Can you share your Whole Tobacco Alkaloid success stories?

[R. Scott Kennan]

Hey everyone. Ignore my "days without a cigarette" ticker if it's still there; I haven't been back here in a while, and I'm going to reset it. Edit, 11/2/14: I reset it starting today. I vaped most of yesterday, but had a few cigarettes in the morning so I'm not counting it.

Long post ahead; if you want me to get to the point, scroll down to TL; DR: at the bottom.

I joined the forums almost a year ago, when I first got back into vaping, after the technology improved from my earliest attempt.

Without getting into too many details, I was gung ho, but failed at becoming a full-time vaper. I had a few periods of just vaping, the longest being a month, but mostly I've been a dual user or just plain smoker.

I had high hopes; I upgraded from my Evod kits to a Provari 2.5 with Nautilus tanks as a gift to myself as my quit date approached. I spontaneously decided that when I got the Provari and the tanks at the same time that I'd quit on the spot. I had plenty of juices that I liked the flavor of.

...But it didn't take. A low-level sense of panic-almost like a feeling of drowning which I felt in the back of my throat- would creep over me at certain points, and I knew that the only thing that would make it go away was an analog. With a limited budget, I started spending more and more of it on cigarettes.

I had heard of WTA, but I couldn't risk the money on something else that might go to waste. I couldn't risk sacrificing my budget and not having something to satisfy my demon- and for the longest time that meant a real cigarette. Withdrawal is utter Hell for me, a 2 PAD smoker. I can't concentrate, I'm irritable, and I don't even like myself. That's kind of a digression, though.

Fast forward to now. I had planned to go to a Native American reservation in my old home state to buy about 6 months worth of cigarettes (they're $2 a pack there). The trip would have cost about $600 all told. We had some unexpected expenses the day before my trip, and suddenly I was faced with a budget of $230- which meant I could either afford gas to get there, or some of the cigarettes at that price (if I could learn to teleport). The trip was off. There's no way to make my budget stretch as long as it needs to buying locally, even though premium cigarette prices are lower here than they are where I came from.

My lizard brain was going crazy at the prospect of the pain to come, until I remembered WTAs. I did some research, and things started looking better. Ultimately, I want to be a full time vaper, and if something can give me the missing link, I have to take the chance. I decided to go for it.

I ordered some flavorless DIY WTA, G.I. Joe, and Sahara from Aroma E-liquid, along with 2 more Nautilus tanks and a bunch of coils.

I really, really hope this works. I have no other prospects.

TL; DR: Sorry for the long explanation, but can any of you post your success stories of WTA, and how they finally helped you stop craving analogs, or made you enjoy vaping more? Feel free to really exaggerate. ;D I want to get as psyched as possible as I wait for my vape mail. Thanks in advance.

 

[faile]

**Paging AndriaD**

Sorry, I don't have experience with WTAs myself, but I have read several encouraging stories by others who will hopefully be along shortly to help you out. Good luck with your second time around!!

 

[four2109]

I tried some from Aroma a couple of years ago. Didn't really notice a difference. I know what you mean about that missing link. I tried snus for awhile too.
I just ordered some WTA from Whole Cigs to give it another try.
I hope you get some responses, may even success stories.

 

[snork]

I was one of the earliest adopters when Aroma first began making it available back in September of 2011 and have kept my eye out for how it has helped people as well as how it has not. From my observations it seems to have some effect for the majority of people, from the imperceptible to the profound. Others not a lick. Some people experience some immediate gratification, others like myself benefit from a cumulative delivery. I do know that if one puff doesn't give you what you want and you write it off you're selling it short, vape it for a week straight and then decide.
Just like vaping in general, WTA isn't a magic bullet. Willpower is still the biggest tool in getting past the bumps.

I have vaped WTA juice almost exclusively for more than three years now and I miss it when I don't. In my case I know for a fact that by this time I have cigarettes licked, but the WTA brings a peace to my psyche - I suppose you could say I'm addicted to it but I look at it another way. It provides a piece to the puzzle of my brain.

I feel great, the Dr. gives me two thumbs up.

 

[four2109]

Snork, Have you noticed a difference with different vendors, liquids?

