Cigarette withdrawal question

[Jason McRoy]

Hey everyone.

I have been vaping now regularly for 3 1/2 weeks. I have markedly reduced my cigarette intake. I was smoking 20+ cigarettes per day.

On my worst day since starting to vape I have had perhaps 6 cigarettes. On better days it has been three.

I am aware that there are some physical aspects that can occur when a person quits smoking. I am wondering if this can occur, in anyone's experience, from reducing the amount of cigarettes as much as I have.

The specific thing that I am experiencing is my tongue has become very sore in the past 2 days. I've read this can occur when a person quits smoking. I am also having incredible amounts of insomnia for the past 5 days. In fact, I never fell asleep last night even though I am very tired.

I am not too concerned just yet because in the last few hours it seems the tongue is starting to feel better already. If it starts getting bad again I will see a doctor but it does feel like something to do with cigarettes.

As more information: I am vaping a 60/40 mix of 24mg nicotine (Desert Ship flavor). I started the 24mg last Friday because the original 18mg I was using didn't really handle my nicotine cravings.

So, I am just curious if anyone has had any similar experience when they cut down their amount of smoking vs quitting it altogether. I plan to be done with smoking completely by the end of this week.

Thanks

-Jason

[MaxUT]

On the insomnia: I normally vape 24mg juice but find it's better to switch to lower nic, such as 12mg, a few hours before going to bed. Nicotine by itself is a simulant and interferes with getting to sleep.

You could try taking melatonin about 1/2 hr before bedtime while you're getting the nicotine sorted out. I often use it myself. It's safe, natural, cheap, widely available and in small doses won't make you groggy then next day. 3-5mg is a good dose to start out with.

I did the same as you, gradually vaping more and smoking less, not worrying about quitting cigs, and it worked well. I don't smoke now and don't crave cigarettes. Before I got into vaping, I didn't know that was possible.

[slojas]

Happens to me when I vape high nic juice(24+mg) out of a low res carto.

To my experience, rich warm vapor with high nic content in contact with tounge for extended periods will cause some swelling and tenderness of the tounge, it is short lived but can return at any time after vaping.

Puffing on a carto with a very hard draw can make the inside of the mouth very sore too, due to the extended and repeated exposure to low atmospheric pressure to the soft tissues in the mouth.

Increased gentle brushing with an SLS free toothpaste like Biotene and swishing with saltwater help to reduce the occurances and watch those stiff draws, or you'll give the inside of your mouth a hickey.


Cannot explain the insomnia though, I use Melatonin suppliments to help me sleep because of odd work hours, unlike sleeping pills it is perfectly safe and very gentle on the body, dosages range from 3mg to 20+mg as it is a completely non toxic naturally occuring hormone our body produces to help trigger the sleep cycle and is available over the counter.

[Screwbag]

I agree that the insomnia is most likely from the nicotine. Many vapers probably intake way more nicotine than when they smoked. Combine that with some of the chemicals from smoking and you get a double whammy. IMHO...

Your sleep may return to normal once you finally drop the analogs. I had the same issues in the beginning, luckily I dropped analogs and my vaping settled down a bit too.

[Jason McRoy]

On the insomnia: I normally vape 24mg juice but find it's better to switch to lower nic, such as 12mg, a few hours before going to bed. Nicotine by itself is a simulant and interferes with getting to sleep.

You could try taking melatonin about 1/2 hr before bedtime while you're getting the nicotine sorted out. I often use it myself. It's safe, natural, cheap, widely available and in small doses won't make you groggy then next day. 3-5mg is a good dose to start out with.

I did the same as you, gradually vaping more and smoking less, not worrying about quitting cigs, and it worked well. I don't smoke now and don't crave cigarettes. Before I got into vaping, I didn't know that was possible.

I will try the melatonin. I am glad you mentioned the smaller doses. I have used melatonin in the past but I was so groggy the next day I figured it was not worth it. I am not sure what dose I was taking though. I will give that another go.

-Jason

[DaveP]

Vaping dehydrates the mouth and throat tissues, so drinking more water helps offset that. Drinking water is something your doctor will agree with anyway unless you have a medical problem where water consumption raises your blood pressure.

Insomnia can be related to nicotine consumption right before bed. I take melatonin about an hour before I want to fall asleep. I used to have a job where I was on night call a time or two a week and sometimes was out after midnight on emergency calls. Melatonin helped me regulate my sleep times.

I smoked 6 to 8 to 10 cigs a day for two years after I started vaping. After tapering off and staying at the point, when I finally dropped the last cigs, there was no withdrawal at all. I was shocked. With vaping, I could have quit those last ones anytime I wanted to with no repercussions.

[Jason McRoy]

Happens to me when I vape high nic juice(24+mg) out of a low res carto.

To my experience, rich warm vapor with high nic content in contact with tounge for extended periods will cause some swelling and tenderness of the tounge, it is short lived but can return at any time after vaping.

Puffing on a carto with a very hard draw can make the inside of the mouth very sore too, due to the extended and repeated exposure to low atmospheric pressure to the soft tissues in the mouth.

Increased gentle brushing with an SLS free toothpaste like Biotene and swishing with saltwater help to reduce the occurances and watch those stiff draws, or you'll give the inside of your mouth a hickey.


