Finally here...

[Emy_Dub]

Hello everyone!
My name's Emy, i'm 31, and i'm from Sicily - Italy.
My story as a former smoker is very long and tiresome to tell in details, so I just try to summarize my smoker's history in the best way I can.
I started smoking when I was only 13-14 (Rothmans slims and some other light cigarettes, mainly). I started mainly because, at the time, it was a cool thing to do. I never smoked many cigarettes, though. Just 3-4 a day, in the garage, so my parents wouldn't know it. And some in the school's bathroom, along with my classmates.
At first, I didn't liked the taste at all. But, eventually, I got over it and started smoking a pack a day, in the weekends, mainly, with the occasional beer.
That was up until I was 18.
When I turned 19, I started to smoke 2 packs a day, almost every day. I got diagnosed with PTSD, soon after my mother passed away, got on meds, and that's where I found hard to quit altogether.
I smoked 2 packs a day up until a year ago, when I finally convinced myself that it was seriously causing me more harm than good. I bought a few packs of Nicotine gum, and those helped me stay smoke-free for nearly 6 months.
Unfortunately, due to a very stressful situation, I relapsed and started smoking, again. Although, not as much as I used to. Just 10 cigarettes a day.
I don't enjoy it at all. I'm just replacing the Nicotine I used to take with the gum (it's a very tedious circle that of NRTs, specially gums and lozenges).
That said, I finally convinced myself that all these so-called quit smoking products don't work very well at all. But just put you in a continuos withdrawal state.
The cravings for a real cigarette are always there. And the nicotine you get from the gums and lozenges just make you lethargic and depressed. So I finally bought my very first vape kit (an Aspire Zelos 2.0), plenty of PG/VG juices to make my own juices and some Nicotine juices (18mg/and 9mg 50/50 10ml Nicotine juices).
I didn't bought any flavors, as I have to be cautious about any intolerances, as I suffer IBS.
But, so far, so good. I tried a 6mg Nicotine juice that I made, and I found that I prefer vaping than smoking, now. It's definitely way more relaxing than smoking a cigarette.
Although, I tend to vape a lot. So I think I should up the Nicotine to, maybe, 12 or 18mg.
Anyways, if that's feasible, i'm planning to use my e-cig as a smoking-cessation tool. And hope that in within a month or two, I can finally be Nicotine-free. And just vape 0mg, whenever I get those nasty cravings.
I read that some people managed to lower their Nicotine intake in a very short time. Starting from 18mg and going down to 0, in just 3-4 weeks. But I don't know if that's really feasible or not.
We'll see if I can do it.

 

[classwife]

Welcome to ECF Emy
Don't push yourself to get to a lower nic...slow and steady wins the race !

This is what's so wonderful about switching to vaping...you can customize it to what works for YOU !

 

[Possum64]

Hello @Emy_Dub and welcome to ECF! Thank you for sharing your story. Everyone is different so don't compare yourself to others when it comes to vaping. I have been vaping over 2 years now and still use 18mg nicotine. This is what works for me and keeps me from smoking cigarettes.
You will find what suits you best. Wishing you luck!

 

[Emy_Dub]

Hello @Emy_Dub and welcome to ECF! Thank you for sharing your story. Everyone is different so don't compare yourself to others when it comes to vaping. I have been vaping over 2 years now and still use 18mg nicotine. This is what works for me and keeps me from smoking cigarettes.
You will find what suits you best. Wishing you luck!

Thanks for the advices, everyone! I really appreciated them
Currently i'm smoking light cigarettes (Rothmans Blue's, super-filtered), which they have a very low throat hit to begin with.
I tried for a week the 6mg Nic juice I made from the 18mg/10ml Nic juices I got for free and, while the throat hit it's not as harsh as that you get from Marlboro Reds or other heavy cigarettes, if I breathe while dragging from the drip tip of the tank, I definitely notice the Nic hit.
Though, like I said, the 2ml tank tends to get dry after a couple of hours.
So I will try the 18mg juice for a week and see how it goes. If I find it too harsh, I might try going for the 12mg and stay there for a month or so.

 

[Emy_Dub]

Welcome to ECF Emy
Don't push yourself to get to a lower nic...slow and steady wins the race !

This is what's so wonderful about switching to vaping...you can customize it to what works for YOU !

Yeah, it's definitely way more convenient than most NRT products that are out there, indeed.
With those, you only have very limited options. Not to mention that it's almost impossible to wean yourself off of from them, unless you go cold turkey, even if you follow the instructions.

