro

Reactions: Disagree 1


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## craigb (13/7/17)

Daniel said:


> Thank you for sharing and the honesty , I too have felt the effects of vaping .....
> 
> Was a heavy smoker before I started vaping a few years ago , but quickly went from 12mg to 6 to 3 now even 2 maybe.
> 
> ...


The adolescent in me loves big clouds atomic levels of flavor. 

My RD(T)As will forever be a part of my routine, but I am also starting to contemplate MTL options. Let's face it, for many of us, it's about delivering nicotine in a less harmful manner, and with the research showing a potential increase in carcinogens from eliquids at higher temps, smaller and cooler puffs of higher nicotine content seems to be the way. 

But there will always be times when you just want to kick back and chill with your head in the clouds. And that's fine. Everything in moderation.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## aktorsyl (13/7/17)

The main thing is, that this:


bjorncoetsee said:


> i cant go anywhere without my vape, not even to the bathroom.


....should be a red light for you. It's not a healthy situation to be in when it comes to any kind of dependency. Even a healthier-than-smoking one. Even if it's just 10 or 20 mls per day.


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## CMMACKEM (13/7/17)

I did MMA(Specifically submission wrestling) for ten years. Two months before an amateur fight I would quit smoking with the assistance of acupuncture. I quit MMA and started smoking 30 a day for 7 years. I got sick(Flu, chest infections etc) four times a year like clock work.

After I started vaping properly(Bought a twisp in March 2016 which did not help) in October 2016 the duration of my cardio workouts have improved and I haven't been sick since. I can also now take deep breaths without my lungs hurting and/or not coughing out yellowish brown phlegm every morning.

I vape 30 - 45ml 3mg per day.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## mavric69 (13/7/17)

Ive smoked cigs for the better part of 25yrs before moving over to vaping... Ive been playing soccer and cricket at district level until i was about 24/25 .. and my fitness was really good... and when i started playing in a social league (already started vaping) i noticed my fitness levels actually getting better BUT, i could not do the things I could do 6yrs ago... maybe its just age or there is something else affecting you OP.... or maybe it is vaping... but like i said, what i cud do when i was 31 i cant do now at 37 regardless of me training regularly and still being healthy..


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## Silver (13/7/17)

Sorry to hear about your situation @bjorncoetsee

I suppose each person is different and their situation before they start vaping makes an impact on how it all turns out.

I was quite a heavy smoker for 17 years - but kept reasonably fit and didn't get sick often. Since I switched to vaping nearly 4 years ago - I have noticed a fair amount of positives. I don't wheeze as much, I get far less headaches, my heartrate doing my usual spinning exercise is about 10 bears per minute lower on average and I sleep a bit better.

I am mainly on 12-18mg - and mostly do restricted lung hits and mouth to lung. I probably go through about 5-10 ml a day at most.

I would also encourage those who do not smoke NOT to take up vaping - as much as I love the hobby and the flavours - I dont think its good for a non-smoker to start vaping (unless its instead of starting smoking). But that's just my view - I know not everyone shares it.

Reactions: Like 6 | Winner 1


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## bjorncoetsee (13/7/17)

Thanx guys for the responses. I think I'll just try to cut back a bit and stop taking my vape everywhere i go. It's a mind thing, if i feel my vape in my pocket or see it sitting next to me, i just have to take a drag. And yes its almost 24/7. Even when i wake up at night, the first thing i do is grab my vape. Think I'll hide it from myself

Reactions: Winner 1 | Funny 1


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## SAVapeGear (13/7/17)

bjorncoetsee said:


> Thanx guys for the responses. I think I'll just try to cut back a bit and stop taking my vape everywhere i go. It's a mind thing, if i feel my vape in my pocket or see it sitting next to me, i just have to take a drag. And yes its almost 24/7. Even when i wake up at night, the first thing i do is grab my vape. Think I'll hide it from myself


Just be glad you never started smoking.Because you would have been lighting the one smoke with the other.


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## Scissorhands (13/7/17)

I think most points have been covered, something i would like to add 

Imo of corse

Im confident any cigarette smoker would agree that the grip of the compounds in modern (processed) tobacco is FAR stronger than nicotine itself, i found myself grinding my teeth, digging my nails into my skin and my temper being triggered by the smallest inconvenience if i went 3 - 4 hours without my fix. Fast forward a year + off stinkies, Now if i forget my mod at home while rushing to work . . . It sucks . . . but i dont experience cravings , same goes for my morning coffee, i want it but dont NEED it

I understand we are all individuals but i have a suspicion your addiction is mental as apposed to physical

Kind regards

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 4


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## Ryangriffon (13/7/17)

I agree with @Scissorhands about the addiction being mental. And I thank @bjorncoetsee for his honesty. I can completely relate! Personally, my health is better than when I was on cigarettes ( I don't do enough cardiovascular to really find out!) but my pshycological addiction to vaping is far more intense than it ever was for a pack of camel. This is just for me personally...but I am actually struggling with my vape addiction to both nicotine and to new vape gear! I know some will say just don't check the forum classifieds or every vape shop for new gear every 5 minutes but perhaps those people also thought the 'just say no to drugs' campaign would work. I own my addiction and am not commenting on other people's vape habits. For me it's unmanageable. I am buying vape gear before paying debts and in the moment truly believe that this next purchase will give me the perfect vape and be the last thing I need. I have been justifying my addiction with believing it is my hobby and making myself feel better by congratulating myself for being off stinkies. I am cool with my addiction for now as I have and have had more threatening addictions than this in the past but I am under no illusions...I am a vape addict (and not so proud of it). After I write this I know I will go on site to see if my new and 5th epipe is on the way and convince myself that I now need a kayfun v3 mini authentic to really enjoy it, but I do hope one day I will just be able to enjoy the vape gear I have in moderation and for it to fit into a small part of my life and not be so all encompassing. Sorry folks if this sounds weird or presses any buttons but it's just my own experience. We each have our own journeys and this is mine. Thanks again for the post @bjorncoetsee - it's made me think....and take another puff of my pipe! Take care.

