2 1/2 months smoke free...and I still miss it

[JLynn]

Last year I ordered the Blu cigs...was highly unimpressed and it sat in a box under my counter only touched about 3X - gave up and went back to smoking.

In December I had to have emergency surgery and although I smoked like a demon on the way from the Dr office to the hospital, I knew this was my chance to quit.

Granted, I was only a pack a day smoker and I could go hours without one if needed but I really really liked smoking. My motivation was my health, I have grandkids and I want to live long enough to see THEIR kids!

So I am smoke free and I should be happy right? You would think that it wouldn't even bother me anymore but I find myself having these...not sure what to call them but for lack of a better word...panic attacks. I get so worked up and in my mind a cigarette would make it all better but I'm not going back to smoking after all this time.

My question is two-fold - does it sound normal that I am still having fits after 2 months plus smoke free?
Is there a good ecig out there that is nicotine free and actually worth the money?

Thank you!
Jen

 

[DeeLeeKay]

Are you totally smoke free? No vaping or anything?

Yes, there are e-cigs worth their money.

I was a pack and a half a day smoker for 40 years.

I would recommend the bloog.

 

[Rosa]

Even though you've been nicotine free for a bit I still think you might want some nicotine now anyway. My experience was that every time I quit before, the craving for cigarettes never went away. I've done a bit of google-research on why this might be (they say it only takes a week at most to get the nicotine out of your system, so why do I still want it?) and what I learned was that long-time smokers can actually permanently damage the way their brain receives dopamine. If this has happened then you may always crave something that will help your brain absorb the dopamine that it wants (nicotine does this).

Now, as for the Blu.... uh, not a highly recommended e-cig for someone who really want's to stop smoking. Not many people will be able to make the switch using a Blu. The right e-cig can make all the difference.

 

[Cynnamin]

Hi Jen! Welcome to ECF So glad to have you here and asking for help!

My answers to both of your questions are YES!!

The mind is the most powerful organ in the body. When I want something, there is NOTHING that can deter me from having it, unless a miracle happens and I am not thinking about it. I know exactly how you are feeling... you keep thinking about that cigarette, the smell of smoke, that first puff when you light it, the airy feeling you get as you exhale, feeling that weight in your hand, between your fingers, etc. Absolutely YES YES YES. I would go for a year or more without cigarettes, no cravings and then BAM, I wanted one so bad. (I have a sibling with the same issue - he was quit smoking for three years and then one day, all he could think about was a cigarette!)

I may not be normal in any sense of the word - what is normal anyway? But feeling like if you could just have one more cigarette, things would be okay, I understand.

Now for question two -

Absolutely there are!!! There are many, many models to choose from and you can get all strengths of nicotine from nothing to just a tease to so much you could end up feeling lightheaded and nauseous!

I have been vaping for nearly a year and went from a low to midrange of nicotine down to ZERO. I continue vaping because it mimics the act of smoking for me, my device looks and feels a lot like a cigarette... and having that in my hand, with a cloud of vapor around me, is just as comforting to me as a cigarette.

Several times, I've gotten that craving... that need... almost a compulsion... for a cigarette. I gave in and was disgusted, as well as disappointed in myself. Once, when I didn't have my vaporizer charged, I tried a cigarette and realized I'd rather suffer than have one. I haven't had any cravings for a cigarette in more than 3 months, no attacks for one, and very little desire for one in more than 8 months.

The model I have, a VaporKing, is the same as a KR808D-1. The short battery plus the cartomizer (what has your liquid to give you vapor and nicotine if desired) works out to just about a normal "king" size cigarette. Weightwise, it's very similiar, as well as shape and feeling on your lips. You can get longer lengths, up to what feels like a Misty or More cigarette, but slightly heavier, and gives the same experience.

Whatever device you may choose - there are a couple things you need. Battery, atomizer and liquid. The liquid can be purchased without nicotine (I buy from Vapor4Life, Juicy Vapor, Tasty Vapor) in just about any flavor you can think of. You can also get the atomizer cartridge (cartomizer) prefilled so you don't have to bother with a liquid, and get it with zero nicotine.

