encouragement needed please!!!

[drewdav]

hey guys, a couple things. i need some encouragement!!! i have been analog free since 11/25/10. for a while i was doing great, didn't crave much, was thrilled with vaping, but i've had some trouble recently for some reason and have just REALLY been craving a cigarette! i always thought that if i passed the two week hurdle or the one month hurdle, i'd be good! one thing is that i don't feel any better. i have heard lots of testimonials on here of people who say as soon as a few days they feel better, but i haven't felt any different at all. i don't smell different, taste things different, and my lungs don't feel any better. any thoughts? i'm kind of frustrated, because i feel like i should be very proud after going over 2 months without an analog seeing as though the longest i had gone without a cigarette before vaping was two days since i was 15 yrs old (now 27). anyways, any encouragement would be appreciated. thanks.

 

[chrisH]

Im as old as you are, and i have ordered a starting kit but havent recieved it yet, so i cant really speak on the behalf of the community; but i can speak as a fellow smoker. I started when i was around 19 and have been ehavily smoking ever since.

The biggest challage i will have with quitting is the mental part. As almost every1 else, i didnt start smoking cause i thought it tasted good. It was pure group pressure; except, not from friends or family, but from movies, commercials, and celebrities. "Smoking is cool!". Im kind of a rocker, and whenever i lit up, i felt like a rockstar. Now, im 27 and feel its time to let go of this sick and embarrasing habbit! But the biggest problem will still be letting this go. I wont feel like a badass holding my PV.

Im gonna push all those feelings and thoughts aside tho cause i want to quit! I wanna grow old with my GF and i dont want to leave her all alone in 30 years cause i wanted to look like a rocker when i was "young"...

Maybe im streching it abit, but maybe you have some kind of similar mental pictures of yourself, and that is making it harder for you to quit...?

 

[Chefanim]

I didn't notice much either with taste and smell.... well, I can smell smoke on other people now, but thats about it. So that part is probably different for everyone. ( I too started around age 15, 30 now) Just keep in mind, even if you dont 'feel' any different, you Know that you are doing something good for yourself. Try upping the nic level to help with the cravings.

You should be proud, Im sure your friends and family are proud of you..... as well as all the supportive members here,

Keep it up!

 

[snails1023]

Your doing great! This is the longest you've ever been without a cig since you were 15 years old, just think about it! That in it self is a great milestone. There are periods of time for everyone including you just want to chuck the whole thing out the window and go running back to the cigs, but its just another hurdle. I know you have to be smelling better not having the ashtray stink on your clothes or hair.
As for not feeling better, what nic. level are you using? Maybe you need to change it or try something new.

Just kick back , take a deep breath and read a book and take your mind off the frustration your having for a bit.

 

[Rosa]

May I ask what model e-cig you use? And what mg nicotine do you use?

 

[santo19586]

yes keep it up! you are doing great, you might not think so but you are. your body need time to clens, i went threw the same thing,i was told to drink alot of water, that will help, i mean alot of water. in just a short time i was able to smell when someone was smoking near me and it stunk so bad . i didnt regret starting the E-cig venture.i was so shocked one day when i drank some Sprite soda,i could really taste the lemon and lime in the soda, i was so excited that i took a picture of the can and sent it via pic text to my wife with the note of " i dindt know they put lemon and lime in this" funny but true,
Hang in there , keep vapeing , vape like you smoked ciggys, i did , and was able to stay with it.
good job !!!

 

[Juicehead]

I some higher mg juice for my bad days

 

[texasgranny]

Each of us probably experience benefits in different ways and different time frames.
The ones that have been smoking for 20-30 years may experience the benefits quicker
than someone younger or who has not been smoking as long. I do believe the benefits
will still show themselves but just maybe a little longer. It also depends on your
overall health and fit level.
I also agree with the others that you may need to look at your nic level. It may have been
working but you might have to increase for a short time to overcome the cravings.
I maintain on a less than 20 nic level, but there are times I bring out the big guns (36 nic)
for times of stress or times of temptation.

No need to even think about giving in!! It's time to adjust a few things and dig those heels in!
Analogs are NOT going to win!

