Day 4...Turning into strange experience

[FloGrown]

So heres my (therapeutic) ramble.......
Ok, day 4 of no analogs and its just getting, I dont know; weird?? I have vaped whenever I cant smoke for about a year and tried quitting smokes via vaping back then-obviously didnt work. Tried cold turkey 6mos ago and wanted nothing more than to commit acts of violence, and have never went past 3 days w/o a cigarette. For the last 6 wks Ive been *usually* only smoking 2-3 per day, some days 1 less or more. Well, now Im at my 4th day of none. The first day I did fine, had to encourage myself to try to go w/o any and started getting a bit sluggish as prev times, but tolerable. Day 2 SUCKED! Had to push thru, was tired and groggy and getting a bit cranky (but nothing like prior attempts) but started to think "Oh no, not this again" I really didnt want to experience 'that' again- the withdrawal, the irritability that turns to rage in the next day, the dragging .... fatigue, counting hours to bed where I can get a break from it- ugh! Anything but that again! Day 3, woke up DREADING what my day would be like, like the day before, maybe worse. Wishing I could just go back to sleep. BUT, by time I finished waking up (yeah, not a morning person at all!) I was noticing I was feeling better. The hazy fog, inability to think or focus enough to not trip over myself as I drug my sorry recovering-junkie-feeling .... through my morning and day had began to lift. I went through the rest of the day experiencing a few triggers but for the most part each time shrugged it off as the trigger made me remember "oh yeah, haven't had a smoke. Huh, ok." So now after yesterday was such a mellow day, I find myself at day 4, paranoid, anxious, waiting for the horrible ball to drop. I mean I can't possibly get past smoking w/o more suffering than the first couple days?! My past experience says it to be true, I cant escape THIS easily??!! Im currently just trying to remind myself of all my reasons of quitting analogs and trying to convince myself that it doesnt have to be a nightmare experience. Still kind of sad to close that chapter of my life, like an old friend gone and am looking forward to getting a couple weeks under me to feel confident that the world isn't going to end and that I really did just quit. Wow thats weird to say let alone think.

 

[Sir2fyablyNutz]

Hello @FloGrown , I know the feeling. For me I was in shock for the first two weeks I went without a smoke. It was day 3 or 4 I started to notice how much my clothes and everything else in the house had an odor. So I had to do a wash day of everything. It's so unreal to be without the cigs so easily that it really didn't seem real. Now I'm 8 months cig free and every aspect of my life has improved. It took a month or more for my tastebuds to really recover to a noticeable degree, but I noticed a change i the first two weeks. I even dropped weight because I wasn't snacking as much.

Welcome to our sanity, enjoy the journey!

 

[dbrandt01]

What setup and nic level are you using?
I'll use my father for example, because he smoked 2 packs a day for 40 years. It took him about a week using the Atlantis and istick 50w with 18mg unflavored. He didn't seem to have the angry jitters, I was watching him a lot the first few days with no cigarettes at all. He struggled in the morning without smoking, but the day he was perfectly fine, calm and happy. He is now 6 months smoke free.

I smoked 2 packs a day for 5 years and dipped 3 cans of Copenhagen a day for 8 years. I struggled more with no dip, but I never had angry jitters either. I started with 18mg nicotine as well. I am a little over a year smoke free now.

It might suck at first, but the lifetime rewards will be well worth it. When you can smell and taste better than before. Your clothes will eventually not smell of smoke and you'll dry heave at the scent of it.

 

[FloGrown]

What setup and nic level are you using?
I'll use my father for example, because he smoked 2 packs a day for 40 years. It took him about a week using the Atlantis and istick 50w with 18mg unflavored. He didn't seem to have the angry jitters, I was watching him a lot the first few days with no cigarettes at all. He struggled in the morning without smoking, but the day he was perfectly fine, calm and happy. He is now 6 months smoke free.

