Fearing a relapse...

[cmdebrecht]

Been off the stinkies for a few weeks now and have been so excited. But today was a hard day, and I couldn't vape enough to get rid of my nic craving. I didn't smoke an analog but I was tempted, for sure.

Hoping tomorrow is a better day but if it isn't, do you have any advice? I hate to up my nic (currently using 12 -18mg, same as when I started vaping) because I do spend several hours a day vaping and hate to get more hooked. I am using a Kanger evod with a bottom feeder tank.

I am wondering if perhaps the honeymoon period is over and now the real work begins.

 

[E Money]

Hmm interesting. I quit chewing tobacco so I may have a different experience than you. I would say keep vaping on 18mg. It certainly has to be easier than quitting cold turkey.

There were a few times the past month I wanted to stop by the gas station and get a can. But grabbing the vape really made me change my mind. I started with 24mg and am now using 12mg with 18 here and there.

How often do you vape and when you do, do you chain vape? Maybe get some really delicious flavors. After vaping on some tasty juice I think tobacco is kind of nasty now.

 

[Rickajho]

Hi

If you have only been quit a few weeks - you're just at the beginning. Craving fits can come and go for a long time. Two years in I'll still occasionally get this wacky idea that I want a cigarette - and it passes. In my first nine months the craving fits went from daily, to every few days, to weekly, to a couple times a month, to at the three month mark... What I'm getting at is early on cravings all over the place is normal. But the intensity of the cravings and the frequency falls apart over time.

So what to do?

In my first 90 days I was using two nic levels. My main nic was 24 mg but I had to bump to 30 mg twice a day for craving fits. For me that would be every morning and for some weird reason about an hour before bed time. That was the nic level I needed to keep away from smoking. You may need to follow the same idea - at your own nic levels.

Don't guilt trip yourself about your nicotine level - you barely just quit smoking. If you want to drop your nic level when you can that's fine. But keep to a "one step at a time" approach. If you tried to quit before with the ACS quit smoking program models we all know how well that always turns out... You decide your own pace this time. Use as much nic as you need, chain vape if and when you must. You make up your own rules about what works.

Over two years later I'm still using 24 mg liquids. And I'm still quit with no relapse. My Doctor doesn't have a problem with my nicotine intake and neither do I.

The other thing I'm not sure about where you are at: Have you actually tried a cigarette lately? As weird as it is, for the majority of us everything about smoking gets really gross, really fast when we start vaping. I smoked when I transitioned to vaping and within the first week I began to hate everything about smoking. The smoke, the taste, the smell, getting woozy and light headed whenever I tried one. It was like a 30 year flashback to everything "fun" about smoking when I started. Sure as hell didn't see that coming after smoking for 30 years. For me, smoking when I started vaping turned into it's own worst negative reinforcement. Don't be surprised if you break down and have one that you really, really don't like it anyway.

 

[pocket]

Yeah I see where you coming from. It's hard to stop after years of the same routine. A friend of mine, interchange vaping and analog for the first few months. He only use analog when he cant stand the craving. It takes time. Some longer .... some shorter....but its will lead down to the same road. Vape strong.

 

[ShariR]

Hi. Congratulations on not smoking today. This is not uncommon after you have stopped smoking even after several weeks or longer. I found myself constantly thinking of smoking for the 3 days leading up to my 30 day smoke free mark. I kept myself busy and vaped a LOT when I had an urge to smoke. I even went to a close friend's funeral about 10 days ago and was ok. Smoking is also a psychological addiction. Things that you associate with picking up a cigarette will trigger that urge for a long time for some people like the first thing in the morning, a stressful day at work, an illness or death, or good old anger or boredom. Just keep vaping and try to distract yourself with a new juice or maybe have an emergency bottle of juice that is 24mg that you only use when you are having a strong craving.

This will pass. It can take an hour or a couple of days. By now your craving is not physical, but it is your associations with your stress response to pick up a cigarette. You will be fine. And you should be very proud of yourself.

I found that having a banner that shows me the number of days I have not had a cigarette and the money I saved and how many cigarettes I have not smoked is helpful to me. Just my stubborness will not let me break that beautiful record I am building. Good luck. You are doing great!

