About how long does it take to fully transition?

[tay666]

I just started vaping 3 days ago, and I seem to be in this weird transition zone.
Every now and then I get a craving for a real smoke, but when I have one, it isn't nearly as satisfying as it used to be.

I was a pack-a-day + smoker for over 30 years.
I started using an iStick 30 with a Nautilus Mini. vaping 24 mg E-juice.
I didn't care for the flavor of the juice I was using. (tobacco cowboy, which tasted better with that weak pen they use to sample flavors at the store, than it did in my rig) So I got some other juice yesterday (chocolate) and mixed it with what I still had in the tank.
Much better, and really satisfying.

Something about vaping just seems different than smoking. It's hard to describe.
Instead of puffing on my rig for 5-10 minutes and being satisfied for like 30-45 minutes, like I would with a cigarette. I tend to take a puff every couple of minutes. Which means I end up vaping almost constantly.
Is this normal?
Or should I maybe cut back on the mg a bit. Because if I try to vap like I smoke, I end up light headed.

 

[Sir2fyablyNutz]

Hi tay. I would cut back on the nic a little, it seems high for what you smoked. It took me 12 days to transition. Then I was cig free. What I did was get a cheap clearo/tank with the next highest juice in it and hit it once when the "itch" got to where vape wouldn't handle it. If you drop the nic level you will probably vape more, but it will keep you balanced. Keep the higher nic juice for a cheap clearo/tank. I used this same technique to cut down on my nic in steps to the 3 or lower I am now using. It usually took from a week to 3 days to transition to the lower nic for it to become my new normal. You'll get there.

Good luck in your vape journey.

 

[Foggy Road]

Hi @tay666,

I just started vaping 3 days ago, and I seem to be in this weird transition zone.
Every now and then I get a craving for a real smoke, but when I have one, it isn't nearly as satisfying as it used to be.

I'm vaping now for my 8th day. 36 hrs analog free. Just wanted tell you tat I can totally relate to everything you're saying. I do feel like I'm over the hump tho. I've felt for years that if I JUST go 24 hours without a smoke I could surely do 48. If I could do 48 I can and will do 96.

I was a pack-a-day + smoker for over 30 years.
I started using an iStick 30 with a Nautilus Mini. Vaping 24 mg E-juice.
I didn't care for the flavor of the juice I was using. (tobacco cowboy, which tasted better with that weak pen they use to sample flavors at the store, than it did in my rig) So I got some other juice yesterday (chocolate) and mixed it with what I still had in the tank.
Much better, and really satisfying.

2 PAD+ (Packs A Day) here 45years
I feel I was blessed to find the "perfect for me" starter mod in the eGrip 20W device.
Realized the nasty tobacco flavor was totally unnecessary 'for me' after about 4 hours of vaping. I switched to watermelon rancher. However I think the availability of tobacco flavor was essential to give me the confidence that this could work, I would never advise someone to try to bypass it. I would advise them to buy the smallest amount available along with anything else that might sound tasty to them.

Something about vaping just seems different than smoking. It's hard to describe.

Vaping is different. It does have the hand to mouth action. It does have the warmth and solid throat hit. What it lacks is very noticeable to me. Especially when your brain sends that auto signal to grab a smoke and light it and your arm can't move because there are none to grab and a moment of sheer panic sets in. I just have to correct my errant brain that we're grabbing something different now. After focusing on operating my new tooter I'm distracted from the panic and it passes quickly.

Instead of puffing on my rig for 5-10 minutes and being satisfied for like 30-45 minutes, like I would with a cigarette. I tend to take a puff every couple of minutes. Which means I end up vaping almost constantly.
Is this normal?

I'm chain vaping almost constantly. Something about vaping that we newcomers need to understand (from what I've read in these forums) is that the particles in vapor are at something like 10 times the size of particles in smoke, lung tissue can't absorb them. While there is sensory satisfaction from drawing vape into your lung the nicotine absorption occurs in the mouth nose and throat tissue. Due to this difference the satisfaction we used to get from 5 minutes puffing an ....og requires 10-12 minutes vaping. As I get more comfortable with vapeing I'm focusing making more effort to focus on rolling the vape around in my mouth a bit before grabiing the throat hit. Sometimes I take the throat hit immediately begin exhaling thru my nose and sorta rock the vape back and forth between my nose and throat a few times until it's all exhaled.

Yet another thing vaping can't offer for me is a continuation of the self-loathing for being too weak to quit the analogs!