I smoked 2 packs a day for 5 years and dipped 3 cans of Copenhagen a day for 8 years. I struggled more with no dip, but I never had angry jitters either. I started with 18mg nicotine as well. I am a little over a year smoke free now.

It might suck at first, but the lifetime rewards will be well worth it. When you can smell and taste better than before. Your clothes will eventually not smell of smoke and you'll dry heave at the scent of it.

Was smoking 1 1/2 PAD, have an EgoOne mini with an Eleaf GS16s 1.8ohm for the last 6-8wks. Started at 24mg/2-2 1/2ml per day since its what I always used in a MUCH weaker set up and have dropped to 15mg, same ml per day. Had dropped my cigs to an ultra light during the 6wks of 2-3/ day and plan to go to 12mg as soon as Im done w/ my current supply of 15. The 15 is still a bit harsh but I'll deal with it to escape any cravings for a wk or 2 Hope to be working my way down 3mg per month till I get to a happy point and eventually to zero. (But not in any rush past 6-9 )

 

[FloGrown]

Hello @FloGrown , I know the feeling. For me I was in shock for the first two weeks I went without a smoke. It was day 3 or 4 I started to notice how much my clothes and everything else in the house had an odor. So I had to do a wash day of everything. It's so unreal to be without the cigs so easily that it really didn't seem real. Now I'm 8 months cig free and every aspect of my life has improved. It took a month or more for my tastebuds to really recover to a noticeable degree, but I noticed a change i the first two weeks. I even dropped weight because I wasn't snacking as much.

Welcome to our sanity, enjoy the journey!

'Shock' is def a good summary of it. Kind of feel like I didnt get a formal good bye by means of total hell. So yeah, shock. Not a bad shock, just a what-the-heck-wheres-the-trauma confused state

 

[MrDripper]

Hello Flo, congrats on your journey.
I have been EXACTLY where you are now. I was a PAD smoker for 27 years. I started vaping this January and haven't looked back. I know the feeling of saying goodbye to an old friend but you MUST realize that you are saying goodbye to an old friend that was KILLING you. Vaping is such a Godsend that most people don't even realize. I suggest you find yourself a nice flavor that you can vape on all day and a nicotine level that you are comfortable with. Please realize that NOTHING will ever be the same as a cigarette and you have to switch your mind to a vaping attitude instead of a smoking attitude. You'll be amazed at how quickly you enjoy a vape over your morning coffee.
And yes, in case you're wondering, there are still times I want a cigarette. To be honest, I did have a cigarette a few months after vaping to just 'try' it...UGH! So freaking GROSS! I'm a happy vaper and will remain as such.
Good luck to you, my friend.

 

[rgerber]

After smoking cigars and pipes and also inhaling for nearly 60 years let me just say....HANG IN THERE HONEY. It does get better. The triggers are many but if you'll look back at them...they only last a short while. Now in my mid 70's, I never thought I would quit. I took that old line, "If 'ya gotta.....'ya gotta." When you get frustrated, come home to ECF and get your fix. And vape the crap out of whatever it is you vape with.

You can do this.....The Cranky Vaper says, "So let it be witten...so let it be done." Okay, maybe that was somebody else that said that. And old friend of Moses I think.....

 

[Sir2fyablyNutz]

Was smoking 1 1/2 PAD, have an EgoOne mini with an Eleaf GS16s 1.8ohm for the last 6-8wks. Started at 24mg/2-2 1/2ml per day since its what I always used in a MUCH weaker set up and have dropped to 15mg, same ml per day. Had dropped my cigs to an ultra light during the 6wks of 2-3/ day and plan to go to 12mg as soon as Im done w/ my current supply of 15. The 15 is still a bit harsh but I'll deal with it to escape any cravings for a wk or 2 Hope to be working my way down 3mg per month till I get to a happy point and eventually to zero. (But not in any rush past 6-9 )

One technique I used might help. The first reduction was the most difficult for me, probably because I wasn't certain it would work. The rest were a breeze.

