Did you cut down Analogs Gradually?

[kirsty0108]

Morning Morning

Ok so I've been reading and posting on these boards for about a week now and would like to hear from people who have cut down on Analogs gradually rather than all at once. When I orginally started vaping late November I pretty much cut down straight away , my Happy number was 19 (although some days it was less) . The strange thing is even when I couldn't vape due to the unrealiability of two pieces I still stuck to the 19 I didn't go back to the 25-30 I would have smoked pre-vaping. After getting more and more frustrated with the two pieces I finally realised that I needed to get a 3 piece (I think thats right - I use carto's so technically its still a two-piece but I think you guys will understand what I mean ) Anyway the Riva arrived Monday and I am delighted its amazing and without thinking I have cut down one more analog per day since it arrived. Today being the weekend I was hoping to cut down even more as you know I've got more time to you know just sit around and vape. But since I got up I have been choking on those nasty little analogs I've only had one so far but I was vaping before I got put of bed. This a bit discouraging when I'm constantly reading posts on here which say things like within a week of recieving my ego I quit analogs. I am not really looking fo advice I know my mind set towards smoking is changing but I really would like to hear some stories about others who found it hard to give up on analogs even with vaping and how long it took them?

Even if you still have under five analogs a day would appreciate your tales as at present going down to ten a day seems a scary prospect and at the rate I'm going this will happen about Wednesday

 

[Retriever]

Congratulations, and it sounds like you are making great progress! I quit, only to fall off the wagon during a stressful time, but am happy to say I was able to recover. I think you are doing great!

 

[swedishfish]

I never intended or thought I'd quit smoking. I just wanted to be able to 'smoke' something in the house and around someone that had to quit.

Once I started vaping, I realized it was possible to quit because when I vaped the desire to smoke was gone. It didn't happen overnight and I didn't put any pressure on myself. I cut down, then went from about 5 to 2 then none.

If the actual desire for a cigarette isn't gone for you, I'd suggest upping your nicotine. When I started and tried lower nicotine I just vaped too much and all the flavoring started to make me sick.

You don't absorb nicotine immediately vaping like you do smoking, but eventually the craving for a cigarette subsides. When I wanted a cigarette, I'd tell myself I'd wait 1/2 hour and if I still wanted one I would. Usually I didn't.

Did you read the ECF tutorial? They suggest getting a strong nic juice to start. Even if it's for a couple of weeks until your cravings go away.

 

[swedishfish]

This is from the tutorial-

What nicotine strength do I need ?

Beginners who are reasonably heavy smokers probably need the strongest liquid they can get, for two reasons:

E-cigarettes are far less efficient in delivering nicotine to the user than tobacco cigarettes, so to make up for this you may need to go strong at first. It's very easy indeed to reduce the liquid's strength with a little DIY - but hard to increase it.

Beginners have poor technique so the end result is not optimal - they don't get the full benefit of the nicotine content.
For these reasons, it is probable that, if you are a heavy or medium smoker, or prefer high-tar brands, you should order a bottle of 36mg liquid (or 30mg if that is what your vendor offers) in addition to whatever comes as standard. You can easily reduce the strength if you need to, by adding some VG (glycerine), available at every pharmacy and many general stores.

I really wouldn't worry too much about it. Just get used to vaping. I didn't have my favorite brand around, just some nasty RYO tobacco which was gross. That definitely helped me. First, because I was too lazy to roll cigs and they didn't taste good.

 

[kirsty0108]

I never intended or thought I'd quit smoking. I just wanted to be able to 'smoke' something in the house and around someone that had to quit.

Once I started vaping, I realized it was possible to quit because when I vaped the desire to smoke was gone. It didn't happen overnight and I didn't put any pressure on myself. I cut down, then went from about 5 to 2 then none.

Hi Thanks
Yeah I am going to up my nic for the time I can't constantly vape, on the other hand I also need to down my nic for when I can vape cos I'm getting those nice little nic jitters when I'm taking too much lol! I have a stockpile of Analogs and am anticapating they will end in 5-6 weeks , which is my target for making the switch and even then if I'm having to buy a coupe of packs a week a week then so be it I'll still be healthier with more disposable income every month. I think I'm just a bit discouraged today after doing so well since the Riva arrived but thats why I'm asking for happy stories

 

[JesByChance]

I stopped when I started vaping. Even had some ciggies left in the pack but ended up throwing them away. I've tried so many times to quit and always went back to smoking. On those occasions when I was able to stop for a period of time, if I saw someone smoking, I would deliberately walk by them so that I could smell the smoke. I was also one of those guys that got irritated with ex-smokers saying that they couldn't stand the smell of smoke. Well, I've been smoke free for almost two months and have absolutely NO cravings for an analog cig...Actually it wasn't that hard to stay off of them even when I started with the e-cig. I guess I got lucky with the kit I ordered and the nico level's of the carto.