 

[DeloresRose]

Hello everyone!
My name's Emy, i'm 31, and i'm from Sicily - Italy.
My story as a former smoker is very long and tiresome to tell in details, so I just try to summarize my smoker's history in the best way I can.
I started smoking when I was only 13-14 (Rothmans slims and some other light cigarettes, mainly). I started mainly because, at the time, it was a cool thing to do. I never smoked many cigarettes, though. Just 3-4 a day, in the garage, so my parents wouldn't know it. And some in the school's bathroom, along with my classmates.
At first, I didn't liked the taste at all. But, eventually, I got over it and started smoking a pack a day, in the weekends, mainly, with the occasional beer.
That was up until I was 18.
When I turned 19, I started to smoke 2 packs a day, almost every day. I got diagnosed with PTSD, soon after my mother passed away, got on meds, and that's where I found hard to quit altogether.
I smoked 2 packs a day up until a year ago, when I finally convinced myself that it was seriously causing me more harm than good. I bought a few packs of Nicotine gum, and those helped me stay smoke-free for nearly 6 months.
Unfortunately, due to a very stressful situation, I relapsed and started smoking, again. Although, not as much as I used to. Just 10 cigarettes a day.
I don't enjoy it at all. I'm just replacing the Nicotine I used to take with the gum (it's a very tedious circle that of NRTs, specially gums and lozenges).
That said, I finally convinced myself that all these so-called quit smoking products don't work very well at all. But just put you in a continuos withdrawal state.
The cravings for a real cigarette are always there. And the nicotine you get from the gums and lozenges just make you lethargic and depressed. So I finally bought my very first vape kit (an Aspire Zelos 2.0), plenty of PG/VG juices to make my own juices and some Nicotine juices (18mg/and 9mg 50/50 10ml Nicotine juices).
I didn't bought any flavors, as I have to be cautious about any intolerances, as I suffer IBS.
But, so far, so good. I tried a 6mg Nicotine juice that I made, and I found that I prefer vaping than smoking, now. It's definitely way more relaxing than smoking a cigarette.
Although, I tend to vape a lot. So I think I should up the Nicotine to, maybe, 12 or 18mg.
Anyways, if that's feasible, i'm planning to use my e-cig as a smoking-cessation tool. And hope that in within a month or two, I can finally be Nicotine-free. And just vape 0mg, whenever I get those nasty cravings.
I read that some people managed to lower their Nicotine intake in a very short time. Starting from 18mg and going down to 0, in just 3-4 weeks. But I don't know if that's really feasible or not.
We'll see if I can do it.

Hi and welcome!

I’ve not heard of anyone decreasing that quickly, but many of us dropped a lot (I started at 24mg and got down to 6mg) and some went to zero.

If that’s your goal, I’m sure you’ll get there.

 

[somdcomputerguy]

Welcome to ECF, Emy. I started with 36mg/ml. After close to a month, my body was telling me that was too much. I am now vaping a 24 mg/ml nic pre-mixed base; and if I add a bit of flavor to that, the nic level comes down to about 20/21. I have a year or so of the pre-mix left, and when I start making my own base I might make the level equal to 18, so any flavor added to that will bring the nic level to about 15 or 16. If I vape more at that lower level, I'll go back up to the mid 20 range. I don't really see the need to reduce my nic intake unless my body says so, I put more weight to the fact that I am no longer putting tar and thousands of other chemicals into my body. Congrats on the switch!

 

[Emy_Dub]

Welcome to ECF, Emy. I started with 36mg/ml. After close to a month, my body was telling me that was too much. I am now vaping a 24 mg/ml nic pre-mixed base; and if I add a bit of flavor to that, the nic level comes down to about 20/21. I have a year or so of the pre-mix left, and when I start making my own base I might make the level equal to 18, so any flavor added to that will bring the nic level to about 15 or 16. If I vape more at that lower level, I'll go back up to the mid 20 range. I don't really see the need to reduce my nic intake unless my body says so, I put more weight to the fact that I am no longer putting tar and thousands of other chemicals into my body. Congrats on the switch!

Yeah, it's definitely way more healthy than smoking, that's for sure.
I already arrived at the point where cigarettes just make feel sick and nauseaous. And I highly doubt that I will ever go back to them.
At last, I might get some sugar-free gum, as well, to chew in those places where I cannot vape.
Definitely way cheaper than buying a pack of smokes.

Thanks for sharing your story, man. That certainly helps finding out the best schedule to follow.
Might probably use the 12/18mg juice during the day, and the 6mg at night, as it's more soothing and relaxing.
Or I might just stick to either the 12/18mg (have to try the best starting dose that works for me), and stick with it until I get tired and go down to 9, then 6 and then 3.
At those lower nicotine levels, specially 3, going cold turkey wouldn't be as hard as coming off from 36 or 18mg.
We'll see.
Certainly if I use a High Nicotine juice, I wouldn't chain vape as I do, sometimes, with the 6mg level.