 

[HzG8rGrl]

The craving is most likely from the actual chemical withdrawal that your body is going through. Try reading a bit in here to get a better idea of what you are going through. The body rids itself of nicotine pretty quickly, but the other chemicals---MAOI---your body takes a much longer period of time to process/detox/cleanse.
You are doing good and upping the nicotine level a bit could help you get through this period. When you work through that tough craving go back to your usual nicotine level. This is not the same timeline experience for everyone, hang in there and keep yourself on the right track as best you can.

 

[drewdav]

May I ask what model e-cig you use? And what mg nicotine do you use?

i use an eGo primarily, but recently have gone back to my 510 because of the analog craving. but i quickly realized why i had gone to the eGo when i remembered how short the batt life is. and i think you're all right about the nic level. i recently ordered some lower level nic as my ultimate goal is to cut out the nic in general. i was pretty successful at 24-18, but bought an order of 8 which is probably a big part of what is bugging me. but i went back to 24 and still struggling. anyways, thanks everyone for the encouragement though, it really does help!

 

[Doneyd67]

there are some days that i get the urge to burn one but the thought of smoking a analog cig makes me feel like gagging and i use that feeling of walking away from it and just vape worked wonders for me its been about 3 months now that I can honestly say i havent touched a analog cig. keep up the fight and perservere..

 

[Snowblind258]

It is amazing that you have made it 2 months, way to go! Just think of how much good you are doing your body. Even if you aren't feeling the change you are making a tremendous difference to your body by avoiding the 4000 chemicals that come with smoking a cancer stick. Hang in there everyone has a bad day but it only gets better from here!

 

[drewdav]

Im as old as you are, and i have ordered a starting kit but havent recieved it yet, so i cant really speak on the behalf of the community; but i can speak as a fellow smoker. I started when i was around 19 and have been ehavily smoking ever since.

The biggest challage i will have with quitting is the mental part. As almost every1 else, i didnt start smoking cause i thought it tasted good. It was pure group pressure; except, not from friends or family, but from movies, commercials, and celebrities. "Smoking is cool!". Im kind of a rocker, and whenever i lit up, i felt like a rockstar. Now, im 27 and feel its time to let go of this sick and embarrasing habbit! But the biggest problem will still be letting this go. I wont feel like a badass holding my PV.

Im gonna push all those feelings and thoughts aside tho cause i want to quit! I wanna grow old with my GF and i dont want to leave her all alone in 30 years cause i wanted to look like a rocker when i was "young"...

Maybe im streching it abit, but maybe you have some kind of similar mental pictures of yourself, and that is making it harder for you to quit...?

you're definitely right about all that. i'm a professional musician, and toured in a rock band for years! you hit the nail on the head with that, lol! also, i find it BRUTAL to watch movies where people smoke constantly. that has oddly been probably the hardest part for me and the time when i want a smoke the most, which i never would have thought of.

 

[Renro]

Hi DrewDav,

Congrats on going so long without tobacco! THAT is an enormous accomplishment! Tobacco is insidious and plays mind games like a master and yet YOU have been in control for over two months. Remember that - YOU made choices that kept you tobacco-free for this long. I can't tell you how many times in the past (pre-vaping) that I would "reward" myself for not smoking...by lighting up - and it made total sense to my tobacco-craving mind. I am truly sorry that you are going through a rough patch and hope you find your way through without having to light up tobacco. You have every legitimate right to feel proud of your accomplishment and I am thinking it's the psychological aspect/addiction of tobacco that is preventing you from enjoying your victory.

If you experienced a time when you felt no cravings and now do, something has adjusted or healed or balanced out somewhere in your body. Speak to the Vets here about what you use and I am sure someone will help guide you to through the process of finding what works for you again.

If you want to remain tobacco-free, do yourself a favor and do a few things. Visit here often, as in daily, for support and information. The other is visit the many quit smoking sites online for tips and whatnot. I've found that since I didn't "feel" like I had quit smoking, i didn't need a site like that, but when I hit my rough patch, I visited a Stop- smoking site and found it to be a real help.

Being able to smell or taste is a healing process and a nice benefit of quitting tobacco, but it's not the only benefit. Your smoker's cough should have disappeared by now, or at least greatly reduced. Your teeth will whiten up, your hair and clothes and surroundings will freshen up. You will never be embarrassed to hug someone. Your pets (if applicable) will thank you. You have eliminated a fire hazard. You no longer have to step outside and into inclement weather for tobacco. You are probably saving money. ...Add your own personal benefits to the growing list.