Best of luck in your vaping journeys!

 

[Doll]

i started vaping over a year ago and my plan was to just cut back
or sort of ween myself off of analogs. i too had alot of frustrations
with equipment and juices after a month or so of both vaping and
smoking i realized i completely messed myslef up cause now i was
addicted to both vaping AND smoking. i didn't treat it as a replacement
but a whole separate thing. i stopped vaping just cause analogs were
easier. Now a couple weeks ago i started vaping again and as soon as
my order of fresh juice got here i didn't pick up another cigarette, i had
2 cigs left in the pack and they're still there. I think it was just so easy
this time cause i knew what my perfect, most satisfying set up was. I
think that is the hardest par is finding your sweet spot, there's just so
many angles and alot of adjusting. You seem like you're well on your way
and set up for success! once you are completely off cigarettes you'll feel a
difference in vaping because of taste buds coming back and less damage
being done to your breathing organs so you'll feel better that will only
make it easier. Good luck!

 

[PatrickG]

The first time I quit it was in one day. I used snus packets as well, which helped immensely. I eventually quit nicotine altogether and stayed that way for 2 years.

Like Retriever, I hit a stressful time and picked up the cigs again, and went back to vaping about a month later. This time I quit gradually. I never actually counted how many I smoked each day. The pressure of cutting down a certain amount added to the stress of quitting and made me want to smoke more. We always want what we can't have more than anything else.

What worked for me was delayed gratification. I'd get the urge for a nic-fix, stick it out as long as I could, then vape like a maniac. The reward of a solid dose after resisting the urge for a while was what kept me away from the analogs.

 

[bigtiime]

First off let me answer the OPs question. I quit as soon as I tried my first PV.I have not smoked a cigarette at all after 42 years at 1 1/2 to 2 PAD.

My wife is a non-smoker, always has been. My son, now 25 years old, quit cold turkey about a year ago. I've had a heart attack, double by-pass surgery and a mild stroke, still smoked. Being on my computer more than not I stumbled onto an ad for yes, Blu. I read it and that evening I had to run to Walgreen's to get a pack of cigarettes.

While waiting in line to check out I saw a Blu disposable hanging on the counter display. On a whim, I bought it. ($10.00) When I arrived back home I showed it to my wife, we both laughed, thinking of course that this is never going to work. I was curious so instead of opening the pack of cigarettes I bought, I tried the Blu.

24 hours later I still had not opened the pack of cigs but the Blu was gone. I frantically looked on line to try and find someplace that sold PVs. Jackpot! I found that we have a shop not 5 miles from my home. It was approx. 6:15 pm and their store hours were until 7:00pm.

When I got to the shop it was like I had died and gone to vaping heaven! The young man behind the counter was vaping some homemade mod with duct tape on it. Huge plums of vaper all around him. I was impressed. We talked way passed their closing time and I walked out with my best new friend!

 

[Hittman1914]

To say its hard is an understatement. I wasn't able to stop cold turkey either. And have only made it about a week without any anologs for a long time.. What I did was stop counting how many days I went without. But rather I'd tell myself each morning (lets try to smoke today). I sill have one every now and then, but have noticed that the longer I go without the worse the anolog taste. And I also play around with liquids to find one that I really love..
This is just my battle and each of us have deal with it different. But imo your doing great..And just keep up the good work..

 

[DaveP]

I found out about ecigs by accident through a paid Google ad, "The Truth about Ecigs". It was a documentary style video production about a fake TV news show that sent a reporter out to expose a company who sold ecigs. The lady reporter was a smoker, so they sent her undercover to expose this obviously ripoff organization.

She went out and played the part of a smoker who wanted to quit. They gave her a free ecig and showed her how to use it. Her co-workers noticed she was using the ecig and were amazed that she wasn't chain smoking anymore. Some of them wanted to try it, did, and quit.

Then they hit you with the free ecig offer where you give them your credit card number and they send you cartridges in the mail ever week and hit your credit card over and over. I didn't buy, but did some more searching and found ECF.

The first week after I vaped, I cut my smoking in half. By the end of the second week, I was smoking about 6 a day, down from 40-50 previously. I still have a few a day with coffee or after meals, but find that they are something I don't need or want. The habit is the hardest part. My wife has decided to quit and eventually, we won't have them in the house anymore.

 

[tidegirl]

I am on a gradual journey as well. I am not smoking as much as you, but if I want to buy a pack of smokes I do it and I don't beat myself up about it.

