Heavy Smoker, Need Satisfaction

[PickledRick]

Wow, Thanks a million for the replies! Some I knew, others are brand new to me. I did get Mango flavor along with tobacco, and really like it.
One discovery I made after some research was regarding nicotine salts. Analogs and the salts therein deliver a quicker rise in the bloodstream that vapes don't, as I'm sure 90% of you know, and the plateau decreases much slower than freebase nicotine plateaus.
So I tried this; I took 3-4 puffs from an analog to get that sharp rise, butted it and used my vape.
It definitively made a difference! I'm fairly certain in my case that the salts and the rapid nicotine rise from analogs are the key players in my addiction. I had no idea these salts could be purchased until other members here posted that info. I'm ordering them ASAP!
Quick side question: I was sent a Juul by a friend, who uses one and swears it's the closest to a real hit from a cigarette. As I have no pods and cannot find them locally I haven't tried it yet. I see it uses the salts, but the pod price is ouch! Is it a good possible addition to my new vaping regimen? Again, I found these replies to be greatly helpful and hope to give back in the same form. Stay Safe, and Down With Big tobacco, those money grubbing Bastuds!

 

[PickledRick]

And BTW, I am a DTL vaper. Tried MTL. It didn't work. And I have a .4 coil but I set my ohms at .3 and my watts at 30-40. This allows me to take a deep drag that is more satisfying and smoke like.

 

[stols001]

I had just celebrated a year clean from tobacco when stress hit. It's my achilles heel, and I'm not 100% sure I'm ever going to fix it.

What I did last time, well I left working full time, immersed myself in vaping (I really am not smoking much... but the more I do, the more it reinforces itself in an endless cycle of SUCK, frankly.

This time (it is much harder) I am doing things a bit differently as I tried it ALL and it ALL helped (WTA, flavors etc.) but I am going to have to make a STRESS strategy because it DOES sort of look like I will have like, a few days here to prepare for going back to work. And, it's extreme.

I am going to ask my husband to lock up or hide his tobacco. I will be surrendering my Bank Cards and any and all methods of payment, so that I can't buy cigarettes when I'm out. Etc. I will not take money to work. I will delay, distract and bang my head against a WALL IF NECESSARY.

I DO NOT want to continue smoking I want to return to vaping, and the only way to do that WITH stress for me, is to NOT ALLOW myself access to tobacco (self inflicted) at this point. When I get to 4 weeks at work, I am going to BET that after 4 weeks working WITHOUT the "self-granted" opportunity to smoke, NOT during my break, NOT during my lunch HOUR NOT as a reward for a first successful day.

I am considering asking my pdoc to prescribe EMSAM (it's a fairly harmless as it's transdermal patch) for that MONTH. He will probably say NO, but ONCE I am fully a vaper again, I will allow myself LEEWAY.

Work is my hardest THING and I MEAN THAT. I HAVE NEVER WORKED as a non-smoker and I have to LEARN HOW....


The strategy is going to effect once I use up the last cigarettes I bought. It should probably be sooner but frankly there is only so much stress I can take,, so I am WEANING with the cigarettes I HAVE.

I will also be pouring water in all the ashtrays, and hoping I don't encounter a homeless person anyplace who is OFFERING me a cigarette but I doubt it.

The good news is I will be surrounded by the similarly suffering, prisoners, so that should give me some dang MOTIVATION as I can vape and/or use SNUS.

I am firmly convinced tar does something for me, something MAJOR. Too bad it is also the thing most likely to KILL ME.

Best of luck,

Anna

 

[DaveP]

Once your brain recognizes that there are two choices (1) cig = slow poison, suffering, various diseases, death (2) vape = life, then your brain will automatically reject anything having to do with cigs, and you won't even think twice about it.

That's the key point. Once you know the vape can satisfy the nic and hand to mouth habit, it just a transition, or at least it was for me. I was lucky. I never missed the cigarettes as long as the vapor, nic, and the satisfying act of inhaling and exhaling vapor was there for me.

That, and I didn't want to hear a doctor tell me I had lung cancer. It's been over 8 years and so far X-rays and CT scans have revealed no signs of cancer.

 

[coolerat]

I'm a nic junkie but I'm also a vaping junkie. And I loves me some flavor.

To me nic ruins all flavors so in high nic juice I just do un-flavored. Anything over 6mg just tastes like nic so screw it.

My ADV is at 3mg and I just vape til I get all the nic I need.

Unless................

I'm in a situation where I can't whack my happy pipe unrestricted.

And this is where nic salts come in. A pod-mod and nic salt juice is never gonna equal fun for me but I'm just amazed how my nic addiction is put at bay by this combo. I'm using the low nic juice (35mg) and low power pod and while its pretty harsh its VERY satisfying.

 

[Myk]

It's been over 8 years and so far X-rays and CT scans have revealed no signs of cancer.

Did you have a scare? 35 years of smoking and plenty of Drs since I quit and nobody has suggested looking at my lungs. The only way they found pneumonia by CT was seeing the bottom of my lungs scanning my guts. (The Dr who sent me to the ER knew, he just didn't make it clear to my fevered brain or call ahead to the ER like he said he was.)

