Craving Persists for Analogs

[JayPMac]

Hi Folks,

A Newbie Vaper here (one week) with a perplexing question: Why do I still crave analog cigs? Shouldn't the e-cig nicotine delivery system, plus the rituals (holding something in one's hand, inhaling/exhaling, etc.) eliminate all the physical and emotional desire for analogs?

A bit of background. I'm a 45-year smoker (Marb Reds and then, for the past 20 years, Marb Lights). Two attempts to quit (nicotine gum and nicotine patches). My initial order: E-Power 14650, a 5-pack of 2.0 ohm cartomizers, and one 50ml bottle of Dekang liquid (their tobacco flavor, 24mg of nicotine).

Before I made the choice to become an ex-analog smoker, I put in a total of 23 hours of research in this forum. Learned enough to figure that if I could satisfy both cravings (physical and emotional addictions), I'd succeed in giving up analog cigs. That's the principle reason I ordered a mod-like e-cig kit ... instead of an analog-lookalike kit.

But today, after 7 straight days w/o analogs, I marched myself down to the local convenience store and bought a pack of Marb Lights! Somewhere on this board, during my initial research, I read that among the 3,000 chemicals in commercially-produced cigarettes there are some that the body can become physically addicted to. True?

Or is it possible that the Dekang tobacco flavor, with the high nicotine content, is just too harsh for me? Based on that notion, yesterday I ordered four 5ml bottles of flavors (two "smooth" tobacco flavor, one mint flavor, and one lemon flavor) with reduced (18mg) nicotine level.

Your Thoughts?

 

[kmk]

I've been vaping for about a month and I still have the cravings everyday. Sometimes I smoke an analog, sometimes I don't. My crackpot theory is some kind of Marlboro chemical dependence (......, crack)LOL!!

 

[Charlz]

There is a lot more to smoking the cigarette than just getting nicotine. Believe it or not, your body has been used to the sensation provided by all the other chemicals. It's not a perfect system switching to vaping. It's still quitting. We all went through it. The cravings remain, but hopefully without the nicotine fits. I no longer have the cravings but it took over a month.

 

[cags]

hi

apparently there are things in cigs that ecigs don't give us. some people use snus in addition to vaping and there is a new liquid (wta) that has some of the stuff cigs do.

for me, my goal was to cut back from 2+ pad to 1 pad (I like to smoke - but the $$ was killing me). so I smoked and vaped ... after a few days I was down to 1 pad. after about 2-3 months I was down to 2 cigs a day. in fact, almost a year later and I still smoke 2 cigs a day (late at night). this is my choice, and I still consider myself successful in quitting smoking. I dont' want to be a bad influence but maybe quitting slowly would be better for you. when I started if I wanted a cig I vaped for a while first. then if I still wanted it I had it guilt free. for the hard ones, like the morning one I made myself wait and vape for 15 min....then 30, and so on til soon it was 1 in the afternoon before I had my first cig of the day.

I'm sure others will come with opinions too

 

[Playa_hamm420]

Took about a month for me to finally stop craving real cigs...

 

[brandontrjn]

It took me 2 weeks to be able to go with out analogs. I still have a slight craving for them but nothing like I used to and it goes away quickly when I vape.

I go to bars now and vape like I used to smoke and I'm fine. You shouldn't go right to vaping and don't feel like you failed. Just cut down the analogs slowly and you'll do better.

 

[MegaBee]

I gave up completely and had good and bad days where I wanted one. I was over 2 months cigarette free and then on NYE decided I would smoke that night... (dumb I know) the next day I was back to vaping exclusively. At first i felt guilty but now i look it at another way... if its really getting to you, making you emotional etc, just have a smoke... have a packet near you so you dont feel like you lost your best freind but still try to vape more, maybe you will find yourself reaching for that packet less and less. The other issue is finding a juice that tastes so good to you that you would prefer to taste that instead of a ciggy, now thats the hard part!!! Its a lot of trial and error finding those perfect juices. Good luck and dont give up on giving up just tailor your quit plan to do it slowly if that is what it takes. Especially while you are still experimenting with the right equipment and juices.

 

[dormouse]

Well Dekang isn't the most aromatic juice and it makes very little visible vapor. I recommend liquids with a bit of VG like 80PG/20VG - still thin enough to work in everything, but a bit smoother and some nicer vapor. And try different tobacco juices and some non-tobaccos. Some new vapers need to stay away from food vapes (gives them an analog craving as if they had just eaten) and some need to stay away from tobacco flavors ( remind them of cigs) and some can be satisfied with any flavor.

You need to smell the vapor- most of the flavor is in the aroma and an ecig is NOT going to dump its smell all over you like a real cig does.

