btw what is your hardware;
could be your coils are gunked up and its not working so well.
could be your coils are gunked up and its not working so well.
Help please...new vaper struggling
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Here's what I did for the first couple of months ... I bought a 30ml - (of the same PG/VG % as my juices) - 24 mg nic unflavored juice from Mt Baker Vapor in their DIY area (Dirt Cheap) and then added 1 to 6 drops in my tank to bring the nic level up to an acceptable level for me, for those times I had cravings and that way I wasn't stuck at a certain Nic level of my juices.
Unflavored E Juice - Mt Baker Vapor - Electronic Cigarettes
And as mentioned above, you need to remember that there were a LOT of other chemicals in analogs that you're purging out of your system ... one BIG one that is in analogs is MAO's ... the same drugs that they use to combat anxiety and stress and they are HIGHLY addictive and can have heavy withdrawal symptoms. They will eventually pass.
Unflavored E Juice - Mt Baker Vapor - Electronic Cigarettes
And as mentioned above, you need to remember that there were a LOT of other chemicals in analogs that you're purging out of your system ... one BIG one that is in analogs is MAO's ... the same drugs that they use to combat anxiety and stress and they are HIGHLY addictive and can have heavy withdrawal symptoms. They will eventually pass.
It's not a contest, if that makes you feel any better! Whatever you feel you have to do to not go back to analogs is probably the best thing you can do for yourself! Don't worry too much and do remember to drink more than you did!
What happens sometimes with nic amounts is that it's a bit of a feedback loop that gets you moving upwards on nic levels. First, you want more, you get more, then your body gets used to it and can't go back, then wants more, etc. Instead of upping the nicotine, you can try raising the volts/watts or lowering the resistance (ohms Ω), it produces heavier vapor and could be more satisfying than raising nicotine levels.
I started with 12mg juice and felt bad cravings a few days in, bought an 18mg juice and found that satisfied the cravings to a acceptable level. I still mostly use 12mg, but as others have said, I keep a tank filled with good ol' 18mg for when I need it.
Furthermore, I would suggest, at some point, upgrading to rebuildable attys for the purpose I mentioned above. Coming from my own experience and the experience of 4 of my friends who all upgraded and converted together, and felt the same satisfaction.
EDIT: If you do a rebuildable, and vape less than .5 ohms, and vape anything above 6-12mg nicotine, you're in for a world of overwhelming throat hit. I would personally say, from my experience, I find 6mg at .5Ω is actually the equivalent throat hit as 18mg at 2.0Ω.
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Acetone-nail polish remover
Acetic Acid – an ingredient in hair dye
Ammonia – a common household cleaner
Arsenic – used in rat poison
Benzene – found in rubber cement
Butane – used in lighter fluid
Cadmium – active component in battery acid
Carbon Monoxide – released in car exhaust fumes
Formaldehyde – embalming fluid
Hexamine – found in barbecue lighter fluid
Lead – used in batteries
Naphthalene – an ingredient in moth balls
Methanol – a main component in rocket fuel
Nicotine – used as insecticide
Tar – material for paving roads
Toluene - used to manufacture paint
This us a incomplete list of the chemicals found in cigs. When we smoke we're addicted to ALOT more than nicotine. I was a 2 1/2 pack a day gut for many yrs. From the ripe old age of 9 till 55. Fortunately I went to chemical free, all natural tobacco long before I started vaping so I had already kicked alot of those. I've only been vaping for 7 wks. The cravings still come but 24 mg juice helps. My first cup of coffee time is the worst but I won't go back now !!! GinnyTx & I are doing this together and that makes a HUGE difference too. Hang in there & keep on VAPIN' !!!!!!!
Acetic Acid – an ingredient in hair dye
Ammonia – a common household cleaner
Arsenic – used in rat poison
Benzene – found in rubber cement
Butane – used in lighter fluid
Cadmium – active component in battery acid
Carbon Monoxide – released in car exhaust fumes
Formaldehyde – embalming fluid
Hexamine – found in barbecue lighter fluid
Lead – used in batteries
Naphthalene – an ingredient in moth balls
Methanol – a main component in rocket fuel
Nicotine – used as insecticide
Tar – material for paving roads
Toluene - used to manufacture paint
This us a incomplete list of the chemicals found in cigs. When we smoke we're addicted to ALOT more than nicotine. I was a 2 1/2 pack a day gut for many yrs. From the ripe old age of 9 till 55. Fortunately I went to chemical free, all natural tobacco long before I started vaping so I had already kicked alot of those. I've only been vaping for 7 wks. The cravings still come but 24 mg juice helps. My first cup of coffee time is the worst but I won't go back now !!! GinnyTx & I are doing this together and that makes a HUGE difference too. Hang in there & keep on VAPIN' !!!!!!!