 

[mcclintock]

Are you dual using? 3 weeks of only ecigs is a long time to still be craving cigarettes. If you're dual using you're keeping the craving going, which is OK, some need to cut down before they can quit all the way, but that's where it's coming from.
Also ash trays, lighters and all those things laying around in sight can keep the cravings going.

If you're exclusively vaping, the only thing I can think of is the tobacco flavor is keeping your memories going.

Both the first and second time around for me ecigs were better than smoking. The first time I got tobacco flavors plus a fruit flavor. Tobacco flavors were really bad back then, I only vaped the strawberry. The second time around I only went with fruit flavors. Later when good tobacco flavors came out I tried them and they were realistic but I had no taste for them.

I used tobacco every way there was. Pipe, cigars, big leaf chew, plug chew, pouches, nasal snuff and snus. I only use snus and snuff occasionally now.

I'd say 3 weeks is really short. I think people have unreasonable expectations regarding time frame. I smoked for 23 years, 3 weeks is nothing. They say it takes 2 days abstinence to not need nicotine. For whole tobacco smoke after decades, that's more like 2 months. Mentally, maybe 9 months.

Fortunately, in my experience it doesn't take much actual smoke to reduce these cravings. I went a year after going full time to vaping where I had about one a month or actually 2/3ths of one about every 3 weeks. I believe these single cigs had effects that lasted up to 3 weeks, because it isn't necessary to have whatever chemical in you, it's the effect of those chemicals and being able to get rid of a certain kind of stress. Of course, if you didn't dual use in quitting, your willpower is not proven and it could be a bad idea to try a smoke. Also, never accept a cigarette that's offered in a usual situation. You need to be at home and ready to fall down on the sofa and go into la-la land a couple minutes.

The other part of sticking with vaping is figuring out how to make it really good and pleasing. That way, while it may not kill all interest in smoke, it is still the stronger attractor.

 

[Myk]

I'd say 3 weeks is really short. I think people have unreasonable expectations regarding time frame. I smoked for 23 years, 3 weeks is nothing. They say it takes 2 days abstinence to not need nicotine. For whole tobacco smoke after decades, that's more like 2 months. Mentally, maybe 9 months.

Fortunately, in my experience it doesn't take much actual smoke to reduce these cravings. I went a year after going full time to vaping where I had about one a month or actually 2/3ths of one about every 3 weeks. I believe these single cigs had effects that lasted up to 3 weeks, because it isn't necessary to have whatever chemical in you, it's the effect of those chemicals and being able to get rid of a certain kind of stress. Of course, if you didn't dual use in quitting, your willpower is not proven and it could be a bad idea to try a smoke. Also, never accept a cigarette that's offered in a usual situation. You need to be at home and ready to fall down on the sofa and go into la-la land a couple minutes.

The other part of sticking with vaping is figuring out how to make it really good and pleasing. That way, while it may not kill all interest in smoke, it is still the stronger attractor.

I guess I need to justify that with unbearable cravings an ecig can't pacify.

I smoked for 35 years, and smoking was treating Crohn's that wasn't diagnosed/treated for about 6 months from quitting. Once I weaned off not smoking making mornings horrible with half cigarettes (a few days) I haven't wanted a cigarette so bad I had to give in. And I pretty much went 0mg within a month (still used 5mg for mornings).
I've flared years after I switched to ecigs and craved a cigarette. I figure that is what ruined all of my previous quits, some as long as 9 months, and one switch to pipes for over 2 years.
So my immune system attacks my body without cigarettes and I know cigarettes will help yet I can vape through those cravings.

3-7 days is to be free to nicotine.
The other stuff in tobacco smoke are a crap shoot. It depends on what you're needing from it and if that need is getting other attention.

 

[DaveP]

Did you have a scare? 35 years of smoking and plenty of Drs since I quit and nobody has suggested looking at my lungs. The only way they found pneumonia by CT was seeing the bottom of my lungs scanning my guts. (The Dr who sent me to the ER knew, he just didn't make it clear to my fevered brain or call ahead to the ER like he said he was.)

The CT scan was just a part of a physical. I guess it was age related and the fact that I was a long term smoker who quit. A tiny (<4mm) calcium deposit showed up and he ordered a one year followup to make sure it didn't grow. It was static and benign and no further action was necessary. Calcium deposits are common and can occur with a cold/flu lung infection. I had the flu prior to that and it was termed as the probable cause.

 

[sdennislee]

The first time I tried to make the switch from cigarettes to vape I tired every juice that claimed to be close to Marlboros. None of them were right and I kept on smoking. It wasn't until I moved away from tobacco flavored juice I was able to make the switch to 100% vaping.

I can remember in the early days thinking how silly it was to have juices that were flavored likes fruits, deserts, etc... Thank goodness they existed Butter Pecan was the juice that got me off cigarette.

BTW I was a 3 pack a day smoker.

