frustrated and struggling with vaping.

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dwhite25

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Mar 16, 2014
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A lot of us have been there, man. I tried to get a good friend of mine to switch fully over to vaping, but he seems to think it's a similar situation to what you do...there's just something about the real thing that he misses.

All I can say is, first off, don't vape on too cheap a unit. Get something that gives you good flavor and control, so you can getting a hotter draw if necessary. Try tobacco blends. If you're used to smoking cigarettes, sometimes it's just the familiarity that goes missing when you switch over. vaping a good tobacco flavor will help it feel more "like home". Finally, realize it might be a slow process...if you're trying to kick nicotine, then go about it slowly. Start off with ejuices with 24mg or ever 30mg nicotine in them.

More than anything else, try to pay attention to what it is you think is missing. I guarantee, once you find out what that is, you'll be able to find a way to vape that hits that need.

Best of luck.
 
It's ok, don't beat yourself up. Remember it's not how many you smoke it's how many you DIDN'T! Some people quit the second they pick up an ecig others, like myself, take a little longer. I started vaping in October last year, had my last coffin nail in November. On the other hand my hubby started vaping the same time I did and he still smokes, BUT he's cut down a LOT! A couple things I can offer to help is, if you're using tobacco flavors, switch over to fruits or other non tobacco flavors, bump your nic and ALWAYS have your mod handy. If you're using the non tobacco flavors switch over to tobacco flavors. Don't just stick with what is popular in the moment but go with what satisfies your cravings (besides the stinkies that is lol). Just a few things that helped me switch permanently to vaping.
 

DancingHeretik

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Mar 20, 2011
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the fewer death sticks i have on me or access too, that faster I smoke them. I know, that doesn't make sense, but having few causes anxiety and anxiety causes me to smoke.
I know exactly what you mean. When I smoked, I would get nervous and smoke more if I was getting low on cigarettes. So, when I started vaping, I never even committed to stop smoking. I carried cigarettes with me for a while. I just kept putting off the next cigarette and 'practicing' and learning about vaping. I have put off the next cigarette for 3 years now.
 

lemonyleprosy

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Mar 2, 2014
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I like fruity stuff, especially apple. And drink flavored stuff.
I have an absolutely delicious one from virgin vapors, called original sin. But.... It's only 12mg so I never use it.
I tend to try to stick to 100% vg or a 50/50 mix, cause what everyone else calls a 'throat hit' (from the pg), my lungs call spasming. I dont think spasming is a word. Spasm, yes. Ing, no. Point is, pain and coughing fit.
my apologies, im just waking up and exhausted, attempting to be functional so I can head to school.
 

MelvinTheDude

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Mar 11, 2014
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I'm just going to add my experience in here for anyone else who might relate. I had a lot of trouble in the mornings.

The first couple of days, I smoked one cig in the morning and was completely cool with just vaping the rest of the day. By the third day, I was out of cigs and committed to never buying any again. I vaped all morning (2+ hours) and still cheated by bumming one later that afternoon. The fifth day, I chewed a nicorette first thing in the morning and vaped for an hour after. It did help jumpstart the nicotine levels. The sixth day, I vaped for 45 minutes straight. Currently, I vape for about 30 minutes, and take vape breaks, just like I did with smokes, albeit about twice as long, and I'll still take a hit every now and then.

I prefer 24mg in the morning and 16mg the rest of the day. I don't even like 24mg after 9 a.m. anymore. I still get cravings for cigs, but for the first time I can willpower though to the next day. I'm sure I'll bum one again, but I'm not ashamed because the urge is getting less and less. And yes, they do stink to me now.

My next goal is to switch to 16mg mornings and ~6mg during the day and I think I can do it.

I keep in mind what I'm gaining by not buying cigarettes. I'm more productive because I don't have to pop out for a smoke. My wife, a non-smoker, finds me more attractive and I get to spend more time with her. She loves the change and is really supporting me. No more post-coital "be right backs." I'm saving money... or at least I will once I quit having gear failures. My lungs feel better. I smell better. No more burn holes in the car. No more butts to pick up. It really feels good.
 

patkin

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Nov 6, 2012
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I don't know your lifestyle so can only say what worked for me. I had trouble kicking the last 5 or 6 to 2 or 3 smokes. I got an Eroll I use 36mg in for the look and feel of smoking... not just the form factor but the TH and taste. I vaped on other setups most often but whenever I would normally smoke, I used the Eroll instead. IE: when I went for a walk, sat outside, or when doing heavy focusing like taxes. On days when the need to feel like I was smoking was strongest, I lowered the nic and used the Eroll most of the day.
 

Amraann

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Jul 24, 2011
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What does Zeus taste like?