Reactions: Like 3


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## KB_314 (13/7/17)

I agree with @Scissorhands and also fully get what @bjorncoetsee is saying in that I can see how 30ml per day could leave your chest worse off than 1 cigarette every once in a blue moon.
Must admit, I really enjoy vaping in many ways and I also feel far healthier than when I smoked a pack per day, but had I only smoked the odd cigarette every now and again, I likely wouldn't have seen it as a serious problem and probably wouldn't have started vaping in the first place. But make no mistake @bjorncoetsee - had you picked up vaping in the same capacity, i.e a vape every once in a while on an evod (going through 2ml per month like my better half) I'm sure your chest would feel better.

I appreciate your post - it's important to hear these experiences from different types of vapors and I think you are sparking needed dialogue - "don't vape if you don't smoke" we already know, but think carefully about the switchover if you barely smoke at all. I had never previously given that scenario much thought.

Edit - and I hope you have popped past our forum MMA thread  
https://www.ecigssa.co.za/any-vaping-mma-fans.t7857/page-9

Reactions: Like 1


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## Petrus (13/7/17)

Silver said:


> Sorry to hear about your situation @bjorncoetsee
> 
> I suppose each person is different and their situation before they start vaping makes an impact on how it all turns out.
> 
> ...


@Silver, I think that is why I stick to 6ml 12mg a day.

Reactions: Like 1


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## KZOR (13/7/17)

I am way better off vaping than smoking.
Only time i tend to feel queasy is when @Rob Fisher post HE gear i cannot afford otherwise my system is running on all 4 valves.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1 | Funny 6


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## Rumor001 (13/7/17)

SAVapeGear said:


> Just be glad you never started smoking.Because you would have been lighting the one smoke with the other.



This was true in my case, had between 40 and 60 cigs a day... and this was just on a normal day, over weekends when if i was going out with mates i had a carton for Sat and Sun so could average at 5packs a day on the weekend... 

I would get sick and i was super tired, started vaping and my life and fitness is improving, hell even my appetite is picking up... 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Reactions: Like 1 | Winner 3


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## SmokeyJoe (13/7/17)

@bjorncoetsee if i may make a suggestion. After i switched from stinkies, what helped me was carrots. Theres something about the crunch that helped with the craving. Also ice ice cold water. IMO your depency is not so much the nicotine, but more a case of habit. Replace the habit of taking the mod with you all over the house and replace it with a carrot, or glass of water, or a Hustler mag (whatever floats your boat). You need the break the habbit. 30ml a day is extremely excessive. Im a heavy vaper and on a bad day i vape 15ml at the most

Reactions: Like 3 | Useful 1


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## SmokeyJoe (13/7/17)

Alternatively just take n short run. Run around the block like you are chasing Husain Bolt. That also worked wonders for me


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## Silver (13/7/17)

Rumor001 said:


> This was true in my case, had between 40 and 60 cigs a day... and this was just on a normal day, over weekends when if i was going out with mates i had a carton for Sat and Sun so could average at 5packs a day on the weekend...
> 
> I would get sick and i was super tired, started vaping and my life and fitness is improving, hell even my appetite is picking up...
> 
> ...



Congrats on that @Rumor001 !
Im sure your lungs are very thankful


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## Mida Khan (14/7/17)

T


Scissorhands said:


> I think most points have been covered, something i would like to add
> 
> Imo of corse
> 
> ...


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## Caveman (14/7/17)

bjorncoetsee said:


> I wanted to post this for a while now but i was hesitant because it's not something vapers want to hear. I decided to post it anyway.
> 
> This is my honest experience after 5 or 6 years of vaping. I was a non smoker when i started vaping about 5 or 6 years ago,i would smoke 1 cig when i went out or on occasion, nothing more. At that time was top fit, i did mma, crossfit, callisthenics. I didnt get sick at all, maybe once or twice a year. As the years went by, i started vaping more and more till i reached 30mls a day. I could start to feel the effects on my fitness level after 2 or 3 years of vaping. Today, i cant even last a full 3 minute round in boxing anymore. My chest tightens and i cant breath till the point where i get paranoid. Its not the normal unfit out of breath feeling, it literally feels like i cant breath at all, like something is blocking the oxygen. I get bronchitis atleast once every 2 months now. My taste and smell has decreased drastically. Im still well built and go to the gym everyday, but no more cardio or boxing due to my chest tightening. I just do weights and callisthenics. But even that tightens mychest, butat least not as bad as boxing.
> 
> ...



Thanks for sharing mate, I am sorry to hear about your experiences. I wonder if it has anything to do with not having been a smoker before, I came to vaping from a 30 a day habit and as the last 18 months have gone by, I have slowly increased my intake. I also vape 3mg and probably average 20 - 30ml a day now and have not experienced anything you mention. Please have a look at what you are vaping, you don't have to mention brands, but they are reputable right? It's not some random juice you get from someone who knows someone? Either way, I would recommend getting checked out by a doctor, your symptoms don't seem to fit the vaping profile.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Reeves (14/7/17)

Dude your 26 years old. Are you sure there isn't anything else wrong with you?

Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk


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## SAVaper (14/7/17)

All the best in getting on top of the chest issue.
Sometimes my chest also feel a little tight/restricted as if I have a weight on my chest, but that is not often.
I must agree with @Caveman that this does not seem to be the normal vapeing side affects.
I also agree that maybe you should have a proper physical and possibly some test to determine if nothing else might be contributing to your situation.


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