My journey began mid december. I had never really given much thought to e cigs because I thought they would taste bad. We have a local vape shop and I was watching tv one morning before bed (night shift worker) and their commercial came on. I had seen it before but never really watched it I guess. For the first time I noticed all the little bottles lined up behind him while he was talking. That's when I thought maybe there are flavors, not just some nasty nic/fake tobacco stuff. So I drug hubby out of bed (need a dd when I'm that tired LOL) and an hour or so later I was the proud new owner of an ego t kit. I told hubby as soon as we left that I was not 100% committed to quitting but I was committed to working on it. (He's a non smoker)

I still can't figure out why I hit those times that I really really have to have a cig. My nic needs are being met- I am very familiar with withdrawals and there have been none. I hate the taste, always have, so there should be no motivation there. Vaping makes me completely happy as far as the physical aspect of smoking. So IDK what is left. But like I said I am not beating myself up, if I want to smoke I smoke. And I will get there in my own time. I am doing better with this than I have with any other method of quitting, and I have tried them all.

You said you don't need advice, so I'm sure that means that you know where you are headed here. Just keep at it. You are not the only one who has had a little bit longer road to being smoke free. Actually, besides the vapor clouds, I think the more relaxed approach to quitting is what is helping me the most. With NRT it is all or nothing so all I do is think about smoking because I know I can't.

Also at our Christmas party I found out that a woman in our other office is vaping. She told me that she has been vaping about 1 1/2 years, that it took her about a year to get off the cigs, and she expected to be vaping another 6 months.

 

[mahv]

I took it step by step knowing that if I forbid something to myself then I want it more badly. So I followed my inside feeling. When I carved for instant nicotine boost, I took a cigarette. This measure was not necessary more than two weeks-vaping was just too much more interesting with all taste varietys. I still keep some high nic cartos with me just in case I need a quick boost of nic, but have not used them more than a month.

 

[jdrewry]

It seems that everyone has that starting point of trying an e-cigarette, and the variable that's different for everyone is how long it takes to reduce that need/want for analogs. I took the weekend of Hurricane Irene to make my switch (trapped in the house, and I damn sure wasn't going to venture out for a pack of smokes). Glad it's working for you, and I have every confidence that you'll reach 0 analogs desired.

 

[Northernshrink]

I am finding Vapeing very strange I am new to this and have only been at it 3 days. I received my first kit the other day and after analogs all day began useing it I have lit 2 analogs since taken a couple drags and immidiately put them out they taste like absolute crap to me even after such a short period of time. I have been smokeing 2 packs a day for years and smokeing for 25yrs I by no means think this is normal but hey it's working for me so far just wish I started years ago.

 

[ChipHead]

I vaped and smoked analogues at the same time when I started. Did that for about a a month. The more I vaped, the worse analogues tasted. Got to the point where I hadn't had an analogue for about a week. Lit one up and it tasted like .... That was it, all done. I still get the occaisional fleeting urge but when that happens I just hit my 510 like a wild man!

 

[pumasforpets]

I immediately cut down to 1 per day when I started vaping from 15-18 per day. I ran out of what I had left of a pack yesterday and have no intentions of looking back

 

[cags]

I cut back gradually on cigs. when I started my goal was to go from 2+ pad to 1 pad (it was never my goal to completely quit) . so I vaped and if I wanted a cig after that I had it. in the mornings, I made myself vape and wait for a cig for 10 min...then a few days later waited 20 min, etc, until I found myself having my first cig of the day at 1 in the afternoon. basically if I wanted a cig I would vape for a while and then if I still wanted a cig, I had it, guilt free! after about 1 1/2 months of vaping I found myself at 2 cigs a day. which I still have almost a year later. and I will probably always have those 2 cigs. 40+ down to 2? I consider myself a non smoker I'm old and only had to quit smoking because of the money. yes, I have saved money

 

[AttyPops]

Vaping was new to me. I wasn't sure it would work. I, like many others, had tried quitting several times before...using gum, patches, lozenges, etc.

So...to answer your question, I guess you'd have to define "gradually". I made dang sure that my e-cig setup was working properly and that I had spares. After a while, like pumasforpets above, I just didn't buy anymore smokes. I think it was about a two or three week transition period while I was using up the last of my cigs. Haven't looked back since.

So to all those out there that are unsure, or think that it's an "All or nothing" cut-over.... you can do it gradually (or not at all... many vapers still smoke occasionally. Not recommended tho. Best to cut out smoking completely if you can.)

Every cig you avoid is a major win. The best way to quit is.... how it works best for you.

EDIT: I should add that there was still a 2-3 week withdrawal period from the cigs...while vaping...but vaping made it tolerable. I think there is a point that you have to "set your mind to it". It will pass quicker than you realize right now. There's other addictive things about smoking besides the nicotine...

 

[MrGiggly]

I quit the analogues when my first kit arrived and haven't touched one since. My reason was the birth of our daughter, and I just didn't want to subject her to my second hand smoke when I came back in the house after a cig. That and the fact thats its bloody cold outside and I no longer need to go out for a fix have surely helped, but to be honest reaching for a ciggie hasn't once crossed my mind. Reaching for my vape in the middle of the night when baby is crying and I've had 2 hours sleep has on may occassions though