Will my cravings for cigarettes ever go away?

[Roxyco]

Hi everyone. I'm very new to vaping and have just got into it the past 2 weeks because my friend recommended it. At first I was sceptical and didn't really see how it could work for me, so I vaped for a few minutes and then just lit up a regular cigarette. But I'm enjoying it more and more now... I've gone from smoking around 10-15 cigarettes a day to hardly any at this point. The problem is, I'm still getting cravings for regular cigarettes (especially when I'm drinking alcohol) and have had a couple here and there which disappoints me. I see people saying how they went from smoking a pack a day to 0 just like that after they discovered vaping and this just isn't happening for me. I wonder if anyone else experienced something similar to me at first, and more importantly, will this go away so I can enjoy a life without cigarettes and just be happy vaping? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! (Apologies for rambling on!)

 

[MorpheusPA]

I did just like you did and had a transitional period. For about 3 months, I still had the occasional cigarette when the itch got to me, but the periods between them got longer and longer. My mother was one of lucky ones who made the transfer instantly.

A very few people report that the craving never completely disappears (but it does get a lot more gentle). In my case, I haven't had a significant craving after about six months in, and those were pretty minor at the end. Nowadays, if I crave anything, I crave my vape. And even that's rare.

WTA liquids can help bridge that transitional period with no or fewer cigarettes, but personally? I wouldn't beat myself up over a few cigs. It's not that you smoked a few...it's that you didn't smoke a heck of a lot. A 90% reduction in your smoking rate means you're only 10% away from quitting them completely, which is really good for just starting in my book!

 

[ismokeinbinary]

When drinking use a slightly higher Nic juice. Also, what setup do you have? I have been off cigs for over a year and I don't have cravings for them at all. They taste and smell disgusting to me now.

 

[Roxyco]

I did just like you did and had a transitional period. For about 3 months, I still had the occasional cigarette when the itch got to me, but the periods between them got longer and longer. My mother was one of lucky ones who made the transfer instantly.

A very few people report that the craving never completely disappears (but it does get a lot more gentle). In my case, I haven't had a significant craving after about six months in, and those were pretty minor at the end. Nowadays, if I crave anything, I crave my vape. And even that's rare.

WTA liquids can help bridge that transitional period with no or fewer cigarettes, but personally? I wouldn't beat myself up over a few cigs. It's not that you smoked a few...it's that you didn't smoke a heck of a lot. A 90% reduction in your smoking rate means you're only 10% away from quitting them completely, which is really good for just starting in my book!

Thank you for your reply, MorpheusPA.

And yes, I suppose I should be proud of myself for smoking tonnes less than I've been doing the past 10 years! To be honest, I'm not finding myself craving all the time at all, maybe once in a day (compared to 24/7 when I tried cold turkey!) And it's actually been really easy once I gave the e-cig a chance. Can I ask how many cigarettes you used to smoke before you began vaping?

Thanks again

 

[Train2]

I wasn't even TRYING to quit smoking, but after a couple weeks of vaping a bit and smoking, cigs no longer tasted good, so I stopped, and never really HAD cravings.

I was using very high nicotine (back when a lot of people did - and no one was sub-ohming).

Some people find it very difficult (but they DO it!) and some find it easier.
Nicotine level MIGHT help - what kind of equipment, and what strength liquid are you using?

 

[Roxyco]

When drinking use a slightly higher Nic juice. Also, what setup do you have? I have been off cigs for over a year and I don't have cravings for them at all. They taste and smell disgusting to me now.

Thanks for the response.

I've got the Totally Wicked Curve with 6mg liquid. Do you think I possibly need higher than this and this may be causing the cravings?

 

[mcol]

I was smoking over 2 packs a day. I wasn't trying to quit smoking either
it just happened. Over time. Towards the latter part of the switch I
was still smoking one cig when walking the dog. I started to dread that,
as 'oh darn I have to put down the vape to smoke now'.
I suggest one liquid that is strong, such as a coffee or tobacco flavor
in a higher nic than what you normally use. Use that exclusively for
when you're out drinking.
I started out very high mg. of nic too - 54 mg. But I was using low power
systems. I'd vape until my mouth went numb, oh the ANTZ would have
fun with that one wouldn't they?

 

[Roxyco]

I wasn't even TRYING to quit smoking, but after a couple weeks of vaping a bit and smoking, cigs no longer tasted good, so I stopped, and never really HAD cravings.

I was using very high nicotine (back when a lot of people did - and no one was sub-ohming).

Some people find it very difficult (but they DO it!) and some find it easier.
Nicotine level MIGHT help - what kind of equipment, and what strength liquid are you using?

Yes, this just crossed my mind.

I'm using 6mg nicotine, and am used to smoking around 10-15 Camel Lights a day. Possibly I need to up to nicotine level?

