Cravings at 6 months

[VapourFlavour]

So, I threw my cigarettes in the garbage the day I got home with my first kit about 6 months ago. Up until now, I've had no real overwhelming desire to smoke, I'm fact the smell of it was a big turn off.

In the last week or so when I'm around people smoking at work, I really want one. The urge is only getting stronger, heck, I dreamt I was smoking last night.

I know cravings can last quite a while after quitting, and I'm pretty sure I won't give in and have one, for me that would be a failure on 6 months of success. I created this thread to hear more veteran people's experiences with cravings. Do you still get them, did it peak and then get easier?

 

[Vaperer]

My wife has been vaping for about a year-and-a-half now. Every morning she has one cigarette with her coffee. I don't see that as a big sin. But that's her. I just Vape. You're going to get Cravings it's just normal. When next time you get a craving. Vape yourself silly. You'll forget about the cigarette. But then I don't know cuz it didn't work for my wife completely however it's only one cigarette a day

 

[brewbear]

Not knowing what gear you're using, you might consider a tank with slightly higher nic than you normally use. As an example, I started with a Nautilus mini and 18 mg/ml nic but I had a second tank with 24 mg/ml. When cravings got bad, I'd swap tanks and vape the higher nic one for a bit, then go back to the lower nic one. Hope this helps, keep up the good work.

 

[Eskie]

I had cravings for quite a while, especially in trigger situations like stress. The only way I got through was to chain vape. The craving really does begin to fade faster the more times you don't give in to it. But at only 6 months, yeah, it'll still happen. Just don't even think about lowering your nic level for quite some time. If anything maybe up it if chain vaping helps.

 

[VapourFlavour]

My wife has been vaping for about a year-and-a-half now. Every morning she has one cigarette with her coffee. I don't see that as a big sin. But that's her. I just Vape. You're going to get Cravings it's just normal. When next time you get a craving. Vape yourself silly. You'll forget about the cigarette. But then I don't know cuz it didn't work for my wife completely however it's only one cigarette a day

That's interesting. I think the part that surprised me is that I had no real want for a cigarette up until now, suddenly 6 months in I'm craving them. I haven't lowered my nic level lately, but I do wonder if I need to increase it.

 

[Zazie]

When I quit cold turkey, long before vaping existed, it took me a year to be free of cravings. Didn't touch one for eleven years. Then I was dumb. Since April, with vaping, I'm a bit smarter again.

For now, for you, maybe upping your nicotine a bit would tamp down the urges?

 

[VapourFlavour]

I had cravings for quite a while, especially in trigger situations like stress. The only way I got through was to chain vape. The craving really does begin to fade faster the more times you don't give in to it. But at only 6 months, yeah, it'll still happen. Just don't even think about lowering your nic level for quite some time. If anything maybe up it if chain vaping helps.

Thanks Eskie!

 

[VapourFlavour]

Not knowing what gear you're using, you might consider a tank with slightly higher nic than you normally use. As an example, I started with a Nautilus mini and 18 mg/ml nic but I had a second tank with 24 mg/ml. When cravings got bad, I'd swap tanks and vape the higher nic one for a bit, then go back to the lower nic one. Hope this helps, keep up the good work.

I squonk with a few different rda's and use rta's on my other mods. I mostly vape 3mg, but I do have 6mg juice in my stash. That's a good suggestion, thanks

 

[Grimwald]

It's been 6 years for me. I still love the smell of cigarette smoke.

 

[VapourFlavour]

It's been 6 years for me. I still love the smell of cigarette smoke.

Wow. Congrats on 6 years!

 

[AngeNZ]

I'm 9 months or so down and yeah still get cravings. Not as affected by ppl smoking around me - it's more when a stressful situation happens.

When it happens I remind myself how horrible it was during that first week quitting. I just don't want to go through that again. I also chainvape til it passes.

 

[Rossum]

I squonk with a few different rda's and use rta's on my other mods. I mostly vape 3mg, but I do have 6mg juice in my stash. That's a good suggestion, thanks

With a squonk mod it's easy: Drip in a bit of high-nic juice when you need it.

 

[Vapedog]

I had some cravings here and there in the first month or so but after that it disappeared.

 

[ScottP]

For most people that I have talked to that quit using any method all agree there are three phases of withdrawal the LAST of which seems to start for most in the 4 to 6 month range. So the good news is that should be the last phase and once you get through is it should get easier. That is not to say there will never be cravings but this period should be the last of the really bad ones.

The reason this seems to occur is that the "other" chemicals in cigarettes all leave the body at different times and the last of them should be fading about now for you. Once you are over that, any future cravings will most likely be stressor or trigger based and not chemical dependency based.

You're almost there, you can do it.

 

[VapourFlavour]

For most people that I have talked to that quit using any method all agree there are three phases of withdrawal the LAST of which seems to start for most in the 4 to 6 month range. So the good news is that should be the last phase and once you get through is it should get easier. That is not to say there will never be cravings but this period should be the last of the really bad ones.

The reason this seems to occur is that the "other" chemicals in cigarettes all leave the body at different times and the last of them should be fading about now for you. Once you are over that, any future cravings will most likely be stressor or trigger based and not chemical dependency based.

You're almost there, you can do it.

That's encouraging to hear, thanks!

 

[FlamingoTutu]

Agree with what the others have said but also, we are all different.

The short answer is when these cravings come along, up your nic a bit to get past them.