Or should I maybe cut back on the mg a bit. Because if I try to vap like I smoke, I end up light headed.

I'm leery of trying to answer this for you. Every person is different. It may only be answerable by experimentation on your part. I had a couple of small bouts with tremors yesterday and the day before. Wrote them of as nervous excitement. No tremors today and I'm not looking back.

I hope this reply does you as much good as writing it has done me. As with any advice you recieve... YMMV

Wishing you the best of luck in your adventure..... Praying for your success!

 

[DreamWithin]

Vaping is a little different experience than smoking, so there will be some adjusting to do before you figure things out completely. Since everyone is different and has vastly different needs, the best advice I can offer is to just go with what feels good to you and what satisfies you. Don't sweat the "transition time", we all take different amounts of time to fully become analog-free. Just count every cigarette NOT smoked as another little victory

I didn't care for the flavor of the juice I was using. (tobacco cowboy, which tasted better with that weak pen they use to sample flavors at the store, than it did in my rig) So I got some other juice yesterday (chocolate) and mixed it with what I still had in the tank.
Much better, and really satisfying.

This is one of the keys to fully making the transition. When you find flavors that just plain work for you, everything is easier

 

[Lannie]

Yes, everyone is different, and has different needs, but I'll tell you what happened with me, who NEVER in a million years thought I could ever give up smoking. I quit cigarettes the day after I got my first e-cig. I was a 2-pack a day smoker, for 42 years, and it's a hard habit to break, but the vaping has made it painless. At first I kept finding myself reaching for my pack of smokes, but I realized it was just the HABIT of doing it, not that I really needed the smoke. So I grab the e-cig instead. I got my kit on a Saturday (3 weeks ago) and started using it right away. I learned the hard way about not soaking wicks and getting dry hits (YUCK!), and thought this wasn't going to work, so I joined the forum and got educated. Meanwhile, I continued to smoke the rest of that Saturday (letting my wicks soak, and giving myself a rest from those harsh dry hits). The next day, I had one cigarette in the morning, and it was OK, then I started vaping. Later in the afternoon, I lit another cigarette, to see if it seemed nasty yet, and although it wasn't actually nasty, it wasn't pleasurable, either. I couldn't wait to finish it so I could put it out and pick up the vaping again. And that was my last smoke.

I also got a tobacco flavored juice, thinking I wanted something that would taste somewhat similar to a cigarette, but I was wrong! I can't STAND it! My husband is using up the 60 ml of tobacco flavor, cut with raspberry. Me, I like the fruits, and the chocolate/mint flavors the most. I might like some of the bakery type flavors, too, but I haven't been vaping long enough to have had them steep properly, and they taste "icky" yet. I'm giving them a few more weeks.

Regarding the nicotine, I ordered 18mg because that's what was advised for a heavy smoker, but it was WAY too much for me. I had a bottle of zero nic mint-flavored juice I received as a sample, so I cut the 18mg raspberry flavor in my tank with the same amount of the zero nic, and that's good. The raspberry/mint is ALSO good! LOL! So the juice I'm cutting myself is 9mg, and I have some more I ordered that's 12, and either one is good for me. Not too much, and not too little. The 18mg stuff straight, though, was giving me a bad headache.

I also tend to vape more than I smoked, but I think that's just because it tastes so good. I'm saving SO much money over smoking, it's not even funny. I don't think I actually smoked all those 40 cigarettes every day, even though I had paid for them. How wasteful! LOL! Most of them I'd light and set down to go do something, and they'd just go on without me. The e-cig waits for me. I can come and get a puff, then go off and do something, come back, have another puff (or two) a few minutes later, and go do something else. It's like the perfect solution for a person like me. And the best thing is I can breathe again, and my stamina has improved 100%. Oh, and that chronic sinus infection was apparently just smoke clogging me up. I've been clear as a bell since I quit the cigs.

So yeah, it's a bit different, but once you train your brain (and hands) to the new system, it's painless. I wish these had been around a long time ago!

~Lannie

 

[suprtrkr]

That's too subjective to answer. It takes the time it takes. I got to DYI-ing my own juice after vaping for about a year, to wean myself off the nicotine. I went down from 12mg to 6mg in easy stages just fine. But then I cut to 3mg and went back to smoking. So, after I poisoned myself for a while, kicking and cussing, I made up some more juice at 6mg and quit again. Only took about 30 hours to get over the devils the second time-- I was surely hitting the ol' mod hard the first day -- and I've been off for a while now. Take it as it comes, and enjoy each cigarette not smoked as an individual victory.