When I was trying to quit I used a cheap clearomizer/tank with the next higher nic in it. When the "itch" got to where the regular vape wasn't scratching it I would hit the higher nicotine tank once and go back to the regular nic vape. It usually took from 3 days to a week to get adjusted to the lower nicotine level. I said usually because I used this same technique to reduce my nicotine content in steps from the high level down to the under 3mg I now enjoy.

 

[FloGrown]

After smoking cigars and pipes and also inhaling for nearly 60 years let me just say....HANG IN THERE HONEY. It does get better. The triggers are many but if you'll look back at them...they only last a short while. Now in my mid 70's, I never thought I would quit. I took that old line, "If 'ya gotta.....'ya gotta." When you get frustrated, come home to ECF and get your fix. And vape the crap out of whatever it is you vape with.

You can do this.....The Cranky Vaper says, "So let it be witten...so let it be done." Okay, maybe that was somebody else that said that. And old friend of Moses I think.....

I am SO thankful for all of the encouragement from this thread, bit I think THIS is exactly what I neede to hear the most. That its all temporary and hindsight it doesnt last that long. Any time I feel discouraged or bummed out/foggy/cranky/tired/anxious I just try to remind myself that once that stupid little smoking junkie is dead I will feel back to myself and feel just as normal WITHOUT her as I did before all of this.
"just keep swimming,....jusssst keep swiimm-ming....jussst keeep swiimm-ming" ~Dory

 

[Bunnykiller]

not everyone can simply switch over to vaping and give up the ciggies... some of us require a transition time, be it a few weeks or several months... if you feel the need for a ciggie , go for it... I would do 1/2 a ciggie and then vape to fulfill the desires, eventually I got down to a few puffs on a ciggie and the "remainder" was vaping...
took me 6 months to go from 3PAD to 1 ciggie in the morning with my coffie, which I still do even after 2.5 yrs...
I never really decided to quit smoking but to reduce the cost of smoking... and BTW I do 36 nic, it really helps in keeping the desires down for ciggies... I have even considered reducing my nic to 30 - 28 lately since the 36 is starting to be a bit harsh...

 

[Bunnykiller]

hmmm flogrown... does that have something to do with hydroponics???

 

[FloGrown]

not everyone can simply switch over to vaping and give up the ciggies... some of us require a transition time, be it a few weeks or several months... if you feel the need for a ciggie , go for it... I would do 1/2 a ciggie and then vape to fulfill the desires, eventually I got down to a few puffs on a ciggie and the "remainder" was vaping...
took me 6 months to go from 3PAD to 1 ciggie in the morning with my coffie, which I still do even after 2.5 yrs...
I never really decided to quit smoking but to reduce the cost of smoking... and BTW I do 36 nic, it really helps in keeping the desires down for ciggies... I have even considered reducing my nic to 30 - 28 lately since the 36 is starting to be a bit harsh...

Well I did the whole cutting down thing. Already had my ADV and rec upgraded equip so was good there. Started at about 27-30 cigs per day, then half that, then just vaped as much as possible and told myself I could have a smoke whenever I actually felt like I needed it- which over the last cpl months dropped to 4-5 then 1-3 per day for the last month. Even would go thru the day and realized a cpl times it had been over 24 hrs between as I had just been busy and vape was doing the trick no prob. My goal has been to quit for the last year pretty intently. This is quit 3 and as I said, the last ones were such absolute wanna-throw-yourself-or-mext-closest-person-off-a-bridge hell that for this time being as *almost* painless (I say almost cause I think Ive worked myself into a paranoid frenzy expecting the worst) that I am in disbelief that this time actually seems to be the one; which brings me back to my orig post- its just so odd, surreal, I dunno??

 

[FloGrown]

hmmm flogrown... does that have something to do with hydroponics???

And LMAO! Had never thought of that! But no, its a FL thing. Everyone here rocks FloGrown decals on their cars as in Florida Grown.
See...changed pic- dont know why I hadnt thought of it before