4 months of vaping and still haven't quit smoking :-( Any advice?

[tanyalee]

As I said in my subject I started vaping in September I think, and I still haven't managed to quit smoking. It's really really bothering me. I read posts from people who quit the same day that they got their e-cig. I got an e-cig because I want to quit smoking so bad. I just don't understand why I can't just throw those cigs away.

Is there anyone out there who had trouble quitting but did? Anyone with any advice for me?

 

[typocinnamongrl]

Have you managed to cut back at all? What nic lvl are you using? Dont beat yourself up about it.. everyone quits in their own time. You have to be ready, have the willpower and WANT it more than anything! It is possible!

 

[Java_Az]

Took me a month to quit smoking after the first vape. What i had to do was go up to 36 mg of nicotine and also vape at 5 volts. I would for sure try some high nic levels and if that dont cut it , maybe look into a 5 volt mod.

 

[poundpuppiesrock]

Don't feel to bad. I tried the vaping thing Christmas of 2010 and it did not last (turned out I had PG reactions). Did it again several times between then and Halloween. Got me some VG on 12/20/2010 and have been good since. There is not a week day that goes by that at 4:00 I am want a real ciggy, but I just up the nic level. To me, when you are truly ready , it is a lot easier.

Sorry, have to do the dancing banana because it drives my hubby crazy that I always include him on my posts. LOL.

 

[FreakyStylie]

I think a lot of what you see is the "OMG! This is so cool! I'm never smoking again!!111!1!!" posts, but a lot of people don't come back and post that they are having problems. There is absolutely nothing to worry about as far as I'm concerned. As long as there is a little cut-back, the harm from smoking is being reduced. Keep browsing the forum, and you will see more and more people who have issues with quitting. I believe that it makes it harder for a lot of people to put extra stress on themselves to quit. Heck, getting stressed makes you want to smoke, LOL.

How much did you smoke before? How much do you smoke now? And what mg strength of juice are you vaping? Those would be the first things I'd have questions on.

EDIT: Just found this thread too. http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...-cant-stop-smoking-what-am-i-doing-wrong.html

 

[tanyalee]

Thanks for the replies - I appreciate it. I have cut down on smoking, from a pack a day to half a pack a day. Some days I've been able to have 1 cigarette...then I just miss it too much. I'm vaping @ 24mg; I figure that's pretty high....?

Going to look at the other thread...thanks FreakyStylie....and everyone.

 

[rtfm]

You may want to read this blog http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blogs/dvap/359-getting-mg-right-model.html

 

[Stosh]

I've been off cigs for 6 months, and if you offered me one now I'd have a hard time turning it down.
When I get an urge or craving I immediately take a few draws on my ego till it passes. I started on
24-28mg juice went up to 30-36mg to really kill the cravings, and have cut back since, not as easy as
many posts would indicate, but doable. Stick with it, maybe a little stronger juice, and keep your
PV handy, (I carry it in my hand most of the day), and vape more often.

edit: just saw your reply, 1 1/2 pad down to 1 cig, you're doing fine, ya gotta be breathing better !!!!!!

 

[Jetmec]

I was on and off e-cigs for a year trying to quit analogs. When I got serious about quitting I went to 36 mg nic and was able to cut down from 1 & 1/2 packs a day to like 3 a day but it took a few weeks. I could light up an analog right now but when I get the urge I just hit my vv mod. I pretty much chain vape but I am down to 18 mg on the nic. It sounds like you are doing ok you have cut down on smoking, from a pack a day to half a pack a day so don't give up it is worth it in the end. I feel so much better now that I have been analog free for 11 weeks but I know I still have a ways to go.
If I can do it so can you, I was a smoker for 50 years and tried every thing out there from hypnosis to acupuncture and everything in between to quit ,nothing worked except vaping. Just keep at it it can work for you too.