 

[snork]

Yes. I have tried them all (there were three suppliers, now two) and personal preference, direct physical experience with the particular process and location, and resulting personal friendship with Mr. Green all make me a loyal Aroma customer. I can't really comment on the "efficacy" of the others because I've always been completely and utterly satisfied with Aroma, but there was certainly a difference between the three. YMMV. I've also been fortunate to have some made by DVap, not surprisingly Aroma's and DVap's are very similar.

 

[R. Scott Kennan]

Thanks guys, especially Snork. I spent all night reading the "WTA is the Future" thread, so I saw your name a lot. Like a lot of people in that thread, I've also tried snus, which contain WTAs among other things, and they helped me stick to vaping (they calmed me right down), but ultimately I hated the tastes.

As an uneducated person who hasn't tried WTA in vape form yet but has read a lot of reviews and watched a lot of videos, I have a hypothesis- the group of people who can vape without cravings for something more overlaps with the group of people who say that they feel nothing. Conversely, the people who report mild to strong reactions to WTA are the people who have been suffering with vaping alone. /hypothesis

That might not sound like a very profound observation, but I think the key is that we were each getting something different from smoking. Some of us (and hopefully I'm one of them) had brain receptors that became accustomed to WTA in cigarettes. For the people with the most extreme positive reactions to WTA I suspect that WTA was one of the main reasons we smoked.

This is all complete conjecture, and I hope I'm right. I'd love to be one of the few who find that they've been needing this. Personally, I hate the feeling of being overnicced and then "hung over" after a night of heavy vaping, but there's nothing like a cigarette after not having had one for a while.

 

[AndriaD]

Sorry I wasn't here earlier; I have a cold, and just had to go lie down for a while. Definitely a milder cold than I've had in 40 yrs, no doubt thanks to not inhaling poisonous tar anymore, but the inside of my sinuses feels absolutely raw.

This is my 2nd time around with quitting; I first quit back in Feb, after a month of decreasing smoking and increasing vaping; it was so painless compared to every other method I've tried, I was completely amazed. Feb 27 I smoked my last.

That endured for 115 days, but after I had my appendix out, in June, I was so godawful sick, I couldn't eat or vape or anything for 4 days, and even after that was over and I *tried* to vape, it just tasted sick-making after 4 days without it, but cravings were making me crazy... so I smoked. I was able to do the same thing I did before, gradually decrease from about 15 a day, while trying hard to increase vaping every day, and I was able to hold it down to a month, and quit again July 25.

That went very well for about 10 days, then out of the blue, cravings started hounding me again, but I really didn't want to go back to smoking again and have to do the whole thing all over again. I had already acquired some Virginia WTA from Aroma, in preparation for my 3wk and 3mo points, I had a real hard time around those times, my first time around, so rather than go back to smoking for a 2nd time, I just added some WTA earlier than expected -- and after my first full day vaping it, I didn't have a single craving all day. Win! So I maintained that small amount mixed with my regular Virginia, and had no more cravings, period. I even sailed right thru my 3wk point completely unaffected by the depression/alienation type feelings.

However, sometime after that 3wk point, I began to grow less and less fond of the tobacco flavor, the Virginia that up till then had been my ADV; it just didn't taste good to me anymore, compared to this Blueberry Muffin I had been using more and more, so I more or less stopped vaping the Virginia, except for right after meals, and got some unflavored WTA from the other guys to add to the Blueberry Muffin. Still no cravings, and that persisted.

As I got closer to my 3mo point, I thought I'd better increase the WTA percentage in my vape, so, I ordered some Berry Best Pancakes WTA from Aroma -- and over the next couple weeks, though I had no cravings, my breathing just went to hell. I was mixing it at 10% with my other ejuice so I was vaping 75% PG, so I can't really blame the high VG, as I thought at first. I think there's something else in that Berry Best Pancakes that is extremely destructive to my breathing; not sure, don't really know, but I suspect some kind of "diketones" in the butter flavoring part of the flavor. I've had to stop using it entirely, just so I could breathe. I guess I ought to just throw it away, it hurt my breathing so badly. Thankfully I still had a TINY bit of the unflavored, from the other guys, to mix with my blueberry muffin, and since I'm now past the 3 mo point, I'm hoping I won't have anymore of the depression/alienation to deal with; during the couple days when I was vaping no WTA at all, I did feel extremely depressed, but that was RIGHT AT the 3 mo point, but now I'm past that, and mixing in just 1% of the unflavored into my blueberry muffin ejuice. No depression, no cravings. And since I stopped the Berry Best Pancakes COMPLETELY, my breathing has improved dramatically -- there really is something in that ejuice that is very bad for breathing, especially if you have asthma/COPD already (I have asthma).