Great advice here.
And you know, having a cigarette - or, more likely, a few puffs of a cigarette - won't kill you. I kept a pack in a drawer for months after I started vaping, "just in case," and this turned out to be a very useful thing.
I'd allow myself a puff or two every few days, just because I could. After the first week or two, though, real cigarettes tasted like total, unmitigated crap to me. I think I could taste every single noxious chemical! So, for me, occasionally "giving in" to the craving actually worked wonders. A single puff would instantly remind me of exactly how horrible cigarettes really are, and that memory has kept me on the straight and narrow for good.
Congratulations on quitting! It'll all get easier from here.
And you know, having a cigarette - or, more likely, a few puffs of a cigarette - won't kill you. I kept a pack in a drawer for months after I started vaping, "just in case," and this turned out to be a very useful thing.
I'd allow myself a puff or two every few days, just because I could. After the first week or two, though, real cigarettes tasted like total, unmitigated crap to me. I think I could taste every single noxious chemical! So, for me, occasionally "giving in" to the craving actually worked wonders. A single puff would instantly remind me of exactly how horrible cigarettes really are, and that memory has kept me on the straight and narrow for good.
Congratulations on quitting! It'll all get easier from here.
It's a perception thing I guess but to me as long as you are keeping away from cigarettes having to up your nicotine level is not a bad thing or a step on the opposite direction. It is more of an "adjustment period". IMO as long as you keep off the cigarettes you are going in the right direction
Hi there!
I was doing almost the exact same thing. I started at 18 mg, went to 12, then down to 6 and was impressed at how easy it was and how well I was doing. I'd only been vaping 5 months at the time and I think I went lower way to fast because 6 mg just wasn't cutting it so when I went back to 12, which is a level Im "ok" with. The funny thing is even tho I love truly love vaping, there have been 2 times in the last 5 months where I think "whoa, I REALLY want a cigarette and I want one now! I kept on vaping tho and thankfully the craving passed.
I was doing almost the exact same thing. I started at 18 mg, went to 12, then down to 6 and was impressed at how easy it was and how well I was doing. I'd only been vaping 5 months at the time and I think I went lower way to fast because 6 mg just wasn't cutting it so when I went back to 12, which is a level Im "ok" with. The funny thing is even tho I love truly love vaping, there have been 2 times in the last 5 months where I think "whoa, I REALLY want a cigarette and I want one now! I kept on vaping tho and thankfully the craving passed.
This too, I always have a big bottle or glass of water going...helps with the "pucker dry mouth" you get from vaping...
and OP if you have to vape more mg's that's okay...it might've been situational too, part of the addiction is the psychological, was it "break time" or stressors at work, home, or just when you'd go have one and really enjoy it? we sat down at Sonic last night for our weekly ice cream treat (rootbeer float here) and boy that "I want a ciggie" hit for a second that's pure behavioral, I'm comfortably nicotined on 18mg alternating with 12mg now, so it came it went I vaped!!!
changing behavior that was rewarded with a feel good ciggie, to me is the hardest part.
good luck!!
Must agree with others to up your water intake, and possibly your nic level. have a good Mod and atty. When I went to e-cigs, I started with a small Halo battery and tank, and quit smoking completely and at the same time. Now 3 months in, I've not gone back to the analogs and now use a V3Tronix Mod with a Chaos RBA. Also have a Provari Mini with a Nimbus RBA that I use when I'm building a coil for the Tronix. I was a 3 pack a day chain smoker, and never could have done it without Vaping. I went through some periods where I thought I would die without a cig, but here I still am! and feeling better every day. you WILL get through it, just busy yourself with other things and keep that vaping alive! it does get much easier, quicker than you would think!
I was a long time, over 40 years, heavy smoker. I've found I am very comfortable using 24 mg juice, and haven't smoked a single cigarette since I got my starter kit quite a few months ago.