 

[Godzilla]

Have you managed to cut back at all? What nic lvl are you using? Dont beat yourself up about it.. everyone quits in their own time. You have to be ready, have the willpower and WANT it more than anything! It is possible!

I think willpower and want, are the two most important things. I set a date (actually it my wife did, and I had a hunch my wife would not be able to quit, and I was right so far, 4 months later I was right)

The key for me was that I had my pv already and knew it worked, but in no way did I know how to use it. spent hours and hours in here, instead of puffing on an analog. from the time that I quit, I could not give myself permission to use an analog, and realized that it was a heck of a lot easier this time than other times I tried to quit because I had my pv. You need to invest in about $200 on juice, all sample sizes of juice from many vendors listed on this site, until you find 5 to 10 you like or love. Once you have the right equipment, know how to use it, and have the peace of mind knowing you have back up suppies and equipment like plenty of attys in regular and lr, cartomizers, drip tips, and 2 or 3 spare batteries, and a spare charger and or pass thru. Once you have all this (and maybe you have) you should be ready to do it.

My toddlers, and the lack of cash motivated me. Although I have not saved a dime, I have enough equipment an juice to last a few months.

Good luck to you, and if you need suggestions on juice let us know what kinds you typically enjoy.

 

[Bluesun62]

Glad to hear a real world story Tanyalee. I can totally relate. I smoked 2.5 to 3 pad. I'm am down to 1/2 pad and sometimes less. 24mg in the AM and 18mg in the evening.

 

[throatkick]

Hi! Maniacal ex-smoker here. Many good points were made above. Is your PV truly recreating the smoking experience?
What's missing? Why is it different? I think the answer lies in a whole bunch of ....-sounding questions.

I broke the smoking down to frame by frame speed. I knew why I was lighting cigarettes, what the triggers were and after 25 years at 3ppd I even had to analyze what it is a liked about smoking (notice user name ) Then I analyzed what I didn't like etc.

So for me it was (notice user name) and as soon as I found a way to recreate that, I was done. I direct drip 1-2 drops on an eGO which is good for about 4-5 good strong drags. I do this about 100 times a day but smoking is already a distant memory.

Anyway, so very .... and may even sound condescending....... it isn't my intention. I had a serious problem with cigarettes and this is the method that worked for me. It may help you too.

All the best!

 

[TxMagic]

After six weeks of vaping and getting the proper equipment for me in place, it magically happened one holiday weekend with a 5-V passthrough, 36 mg, complete change of routine, no cigs in the house (I'd stopped buying cartons the week before) and the knowledge that the 24 hr., 7-11 was right down the street if I really, really needed it. Basically a complete change in my normal routine. Seems I spent most of the holiday weekend with the passthrough plastered to my face and my face buried in ECF. Every time my arm searched for the box and the lighter, I reached for the PV instead. As I was thinking about going to the store to buy cigs in preparation for the work week routine, I realized I didn't really need to. . . three days with no cigs! Swear I heard the sound of the off-switch clicking. I was done. Don't beat yourself up. You'll know it when you get there. The fussing and worrying just makes it worse. Think of it in terms of how many you didn't smoke, not how many you did!

 

[wv2win]

It might be the PV you are using. It took me a month and a half to quit. What made all the difference was getting a good 5 volt PV that much better simulated the "inhaled feel" of an analog. Once I had a PV that felt more like the real thing, I was able to quit for good, almost 2 years ago, now.

Hang in there and good luck.

 

[2legsshrt]

You are doing good. I started vaping Oct 2009. I have used 24 mg 36mg, 3.7v and 6v. The 36mg helps alot more but got talked into 24 mg this time. I still smoke 6-8 cigs a day but I think that is great from 40 a day. I love vaping and find that as soon as I finish a smoke I reach for my Silver Bullet. I am going to try to stop when my last 2 cartons are gone. Don't beat up on yourself just think about how much better you feel.