Zues is a type of e-cig :) Sold by Vapor4life
Kind of cigar like in size. I use a tank on mine so the tip is cig sized. Although my fav setup is their titan battery with a tank.
You said that you like fruity flavs.
Me too! My favs are sour grape, sour skittles and Hawaiian rainbow. (think Hawaiian punch flavor)
Also I love sour apple.
The sour grape and apple I get from V4L or Vaporrenu. The sour skittles is from vapes gone wild.
Hubby loves Ecto cooler from vaporrenu and gauva from Mount Baker Vapor.
The Hawaiian rainbow is from namaskarvapes and is currently my all day vape.
I always have a few other tanks filled with the above flavors just to switch it up during the day.

You will find what works for you soon :) It just takes time :)
 

AndriaD

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The eRoll is an excellent suggestion; that was what I used at first, and it's what got me to the point of quitting.

That first smoke of the day was also my hardest one to get rid of; I would try and try and vape and vape and still couldn't get 'satisfied' -- then I noticed something -- I was trying to vape the same way I smoked, and that just doesn't work for good nicotine absorption. You really need to take long, slow drags, and then hold it in your mouth/throat/nose for a bit, then inhale if you want, before blowing it out. That is the only really good way to get nicotine out of vapor -- slowly. Once I started doing this in the morning instead of that fast hard smoking style, it really started to work for me. Also, even though I only vape between 6mg and 8mg, first thing in the AM I start off with 9mg, just to give each drag a bit of a boost, to getting me over that morning hump. Once I know I'm over that initial temptation, I settle in with my regular daytime 8mg, and all is well.

Most of the time, I have no cravings; but that doesn't mean I NEVER have cravings. Sometimes I do, and if they're really bad, that eRoll is a godsend. Doesn't give a lot of flavor, but it DOES give that familiar feeling in your hand, and even the size of it at your lips. I use my iTaste for flavor and throat hit, but when I just need some comfort, some familiarity, I grab the eRoll and pretend I'm smoking -- it's gotten me thru several really bad bouts of cravings. (frustration, stress, all the usual triggers)

Also, the days when it's not "working" for you, it could be a case of "vapor tongue" -- you can't taste anything in the vapor, so it's very unsatisfying. I keep some Halo Kringle's Curse in my eRoll, so that anytime I start having that "numb tastebuds" problem, I vape some of that strong peppermint, and it really kicks the tastebuds back to life. Then I can go back to my regular Virginia in my iTaste, and it tastes good again, and satisfying.

Also -- I'm a recovering alkie, and there's a saying in AA -- "don't drink even if your ... falls off" -- I apply that to smoking too, and I'm determined not to smoke, even if I suddenly lose my entire rear end. :D

Andria
 
In my experience (2+ years) there are 2 critical things that must occur in order to transition from smoking to vaping.

#1 You MUST have a real commitmemt to quit smoking cigarettes. Not just a wish or a desire but a definite and strong COMMITMENT to stop. Without a real commitment vaping may be not a great and/or permanent alternative for a smoker.

#2 Switching from smoking to vaping requires an adjustment. Sometimes it requires a minor adjustment, sometimes a major adjustment. Vaping is NOT the same as smoking. But, if you have a real commitment to quitting, you can make the adjustment!

I smoked a pack a day for over 50 years. I started vaping on December 7, 2011. I have not had a cigarette since that day. Because of #1 and #2 above.
 

Cmoke

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Feb 24, 2014
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My advice is: don't listen too much to people who tell you what to do and what not to do. There is only one person who can give you he answer to your question, and that is you!

There are a lot of good advices given here, but their value for you is very personal. You might need some experimentation to find out what could work for you.

For example, in my case it really helped to take a very high nic liquid in the beginning (45mg/ml, currently I use half that strength). It was so strong that I really needed to put away the ecig after a few puffs. There was no way I could not get my nic in, I just had to press the button a few times and I was ready for an hour or two. This felt quite satisfying (for me). After many many years of smoking this made me quit instantaneously and completely and without any problem. So I advised the same approach to a friend of mine (he desperately wanted to quit smoking), but he really didn't like it. He kept feeling desperate for an analog and he also got headaches. It turned out that the act of inhaling is an important part of his addiction. The liquid I advised him was way too strong for the number of puffs he liked to take (which led to overdose/headaches), and switching to a MUCH lower nic level was the solution for him.

What I want to tell here is that two completely opposite approaches were needed to get to the same result. Think about the things you like about smoking (yes you like it as much as you hate it), look all the good tips given here, and try to find what works for you.
 
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lemonyleprosy

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Mar 2, 2014
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so, i havent been directly counting the death sticks i've been smoking... but based on how much is left in the pack when i go to bed i'm at about 3/4 of pack a day, which means my smoking has significantly increased while my vaping has stayed the same.
24mg WTA from aroma ejuice should arrive tomorrow or thursday, so i'm really hoping that will actually give me some satisfaction.
i'm still dealing with pain and coughing fits especially with my first few vape sessions of the day. it gets better as the day goes on, and if i hold it in my mouth for a few seconds before inhaling it at least for the first few sessions. is this a normal thing?
 
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