I''m a person who likes the saying, if it works, don't fix it. I haven't felt a need or desire to reduce my levels, or go back and forth from one level to another. I feel great and I'm not smoking, and that's good enough for me.
I'm fortunate that I've always been a big water drinker, so I didn't have any problems with dehydration.
It sounds to me like maybe you tried to reduce your level too quickly, along with some dehyration issues. Maybe try to settle at one level and drink lots and lots. Good luck.
I''m a person who likes the saying, if it works, don't fix it. I haven't felt a need or desire to reduce my levels, or go back and forth from one level to another. I feel great and I'm not smoking, and that's good enough for me.
I'm fortunate that I've always been a big water drinker, so I didn't have any problems with dehydration.
It sounds to me like maybe you tried to reduce your level too quickly, along with some dehyration issues. Maybe try to settle at one level and drink lots and lots. Good luck.
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Congrats on quitting. I have been off cigarettes since Feb I am still on 18mg. I am probably going to drop eventually but not ready yet. I think you may have dropped a little too fast. Keep the higher strengths for the bad cravings. I also just refused to buy cigarettes which also helped. I know I don't want to go higher so it works.
I am a long term smoker and was very concerned about making this transition. In particular the "over the top" approach you selected was probably self-defeating. Here's my suggestion, first switch to e-cigs and do not pay any attention at all to your nicotine level, use a 14 or an 18 whichever is comfortable. Go with that and note that you can spend the rest of your life doing this! Grab your smokes, charge up your Bic and let's get serious about changing things.
Use a kitchen timer to control the time between conventional cigarettes, starting with 1 hour between cigarettes and doing each interval for 1 month. At the point you get down to 4 hours between cigarettes you can think about putting them down.
If you insist on using this as a gateway to nicotine elimination then once you've got 6 months e-cig only under your belt you can reduce your nicotine for a minimum 1 month at a time. This will allow your body to fully habituate to the new levels.
Use a kitchen timer to control the time between conventional cigarettes, starting with 1 hour between cigarettes and doing each interval for 1 month. At the point you get down to 4 hours between cigarettes you can think about putting them down.
If you insist on using this as a gateway to nicotine elimination then once you've got 6 months e-cig only under your belt you can reduce your nicotine for a minimum 1 month at a time. This will allow your body to fully habituate to the new levels.
Help! Im a new vaper (since June 20). After the first few days, I was able to give up cigs entirely (I was a 1 PAD smoker) with no problems whatsoever. I quickly dropped from 18mg to 12mg to 6mg and a few days ago, was considering buying 3mg juice. Part of me was thrilled with how easy it was (no withdrawals, no cravingsbasically I didnt even think about cigs), and the other part of me was waiting for the other shoe to drop; Ive tried quitting in the past with gum, patch, and cold turkey, and I remember how hellish it was--so I was not really ready to believe it was going to be this easy.
The past couple of days Id been feeling as though the 6mg wasnt quite cutting it, so I stepped it up to 9mg and then to 12mg .but really, I felt OK just felt kind of like I needed a little more nic. But then today, for the first time, I had a full blown nic fit. The morning went fine, vaping at 9mg on my normal schedule. Went out for my vape break at lunch as per usual. Then, about ½ hour ago, it struck out of the blue. I wanted a cigarette worse than everthe craving reminded me of a time when I wasnt able to smoke for 12+ hours (plane flight) and how I felt the minute I stepped off the plane. It felt like I wanted to just throttle someone anxious, shaky, well you all know the feeling, Im sure.
Luckily I had a little bottle of 18mg on me, so I loaded up the tank and went outside. Vaped for about 15 minutes and while it got me through it, it didnt truly extinguish the craving. I now feel like Im able to deal with the craving, but its still there.
This is somewhat disheartening for me, because I felt like I was on a really good trajectory and also because one of the things I love about vaping (as opposed to other ways of quitting) is that I dont feel angry, anxious, irriatable and I hate feeling that way.
Is it normal that this is happening?? Especially given how smoothly it had been going?? I really dont want to fail with this attempt
Do not be so hard on yourself. If you expect yourself to perform miracles, you'll just set yourself up for a fail.