 

[retic1959]

I'm not sure if it's possible to get more hooked as you put it but I keep some high nic juice for when the craving gets bad it's still better than the alternative . And I'll think you'll find that you don't need the high nic juice all the time I've been steadily reducing my nic content and use the high strength stuff when I need it which gets less as time goes on increase your nic for now and slowly cut down no sense in making it harder on yourself quitting analogs is hard enough .

 

[nmackan]

My friend, I am 60 years old, had been smoking for more than 40 years I used to handrolling and you could tell about me a chain smoker. Once a friend described me in work, "you are tea, cigarette and PC".
The taste of the analog changed after using e-cig a few hours later. I only used analog in the first days when I have been sold fake juice and it did not stop my cravings because no nicotine in them.
So please consider using higher nicotine levels, try different flavors untill you find your favorite ones (I dont know but one may not find it always so more than 2 likes is ideal)
when you need to smoke one, think it will not be the one you used to smoke. It is disgusting for me and I wander how I could smoke that crap for that much time. smoke with this in mind you will give up after one or two inhales. dont fight with it.

 

[Ryedan]

Been off the stinkies for a few weeks now and have been so excited. But today was a hard day, and I couldn't vape enough to get rid of my nic craving. I didn't smoke an analog but I was tempted, for sure.

Hoping tomorrow is a better day but if it isn't, do you have any advice? I hate to up my nic (currently using 12 -18mg, same as when I started vaping) because I do spend several hours a day vaping and hate to get more hooked. I am using a Kanger evod with a bottom feeder tank.

I am wondering if perhaps the honeymoon period is over and now the real work begins.

I hear ya cmdebrecht. I switched from smoking to vaping in April 2012 after 37 years at a pack a day average. It took me about 3 months to pretty much get over cigarettes. Hmm, maybe 4. Now I can be in a room of smokers smoking and I have absolutely no worry that I might light up. I say that after experiencing it.

The first week was the hardest, then every week got better. But it was not linear. So, I might have a great 7'th day but the 10'th day was rough but the 11'th day was better but the 15'th was rough again. But the 15'th was easier than the 10'th.

What I did to get through the rough spells was to vape more. I was vaping 18 mg/ml nic then. When I was vaping the most I got a bit nic sick, light headed and a bit nauseous. It didn't take me long to drop my nic level to 12 mg. After a few months I got over the cigarette addiction and I've been vaping zero nic since the beginning of the year. But it was a gradual transition.

I suggest don't worry about how much nic you are vaping now. Use what you need to get over the cigarette addiction. If you can't vape often, try using higher nic liquids. If you feel the need to vape often, don't think that is wrong. A big part of a smokers addiction is the hand/mouth/smoke thing. Lower nic if you need to vape often is a viable option. Whatever works to get you odd smokes is good.

Vape strong

 

[Ryedan]

Have you actually tried a cigarette lately? As weird as it is, for the majority of us everything about smoking gets really gross, really fast when we start vaping. I smoked when I transitioned to vaping and within the first week I began to hate everything about smoking. The smoke, the taste, the smell, getting woozy and light headed whenever I tried one. It was like a 30 year flashback to everything "fun" about smoking when I started. Sure as hell didn't see that coming after smoking for 30 years. For me, smoking when I started vaping turned into it's own worst negative reinforcement. Don't be surprised if you break down and have one that you really, really don't like it anyway.

I hear ya Rickajho, but I am one of those people that still loves the smell of a cigarette. I don't know if I would love the taste because it's been a year, but I think I would too. On the other hand neither incites me to smoke anymore. Sounds weird I know, but that's the way it is for me.

I think it's probably safer for someone who has just started to vape to avoid smoking, just in case they are like me.

