frustrated and struggling with vaping.

[Pacobit]

In my experience, an e-cig that works well, pleasant aroma and amount of nicotine, make a difference.
At first did not convince me, then with the help of experts vapers, I started to like the vapor and I quit smoking

 

[liquid_strat]

In my experience, getting a device that produces lots of vapor helps - along with using the highest strength nicotine you can stand. Also, a person really has to withdraw from the tobacco (the nicotine and all of the other organic compounds in tobacco). As a tobacco user, you will be doing without all of those tobacco alkaloids (TA) that produce pleasure, not just the nicotine stimulant. You may feel a bit out of it for the first few days, but once you're over the TA dependency you're there.

 

[Animosity1719]

In my experience, getting a device that produces lots of vapor helps - along with using the highest strength nicotine you can stand. Also, a person really has to withdraw from the tobacco (the nicotine and all of the other organic compounds in tobacco). As a tobacco user, you will be doing without all of those tobacco alkaloids (TA) that produce pleasure, not just the nicotine stimulant. You may feel a bit out of it for the first few days, but once you're over the TA dependency you're there.

I agree, i had a kanger aerotank with my mvp and my lungs were getting sore from sucking on it so hard all day everyday, until i learned how to build and got an RDA with some decent size air holes. Take a hit from a dual coil rda at around .6,.7 ohms and you wont even think twice about an analog anymore, once you take a hit and feel your lungs expand with an RDA it will probably be the closest thing to an actual cig. and blow your mind. Just do your research first!

 

[DVap]

For some vapers, there is a wicked escalation that I call "chasing the x-factor" and it is a phenomenon played out of two fronts.

The "x-factor" simply refers to the feeling that some experience that nicotine eliquids just don't do the trick in eliminating cigarette cravings, and that there must be something they can do to find satisfaction with vaping. "Chasing the x-factor" then involves the escalation in 1) equipment quality, and 2) trying more and more eliquids at higher and higher nicotine levels.

So what happens when you've wound a quad-coil IGO, hooked it up to a car battery, mixed up a batch of your favorite DIY at 36 mg, vaped yourself stupid, and you're still craving a cigarette? If you're crazy, you keep chasing the x-factor and empty your bank account on more and more exotic equipment along with a dizzying arsenal of new eliquids... all because, "Dammit, I'm going to make this work!" You know what they say about continuing to do the same things and expecting different results: That's the definition of crazy.

You could get off of the x-factor-chasing treadmill by simply throwing in the towel, admitting that vaping doesn't work for you, and go back to cigarettes. Effective, but now you're killing yourself again. Or you can realize that nicotine isn't all that it's made out to be and try something else.

Enter WTA. It's mostly nicotine but it also has the other tobacco alkaloids that synergise with nicotine to much more closely mirror the satisfaction of smoking than a nicotine eliquid could ever hope.

I created WTA and everything I've learned over the past 4+ years goes into Aroma's 24 mg unflavored WTA. To call it unflavored isn't really even true; it has a wonderfully full nutty throat hit and a beautifully clean finish. It's more expensive than the WTAs offered by the other WTA vendors, but there's a reason. The quality is consistently excellent and it works.

 

[lemonyleprosy]

Thanks all.

 

[FireDragon1138]

If you actually look at traditional quitting strategies, ones actually created by smokers themselves, you have only two- cold turkey and smokeless tobacco. And both actually work better than pharmaceutical nicotine replacement . Given that the e-cig was created by a non-smoker based around nicotine replacement, it's not surprising there are still rough edges with peoples experiences of e-cigs, and its taken a whole community's experiences to try to come up with solutions.

 

[Frenchfry1942]

Sounds like nic level. To test it out, I would get a 10ml of 36mg and use that for a couple of days. When you get the "urge", vape about 8 hits. Does it satisfy the urge? Does it feel like to much nicotine?

Don't worry about making clouds, get the nic-level fixed first.

 

[loudandlow]

Even a few puffs one after another doesn't curtail the urge to light one up? Don't buy anymore cigs.