 

[G and C]

Welcome Emy, I'm really impressed that you tried out making your own juice so soon after starting vaping. That's awesome. Making my own juice was one of the best and cost reducing things I've done with vaping, and I hope it turns out to be the same for you.

 

[FlyerTom]

 

[Emy_Dub]

Welcome Emy, I'm really impressed that you tried out making your own juice so soon after starting vaping. That's awesome. Making my own juice was one of the best and cost reducing things I've done with vaping, and I hope it turns out to be the same for you.

I learned many things by reading these forums, as well as watching Youtube videos and stuff like that.
Needless to say that I know most of the basics of vaping, like priming coils correctly, batteries capacities, wattages, differences between 50/50 and 70/30 juices, and how to make my own juices.
Being an avid computer repair guy certainly also helped a lot getting started this journey.
Anyways, making your own juices it's very convenient, cost-wise, indeed.
I got good quality pharmaceutical-grade 250ml PG/VG juices at my pharmacy (they cost, like, $3 a bottle....definitely a steal), and I got my Nicotine 50/50 10ml juices from a reputable company that use pharmaceutical grade stuff. Got 15 10ml bottles of 18mg Nicotine, as well 3 9mg ones, for like, $29. They should be enough to get me through a couple of months (or a month and a half), considering that i'm planning on not chain-vaping all day. And considering that i'm planning on making 50-100ml juices.
I made my very first 6mg juice just a couple of weeks ago. I made a 100ml bottle, using 3 18mg/10ml nicotine juices. And still have 45ml left. If I plan on starting with the 18mg strenght for the first month, and not chain-vape, I should be good for 3 weeks.
All in all, it's definitely less expensive than buying a pack of cigarettes a day.
That's for sure.

 

[somdcomputerguy]

All in all, it's definitely less expensive than buying a pack of cigarettes a day.
That's for sure.

Oh yeah, couldn't agree more. The cigs I smoked cost about 30 cents each, and I smoked at least 1/2 pack a day. If I DIY a 125 ml batch of flavored eliq, it costs me less than 5 bucks, and will last me at least close to 4 months. A pack of smokes cost me about 6 bucks, and would only last me 2 days if I was stringent..

Southern Maryland Computerguy - Vapecents

 

[BrotherBob]

I read that some people managed to lower their Nicotine intake in a very short time. Starting from 18mg and going down to 0, in just 3-4 weeks. But I don't know if that's really feasible or not.
We'll see if I can do it.

Welcome and glad you joined.
You can do it. I did it by fooling myself. Just made some batches with and without nic and put them in unmarked Identical bottles. Eventually I continued to mix with no nic.

 

[Emy_Dub]

Welcome and glad you joined.
You can do it. I did it by fooling myself. Just made some batches with and without nic and put them in unmarked Identical bottles. Eventually I continued to mix with no nic.

Thanks for the tip, mate
Guess I will probably cut down the Nicotine levels every 3 weeks. At least at the beginning, so the body can adapt itself with the new delivery method, while also clearing out all the chemicals from the cigarettes.
For me, it's always the very first month that's tough.
In fact, when I tried the Nicotine gums recommended by my doctor, I chewed a piece every hour or so, as the cravings were really that bad.
I guess by the time you reach 3mg, things gets much more easier down the road. And I might just vape occasionally, by that point, by alternating 3mg and 0mg.

 

[Aliraonz]

Welcome. Looks like you are doing very well

 

[MJCSD]

Hello and welcome to ecf

 

[Emy_Dub]

Welcome. Looks like you are doing very well

Yep.
So far, so good, I might say.
I haven't had a cigarette since last week. And I ditched everything related to tobacco.
Think it's very unlikely that I will ever get back smoking tobacco.
Can't no longer stand the bitterness or the smell of cigarettes anymore.
Anyways, I found out that on my setup, with the 1.8ohm coil, 18mg of nicotine isn't that harsh on my throat.
Though, after 5 puffs, I can definitely feel it in my brain. It's just strong to use it in the evening.
So i'm thinking about using the 18mg during the day, and the 6mg in the evening. And alternate the two until I get down to 12mg.
I like the mellow relaxing effect of the 6mg, before going to sleep. Also, I always smoked a lot during the evening, so 6mg hits that spot, for me, just fine.
I don't think I could chain-vape 18mg without getting dizzy and sick.
My only regret is that I should've definitely switched to vaping a long time ago, without wasting almost a year going on and off the Nicotine gum.
With vaping, I absolutely didn't noticed any side effects at all, compared to the gum.
The gum, regardless of the strenght, it would either make me too agitated, give me heart palpitations and shortness of breath, or it would definitely knock me off (talking about sleep deprivation and oversleeping problems).
It's literally a godsend, really. My sleep patterns have definitely got back to normal, I don't feel lethargic or as stoned anymore (as when I was on the gum), and I definitely feel like I got back to my old self, again.
It does work. Period.