 

[Frenchfry1942]

When it comes to nic, a higher level just got me lesser physical urges. A lower nic and I taped the iStick to my mouth. Also, a higher "step" nic is nice first thing in the morning.

My sense of smell came back after 2-3 weeks. Oh, I could smell earlier, just not nearly as well.

Taste, well my tastebuds were pretty damaged. So, delicate flavors were a worthless purchase. Peppermint is good.

Anyway, I switched overnight. At that time, getting my nic was my only objective.

Good luck!

 

[tay666]

Vaping is a little different experience than smoking, so there will be some adjusting to do before you figure things out completely. Since everyone is different and has vastly different needs, the best advice I can offer is to just go with what feels good to you and what satisfies you. Don't sweat the "transition time", we all take different amounts of time to fully become analog-free. Just count every cigarette NOT smoked as another little victory

Yes, I realize this. But it is a little easier hearing other people's experiences.
I know mine won't be the same as others, but it is a bit reassuring to hear from those with a bit more experience.

This is one of the keys to fully making the transition. When you find flavors that just plain work for you, everything is easier

You are 100% right about that. The juice I started off with had that waxy flavor that the ecigs have. It just didn't satisfy. Even though I was getting the throat hit, the taste just killed any enjoyment.
Now that I added the chocolate it is almost perfect. Can't even taste the chocolate really, it just killed the wax flavor so now it tastes like a real cigarette.

 

[Frenchfry1942]

Yep, at first it was plasticy and waxy. Taste took me the longest to get back.

 

[tay666]

Hi @tay666,
Realized the nasty tobacco flavor was totally unnecessary 'for me' after about 4 hours of vaping. I switched to watermelon rancher. However I think the availability of tobacco flavor was essential to give me the confidence that this could work, I would never advise someone to try to bypass it. I would advise them to buy the smallest amount available along with anything else that might sound tasty to them.

Yeah, the store here sells 10 ml for $4 so that is what I started with.
And when I went back, I grabbed some of the 7's 15 ml bottles that they had on sale for $4

I'm chain vaping almost constantly. Something about vaping that we newcomers need to understand (from what I've read in these forums) is that the particles in vapor are at something like 10 times the size of particles in smoke, lung tissue can't absorb them. While there is sensory satisfaction from drawing vape into your lung the nicotine absorption occurs in the mouth nose and throat tissue. Due to this difference the satisfaction we used to get from 5 minutes puffing an ....og requires 10-12 minutes vaping. As I get more comfortable with vapeing I'm focusing making more effort to focus on rolling the vape around in my mouth a bit before grabiing the throat hit. Sometimes I take the throat hit immediately begin exhaling thru my nose and sorta rock the vape back and forth between my nose and throat a few times until it's all exhaled.

I didn't realize that. I will give your approach a try and see how it goes.
Actually savor the smoke a bit more and see how that works out.

I'd like to thank everyone who has responded so far.
So glad I found this forum.
First you helped point me in the right direction as far as equipment goes. And now the support as I actually give this a try.
It's closing in on 4 PM here, and so far I've only had 2 actual cigarettes today. Instead of probably a pack by now since I've spent most of my day on the computer.
The big test will be tomorrow at work. Not sure if I am ready to see if vaping only will get me through from one break to the next.

 

[Frenchfry1942]

There are a lot of non-cloud chasers here that inhale into the mouth and exhale out the nose. The nose hairs grab the water molecules and nic for obsorbtion.

 

[sd3614]

Even 24 is high, but the light headed part.. let that be a calming fact that you ARE getting MORE nicotine than with the the cig. Trust it. I transitioned in 2 weeks. I had no problem leaving for work with just the 18mg stuff and my mod because I knew my cigs did not buzz me like this. 4 months later I a working on 6mg-12mg.

The strange thing is I was able to go longer at work without vaping because I was getting more Nic than I needed per session and the other chemicals (that make you Jones for a smoke that has nothing to do with anything except big tobacco addictive rat poison) I was not inhaling. I think those other ingredients is what keeps you feeling like you need to lite up.

 

[NealBJr]

I just started vaping 3 days ago, and I seem to be in this weird transition zone.
Every now and then I get a craving for a real smoke, but when I have one, it isn't nearly as satisfying as it used to be.