 

[lemonyleprosy]

Don't buy anymore cigs, gee why didn't I think of that.
anyhow, about 20 death sticks avoided today. Didn't count how many I actually had, just the times I reached for the vaporizer instead. Thanks for keeping me on track folks. I appreciate it, as do my lungs and my asthma.

 

[Tajji'smom]

Actually loudandlow has a point. I tried to stash cigarettes as a back up, but I would smoke them. There is always that temptation when you can still grab one. But having said that- everyone is different. To have not smoked 20 cigarettes today is amazing!!! If you are determined to do it-you will, at your own pace. Congratulations!

 

[lemonyleprosy]

It's not that simple, though I wish it was. However, I'd ditch class or bum a smoke as soon as an anxiety or panic attack set in. I've been dealing with mental disorders since my teen years and death sticks are one of the things I've relied upon to get me through. I've kicked hard drugs and death sticks are harder.
A change in mindset is required. A change in thinking. A change in habit. And I'm working on that. However, telling me to just 'stop buying them' is, in my humble opinion, a little insulting and not addressing the true issue or problem at hand. I will stop buying them when I find the proper combination of juice and hardware to replace them. Once I find something healthier that can still serve the same purpose. I didn't start smoking because I liked it, or cause it was 'cool', I started smoking because I was told by a trusted friend that it could help with the anxiety and depression. They were right, and that's why I continued for 17 years.
now, however, they're doing more harm than good. So I'm seeking a healthier substitute through vaping. At the moment, It's not working all the time- hence the point of this thread.
with this thread I've been offered multiple potential solutions that seem viable, and that I will try- changing my thinking regarding 'real cigarettes', upping my nicotine level, and trying ejuice with WTA's, as well as many encouraging words and the realization that I'm not alone. Being told to just not buy any more cigarettes, however, I find condescending. Which is okay, I'm entitled to my own opinion.
My apologies if I'm snippy and irritable, I think the reason why is obvious: a low level of death sticks.

 

[Criticalmass]

I'm using 18mg, may bump it up to 24.
Setup is an mvp 2.0, rotating between kanger aerotank, pt3, and aspire vivi nova s.
in vw mode at 7.5 watts, any higher either burns my throat or puts me into coughing fits.

Bump it up first, if you still have trouble, get the WTA. I had some pretty bad withdrawal symptoms that lasted a couple months (yeah, not days. Months) I stuck it out but I think the WTA liquids might have made it easier for me.

Everyone who smokes is self medicating, some for mood disorders, others for stress triggers. Etc. We as a group all have our issues and, at times, a lot of anger. Lol. You can get through it, but it won't be easy. I vaped myself nic sick at times. I had just about every damned symptom of cigarette withdrawal (not nicotine, but all the other crap) over the course of two months or so and it sucked. I quit at 42 and had been a smoker since the age of 13. Don't be me.

sent from my Limited Edition Monkey Island™ Talking Voodoo Doll Head named Murray®

 

[lemonyleprosy]

My only hesitation with WTA's is the possibility of medication interaction. Im fairly regularly prescribed prednisone for lung infections. So perhaps you're right- I'll try bumping up the nicotine first. I cant afford to place an order for ejuice with WTA's currently anyway, but picking up a 15ml bottle of 24 or 36mg ejuice will only set me back $10 bucks if I buy the stuff on clearance at vape rev *grin*

 

[KineticMind]

Wishing you lots of luck. I think most - if not all - of us have been in your shoes and know just how frustrating it is. I can't even remember how many people would tell me "just don't buy any more cigarettes", most of whom were never smokers, and expected that to be some grand revelation that would make me quit instantly. That's like telling someone who has a bad cough from the flu to "just quit breathing" and things will get better...

For me, I struggled with all of the quitting methods for years. I'd do well on some for a week or two, then something would set me off and I'd bum a smoke from someone. That usually turned back into a habit for however long until I decided to try again. Then rinse and repeat. It was maddening.