 

[Remie]

You're not doing anything wrong It's a process... Trial and error. As the previous poster mentioned, it takes some experimenting with different e-liquids, maybe a different model PV... analyzing what it is you're not getting from vaping and a little tinkering around until you hit it just right... and then, sometimes the switch just gets flipped and it really works.

I still crave that elusive *something* that I don't get from vaping (perhaps some of those chemicals that kept us addicted?) but I have my PV in my mouth like a pacifier... I vape 18mg but when that craving hits I up my nic to 24mg and chain vape that for a while and it passes.

I can tell you that I am not craving an analog - I'm craving what I now call *that elusive something* - and if I play around with my stuff, even organize my vaping box and vape on juices I hated a while back, I can distract myself long enough to get through it.

Hang in there. You've cut down so be really proud of that!!


Remie ... vape on

 

[lavalamp]

It took me 15 months, but finally I am smoke-free as of January 1. I don't even miss the analogs. What did it for me was visiting non-smoking relatives over the holidays and I used my eGo most of the time but would sneak out late at night to have a camel, but then I felt stupid as an adult feeling like I had to sneak a smoke, especially since the eGo was taking care of my cravings perfectly fine. So, I was having an analog on New Years Eve and not really enjoying it, and I just decided I was done with them, and I don't miss them at all. Dripping at home and cartomizers away from home are working just fine.

 

[Lisa B]

I vaped and smoked for months, then I found ECF, got a eGo and some cappuccino juice and it hit the spot, 2 days later I quit by accident. It's been over 4 months now and I don't even have cravings anymore. I chain vape but that's okay, my suggestion is play around with your pv, nic strength and juices and find your sweet spot. Just cause it didn't happen the first time you hit the pv, doesn't mean it won't work for you, everyone is different so you just have to play around until you find what works for you.

 

[Kevin Freeheart]

My suggestion would be to up your nicotine to whatever you can comfortably stand. Read about nic-overdose and REALLY UNDERSTAND the symptoms, and then go as high as you can be comfortable with.

I got my PV and vaped in place of analogs for things like restaurants (bans) and long car rides with other people. I never intended to quit smoking entirely.

At one point, I was having a cigarette with a lady-friend and about halfway through, I actually started craving Tastyfinger. I snuffed the cigarette and vaped instead. That was my cue that I didn't need to smoke anymore and have only had a handful in the many months since then, almost entirely while drunk and with dead batteries. I'm convinced that using a high-nic moved my body's fixation on analogs to vaping and when I got cravings, they would be associated with my favorite flavor of vape instead.

 

[pAth77]

Everyone is going to have a different experience when trying to quit smoking. I could never understand how some of my friends were able to quit cold turkey...no gum, no patch, no vaping...they just straight up quit. I just didn't have the will-power or self-control to do it like that. I used the gum, the patch, Chantix. None of them worked for me. I was a 1/2 to 1 pack a day smoker, and then my brother introduced me to vaping last July. He was able to transition quickly, and once he started vaping he didn't have any more urges to smoke..

I, on the other hand, continued to smoke from 4 months while vaping. Within that time frame, I was able to cut down to 3-4 analogs per day. But like a previous poster mentioned, I needed the proper motivation in order to truly quit. Finding the proper PV that suits your need definitely helps, but making the conscious decision to quit is key. What really helped me was to switch my environment. Although I was able to cut down, I would smoke one cig in the morning before work and the rest would be for after work when I would be a happy hour with co-workers/friends. So after my quit date, I didn't go to happy hour for two weeks. That way, the temptation wouldn't be there, and that definitely made the difference for me. After that, being around smokers didn't affect me as much. Yes, smelling the smoke tempted me, and up until now there are still times that I want to smoke. I'm sure that will probably be the case for a long time. The difference now is that I am content with vaping, and it's enough for me not to smoke anymore.

Don't feel bad about not being able to quit right away. Everyone takes it at their own pace. You'll get there soon enough.