I was a pack-a-day + smoker for over 30 years.
I started using an iStick 30 with a Nautilus Mini. Vaping 24 mg E-juice.
I didn't care for the flavor of the juice I was using. (tobacco cowboy, which tasted better with that weak pen they use to sample flavors at the store, than it did in my rig) So I got some other juice yesterday (chocolate) and mixed it with what I still had in the tank.
Much better, and really satisfying.

Something about vaping just seems different than smoking. It's hard to describe.
Instead of puffing on my rig for 5-10 minutes and being satisfied for like 30-45 minutes, like I would with a cigarette. I tend to take a puff every couple of minutes. Which means I end up vaping almost constantly.
Is this normal?
Or should I maybe cut back on the mg a bit. Because if I try to vap like I smoke, I end up light headed.

It took me a month or two to fully transition, but I wasn't actually trying to quit. Like you, it was something different, and really didn't %100 replace cigarettes, but it did cut down on the cravings quite a bit. I went from a pack a day to 3 per day instantly... and this was without even trying. I used vaping as a means to "smoke indoors". I never did find an ejuice that fully satisfied me, nor one that tasted like a real cigarette. I used it as a hold over between a real cigarette.

Over the next month or two, I continued to use vaping as a hold over. I would vape until I needed a cigarette, then I would go outside when I just needed a real cigarette. It went from three per day, to two, to one per day over 2 months. That is when I did some serious research. Like you, I was curious as to why I still craved a cigarette. I found out that Nicotine is amplified by other ingredients in a cigarette. There are other chemicals that make your brain more susceptible to nicotine. Nicotine releases Dopamine, and other chemicals in a regular cigarette slow chemicals that break down the dopamine. Thus so, you get a longer satisfaction from a cigarette, because the dopamine is present longer. In a an ecig, you don't have those chemicals, and the dopamine is broken down much quicker.

So, constantly vaping is expected. I would adjust your nicotine content to adjust to the different habbit of vaping. Just keep in mind, there are more chemicals in a cigarette than just Nicotine... it's the one chemical that has gotten a bad rap from cigarettes. There have been 2000 chemicals in a cigarette, and others are addictive too. AT least with an ecig, you break it down into 4 base chemicals the ejuice is made of, and traces of a few more are made during the vaping process. It is a much safer alternative.

Here's some reserach if you don't mind reading. I always arm myself with knowledge.

THE BRAIN FROM TOP TO BOTTOM
Understanding the war between nicotine and dopamine helps smokers quit - NaturalNews.com
Some notes on nicotine, absorption, addictiveness and MAOIs | E-Cigarette Forum

 

[Baditude]

The transition from smoking to vaping exclusively is different for everyone. Some can do it right from the beginning, for others the transition can take months.

I was a pack per day smoker for over 30 years. It took me about a week to make the transition, but that was my plan from the get go. I knew from my previous attempts to quit smoking (nicotine gum & patches, prescription drugs, hypnosis) that I'd still get strong cigarette cravings. So, I allowed myself to have a few cigs a day at the beginning. I vaped as much as I wanted. I only smoked HALF of a cig for the most severe cravings, otherwise I just vaped more when I had a craving.

Those "second half" cigs began to taste pretty bad as the week wore on, and I began to prefer my vape over the cigs. When my full pack of cigs for the week was finally gone, I didn't feel the need to buy another. It's been over three years now and I don't miss them a lick.

 

[tay666]

I picked up some 18mg juice today after work and that is working much better.
Still getting the throat hit I like but not getting the lightheadedness.

Gonna give it a couple more days until I try vaping at work though. Gave myself a nasty headache when I tried at my last break today. Which was the only time I tried vaping at work, as there is only 80 minutes from the end of that break until I leave for the day. But I ended up vaping too much, too fast. Just too used to trying to suck down an entire 100's smoke in under 7 minutes. I couldn't transition to just chilling with the vape.
BTW - the suggestion to savor the vape a bit more is making a big difference in how much I am hitting it now.
Think I am starting to get the hang of this now.
I am also concentrating on the positive. Not kicking myself for how many I still smoke, but appreciating how many I am not smoking.
It is still strange though. The real smokes really aren't that satisfying, but I still crave them every now and then.
I enjoy the hit from the vape more than a hit of a real smoke, but still want a real smoke every so often.

Also, since I still have about 8ml of 24mg juice. I should be able to mix that with like 12mg juice to get 18mg right?

 

[Foggy Road]

I picked up some 18mg juice today after work and that is working much better.
Still getting the throat hit I like but not getting the lightheadedness.

Glad to hear that you found an answer to your lightheadedness.