Cannot explain the insomnia though, I use Melatonin suppliments to help me sleep because of odd work hours, unlike sleeping pills it is perfectly safe and very gentle on the body, dosages range from 3mg to 20+mg as it is a completely non toxic naturally occuring hormone our body produces to help trigger the sleep cycle and is available over the counter.

The draw you mention seems to indicate. I am using a Vivi Nova with the 2.8ohm head on a Vtube. I normally vape at around 4.6V for a nice warm vape that satisfies that hot cigarette smoke inhalation. That could have something to do with it too.

What is SLS?

-Jason

[Jason McRoy]

I agree that the insomnia is most likely from the nicotine. Many vapers probably intake way more nicotine than when they smoked. Combine that with some of the chemicals from smoking and you get a double whammy. IMHO...

Your sleep may return to normal once you finally drop the analogs. I had the same issues in the beginning, luckily I dropped analogs and my vaping settled down a bit too.

That is good to hear. Thanks

[Jason McRoy]

Vaping dehydrates the mouth and throat tissues, so drinking more water helps offset that. Drinking water is something your doctor will agree with anyway unless you have a medical problem where water consumption raises your blood pressure.

Insomnia can be related to nicotine consumption right before bed. I take melatonin about an hour before I want to fall asleep. I used to have a job where I was on night call a time or two a week and sometimes was out after midnight on emergency calls. Melatonin helped me regulate my sleep times.

I smoked 6 to 8 to 10 cigs a day for two years after I started vaping. After tapering off and staying at the point, when I finally dropped the last cigs, there was no withdrawal at all. I was shocked. With vaping, I could have quit those last ones anytime I wanted to with no repercussions.

I should have mentioned in my original post- I am drinking TONS of water. I can feel my throat getting super dry when I vape. I have a large 32 ounce bottle of water by my computer that I will drink 2 or 3 of those a day.

I remember reading early on via these forums there were tons of suggestions on drinking more water. I figured I needed more water anyway so it was fine with me to have it go along with getting healthier by not smoking also.

-Jason

[Robertogee]

Every body is different. Physiologically.

I did not experience any of your symptoms. Nor did I really plan to quit cigarettes when somebody introduced me to ecigs. Just thought I'd try them to see if they might be a smoking alternative to my 2 pack a day 100mm full flavor wonderful habit of over 45 years.

To my complete surprise, my kit (from V4L) of 36mg juice samples, batts and cartos, arrived a noon. I enjoyed vaping from the get-go. That night when I lay me down to sleep, I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't hear the "death rattles" of phlegm in my lungs.

I immediately enjoyed vaping. I didn't miss cigarettes at all.

Then, two years later, like an idiot, I decided I wanted a real cig. Bought a pack. Two months later I was still smoking real cigs and hadn't gone back to vaping. Until one day I just forced myself to do it. It didn't take much.

THAT's my big lesson for myself: just never smoke a cigarette again. Even after two years, the urge to smoke can pop up and seem (with our collusion) so harmless!

I don't feel like I've "quit smoking," as my friends keep congratulating me: it's more like I switched brands. I not only feel so much better, breathe so much better, and am in great health . . . but ecigs (for the same satisfaction) cost about 1/10 the $ of smoking.

I have friends who were deadly earnest about quitting smoking (unlike me), who tried ecigs. Several would continue to smoke an analog here and there. They were fixated on their quitting, hard on themselves for not being like me (just dropping analogs completely and immediately). All of them are back on analogs and I am not, after nearly three years.

A couple of points:

1) I'm not hard on myself about dropping "bad" habits. I'm well aware of their potential dangers. Only someone living under a rock could not be. My friends who were desperate to quit smoking (like many who are "desperate" to lose weight or stop drinking alcohol) were so fixated on their "problem" and their falling off the wagon--so busy constantly judging themselves and putting themselves down for their perceived failings--that they just kept reinforcing the idea that they had a major, major problem.

2) Every body really IS different. I never compare myself to other people, in anything. I DO compare myself to myself, all the time. Am I healthier today than I was a year--or five--ago? Am I more realistic and practical and less emotional about solving problems than I was ten years ago--or twenty? Am I happier with myself and my life today than 5, 10, 15 years ago?

Stress can come from many sources and affect everything from motor coordination to speech, vision, tongue and taste. Quitting smoking is one source of stress. FOCUSING on quitting smoking and constantly judging one's progress or shortcomings is another. Comparing oneself to somebody else's "success" is perhaps worst of all, stresswise.

Your body is always changing in minute but definite ways that are meant to tell you something. For me, the nicotine in ecigs took care of any nicotine-withdrawal stress because there wasn't any withdrawal: I still got the nicotine. The symptoms involving your tongue and tastes will change and (probably) clear up shortly. If you're concerned, obviously, see your physician.

Maybe more than anything about ecigs is that I not only enjoy them as much as I ever enjoyed smoking analogs, I enjoy the whole ecig process MORE!

It's FUN, learning about various batts, mods, carts, tanks, juices, mixing, etc. That's what ultimately got me to the Provari which, hands down, is the best ecig product I've found in three years (thanks, ECF). It's the iPad and iPhone of ecigs.

Whatever else I might say about smoking analogs, they were NEVER fun.

Relax and go with the flow. You'll be fine. Stay off your own back. Explore ecigs all you like. If you smoke an analog or twenty, so what? Nobody's judging you but you.

Enjoy!