Just my

 

[Kelevra]

The other thing I'm not sure about where you are at: Have you actually tried a cigarette lately? As weird as it is, for the majority of us everything about smoking gets really gross, really fast when we start vaping. I smoked when I transitioned to vaping and within the first week I began to hate everything about smoking. The smoke, the taste, the smell, getting woozy and light headed whenever I tried one. It was like a 30 year flashback to everything "fun" about smoking when I started. Sure as hell didn't see that coming after smoking for 30 years. For me, smoking when I started vaping turned into it's own worst negative reinforcement. Don't be surprised if you break down and have one that you really, really don't like it anyway.

I second this idea. We all transition from smoking to vaping at our own paces. For some its one day on cigarettes the next only vaping. For others its a months long transition doing both. I'm not encouraging you to go out and buy a pack, but if you borrow one from a friend or co-worker, you will probably find that you really don't like smoking cigarettes anymore. This may help reinforce, both mentally and physically, a negative feeling about cigarettes that will help counter act the cravings. Non smoker's, which is what you have become after a few weeks, typically find cigarette smoke both disgusting to taste and offensive to breathe in. If you do find yourself smoking one, don't beat yourself up or feel guilty about it. Think about the hundreds you haven't smoked because of vaping. Best of luck to you.

 

[cocacola31173]

You have to remember that you are not only withdrawing from some nic but all the other nasty chemicals that were in cigs that were also addicting; Just hang in there. After about a month we me my cravings all went away. If I have to I can go all day without vaping with no problem.

When Im out and about I really don't really think about vaping at all! It does get easier.

 

[fasteddie]

I second this idea. We all transition from smoking to vaping at our own paces. For some its one day on cigarettes the next only vaping. For others its a months long transition doing both. I'm not encouraging you to go out and buy a pack, but if you borrow one from a friend or co-worker, you will probably find that you really don't like smoking cigarettes anymore. This may help reinforce, both mentally and physically, a negative feeling about cigarettes that will help counter act the cravings. Non smoker's, which is what you have become after a few weeks, typically find cigarette smoke both disgusting to taste and offensive to breathe in. If you do find yourself smoking one, don't beat yourself up or feel guilty about it. Think about the hundreds you haven't smoked because of vaping. Best of luck to you.

I would really like to echo these posts, don't beat yourself up if you crack. That's the worst thing you can do as you might give up with the vaping. Just accept it if you do and vape more!
I have converted several friends now to vaping and a couple of very heavy smokers at that. I know everyone is different but I think the full stop is a bit harsh and me and my friends have had great success when having a bit of a change over period of a month or two where you try and use your vaping device as much as possible and fill in the rough spots with a cig. Eventually as these guys say the taste will be awful!
I feel the key to success is to use your device well before you get any craving and that way the craving are vastly reduced in both frequency and severity. Just keep vaping-all the time! Dont be shy!
Also I don't think you need to go any higher than 24mg me and my friends all quit comfortably on 18mg.
Make sure you've got a flavour you like so you use it more.

 

[khaugust]

Remind yourself that you are a non-smoker. Regardless of how you are quitting a habit. Takes time to make it. Take it easy on yourself and walk and vape yourself through every urge to analog. Every day will be one more day smoke free. That's a better feeling than any day I was a smoker. I am constantly reminding myself how long I've done without a cigarette (8 day now!!) and I get prouder every single day of what I'm accomplishing. Went for dinner last night and could smell a cigarette being lit up instantly...it stunk!! I thought wow. That was me. Ick!

 

[yellowsnow]

My friend, I am 60 years old, had been smoking for more than 40 years I used to handrolling and you could tell about me a chain smoker. Once a friend described me in work, "you are tea, cigarette and PC".
The taste of the analog changed after using e-cig a few hours later. I only used analog in the first days when I have been sold fake juice and it did not stop my cravings because no nicotine in them.
So please consider using higher nicotine levels, try different flavors untill you find your favorite ones (I dont know but one may not find it always so more than 2 likes is ideal)
when you need to smoke one, think it will not be the one you used to smoke. It is disgusting for me and I wander how I could smoke that crap for that much time. smoke with this in mind you will give up after one or two inhales. dont fight with it.

nmackan I'm exactly in the same boat as you 60 yrs. young though.
X 10 on this entire thread!!

