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[Rustybux]

IT's so nice to see others having the same problem I am having. I started smoking a little in high school but really got heavy when I served in Vietnam. I smoked 2 packs a day for quite a few years. Over the years, i've tried cold turkey, patches, gum, lozenges etc. Nothing has helped me. When I first started on E-cigs (as my son visinedrops got me onto them) we both used them and I went from 2 packs to about 1/2 pack but then I just couldn't handle the cravings, tension, aggrevations, bad moods etc that I went back to Analogs. What a relief that was... felt sooooooooo good.

I don't want the hassle of using juices and filling them myself. I do not like flavored cigs at all. My wife does not smoke and is always onto me to quit. I don't care for the Manual e-cigs because when I carry it in my pocket, i'm afraid the button will get pushed.

I don't direct inhale. I take a drag, hold a second then inhale. It can't be because I'm getting either too much Nicotine or not enough as I've tried all strengths. I can't stand chew, snus etc so don't want that habit either.

I smoke about 2 first thing in the morning with my cup of coffee. then light up during the day as usual.
Smoking for 40 years SUCKS. My e-cig is just the 2 piece. I get them at Vapor4Life-Because it's your life - E-Cigarettes/Smoking Alternatives.

At lease others are having the same problem as I am. Now I don't feel alone. My sister woke up one morning and was out of smokes. Her husband went to the store and forgot to get smokes. they went a week before they realized that they have not smoked. HOW LUCKY.

P.S. I have not seen my son Visinedrops (comes on here once in a while) vape for a while either. I'll see if he still uses e-cigs.

Thanks everyone.

 

[AmyB66]

Best of luck to you Rusty. Prefilleds are icky. I pop the tops off of 510 cartomizers, fill and soak em then just use a type A stainless drip tip and as soon as I even think it is getting a bit dry, just add liquid through the drip tip. No fuddling required, cartomizers will last me weeks.
Holler if we can be of further help. To this day I can't directly inhale anything, vapor or smoking. Never could, which is why I suggested maybe trying a higher voltage battery mod.

 

[Rosa]

Well, if it doesn't work for you then it doesn't work. E-cigs are about 80% effective in getting people to quit smoking (not 100%).

IMO, it's worth trying a bunch of different methods to see if I can get it to work -- don't see the point in giving up on something that works for so many people without making 100% effort. But, like I said, they aren't 100% a cure-all for all smokers.

All I know is I'd be pretty mad at myself if I ended up w/ emphysema or worse some day and had to think about how I didn't really try everything out there.... (not saying this to pressure you in any way, this is just from my own point of view).

Good luck!

 

[Andyhrn]

Why is your jaw hurting? What kind of e-cig do you have? Automatic?

eGo manual w/usb and w/tank but often switching between dripping and curtomizers. I'm vapping a lot. For back up I'm using manual kr808 w/ original cartomizers but they burn my tong and lips.
It's not a battery but carts, attys etc. For dripping,for example, I have to adjust how hard to pull and it's a really "jaw" work.
It's ok. I get used to it.

 

[stratus]

Don't give up quite yet. Have you tried a Mod? Perhaps experiment with different hardware, more voltage, ect. Good luck.

 

[MissKitty47]

I will private message you on our next trip your way...perhaps we could meet up and you can try my set up...I've been so fortunate to have others let me try their stuff, so I'd gladly return the kindness. I'm using a different way to drip...it's called a VapeMate and takes the pain of dripping away (I'm disabled and don't have fine motor skills). Seems like almost all of us have some sort of issues at the beginning...takes a bit to find the right combo. ANY way I can help, just let me know. And THANK YOU for serving our country. It makes me even happier to hopefully help a Vet!

 

[OldDragon]

I too started in the army while in the Nam, they were free and helped when just setting around and nothing to do. I would get a manual e-cigs, takes quite abit of pressure for the button to press on, I don't worry about it. Manual batteries are a lot better for controlling the draw. When I first started using, I smoked the regular cigs quite abit and slowly got away from them, still have 3 or 4 packs somewhere in the house and 5 or 7 cigs in a open pack close to my desk, just don't feel much like using them. seems the best think for you to do would be smoke when you want, keep your e-cig stuff and use every once and awhile. Continue the trip and see where you end up.

 

[whelanska]

To the original poster, try supplementing your e-cig w/ some SNUS! That's the answer for a good many people on this site. E-cig + snus in tandem covers a LOT (if not all) of the cigarette craving. For me, snus replaces the cigarette completely, and an e-cig is something I can do when I'm out on the balcony for a smoke break in the evening with my roommate.