Some vendors have 2mg nicotine, which is very little, up to 4mg, which is what I use when I do feel like I need some nicotine. There's many higher strengths but 4mg gives me just enough to calm down, hah!

The hardest part for me about quitting smoking BEFORE I had a pv was that I needed to have a cigarette in my hand, something to keep me occupied, to fulfill that "oral fixation". I tried lollipops, pens, pencils, you name it. The only thing that has helped me and kept me off cigarettes is my pv.

 

[Rosa]

Oops, forgot to answer your specific questions:

My question is two-fold - does it sound normal that I am still having fits after 2 months plus smoke free?
Is there a good eCig out there that is nicotine free and actually worth the money?

Last time I quit, I was able to stay away from cigarettes for almost 6 months! But every night I dreamed about smoking and every day it was all I could think about. I was just a miserable person. I knew this man in his 60's who had quit in his 20's and I asked him WHEN I would finally be free of this constant craving to smoke. He said that for the last 40 years he's wanted a cigarette every day -- he just didn't let himself have one. 40 years! That was it for me, I bought a pack on the way home that day. It's totally normal to want a cigarette even though it's been 2 months, 2 years....(not to sound hopeless, some people do very well quitting smoking and some don't).

There are great e-cigs out there that truly mimic the smoking sensation (many even exceed it) and all can be filled with the e-liquid (the nicotine juice) of your choosing -- any flavor and any nicotine mg strength from 0-24 or even higher.


Good Luck!

 

[Cynnamin]

Wow, I just realized how accurate my description of that craving for a cigarette was. I hope that doesn't make it worse for anyone, haha!

 

[banjo]

I was a smoker for 55+ years & quit the day I received my Joye 510 kit. That was 7 months ago & I've been smoke free since then. The transition was amazingly easy, but I still had cravings for analogs for the first couple of months, but nothing so serious that I couldn't control the urge to have just one more. If you are vaping, you should try and match your nic level to your cravings. I started out at 36mg, reduced that within a couple of months to 24mg, and recently dropped down to 18mg, but that wasn't enough, so I'm back to 24mg. Anyway, good luck to you & I hope you can remain analog free. Thanks for the post. Much appreciated.

 

[dormouse]

You can use nicotine-free juice with any decent ecig.

The most popular 2 are compared here (though heavy smokers and people who need extra longer battery life are recommended to get the fat battery model like Ego instead)
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...st-electronic-cigarette-first-time-vaper.html

I recommend manual batteries - makes it easier to drag, less work, better sealed against juice leaks, wwon't turn on by accident from wind or vibration

BTW - Ignore all of those fancy web and mall brands - they are mostly liars and ripoffs. They jack up the prices and make ridiculous claims for how long a cart or carto lasts. They don't last that long. You need to add ejuice to whatever you buy for it to be cost-effective. And many of the fancy web brands sell carts with glued on caps to make that more difficult.

If you have a ton of money, you could get a 2-piece ecig like Vapor4Life.com and just use prefilled cartomizers and throw them out. I refill them and can often get a week's use out of each.

Note - ejuice without nicotine will be missing the harsh throat hit of nicotine. But some flavors have a throat sensation of their own - mints, menthols, flavors with spices like cinnamon or ginger, and even some vanillas.

If you really want to do this and re-spark the hand-to-mouth habit, I recommend either of those models. For the 510 I recommend the mega 510 manual batteries for better battery life equal to the life of the KR8's standard batteries. 510 is closer to the diameter of a cigarette and with mega batteries would be about 138mm long with atomizer and cart, or the way I use it 128mm long with a standard blank carto (Boge soft-cap). 510 with standard batteries is much shorter - just a bit over 100mm with a Boge carto - but then the battery life is more like 2-3 hours (less if heavily vaped) vs 3-5 for the longer battery.