Think of the positive changes that have been made and trust that the other positive changes will follow. I have moments of being able to smell (not always a good thing, let me tell you;-) and it is always surprising. i think it's different for everybody and may come in stages? But if you continue to remain tobacco-free, your taste and smell will return.

You are doing a good thing for yourself, maybe the best thing you have done for yourself in a very long time. One thing I have found to be true for me is that my confidence level has increased. I hope your confidence level has too, confidence often breeds good decisions and good decisions often lead to improved life-styles.

Take care and hang in there.

 

[Rosa]

The physical/mental/emotional part of it is definitely HUGE. It sounds like you have the right equipment to get the job done. Just hang in there! Get that mg back up to 24mg (or more- remember, we aren't getting as much nic vaping as we did smokng) and try not to worry so much about quitting nicotine for a while -- it can actually be good for you in some ways, it's not all bad.

Also, don't try to limit your vaping experience but embrace it fully. Heck, vape in the shower if you need to - don't try to use it to extinguish your cravings as you would with a tobacco cigarette but use it before the craving (a lot, often, constantly) so that the craving never even happens.

Some people take up vaping and quit smoking the same day and some people take months to quit smoking altogether and just vape instead -- there's no crime in having a cigarette every once in a while if the e-cig isn't cutting it for you, the longer you vape the worse they will feel/taste/effect you until you can't stand them anymore. Last time I had one it gave me a migraine like you wouldn't believe, I never would have expected that after 25 years of smoking.

I think you're doing great just having gotten as far as you have considering that it hasn't totally quenched your desire for a smoke. I know I couldn't do it. Don't beat yourself up.


Here are some interesting polls (FWIW)
What level of nicotine keeps you off of tobacco? - View Poll Results
How much juice do you use per day? - View Poll Results
Sure, most people quit on the first day, but 1 in 10 keep smoking for 3 months or more before they're able to totally switch over:
How long did it take you to stop smoking? - View Poll Results

Good Luck!

 

[dormouse]

I think going back to 18-24 will help settle you. And maybe get a new atty or low resistance atty, then clean the ones you have if you haven't been doing that - it can really refresh the hit. Maybe try some new juices. I was a non-menthol smoker and FreedomSmokeUSA Desert Ship worked well for me - it's a bit pungent like a real cig. And when once you get comfortable again, if you want to try lowering your nicotine go more slowly (like phasing in all 18 first, then 12 after that, etc).

 

[fallon74]

A lot of what your feeling is mental maybe you should up the nicotine level if your not getting satisfied. I've been vaping for 6 months and every once in a while I'll think about a cigarette but I just grab my pv and the thought goes away. I smoked continuously for 20 years and it took me about 3 weeks to get off analogs completely I haven't smoked since. I started off with a 24mg and I'm now down to 16mg.

 

[kmac]

Agree with everyone else on here. I would just keep some higher mg juice on hand for when the cravings get really bad. After two months of not smoking your body is definitely much healthier now, but years of smoking analogs did damage that can't be erased in a couple months. At your age your body should bounce back pretty quick with no long term effects if you can stay off the analogs. Stay positive, keep at it, and never forget the goal which is to stay away from analogs.

 

[chrisH]

you're definitely right about all that. i'm a professional musician, and toured in a rock band for years! you hit the nail on the head with that, lol! also, i find it BRUTAL to watch movies where people smoke constantly. that has oddly been probably the hardest part for me and the time when i want a smoke the most, which i never would have thought of.

Oh i hear ya! Smoking just looks and sounds soo tasty and almost glamourous in movies. Take a true classic and one of my favourite "smoke-movies": The Godfather.

Jesus that looks soo good! Also my smoker-personality is weak for those "dirty" movies, like fight club for example, or Trainspotting. Movies like that makes me wanna light up ASAP! But hopefully i will be able to stop smoking and only vape once my package gets here...

 

[louis]

Let me tell you about my wife who wanted to know why I am so intense about her vaping.
I toke an old pair of ladies undergarments & had her blow a drag off a e-cig through the undergarment & it left a water spot.
I then had her blow a drag of an analog through the same undergarment & she saw the stain left & said she knew why I am so intense about her quitting the analogs.
Try this yourself with any white cloth & remember what you about to put into your lungs. Also check out the smell & remember what you smelled like.
If that doesn't work remember the taste in your mouth after the analog.
That's what I remember & it works for this ex-smoker of 48 years.

Happy Vaping,
louis