 

[smokum]

Nobody is the same when it comes to addictions....... especially with legal products like cigarettes ! Take you OWN pace at harm reduction and be happy with THOSE accomplishments.

I stated vaping back in Nov'08 when I managed to hit 3 packs of stinkies a day following a long haul of injuries & pain. This after smoking 2-2.5 ppd for 20 years and a total of 36 years of smoking all together !! I gradually decreased my intake of cigarettes to a half a pack a day over a period of time. Move forward 2 yrs & 2 months, and I was still at that 1/2 a pack stinkies yet very happy that I made it that far, not to mention how much batter I felt.

It took seeing myself starting to increase cigarettes again to finally sit back and ask myself WTF ??!! It just wasn't doing it fully for me to transition, even with using up to 48mg/ml juices. So one day, while visiting a good friend I had turned onto vaping, I decided that THIS IS IT !! if HE could do so can I !! and I refused to buy anymore cigarettes ever again.

It sure as hell wasn't easy cut them out entirely, but I never did ever buy them again. Sure, I snook the occasional one since, but between the self embarrassment of both caving AND feeling like a bum for mooching that cigarette (not to mention the stench I now encountered that even though I obviously stunk like that before when smoking was 10 fold now and tasted even worse than it smelled - when finished), I said enough is enough and haven't fallen back to stinkies since then.

Funny thing is........ when I decided that QUIT day, I had also reduced my nic to @12mg/ml and kept a 24mg/ml bottle of juice with me for those "OMG, I can't take it" moments. This way, I could use my PV as a pacifier all day long and beyond without feeling nauseous or tripping on nicotine. Weird huh ? Doesn't make sense, but it worked for me and I think you just need to find YOUR comfort zone, whether that is a system that takes you to zero stinkies or a continued harm reduction approach.

Will I ever "sneak" another ?? who knows..... and really who cares.... It's not a daily out of control "thang" for me with cravings anymore and I'm just soooo damn happy to pat my back harder, and not be embarrassed by my ashtray stench anymore.

Remember...... every cigarette avoided is a WIN !! And I hope you can find solitude in what accomplishments you HAVE made.

VapeOn,
Greg

 

[Peggyann]

2 weeks in and I still smoke about 7 to 8 cigerettes a day, but after being a 2 pack a day smoker I am very proud that I am down to only that many. My triggers are when I first wake up, after eating and after I get off work. I have ordered some higher nic juice and when that comes in I hope to stop completely. Keep trying!

 

[quiva2011]

Hi Rusty, I'm new to vaping, just on my 11th day and haven't touched an analog since the day I got my two piece e-cig. I don't know why I haven't craved the smokes but I guess our bodies react in different ways to the addiction. I still carry an unopened pack of Marlboro Lights and the lighter in my purse and when I see it I feel even happier about the switch. I have a few more packs around the house which I hope I won't need to touch.
I've been a 1 and 1/2 pack a day smoker for 25 years!!
But as I see from these posts, not everybody replaces smokes with the e-cig right away (somehow I thought that was the case) so like others, I encourage you to not give up and try some of the methods mentioned here.
If it worked for them, one of them most probably will work for you.
Don't give up or feel guilty if you're still smoking. See it as a process and follow through.
This place is fantastic for advice and support and it's great that you came back to tell your story, to me that means that you're really wanting the change, otherwise you wouldve given up vaping and
not come here ever again.

You're on the rigth track. Just be patient with yourself and your smoking habit, and hang on for as
long as it takes to make the change from cigarette smoking to vaping.
Just DON'T give up because we all know and belive you can do it like so many others have done it!

 

[WomanOfHeart]

Rusty, we're always here for you! Whether you're having a hard time, have some questions or you just want to chat...WE'RE HERE! Part of being able to quit is having the support you need and that's one of things I love about ECF! As far as I'm concerned you're doing great just because you're here and it sounds like you haven't given up. That's a win in my book!

 

[mylose64]

stick in the man! try not to surround yourself with smokers and you can probably fight the cravings better.

 

[DMF]

ok Rusty, not sure if anyone's said this already but I"m gonna. Don't say you are "quitting" that sets you up for failure. Say instead , I am cutting back on my cigarette consumption and substituting with my ecigarette and nicotine liquid. Eventually, (for me it took almost a month and a half) you will find yourself wanting the ecig instead of the tobacco cigarettes, and suddenly one day , you'll realize you haven't smoked any the whole day. one day will lead to another and before you know it you will have quit without even trying.
Don't totally give up! one less cigarette is always better than one more!