 

[Froth]

When drinking use a slightly higher Nic juice. Also, what setup do you have? I have been off cigs for over a year and I don't have cravings for them at all. They taste and smell disgusting to me now.

This is not the first time I have seen this recommendation, having one specific flavor that you pair with alcohol/drinking does help that specific craving from my experiences. Honestly I believe that in the first 3-6 months it is perfectly acceptable to have an occasional cigarette while transitioning, you have to remember that all of the reports of people straight quitting without ever having a cigarette again are not you! You may take a very different approach to quitting cigarettes using vaping than everyone else, nobody is required to abide by a set of rules in order to be successful with vaping.

Everyone goes through things and experiences things differently, so in my opinion you would be doing a disservice to yourself by trying to mimic the way someone else used vaping to quit smoking, do it however you feel is necessary and don't let anyone else tell you different, especially don't let it change how you feel about what you are doing! Harm reduction is the start, smoking a cigarette even every day while starting vaping is a huge difference when you consider if that person was smoking a pack or more a day previously, a reduction down to even 1 smoke every day is a massive reduction compared to sucking down 1-2 packs!

 

[Roxyco]

I was smoking over 2 packs a day. I wasn't trying to quit smoking either
it just happened. Over time. Towards the latter part of the switch I
was still smoking one cig when walking the dog. I started to dread that,
as 'oh darn I have to put down the vape to smoke now'.
I suggest one liquid that is strong, such as a coffee or tobacco flavor
in a higher nic than what you normally use. Use that exclusively for
when you're out drinking.
I started out very high mg. of nic too - 54 mg. But I was using low power
systems. I'd vape until my mouth went numb, oh the ANTZ would have
fun with that one wouldn't they?

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, it's becoming clear that I should be using a higher % of nicotine!

 

[Roxyco]

This is not the first time I have seen this recommendation, having one specific flavor that you pair with alcohol/drinking does help that specific craving from my experiences. Honestly I believe that in the first 3-6 months it is perfectly acceptable to have an occasional cigarette while transitioning, you have to remember that all of the reports of people straight quitting without ever having a cigarette again are not you! You may take a very different approach to quitting cigarettes using vaping than everyone else, nobody is required to abide by a set of rules in order to be successful with vaping.

Everyone goes through things and experiences things differently, so in my opinion you would be doing a disservice to yourself by trying to mimic the way someone else used vaping to quit smoking, do it however you feel is necessary and don't let anyone else tell you different, especially don't let it change how you feel about what you are doing! Harm reduction is the start, smoking a cigarette even every day while starting vaping is a huge difference when you consider if that person was smoking a pack or more a day previously, a reduction down to even 1 smoke every day is a massive reduction compared to sucking down 1-2 packs!

Very true.

It's easy to get frustrated that I haven't totally kicked it yet, but I guess I need to just keep on vaping, and the way things are going, cigarettes are becoming less and less appealing. I have only had one today, and actually felt sick afterwards as if smoking for the first time. It's more the habit over anything else. After a meal, after a coffee, that sort of thing. But I'm gradually enjoying the e-cig more than I ever thought I would!

Hoping this will keep on happening until eventually I have no desire at all to light one up.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[CaveFurby]

Mine was a transition too, I also was a 1-2 pack a day smoker. Noticed certain things, I'd have strong cravings right after eating, drinking coffee, and when driving in the car. Made sure I had a higher nic, stronger juice those times...some of the Halo tobacco juices really helped me there. And the cravings for a stinkie does get fewer and far in between, no where near as strong as when I first switched over. And if its the throat hit you're missing, try some juice at a 50/50 ratio, that'll help. (I started out with 50/50 juice, and when I first tried high vg juice it was a BIG disappointment, as I could barely tell I was inhaling anything, and the flavor just wasn't there....older vapers remember using even higher pg juice, say 80%, when that was all that was around)

 

[Laslo Fienstein]

I was a 20-a-day smoker and had decided to give vaping a chance - I arranged a date when I had 3 or 4 Ego batteries and clearomisers and enough juice to keep me interested - then I lit my first cig in the morning, got halfway thru and decided it was time - I vaped 12mg and thought it "ok" - I went back to the cigarette sitting in the ashtray and had one puff - and put it out. That was after over 40 years of smoking, so I know it's different for everyone - don't beat yourself up about it - you'll probably find that one day you're vaping and smoking will have ceased to have you in it's grip. I should have given up after pneumothoracic surgery 20 years ago, but didn't, and only after a year and a half of COPD did I discover vaping last summer. Persevere!

 

[crxess]

Temporary lifestyle change helps.

Am I worth it?
Do I really want it?
Can I do it?

Avoiding cigs is good. Avoiding things making the need more difficult is better.