I'm not sure why vaping has worked out so well for me, but I honestly feel like I've actually quit this time. I simply don't have a desire for a cigarette and, in fact, now find myself repulsed by the smell of them. From the start, I've always kept a variety of juices on hand so that I don't get burned out on one flavor. I actually keep several tanks filled with different juices in a little travel case that I carry around with me everywhere. Sometimes I swap out tanks every time I want to vape.

Prayer and meditation has also been very helpful to me, but so as not to sound too 'preachy', I won't delve too far into that. Mindset is obviously important, so I try to find things that take my mind away from stress when it starts to build up. Music plays a major role in my life, so I always keep an MP3 player around with tunes that I've created or tunes that I can just lose myself in. That usually leads back to meditation. Again, I hope you find what works for you and finally drop the terrible smoking habit for good.

If meditation and music appeal to you, give it a shot with this playing in the background:



I can't tell you how many times I've zoned out listening to that song, and others like it, and completely forgotten about my urge to light up another cigarette.

 

[raspberryblu]

Don't give up. I had my last analog right before going into the vape shop last Sunday. Interestingly enough, my biggest challenge for quitting was not letting go of the nicotine so much as the act of smoking itself.

The process of inhaling and exhaling is very soothing for me and vaping fills the void. Perhaps in your case the nicotine withdrawals are a stronger motivator for you and are what's driving you back to analogs.

To echo what others have said, don't be too hard on yourself. Everyone is different and reacts differently to quitting analogs.

 

[loyalfan]

I would definitely go to 24 mg/ml. Also, there is a stick thread on here regarding how drawing on a vaporizer is different from drawing on a cigarette. It helped me get more out of my setup. You have good equipment so that is not the issue. Running at 7.5 watts is close to burning the liquid so you might try 7 or 6.5 also.

 

[loyalfan]

I too have anxiety issues. While vaping helps with that, you are correct that there is much more too it.

 

[ukeman]

I never admitted this before but one of the reasons i took to vaping immediately, in 2009, is that in the '80's I was addicted to vaping as a delivery system for an illegal substance (ecf moderators won't allow further aliteration). Its been twenty years since, but first nic vape, i took to it right away.

The pleasure is the hand to mouth, full vapor, and flavor of the juice - and that is a whole other sub section of vaping, and the nic.

I'd given up cigarettes for periods at a time and i too get asthma from smoking, and it sucked to stink all the time, but i don't think every smoker who wants to quit automatically falls in love with vaping… its just not everyones cup of tea.

i do know some folks vape 0 nic just for the love of vaping… in my case it was just a transition to another form of smoking, or a healthier
but just as obsessive form…. i mean tons of us get obsessed with gear; devices, atomizers, juices.

In fact i know i vape more than i should… i can feel it…

in fact i think my next step is to narrow down my gear, and possibly up my nic to vape a more sane amount than the 24/7, morning and night, 3-4 mg nic.

 

[wvducklady]

I know that there are alot of great comments here, but I will tell you my story!
I started vaping around June2013 but could not completely drop the cigs. I finally found hazelnut from a vendor in the end of August 2013, amd started smoking less and less. I cut down to 5 cigs a day and then 1 in the morning and 1 in the evening for a bit, and finally on October 20 2013 at 8 AM I told myself no more and that was my last cig! I honestly thought in my head that I did not think that I could quit.
So, do not rush yourself. Do not feel bad about still having a smoke every now and then. Whrn you are ready you will quit! I always say that you can only quit when you are ready to quit. Give yourself a little time, and find a flavor that you really really love! I do not know what your flavor preference is, but we may be able to give you some suggestions. Or maybe you have found your favorite flavor! I think that upping your nicotine is a great idea! You could vape lower nics sometimes if you wanted, and when you get the hard cravings vape on your high nicotine eliquids.
Hang in there! You are doing great! Feel free to PM if you ever need to vent or ask anything! I will help you in any way that I can, and I know that there are so many others here who would do the same! very proud of you!

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Tapatalk

 

[Venge ODay]

Keep us updated on your progress and good luck!