 

[Mimi25]

I

I've smoked for 33 years, a pack and a half for the last 25. Camels, then Camel wides. Bought a SMOK Alien 220. I like it a lot, but.........the fulfilment ain't there. Got 24 mg nicotine juice, tobacco flavor ( Of course; I'm a Camel man lol ). Still doesn't cut it. 3 weeks now, and I am jonesin for analogs
I've vaped until I felt the same sickly nausea the first time I really hit a cig as a teenage idjet. ANY advice from long term smokers who have made the switch to vaping would be greatly appreciated.

I’m 60 and I smoked since I was 16. I started out with Kools and Salems.
I found a good vape shop in my town. Told them what I smoked. They mixed a juice for me to my menthol and nicotine preference. I did high menthol and a blend of hard and soft nicotine.
I did this for about a month and then I started trying flavors. Trust me. Raspberry custard is better than tobacco. Best of luck to you. You will be here talking to converts soon.
It does open up a rabbit hole. Bet we will be talking about diy juice and coils soon.

 

[Mimi25]

The first time I tried to make the switch from cigarettes to vape I tired every juice that claimed to be close to Marlboros. None of them were right and I kept on smoking. It wasn't until I moved away from tobacco flavored juice I was able to make the switch to 100% vaping.

I can remember in the early days thinking how silly it was to have juices that were flavored likes fruits, deserts, etc... Thank goodness they existed Butter Pecan was the juice that got me off cigarette.

BTW I was a 3 pack a day smoker.

I almost hurt myself being a 2 pack a day smoker. How did you do 3 a day?

 

[sdennislee]

I almost hurt myself being a 2 pack a day smoker. How did you do 3 a day?

I never do anything half way.

 

[coolerat]

The first time I tried to make the switch from cigarettes to vape I tired every juice that claimed to be close to Marlboros. None of them were right and I kept on smoking. It wasn't until I moved away from tobacco flavored juice I was able to make the switch to 100% vaping.

I can remember in the early days thinking how silly it was to have juices that were flavored likes fruits, deserts, etc... Thank goodness they existed Butter Pecan was the juice that got me off cigarette.

BTW I was a 3 pack a day smoker.

I remember I used to drive the yard truck a few days a week and I'd start my 8 hour shift with 3 packs. Current, next and future. 3 packs for a shift. Light one of the other. My co-workers used to joke how a Mini-Bic lasted me 5 years.

When I started messing with e-cigs it was tobacco only thank you. Great for airports and watching TV with my wife so I didn't have to run outside every 15 minutes to "check something".

Then about 4 years ago I got serious about vaping. Gear was starting to get to the heavy smokers. Tobacco menthol only please, no blueberry sour lollipop custard bisquit froo-froo crap for me.

At this point vaping was helping alot. I couldn't quit completely but I was down to a couple in the morning plus targets of opportunity during the day. Think I wasat about the Nautilus and high nic level here. Tobacco juice. I did not really enjoy vaping. I did it to help quit smoking and planned to quit both ASAP knowing full well someday I'd prollystart smoking again cause thats been my history.

Now enter my oldest son. This is about 3½ years ago. He lives abit away and was early 30's and a bad smoker. He comes over and he's vaping!!!!!!!! And he's hitting blueberry lollipop bananna bread custard sour milk worms or whatever at about eleventy brazillion mega watts. He says try this. Now it about chokes me out of coarse and naturally I belittle him about what real men vape and all that but I also say lets his a vape shop and before you know it the old mans rockin a subohm and froo froo juice.

Once I went subohm and flavored juice I've never smoked a cig. Nor any desire to. And frankly the thought of smoking disgusts me. Thats me personally others can do as they please.

I LOVE vaping now and never worry about smoking again. I was doing 3mg at 30-50 watts then and here we are 3+ years later and I'm going back and forth with two mods, one at 35 and one at 50.

Its worth mentioning that todays gear is soooooooooooooooooooooooooo much better then just afew years ago. Then you had to want it cause you had to work for it. Now it just kinda falls into your lap. I recall helping people start and explaining "ok just remove with screw the size of a pinhead with this barbie screwdriver and ...........". Now it flip this top open and fill and your back in bidness.

 

[stols001]

LOL I was a three ppd smoker and had 18 months pneumonia and stuff before finally caving to the fact that well, I was going to get dx with COPD oh, any day now. It was actually in some ways an ASSET I was so miserable.

Any amount of cigs will eventually catch up to you, but by the time you are at 3 ppd, it catches up to you QUICK. LOL. I didn't start there, but I ended there.

I fell of the wagon bad recently but I'm down to cig a day and I plan to cut that one soon. In some ways, the first time was easier because I really had to go whole hog ahead.

Suggestions by members here (including a few high nic tanks and whatnot) have helped a LOT, but also, so has remembering what that was like, and my desire to never go there again.

It was right after my 1 year anniversary of no smoking at all, so it doubly sucked. But, I am picking myself up, dusting myself off and etc.

Best of luck to you,

Anna