 

[Roxyco]

I was a 20-a-day smoker and had decided to give vaping a chance - I arranged a date when I had 3 or 4 Ego batteries and clearomisers and enough juice to keep me interested - then I lit my first cig in the morning, got halfway thru and decided it was time - I vaped 12mg and thought it "ok" - I went back to the cigarette sitting in the ashtray and had one puff - and put it out. That was after over 40 years of smoking, so I know it's different for everyone - don't beat yourself up about it - you'll probably find that one day you're vaping and smoking will have ceased to have you in it's grip. I should have given up after pneumothoracic surgery 20 years ago, but didn't, and only after a year and a half of COPD did I discover vaping last summer. Persevere!

Wow - what a story and well done!

I'm definitely giving vaping a chance - just terrified that I will go back to the way I was. All I can do is, as you say, persevere!

Thank you very much for sharing your story.

 

[Train2]

Higher nic may be worth trying, certainly.
Know that you can buy some 12 in the same flavor as your 6 - and mix them to get 9.



What kind of atomizer?
Looks like the Curve has a Temp Control "kit" that may have a 0.15 ohm coil - for that kind of low resistance, it IS pretty common to use lower nic. But the mod could also run a 1 ohm or higher coil, in which case it's certainly OK to try higher nic.

That's the tendency - people USED to start with 12 or 18 mg nic - but they were using 1.5 ohm coils. When they'd switch to lower resistance (0.1 to 0.5 ohms for example) they'd find they needed to lower to 6 mg or less, or it would be TOO intense...

You'll figure it out!
And you're doing great already!

 

[Roxyco]

Mine was a transition too, I also was a 1-2 pack a day smoker. Noticed certain things, I'd have strong cravings right after eating, drinking coffee, and when driving in the car. Made sure I had a higher nic, stronger juice those times...some of the Halo tobacco juices really helped me there. And the cravings for a stinkie does get fewer and far in between, no where near as strong as when I first switched over. And if its the throat hit you're missing, try some juice at a 50/50 ratio, that'll help. (I started out with 50/50 juice, and when I first tried high vg juice it was a BIG disappointment, as I could barely tell I was inhaling anything, and the flavor just wasn't there....older vapers remember using even higher pg juice, say 80%, when that was all that was around)

Thanks for sharing your story.

I'm definitely going to try a higher % of nicotine as I don't think 6mg is enough for me.

Fingers crossed!

 

[Nimaz]

At first, as a 10-20/day smoker, a few puffs of 24mg/ml nicotine ejuice was enough to keep me away from smoking when the craving was kicking, especially in the morning. This was going along with a strong desire of staying away from cigarettes, an ambition that I had for about 10 years... Also, seeing my physical performances improving at the gym, feeling my body and life cleaning from the smoking misery were strong motivators. There is triggers for smoking. It happened to me a couple of weeks ago when I had a bad day, was upset about silly things, tired, out of batteries and couldn't vape. Had 2 cigs in a 6 hrs time window that day, which reminded me the misery cigs put me in for decades. I still have cigarettes craving time to time, but it's easier to manage, staying away from smoking as vaping becomes more and more enjoyable.

 

[Roxyco]

At first, as a 10-20/day smoker, a few puffs of 24mg/ml nicotine ejuice was enough to keep me away from smoking when the craving was kicking, especially in the morning. This was going along with a strong desire of staying away from cigarettes, an ambition that I had for about 10 years... Also, seeing my physical performances improving at the gym, feeling my body and life cleaning from the smoking misery were strong motivators. There is triggers for smoking. It happened to me a couple of weeks ago when I had a bad day, was upset about silly things, tired, out of batteries and couldn't vape. Had 2 cigs in a 6 hrs time windows that day, which reminded me the misery cigs put me in for decades. I still have cigarettes craving time to time, but it's easier to manage, staying away from smoking as vaping becomes more and more enjoyable.

Thank you for sharing your story. Can I ask how long you've been vaping for?
As you seem to have been a similar smoker to me, do you think 6mg is too low for me? I do find myself smoking it quite a lot. Is the next level up 24mg or is there something in between I could try? Thanks again.

 

[MorpheusPA]

Thank you for your reply, MorpheusPA.

And yes, I suppose I should be proud of myself for smoking tonnes less than I've been doing the past 10 years! To be honest, I'm not finding myself craving all the time at all, maybe once in a day (compared to 24/7 when I tried cold turkey!) And it's actually been really easy once I gave the e-cig a chance. Can I ask how many cigarettes you used to smoke before you began vaping?

Thanks again

You should be incredibly proud of yourself for smoking tons less! At 2 weeks, I was probably at more than one a day (I no longer remember), but even far more would have been a serious cut in my smoking levels.

I hate to say it, but I was a 2 to 2 1/2 pack a day smoker...of the lightest thing on the market. So for me to drop to 1/2 pack a day the first day was a miracle. And it just went down from there.

It does take a little willpower to put off the craving until the last possible second before you kill somebody (who usually richly deserves it, but still...), but in the end I felt it was worth it.