You do not have to stop "cold turkey". I didn't. I made a "deal" with myself that so long as the number of cigarettes I smoked was going down (in general), I wouldn't "clamp down". If I was ready to climb the walls, I gave in. I tried not to but if it was that shreiking thing going on in my head, okay, I gave in.
Took me six weeks of "dual use" (vaping but smoking some... much, much less than I used to smoke but still some) to stop smoking 100%. And it got easier as time went on to substitute the vaping. To the point that the last week or so I still had cigs around the house, I would actually stop whatever I was doing and wonder, "Did I even have a cigarette today?" No, really, I started forgetting to bother.
Did not happen all at once. Some people, yes, they hit the right combination the first day. And that's great. But not everybody does and it can take time to stop smoking totally.
I let myself keep one pack around at any time. And put it and the lighters and the ashtrays away in a kitchen cabinet. If I was just going to flip out, I'd let myself have one. In the kitchen. Standing at the counter. I could vape anywhere, any time. Cigs were "contained" in one, inconvenient spot.
That kind of tactic may or may not be useful to you. It's always worth trying to stop smoking 100% at first. If you "slip"? Don't beat yourself up.
But while I took six weeks to stop smoking totally, my last cig was 15 months ago. And I was a 2 pack a day smoker for 30 years. So taking some time to get to zero on the smokes doesn't mean you won't get there. Plenty of "long time" vapers around here have been smoke free longer than I have but took weeks or even a couple of months to stop smoking completely. Try to look at it as "did I smoke less than before" not "am I Superman who can leap addiction in a single bound?"
And, yeah, you lowered your nic level too fast, too soon. You don't have to "get there" in record speed. Nobody's timing you.
Find a level that seems to work for you and stay with it a while. Don't try to change things too fast. You're shifting around a lot of old habits. They'll take some time. And sometimes they'll fight you. Trust me. I haven't had a cigarette since April of 2013 but, so help me, in the past month, I've been dreaming about smoking and wanting to do the "movements" (?) of smoking. I have an Innokin VTR and use iClear 30s tanks and it's great. Love the big, heavy, bulky thing (also, it's shiny
). I no longer miss smoking (as in getting smoke in my lungs and that nasty taste and all). I miss... the... something about holding a cylinder between my fingers and doing the whole... whatever. The habitual and ritual stuff I did for three decades.So I picked up that cheap Blu rechargeable kit that's everywhere now. Blu's too expensive to be a "regular" device but when I get that odd thing of... I dunno how to describe it. It's like I need to "play smoke" like a kid with those candy cigarettes they used to sell way back. I seem to "need" the feel of it all once in a while. And silly things like while I'm typing this post, I've got the Blu "dangling" from my mouth like I used to do with a cigarette.
Oh, there's a thought. Have you tried NJoy or Blu disposables? They're higher nicotine (NJoy is way high) and more "cigarette like". Sometimes, when you have those screaming fits in your head, it's more about the habit than the nicotine.
Finally, there are thousands (some say 4,000, others say way more... up to 10,000) chemicals in tobacco smoke. You've kept only one: nicotine. You're going to have some withdrawal. Won't be as bad as nicotine withdrawal but it can get bumpy sometimes. Myself, I found the benefits were coming faster than the annoying bumps and craziness so the good overwhelmed the so-so and irritating (I won't say "bad", it got really annoying sometimes but not "bad"... not like all those other quit attempts where I wanted to beat my head against a wall or something).
Let yourself be human. If smoking was easy to beat... well... nobody would smoke and we wouldn't be here!
First of all, thanks to everyone who has responded to my thread! Its great to have access to a supportive community like this!
While I cant reply to every single person, let me address a few of the things folks most commonly brought up, and then Ill let you know where Im at as of today.
1) Dehydration: I actually dont think this was a problem. I was a big water drinker, even before vaping, and I stepped it up significantly when I started. I rarely pee anything other than clear (sorry if thats TMI, LOL) so I am tempted to think the headache and nausea were from the nic levels.
2) Dropping the level too fast: I definitely didnt do this on purpose. It was more like I was just trying out the lower levels (Id gotten a bunch of juice in various levels at a convention I went to), and I felt totally OK as I stepped down. In fact, I had posted in another thread that I was concerned I was going too fastand the wisdom seemed to be to just do what worked. I dont have any problems staying at higher nic levels if thats what I need to doand for as long as it takes.