I do plan to get more unflavored to keep on hand, just for those stressful times when the cravings might make a comeback -- I really don't want to ever smoke again, but it's hard to remember that, when cravings are slapping you around.

Andria

 

[whanso1]

When I began switching to vaping from the nasties wta helped me get past the three week mark. I would get a very uneasy feeling at about two weeks, and after another week that feeling turned into headaches and a feeling of rage. Snus kinda worked but it just wasn't for me. A stinky would also clear up that feeling almost immediately, wta took probably half an hour to clear it up. Eventually I never got that feeling again, and basically forgot about wta. But it took lots of effort to get off the yuckies for good. But quitting smoking has definitely been the best thing I have ever done for myself.
At first I kept a clearo with wta in it for when I needed it, I also got wta at 36mg.... Which may well have been an extra little kick I needed also. I imagine I was using 18 mg at the time, possibly 24mg on occassion. I still have that bottle... And although it's 2 years old now, I would use it again if I got that feeling. I probably only used 4ml of it total, and half of that probably leaked out of Clearos; I also remember it had gunned that clearo up pretty quickly and badly. I used it probably six months ago, only because I discovered it in the work truck buried under some electronic equipment, gawd that stuff does taste nasty... Reminded me of a cig, yuck; and at that point it seemingly had zero effect on me, so my guess is I got over wta addiction, still working on the nic addiction. But now when I can't vape, I don't get rage fits or headaches, really I just get a feeling of not having freedom, and it's more of a strong want than a need. But as soon as my surroundings or whatever permit vaping again... I am right back at it.

 

[four2109]

I'm pretty bummed with Aroma's website. I made an order but it was difficult to find what was available, what I could order, what was WTA, etc.
I guess they are also selling standard liquid.
I don't really need pictures of tobacco leaves to sell me on a product.
I wish vendors would just give me a sushi bar list of what is available, and let me add to cart.
Whole cigs was easier, but it's been 3 days and they haven't shipped....

 

[snork]

I'm pretty bummed with Aroma's website. I made an order but it was difficult to find what was available, what I could order, what was WTA, etc.
I guess they are also selling standard liquid.
I don't really need pictures of tobacco leaves to sell me on a product.
I wish vendors would just give me a sushi bar list of what is available, and let me add to cart.
Whole cigs was easier, but it's been 3 days and they haven't shipped....

Yep, Aroma's website is a pain. My bookmark is this:
Whole Tobacco Alkaloid WTA Eliquid Ejuice
Those are all of the WTA eliquids, Red Tail is VG predominant and the Aroma line is PG predominant.

I looked at my order history. I've made 41 orders in 37 months, averaging around $60/order. This counts flavors I've rejected and the occasional VIP treatment. It's a very accurate figure for what it costs this particular vaper to vape 24mg WTA juice his particular way.

 

[four2109]

Yep, Aroma's website is a pain. My bookmark is this:
Whole Tobacco Alkaloid WTA Eliquid Ejuice
Those are all of the WTA eliquids, Red Tail is VG predominant and the Aroma line is PG predominant.

I looked at my order history. I've made 41 orders in 37 months, averaging around $60/order. This counts flavors I've rejected and the occasional VIP treatment. It's a very accurate figure for what it costs this particular vaper to vape 24mg WTA juice his particular way.

Yeah, it's pretty pricey. I probably only spend $60=$100 a year on nic since I DIY. I just hate that e-liquid sites are so cumbersome. I just started adding everything to my cart if it was in stock, and then realized most of it wasn't WTA... Why is there a limit on how much you buy?

I followed that DVAP thread for awhile. Lucky you for getting to try it!

 

[snork]

Sometimes there's a limit on Unflavored, the rest is limited by supply on hand or what fits in a box. I regularly buy them out of G.I. Joe 24mg.
If you had the opportunity to see the process and what all goes into it, you'd know it's a *deal*.

 

[four2109]

Sometimes there's a limit on Unflavored, the rest is limited by supply on hand or what fits in a box. I regularly buy them out of G.I. Joe 24mg.
If you had the opportunity to see the process and what all goes into it, you'd know it's a *deal*.