 

[Aliraonz]

Yep.
So far, so good, I might say.
I haven't had a cigarette since last week. And I ditched everything related to tobacco.
Think it's very unlikely that I will ever get back smoking tobacco.
Can't no longer stand the bitterness or the smell of cigarettes anymore.
Anyways, I found out that on my setup, with the 1.8ohm coil, 18mg of nicotine isn't that harsh on my throat.
Though, after 5 puffs, I can definitely feel it in my brain. It's just strong to use it in the evening.
So i'm thinking about using the 18mg during the day, and the 6mg in the evening. And alternate the two until I get down to 12mg.
I like the mellow relaxing effect of the 6mg, before going to sleep. Also, I always smoked a lot during the evening, so 6mg hits that spot, for me, just fine.
I don't think I could chain-vape 18mg without getting dizzy and sick.
My only regret is that I should've definitely switched to vaping a long time ago, without wasting almost a year going on and off the Nicotine gum.
With vaping, I absolutely didn't noticed any side effects at all, compared to the gum.
The gum, regardless of the strenght, it would either make me too agitated, give me heart palpitations and shortness of breath, or it would definitely knock me off (talking about sleep deprivation and oversleeping problems).
It's literally a godsend, really. My sleep patterns have definitely got back to normal, I don't feel lethargic or as stoned anymore (as when I was on the gum), and I definitely feel like I got back to my old self, again.
It does work. Period.

Glad to hear you are finding the right amount of nicotine for you and feeling good about it . I usually mix the 6 with 3mg or 0mg, it depends. Weirdly enough I feel like nicotine makes me cough because if I vape without any no cough at all so I always need to find a middle ground for it. Using vaping with patches atm to kick the smokes.

Well done

 

[Emy_Dub]

Glad to hear you are finding the right amount of nicotine for you and feeling good about it . I usually mix the 6 with 3mg or 0mg, it depends. Weirdly enough I feel like nicotine makes me cough because if I vape without any no cough at all so I always need to find a middle ground for it. Using vaping with patches atm to kick the smokes.

Well done

At first, I admit it, it made me kinda nauseaous and cough a bit as well (with the 18mg).
But then, I practiced with different vaping techniques, and when i'm vaping 18mg, I always take smaller drags as the throat hit is instantly noticeable.
Other than that, 18mg for small smoke breaks does the job just fine. And I hardly have any cravings for a cigarette, so far.
In about 3 weeks I will be stepping down to 12mg. And then, when I will finally get to 6mg, I plan on stay on it for as long as I can, until I start leaving my vape kit at home, etc....
By then, going to 0, wouldn't be as hard as coming off from Tobacco cigarettes.
Vaping is amazing, because once you know how to cut off the nicotine by going through the DIY route, it's really a walk in the park.
Have never tried the patches, so I don't know if they're very effective. But careful not to use high nicotine strenghts juices, with the patch on, as it is very dangerous.

 

[Aliraonz]

At first, I admit it, it made me kinda nauseaous and cough a bit as well (with the 18mg).
But then, I practiced with different vaping techniques, and when i'm vaping 18mg, I always take smaller drags as the throat hit is instantly noticeable.
Other than that, 18mg for small smoke breaks does the job just fine. And I hardly have any cravings for a cigarette, so far.
In about 3 weeks I will be stepping down to 12mg. And then, when I will finally get to 6mg, I plan on stay on it for as long as I can, until I start leaving my vape kit at home, etc....
By then, going to 0, wouldn't be as hard as coming off from Tobacco cigarettes.
Vaping is amazing, because once you know how to cut off the nicotine by going through the DIY route, it's really a walk in the park.
Have never tried the patches, so I don't know if they're very effective. But careful not to use high nicotine strenghts juices, with the patch on, as it is very dangerous.

You are right possibly I need to play with vaping techniques and I never go over 3 mg, even that I mix it with 0 mg just so I can vape without coughing . Patches worked for me a few years ago but I went back to smoking so I'm hoping this mix will get me off smokes. You will eventually lower the dose but as classwife stated above slow and steady wins the race