You need to have equipment that is powerful enough for your habit, that provides the heat you want. And I do not recommend auto batteries - you can get a better hit with less work with manuals.

If you get it right, it is more pleasurable than smoking.

What is your equipment?

 

[36tinybells]

I started with a 510 and immediately cut my smoking in half. Went to an ego a month or so later and quit completely. That being said, I would count what you are NOT smoking, rather than a total switch. Maybe 5v is for you, maybe you haven't found the right nic level, may it's the chemicals added to the cigs- whatever the reason you haven't dropped the cigs completely, I applaud the cigs you haven't smoked! Keep trying, you will get there...or closer. My big moment was the 1.7 xl smoketech cartos at 3.7 with 24mg liquid. Keep going, you will get there!

 

[BigMikeInNY]

Here is a good tip that may work that worked for me. Start drinking more water, yes as simple as it sounds does help, alot! good luck JayPmac....

 

[L.J.]

My craving subsided after a month or two. Once in a while, when I'm around it or just when I smell an analog, I get cravings. Sometimes I even have one or two, but I do not relapse completely back into a pack-a-day. It was hard at first to find the right nicotine content but, I'm tapering down to zero. A good flavor helps too. You have to want to quit, vaping does not seem to be a perfect replacement, just a very good one.

 

[echos67]

I went through the same thing and like yourself posted a thread about it, I recieved some great advice from everyone. Here is the link if you care to read it, you may find something that helps you along. Hang in there the cravings will pass in time, well mine did thankfully.
Analog Desire (I hope the link works)
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/new-members-forum/257094-analog-desire.html

 

[wunhunud]

I totally feel where you're coming from. I surmised that it was that form of "torture" that we are missing from an analog. I was able to pin down the sensation after going a few week strictly vaping then having a smoke. I didn't realize the harness(throat hit,heat....ect ) i had become so accustomed to and no longer noticed! My cravings subsided when i found an ejuice with the kick of an analog and that was Broad st from dfw vapor. This flavor allowed me to venture on to other flavors like red hots by vaporgod and ry4 from dfw vapor also. Anytime a flavor is not "doing it" for me as far as kick......i add Broad st....

 

[wunhunud]

oh yeah....and i also went for the pg/vg mixes 60/40,80/20,or even 50/50 if that's all that's available in that particular flavor/vendor
Good luck

 

[drummerjims]

You might want to try other flavors. For me it was realizing that cigarettes are not as great tasting as I liked to believe that they are. Even though it takes a little while to get your taste buds back. After you do analogs will taste terrible to you (as they do for most).

 

[Sweeney Todd]

I say concentrate on how many cigarettes you're not smoking, and not trying to get to zero right away. Those other chemicals take a little while to let go of you, so tapering is what I recommend. I'm finding one week in that it's been very easy to taper to like 1-2 analogs a day, and those barely get puffed much.

 

[JayPMac]

Thanks for replying, dormouse! I am so delighted with the number of thoughtful, caring people on ECF. It's a really supportive group.

My setup: a mod-like E-power 14650 (3.7v), 6 inches long, a bit more than 1/2" in diameter. With 2.0 ohm blank LR cartomizers and the 1050 mAh batteries, it produces plenty of vapor.

But the Dekang juice (Tobacco flavor, 24mg nicotine level) gives me too much throat hit, and the taste is much too "peppery". Yesterday, I started doing a French Inhale (push vapor out the mouth, and inhale through nostrils). That way, the nicotine still does its thing without slamming into the back of my throat or entering my lungs.

 

[PaporPlas]

You might want to up your nicotine to 36mg. That's some really strong stuff, but you can mix it with your 24mg (50/50) and have 30mg. Every body is different in how efficiently it absorbs the nicotine, both in smoking cigs and vaping. Your equipment ain't the problem, that's for sure! : )

 

[JayPMac]

Thanks for replying!

Pretty sure the nicotine level isn't a problem. Unless I'm writing on deadline (always a guaranteed Nic-Frenzy), I only take a hit from the e-sig every 10 minutes or so. That's probably why, for me, a single 2.0 ohm XL cartomizer lasts 2 whole days.

Have to say I'd still be delighted with E-cig health benefits alone, even if I weren't saving any $$$.

 

[JayPMac]

I say concentrate on how many cigarettes you're not smoking, and not trying to get to zero right away. Those other chemicals take a little while to let go of you, so tapering is what I recommend. I'm finding one week in that it's been very easy to taper to like 1-2 analogs a day, and those barely get puffed much.

To all of who have basically told me: Lighten Up/Stop Judging Yourself ... thank you! In the past, experiments with Nicotine Patches had satisfied the nicotine craving. Figured that an e-cig would take care of the rest (something to hold, puff on, etc.)

When that didn't happen, I judged myself.