KR8 has more and better prefilled cartomizers available. 510 has a better selection of blank cartos but not a great selection of prefilled.

 

[ddirtyvapes]

My favorite professor at school was the one who really started convincing me that I needed to quit smoking. Of course there were other people in my life who wanted me to, but for whatever reason, it was her urging that began really resonating with me. I haven't been smoke free for as long as you, but she gave me some perspective on the matter. She used to be a 4 pack a day smoker, and quit cold turkey. (Though she urged me to quit, getting an e-cig was my own method.) What she told me, unfortunately, is there are always going to be some times when you crave it. She's been smoke free for years, and when she walks by smokers she said every once in a while, she wants to linger just to get the second-hand smoke. It's normal, no matter how long it's been. It's an addiction, and everyone here knows that. My point is, don't get frustrated by the cravings, but rather proud of every craving you are able to overcome. Does it really matter if you still crave cigarettes 10 years from now if you have the strength to beat them? I'm someone who suffers panic attacks outside of cigarette cravings, and I know how hard it is to "snap out of it." But I think you're thinking negatively when you should be trying to put a positive spin on things. Again, I know it's hard. But CONGRATULATIONS on being smoke free so long, and congratulations on not giving in yet. Find a PV you like and it will only get easier. If you haven't given in to your cravings thus far, just know that you'll never have to, and be proud of every cigarette you want but don't have.

 

[Turkish]

I second DeeleeKay's advice.. but I also agree with Cynnamin and Rosa.

It's quite normal to psychologically crave cigarettes after two months +, and even though the physical (chemical) attachment leaves after several weeks, it can be so intense psychologically as to generate physical symptoms e.g. mini panic attacks. But in my humble opinion, if you haven't smoked any type of cigarette- analog or electronic- then fend off the craving and don't start with a replacement like e-cigs to accommodate. I am of the school of thought that complete removal from nicotine is far preferable than replacing its analog delivery with an electrical one. But if you must, the logical approach would be via e-cigs.

Welcome aboard, and good luck!!

 

[markfm]

The KR808D-1, sold by a bunch of vendors, is indeed a decent PV. NHaler (saveinnj coupon code), vapor4life (smilin), vaporsetc (vapezone) have good products, good customer service, among others. The "808" lets you choose either automatic (started by inhaling) or manual (little pushbutton) batteries.

These will get you a cigarette form factor, and you can use prefilled cartomizers. As someone who has gone cold turkey several months a basic two-battery kit may well work for you.

For current fairly heavy smokers either the XL/Mega 380 mAh KR808D-1 batteries, or a Riva/eGo 510 kit, with a pair of 650 or 750 mAh batteries(mAh = run time between charges, more lasts longer) can be good, but they are less cigarette like in looks, and you would have to fill your own cartomizers or work with the relatively small number of prefilled 510 carto vendors (there are many prefilled 808 cartos available). Liberty-Flights (discount code is probably still october20 -- they post it right on their site) is a good source for them (very attractive price). The Riva/eGo are generally manual.

For someone who hasn't smoked in a while, but still has real cravings, I'd likely go with an 808 kit with 6 and 0 mg prefilled cartos, but also pick up one pack of 12 mg. If the 0 works, stellar, but if not it is really nice to be able to switch to something one notch higher. It bites to be "almost" there, but to need a little more oomph for special trigger times.

If you get a std kit, then the relatively normal near-term additions are a third battery and a 2nd charger. 3rd battery is most important -- sometimes you get an early life failure.

Good luck, and congratulations on having stayed off the smokes this long!

 

[JLynn]

I just feel like crying from relief - thank you all so much! It makes sense after smoking for 20 years that it's going to take more than just getting the nicotine out of my body. To confirm, I have not had a cigarette since Dec 2nd and have not used any form of eCig either. That is my reason for wanting one that is zero nicotine.
I've never experienced the sensation that I'm getting now, not often, but enough to make me try to find a solution. It's like I'm going to explode from the inside out - I want to get a handle on it for my family's sake. I feel like I'm always irritated and that's not how I want them to remember me, make sense?