Oh ya, and if you're stressing, and need a distraction, come on in the live chat (link at top of page) and talk a while, lots of help support and goofing off in there. Just what a newbie needs.

 

[jpassi]

I'm sorry to hear that vaping isn't cutting it for you. I recently just made the switch from analogs to e-cigs. What has annoyed me the most is the learning curve and the amount of technical knowledge that is required to vape. There's so much to choose from and so many of the brands (so I hear) don't seem to work very well. Have you tried a tank-based system like the eGo-T. Those seem to be just right for the vaper that requires more.

 

[ElProximo]

What worked for me was NOT trying to deny myself analogs. Any time I tell myself I can't do something- whether it's eating a second piece of cake or smoking - it becomes the only thing that I think about.

Heh - yes, I am the same way. I notice I am floating back and forth between old-style smoking and vaping in sort of 'natural waves' I call it. I think this is good too. The vaping 'naturally' replacing the smoking.

To the OP I sympathize and I think it does become a lot more difficult if you 'try' and have an expectation to quit one and start the other. (not sure if that does describe you either),
and,
I agree with others who recommend taking a second look at mixtures, juices and see if you can find a way to 'fine-tune' and get that perfect match.

In my situation I went through a lot of beginning phases. At first low nicotine juice (I didn't know the difference) and then just cutting down by half. Then I got some really great e-juice and surprisingly easily cut down to just about 3 analogs.
Then my atomizers and batteries died so I was soon back to analogs.
Got the Ego and quickly went back to almost all vaping (but a few cigs) but then my next order of e-juice somehow did nothing for me. Low (or no) VG and for some reason I was back to analogs.
Now - the 'perfect e-juice' (for me) and Im full on into vaping. I actually totally forgot where I left my last pack of analogs!

Anyways, just sharing my experience to say I definitely can see your point and also encourage you to keep 'fine-tuning' and vape when you can. I honestly think a 'perfect juice' (you will find it) and let it happen naturally and you will be well on your way.

Besides... even if you split the difference - smoking half as much is still twice as good as before!

 

[Telynau]

Hi RustyBux! Glad you decided to join & post here at ECF =}. This is a group you can feel proud of joining.

I did not plan on quitting smoking. Honest and for true. I only got an e-cigi to cut down on "real" cigis a bit. For some reason vaping replaced "real" cigis.

Do I still crave a "real" cigi? Yes! And I substitute three drops of hi-nic for a vape. If that doesn't work, well, I go hard-core with three drops of "House Extracted Tobacco" (especially Perique).

If _that_ doesn't work then I fire up my old smokes: Misty 120 Menthol. Usually a few drags in I'm reaching for a bottle of something, anything to vape, just to have something that tastes better LOL

Do you use any juice from a vender who does "house extracted" tobacco? There are several venders here on ECF who specialize in it. They use real tobacco leaves to create their base. Check out (in alphabetical order): Alien Vision, Backwoods Brew, VapeRite and Want2Vape, to get you started. There may be others, too.

Hope you keep enjoying vaping. Smoke if ya gotta. Vape for pleasure =}.

 

[MissKitty47]

If you'd like to try VapeRite's juice, I can send you a sample...just PM me with your address. Anything to help, Rusty. Todd also offers sample packs for around $20 if that is more appealing to you. Hang in there and don't give up, cuz you're doing great.

 

[Telynau]

Hi MissKitty47 & RustyBux, VapeRite also has 3-3oz sampler tobacco juices for 7-dollars plus shipping as well. The selection is limited to their tobacco juices, tho. Then again, when a tobacco craving hits, nothing beats tobacco ;-)

I may have misspoken Alien Visions. It looks as if theirs is flavoured. "Boba's Bounty" is highly spoken of here on ECF. Very highly spoken and has a large following.

Check out some of LastTango's and Vapenstein's posts (search their handles) for good gouge on tobacco.

 

[MissKitty47]

Great info, Telynau! I keep hearing about Boba's Bounty, too...so many juices, so little $$ VapeRite's VR4 won an award in 2010 and it's in my PV as we speak. I have yet to have any problems with VR's juices or products...some other vendor's stuff smells perfumey to me. IMHO You WILL find your sweet spot, Rusty.