Over the years, to those that have tracked these type of posts, it' seems pretty common that those that aren't around smokers hate the smell of burning tobacco (not to mention the stench of ashtrays) and have to work hard not to be one of those ex-smoker nazis. Those that are around smokers still enjoy the smell of fresh tobacco smoke.

I've been vaping six years yet have four to go to my 6th vaperversary. It was a real struggle for me to quit by vaping, 43 year smoker, until I discovered this site and its wonderful posters. The unanimous recommendation from the (many) multiple posts I read was that I needed to up my nic. Went from 18 to 24 and quickly quit the cigs for good. (Mind you, this was on "old school equipment.) Some people just need a little more to get over the initial "hump."

Wasn't too long after that that I stood up one day and nearly passed out from nic OD. Over the months and years each "dose" of nic would become too much and I'd drop a level again.

I lived as a ex-smoker closet "nazi," yet every once in a while I'd get serious cravings. Turned out I wasn't special, it's a common occurrence and your best defense is to always have a bit of stronger nic to curb any weak moment.

More than a few ECFers have said grand, heartfelt goodbyes to their friends here, said they were so over vaping, would never smoke again, were selling their gear, audios. Most of them also came back after to reverting to smoking on down the line, had tried to quit again and found it much harder the second time around.

It sounds like, from what you say, just having a tank with a littler higher nic in it for those situations will help you a lot. I'm six years in, hate, hate, hate the smell of cigarettes yet still occasionally have those cravings. Six months isn't bad, I think the norm is about three months for the fist serious cravings. (Our beloved @Robino1 used to say, I think, the cravings were 3 day, 3 months 3 years. She had a great spiel on it, I don't. )

You're doing fantastically well so far, congratulations on your six months! Know your weaknesses and be prepared for unexpected stresses and carry a a wee higher nic with you. Those tempting moments of weakness, even if brought on by extreme stress, will become easier to handle once you've been forced to go through them a couple of times but no guarantee they'll ever go completely away--which comes off far more ominous than it would be if we were talking face-to-face.

You're doing great, keep it up!

 

[VapourFlavour]

Agree with what the others have said but also, we are all different.

The short answer is when these cravings come along, up your nic a bit to get past them.

Over the years, to those that have tracked these type of posts, it' seems pretty common that those that aren't around smokers hate the smell of burning tobacco (not to mention the stench of ashtrays) and have to work hard not to be one of those ex-smoker nazis. Those that are around smokers still enjoy the smell of fresh tobacco smoke.

I've been vaping six years yet have four to go to my 6th vaperversary. It was a real struggle for me to quit by vaping, 43 year smoker, until I discovered this site and its wonderful posters. The unanimous recommendation from the (many) multiple posts I read was that I needed to up my nic. Went from 18 to 24 and quickly quit the cigs for good. (Mind you, this was on "old school equipment.) Some people just need a little more to get over the initial "hump."

Wasn't too long after that that I stood up one day and nearly passed out from nic OD. Over the months and years each "dose" of nic would become too much and I'd drop a level again.

I lived as a ex-smoker closet "nazi," yet every once in a while I'd get serious cravings. Turned out I wasn't special, it's a common occurrence and your best defense is to always have a bit of stronger nic to curb any weak moment.

More than a few ECFers have said grand, heartfelt goodbyes to their friends here, said they were so over vaping, would never smoke again, were selling their gear, audios. Most of them also came back after to reverting to smoking on down the line, had tried to quit again and found it much harder the second time around.

It sounds like, from what you say, just having a tank with a littler higher nic in it for those situations will help you a lot. I'm six years in, hate, hate, hate the smell of cigarettes yet still occasionally have those cravings. Six months isn't bad, I think the norm is about three months for the fist serious cravings. (Our beloved @Robino1 used to say, I think, the cravings were 3 day, 3 months 3 years. She had a great spiel on it, I don't. )

You're doing fantastically well so far, congratulations on your six months! Know your weaknesses and be prepared for unexpected stresses and carry a a wee higher nic with you. Those tempting moments of weakness, even if brought on by extreme stress, will become easier to handle once you've been forced to go through them a couple of times but no guarantee they'll ever go completely away--which comes off far more ominous than it would be if we were talking face-to-face.

You're doing great, keep it up!

People like you are what makes this such a good forum. Thanks!

 

[rosesense]

It will soon be 9 years since I quit smoking. For me, I had cravings on/off over all those years but it got less each year. I had dreams that I started smoking again and still have them once in awhile. I wake in a panic thinking I have gone back to smoking. What a hold the nasties have had over me. I hope yours do not last as many years as mine but just know you can get through it without resuming smoking.

 

[United States]

The way I stayed sober was avoid people who used in a social setting.
It was impossible to never be around users, yet the mistake was "hanging around" them. The tempation was stronger than the willpower.
Spent a lot more time alone than I preferred. One day the crowd showed up where I was and it was easy to say "no thanks fellows".

After about a year there were occasional cravings but the willpower was much stronger. 20+ years later the occasional urge pops up.

I've stopped smoking cigarettes for 6 months twice. Went back to smoking almost to the day both times. I hung around smokers at work thinking "yeah, I got this"...but then the almighty smell of a lit cigarette eventually won me over.

 

[Coyote628]

For me, cigarettes are like white castle burgers. Ill have one once in a while just to remind myself why i dont.