 

[JLynn]

That was quite a description Cynnamin...I was right there with ya

 

[ddirtyvapes]

Of course you don't want your family to see you as constantly irritated, but I think the irritation and agitation will die down with time. No one who has never had a cigarette understands what it's like to feel like you NEED one. I bet your family is just thrilled you haven't for so long!

 

[VAP3n00b]

You basically quit cold turkey. That is so awesome in itself. You have a ton of will power. I say, first try an ecig with 0mg liquid. If that doesn't do the trick, try something rediculously low and cut it with the 0 mg juice and work your way up the mgs until you don't feel like you're going to jump out of your skin anymore. I'm doing the opposite and working my way back down the scale. Just switched from 24 to 18 mg today.

 

[JLynn]

The ONLY reason I was able to quit cold turkey was because I was in the hospital and had no choice. You know how they say things happen for a reason? I walked around with a mis-diagnosed ruptured appendix for a week. I took it as a sign and I knew I was leaving that hospital a non-smoker. Picking the habit back up is not even an option for me.
I truly think it is the ACT of smoking that I miss..the having one with coffee in the morning on the front porch. I'm so glad I found this forum - I'm going to do some more reading and then choose an eCig

 

[Katdarling]

JLynn,

I so understand. I was smoking nearly all my life (let's just go with 30+ years) and have only been vaping and completely smoke-free for 3 weeks and 2 days. I still try to grab for my pack of cigs all too often. The only difference now is that there IS no pack sitting next to me, nor in the car, none on the porch, in my purse, etc. So I grab for one of my e cigs, take a puff and soon I forget about the urge to have a cig.

Ahhh, but the triggers. I have so many, I've lost count, but here's the Reader's Digest version:

Coffee - gotta have a cig
Telephone rings - where are my cigs
Food consumed - of course a cig!
Cocktails - ok, this goes without saying

Now here's where it gets weird:

good song on the radio
intriguing text message
new mail alert on computer
putting on makeup
time for bed (= 1 last smoke)

At any rate, I'm sure most people on this forum can completely relate and be compassionate with your situation.

Ya know what I miss? Ya know when you are a heavy smoker, there isn't always the time (or desire) to put the cigarette into the ashtray, so it HANGS from your mouth (smoke going up yer nose and blinding your eyes,,,). I cannot do that with my e cigs. What I've realized tho is that that must certainly be THE most ugly site in the world.

So here's to beauty! Wish you the best.

 

[DuncanDisordely]

JLynn I don't know how you are doing it but serious kudos to you either way. You know if you want to look at addiction properly then it does help to read up on the 12 step program, and it doesn't really matter which one you look at they all explain addiction in the same way and there is no difference from a ....... addiction to a nicotine addiction, except of course from the physical or cosmetic differences.
The point is that you are treating two addictions, the physical addiction you can treat with NRT or willpower (or lovely lovely e-cigs) - the mental addiction you can treat with willpower or e-cigs with no nicotine as suggested.

I'd really reccomend you get yourself a good model and lock it in a drawer with some tasty nicotine free juice, at least if you get one of those moments (and I've had 16 years of those moments) you don't have to run to a cancerstick, you'll have your safe alternative option. Just my opinion.

 

[jbooker9]

congrats on being analog and nicotine free for that long. I know that if I would have attempted quitting cold turkey I would have failed. My hat is off to you.

 

[ddirtyvapes]

JLynn, you should find one you love right away. I know exactly what you mean. I missed the "ritual" almost more than nicotine itself. I don't smoke indoors so I missed going outside, or I missed having a cigarette with coffee, I missed having one with beer or wine, etc. The e-cig, for me, and it sounds like it will be for you, was so great at just being there so I had something to do with my hands and mouth. Plus it's damn tasty when you find flavors you like