 

[venemous]

I'm with you here. Bought my vape kit 4 days ago. Since then I've had 7 analogs. When the urge gets too strong, I've found that I light a smoke, take 2-3 drags and put it out. That seems to satisfy the psychological craving. The only time I can't seem to beat the urge completely is when I first wake up, the vape just doesn't cut it (YET) for my morning crave. Every day it's getting easier and easier to tell myself not to light that smoke, and every one I do light is starting to taste worse.

 

[Nightcall]

Yesterday morning I woke up feeling nauseous because I vaped too much nicotine. But that was intentional, in the beginning of a quit I get as much nicotine as I need and more to prevent me from smoking. Eventually I'll cut down and get on a comfortable level of nic but I'm not worried about that right now.

 

[crxess]

Just keep reminding yourself it is the Nic addiction you are craving. The Body is in a battle and the mind is still thinking a smoke is the only way to get the fix.
Yes, it can be tough around week 2-3 and as everything changes, your senses heighten you can have a bit of panic.

As with many others here, I had that battle. over 45 yrs and up to 2PAD. I could never make it more than a few days at any attempt to quit. I collapsed at work due to issues related to stress and missed work for a month recovering from surgeries(2).
8 months later, still at 2 PAD I finally commuted with the help of the worst e-cig kit you could imagine.
The kits failed miserably, but I refused to. Fighting them and my own bodies desire I pressed on. Eventually I found ECF, better gear and the support needed to succeed.
Never once have I seriously considered letting another smoke pass my lips. Going in, I accepted it was the Nicotine and yes I have had a few MAD VAPE days but I always know it is the Nic and I'll get past it.

Wishing you all the Best

Once your mind is at ease with the battle you have won, even if a few cravings rear up.

 

[AngiBe]

I feel your pain. I quit analogs about 4 weeks ago, started vaping 2 weeks after I quit because I was jones'in so bad to smoke. Don't give in to BT!!!! I also learned from the peeps on here to keep my nic levels up so I didn't crash and burn and smoke. I wanted to wean off nic fast...not a good idea. You didn't mention how much you use to smoke (or if you did, sry, I missed it) I was 1- 1 1/2 pad so my nic level is 18mg ADV and 24mg for bad cravings/stressful times.

But..I also ended up getting vapors tongue (whole other issue) and vape less to get rid of it so I had to chew 4mg of nic gum. It was either chew the gum or my left arm off.. So needless to say my nic levels Ive been getting is super low the past nine days and I've literally fought super hard the urge to just go get a pack because if I can't taste it, who cares. But I haven't. Do whatever u can to not go back to analogs!!!!!!

 

[Iron Molly]

I'm going to agree with those here that say it doesn't have to be an "all or nothing" thing. If you REALLY want an analog have one! Chances are it's not going to taste very good. As time goes on you will find you want them less and less. It's been almost three years for me now and I still occasionally think I want an analog, but then I remember how horrible they taste.

I started out vaping just to save money, and within 2 weeks I had switched completely to vaping without much trouble. There was no pressure to quit analogs and so it just happened. One day I said well I'm out of cigarettes and I just didn't care. This after over 30 years at a pack and a half per day. I also agree that you may need two nicotine strengths. Perhaps one bumped up to 24 mg for specific times when you really crave. For me this was when waking up in the morning, and after meals.

So my advice is don't stress over it, having an analog here and there is not that bad as long as you stick with vaping for the most part.

 

[fasteddie]

I'm with you here. Bought my vape kit 4 days ago. Since then I've had 7 analogs. When the urge gets too strong, I've found that I light a smoke, take 2-3 drags and put it out. That seems to satisfy the psychological craving. The only time I can't seem to beat the urge completely is when I first wake up, the vape just doesn't cut it (YET) for my morning crave. Every day it's getting easier and easier to tell myself not to light that smoke, and every one I do light is starting to taste worse.

I found exactly the same problem, mornings were by far the worst time. Not saying this will work for everyone but what I did was change my morning routine with help from my lovely GF. I now take my device to bed so its there in the morning, my gf brings me a cup of coffee up as she is up earlier and I stay in bed vaping while I have my morning coffee. By the time I get downstairs the urge has gone completely.