I think I ordered the GI Joe to try. It had really good reviews. I used to like Virginia from a few vendors but it became so hit and miss that I just gave up on flavors. Atty heads last much longer now. Does the WTA gunk up your attys?

 

[AndriaD]

I think I ordered the GI Joe to try. It had really good reviews. I used to like Virginia from a few vendors but it became so hit and miss that I just gave up on flavors. Atty heads last much longer now. Does the WTA gunk up your attys?

The Aroma Virginia WTA is very tasty -- which kinda surprised me, because Virginia does seem to be a very hit or miss flavor. Back when Virginia was my ADV, I found Aroma's WTA version surprisingly good.

If you do any DIY and like Virginia, the "Tobacco Express" line at EcigExpress has a really excellent Virginia flavor. Their Golden Virginia isn't quite as tasty, it has a little more of that "green" taste, but it's a little smokier, so I made a DIY Virginia using mostly the Tobacco Express Virginia, with just a little of the Golden Virginia, for the smokiness. Adding the Aroma Virginia-WTA to that turned out very well.

EDIT: it doesn't seem to gunk up the coil any worse than regular ejuice, but it gunks up rayon wicks something terrible. For my kayfun with Virginia in it, I went back to organic cotton.

Andria

 

[snork]

WTA in and of itself is definitely not a coil gunker.

 

[Rickb119]

I was a 1-2 pack a day smoker for over 45 years. When I found vaping, I quit smoking completely within 4 days. Life was wonderful, for a while anyhow.

I don't know exactly when it started (several months?) but like you, I found myself very irritable, unable to concentrate, think clearly or even able to make simple decisions. This went on for months as I tried to figure out what was wrong with me. I thought it might be my thyroid acting up again. I had been diagnosed with and treated for graves disease a few years ago. Got tested and nope, that wasn't it. The thyroid was fine.

OK I thought, it's got to be my diet. About 6 months prior to quitting smoking, I had drastically changed my diet due to very high triglycerides. I started adding a little of this and eating a little less of that. Still no change. (As a side note, I did lose 50 pounds in a little over a year because of the diet change.)

About that same time I read (here on ecf) about WTA and ordered a bottle of Aroma unflavored to add to my DIY. WOW!!!!!!!! What a difference!!! I could tell that this is what had been missing. Even though I felt the effects within a few minutes, it did take a few weeks to get back to my semi-normal self.

I started smoking at age 12 so maybe, like you mentioned, my brain is hardwired to expect, and need, those alkaloids that are not present in just nicotine.

I already have enough regular nicotine in my freezer to last the rest of my life (and then some). If Aroma would sell the WTA by the liter, I'd really be set. I might have to take out a 2nd on the house, but it's a small price to pay for sanity. (Or at least as close as I'll ever get to it.)

 

[four2109]

It sounds like most of you are adding some to regular e-liquid. Any consensus on how much? What ratio?
I think I like the idea of a separate tank with all WTA in it.

 

[R. Scott Kennan]

There have been a lot of good replies since I last saw the thread. I appreciate it. Sorry for disappearing; I had/still have a working weekend on a project that has to be ready by the end of the day tomorrow. It's least it's a long weekend for me.

Thanks for asking that question, four2109. It was just what I was about to ask- what the realistic ratio to add was. I vape 24 mg, but I suspect I need something closer to 18 because today I woke up with a hangover-like feeling. I was vaping like crazy yesterday. I drank plenty of liquid.

I'm probably going to get some VG and dilute my juices, but I'll try the WTA straight first. If I do get down to 18 mg and WTA works for me, I might get into DIY juices. The 36 mg WTA juice from wholecig looks attractive, and I'd be able to make it go twice as far with some VG.

Tomorrow I get my juices, according to the tracking info. I'm excited. My new tanks and coils haven't even shipped, but I was able to clean my existing old nautilus coils in Everclear, and dry burn a couple so that they taste like they're new, at least for now. I'm vaping some Boba's Bounty, and imagining what it might be like with some WTA to make it truly satisfying in addition to tasting amazing.

But yes, I'm really appreciating the stories and other posts. Thanks.

 

[Rickb119]

what the realistic ratio to add was.

I too vaped it straight when I first got it, but have found that 10% added to my mix works just fine.