3) My setup: I started on an EVOD with an iClear 16, but at the time of my crisis (LOL) I had already moved up to an MVP 2 with an iClear 30. As of a couple of days ago, Im now vaping on a ProVari with an iClear 30s. While I liked the MVP, Im liking the ProVari better.
4) Putting pressure on myself: Definitely not. Ive been carrying around my open pack of cigs and a lighter with me everywhere I go just in case, and Im honestly not opposed to lighting one up if I really need toId just prefer not to.
5) Detoxing from other chemicals in the cigs: This seems like an entirely likely possibility that I hadnt really considered!
OKso heres the current update. I had this crisis on July 9th. Since then, I have continued to vape 12mg & 6mg at various times during the day, but havent felt the need to go back to the 18mg (and as before, Im not actively trying to cut down). In fact, I vaped a little 18mg the other day (just trying to use it up) and felt a little sick after a few drags. Thankfully, I havent had any more episodes like the one I described here, and also havent smoked any cigs!
For now, I am feeling good about where Im at and Im just continuing to put one foot in front of the other!
Thank you all so muchI definitely wouldnt be able to have the success Im having without a forum like this!
While I cant reply to every single person, let me address a few of the things folks most commonly brought up, and then Ill let you know where Im at as of today.
1) Dehydration: I actually dont think this was a problem. I was a big water drinker, even before vaping, and I stepped it up significantly when I started. I rarely pee anything other than clear (sorry if thats TMI, LOL) so I am tempted to think the headache and nausea were from the nic levels.
2) Dropping the level too fast: I definitely didnt do this on purpose. It was more like I was just trying out the lower levels (Id gotten a bunch of juice in various levels at a convention I went to), and I felt totally OK as I stepped down. In fact, I had posted in another thread that I was concerned I was going too fastand the wisdom seemed to be to just do what worked. I dont have any problems staying at higher nic levels if thats what I need to doand for as long as it takes.
3) My setup: I started on an EVOD with an iClear 16, but at the time of my crisis (LOL) I had already moved up to an MVP 2 with an iClear 30. As of a couple of days ago, Im now vaping on a ProVari with an iClear 30s. While I liked the MVP, Im liking the ProVari better.
4) Putting pressure on myself: Definitely not. Ive been carrying around my open pack of cigs and a lighter with me everywhere I go just in case, and Im honestly not opposed to lighting one up if I really need toId just prefer not to.
5) Detoxing from other chemicals in the cigs: This seems like an entirely likely possibility that I hadnt really considered!
OKso heres the current update. I had this crisis on July 9th. Since then, I have continued to vape 12mg & 6mg at various times during the day, but havent felt the need to go back to the 18mg (and as before, Im not actively trying to cut down). In fact, I vaped a little 18mg the other day (just trying to use it up) and felt a little sick after a few drags. Thankfully, I havent had any more episodes like the one I described here, and also havent smoked any cigs!
For now, I am feeling good about where Im at and Im just continuing to put one foot in front of the other!
Thank you all so muchI definitely wouldnt be able to have the success Im having without a forum like this!
Joanne - I agree with the others that it did seem that you were stepping down rapidly, but I get that the vaping experience can be uneven, just based on personal vaping style and equip. A cig is a finite thing and pretty uniform in it's strength, but with vaping I find that I can overindulge if I really like the flavor. The lightheadedness is usually an effective early warning for me that I need to put the pen down for a bit.
As to using this as a quitting tool, right now I'm in the 18mg camp (where I started) and not really looking to taper. I really enjoy vaping and have found ways to integrate it into my life without too much effort.
And for me, if I occasionally have a cigarette, I don't worry about it. I'm sure there are tons of occasional smokers who never develop COPD, cancer, etc. I don't view it as a setback. When I really want one, I have one. It's the psychology of "can't" that drives most of my cravings.
As to using this as a quitting tool, right now I'm in the 18mg camp (where I started) and not really looking to taper. I really enjoy vaping and have found ways to integrate it into my life without too much effort.
And for me, if I occasionally have a cigarette, I don't worry about it. I'm sure there are tons of occasional smokers who never develop COPD, cancer, etc. I don't view it as a setback. When I really want one, I have one. It's the psychology of "can't" that drives most of my cravings.
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