Gonna give it a couple more days until I try vaping at work though. Gave myself a nasty headache when I tried at my last break today. Which was the only time I tried vaping at work, as there is only 80 minutes from the end of that break until I leave for the day. But I ended up vaping too much, too fast. Just too used to trying to suck down an entire 100's smoke in under 7 minutes. I couldn't transition to just chilling with the vape.

I can see where squeezing a full vape session into a short break would be an issue. I'm fortunate to have been off work for over a week now with nothing on my mind but making this transition.

BTW - the suggestion to savor the vape a bit more is making a big difference in how much I am hitting it now.
Think I am starting to get the hang of this now.

Of course, find the way to make Vaping as pleasant as possible. Can only make the nasty taste of analogs that much easier to resist. Find your "to die for" flavor and immerse yourself in it. I'm anxious to experience the Black Jelly Bean flavor that I ordered online.

I am also concentrating on the positive. Not kicking myself for how many I still smoke, but appreciating how many I am not smoking.
It is still strange though. The real smokes really aren't that satisfying, but I still crave them every now and then.
I enjoy the hit from the vape more than a hit of a real smoke, but still want a real smoke every so often.

Exactly.....I was already without a smoke for over 24 hours when I bought my last pack on Tuesday morning there was no anxiety or disappointment involved. I wanted them I got them. I'm not gonna "do battle" with the urges again. I've always lost and don't need the disgust that comes with that. Of that Pack I bought Tuesday I smoked the last around 5am Saturday. Haven't had one since. Was out and about today hangin out with smokers, could have bummed one at any time, didn't. When I left the house I was wondering not worrying if I'd buy a pack, didn't. The withdrawal will put enuf pressure on you, don't help it make your life miserable. Just like vaping will help ease the transition so will not stressing yourself. You'll smoke your last one... right before you never have another, whenever that time comes. I may go get some before I go to bed. Won't lose a wink of sleep over it. They'll run out again or maybe I'll throw them out. That's just the attitude that I'm going with.

Also, since I still have about 8ml of 24mg juice. I should be able to mix that with like 12mg juice to get 18mg right?

Sounds like good math to me if yer doin 2 equal amounts of juice. 2x 73/672.735%gazinta17=18mg...yeah

Enjoyin the journey... almost 64 hours smoke free

 

[NealBJr]

I picked up some 18mg juice today after work and that is working much better.

I am also concentrating on the positive. Not kicking myself for how many I still smoke, but appreciating how many I am not smoking.
It is still strange though. The real smokes really aren't that satisfying, but I still crave them every now and then.
I enjoy the hit from the vape more than a hit of a real smoke, but still want a real smoke every so often.

Also, since I still have about 8ml of 24mg juice. I should be able to mix that with like 12mg juice to get 18mg right?

That is the perfect way of thinking. Congratulations! There will be times when you just crave a cigarette, and yes, it's ok to have one ever so often. Vaping is not about replacing cigarettes, it's more like a go-between between cigarettes. I consider myself between cigarettes.. and so far, it's been over 2 years. Even if I do give up vaping all together, I will keep a vape at hand in case the urge comes back. It's much safer to vape than smoke.

And your math is about right. As long as they're equal proportions. I try not to worry about the EXACT ammounts, but I do use common sense when it comes to mixing. It's all about what makes you comfortable. I take 12mg and fill a bottle to about 1/3rd, then fill the rest with flavorings/vg. It should be around 4mg/ml... could be 4.1, could be 3.9. In either case, it makes for a tasty juice to me.

 

[HobartVapor]

For me it was instant, the day I got my first vape was the day I stopped smoking.

Smoked for 7 years, pack a day for 5 of those

 

[Smittened]

It was gradual for me. I started vaping a little over five years ago. I used 18mg and also chained vaped. I have been cigarette free for four and 1/2 years. I smoked for over 25 years, usually around a pack a day, sometimes more. I now vape 3mg or 0 mg. I still chain vape often though. Good luck to you!

 

[Spencer87]

Ill chime in a little.

Took me 5 days. I was PAD, But I wanted to Quit. My brother has been Vaping a year now, and He still has some relapses. He isnt completely off Cigarettes. But He is moving in that direction.

Yea, I vape a heck of a lot more than I smoked. I mean... I am probably sitting at around 10 ml a day.

Granted... Though, I can take a couple puffs, and put it down. Vaping is healthy. I say If you need to glue your rig to your mouth its better than having a cig. Vaping is Fun. Smoking is Cancer. Cancer is not fun.