holding pattern

[coralie]

I'm having trouble. I have to admit it. I haven't made it through the learning curve yet. I want to be satisfied with vaping, and it certainly tastes and smells SOOO much better. But I still want a cigarette. The vape can tide me over....but I feel like I'm in a holding pattern. Is that a problem?

I have a 901 and 14 mg juice and carts. I like it, but I feel like I'm "play smoking." I did order the 510 manual, and some additional flavors of juice in higher nic concentrates in hopes that that will help me made a more dramatic switch to vaping. I use my pv everyday on the way to work, and at lunch, and on my way to pick up my daughters from daycare, pretty much all week. But when I get home, I smoke cigarettes (about 5 btwn 4:30pm and 12 or 12:30am.) If given the choice of a btwn an analog and my 901, I choose the analog everytime in the evening. I am frustrated because I actually do like vaping but it doesn't satisfy the desire for a cigarette. Am I naive for hoping it would? Do I need more time? More experimentation with juice flavors and nic levels? I need help, advice... something. I really feel like vaping is better for me. Am I putting too much pressure on myself to stop analogs? Please tell me about your transition. Tell me what you did to make the switch after you realized you liked vaping and wanted it to work for you. Did you have any difficulty? Were you able to overcome it?

 

[mischiefgrrl]

Your nic juice might be a little too low. Try going up one more level and you can bring it back down later. I had the same problem the first week and I was worried that maybe vaping was a novelty rather than a cure for smoking. Even last week I still found myself having an analog at work in the middle of the day. I hope this week I won't do that because I have gone completely analog free since Friday. First time in 22 years that I've done that willingly! Let your analogs run out and then just see if you can get through without buying more. I know if I have analogs around, I AM going to smoke them eventually.

 

[HawaiiVapor808]

i would say like above, up the nicotine in the juice. what kind of analogs do you smoke? i used to smoke benson and hedges menthol, so when i started vaping with the apple i believe it was, i wasnt satisfied. so i had the same problem. my father who vapes also makes his own juice that tastes exactly like a strong menthol cigarette. he uses liquids from different places and menthol crystals. i think its PG 36mg, glycerin, 18mg spearmint, marlboro, menthol and tobacco all combined. he melts the crystals in hot water to use them. anyway i use that juice now and its keeping me really satisfied. i have been smoke free for three months now and still going strong. to fix a nicotine craving i use a 36 mg watermelon in my 901 and it really packs a throat hit.

 

[lordmage]

something to remember every analog not smoked is a plus. upping the nic should help. another thing to considered is dont think of vaping as NRT just an alternative.

 

[Melwig]

I had no intentions of stopping smoking when I got my first E-cigs, just thought it would be a good alternative for part of the time.

I set things up so that when I was working at my desk, which is most of the time, it was the ecig that was there. Then in the evening, there was a choice right at hand between the ecig and an analogue.

Now I happen to be just nuts over the taste of licorice and anise..not many people are so fill in your own favorite flavor in general ,nothing to do with smoking. I mixed up those two together into a juice and I was in heaven.

Soon enough I found myself reaching for that before the analogue where I had the choice, and all of a sudden I just was not smoking anymore.

Without realizing what I was doing I had set myself up with no pressure, and with an added bonus of a flavor I truly loved in the vaping over the smoking. One day I suddenly realized that it had been 2 days or maybe 3 since I last had a cigarette.. I couldn't remember! I have smoked for 53 years..(well 50 since I actually gave up once for 3 years) and never any less than a pack and a half a day, and usually more, so no one was more surprised than I when I figured out I had stopped.

It was only then (now that I was aware of it) that at times I really felt like I wanted an analogue, so I started to get into the habit of vaping first..not telling myself that I could not or would not smoke...just that I would vape first. I almost never followed through with an analogue after that, but I still would light up one here or there during that first month, usually putting it out quite quickly after maybe two draws because it just tasted awful, and happily going back to my anise/licorice vape.

That went on for a month, then I was really done. Everyone is unique, but I know that for me, not thinking in terms of quitting, but at the same time making the absolute most of the extra benefits of vaping, like the flavors, made it so painless as to be a non event.

M

 

[KevinD872]

I agree that having analogs around are too tempting. A friend stopped by a week ago and accidentally left a pack of smokes. I admit, I had one. My wife on the other hand had 19! 8-o She said that had they not been there, she wouldn't have smoked them.

I also find that dripping some 18mg+ for around 20 minutes straight gives me a nice buzz and kills any desire for an analog.

I also agree that a flavor you really like helps too. I have several "novelty" flavors (vanilla, cherry, etc) that I like, but anything minty (slightly resembling a menthol smoke) seems to satisfy my cravings more.

 

[lordmage]

M

for me it was a similar process but it took longer now i rarely vape or smoke less then 1 drag a month of either. gonna bulk sell my left overs sooner or later

 

[bigbear8481]

Hey,

If you have analogs around, you will smoke them. My first day was hard. But I made it through. Remember, there is more than just Nicotine in analogs. Your brain needs the nicotine, but the rest of you needs that feeling that analogs give you.

When my mouth is moist I crave a analog, after i eat, when i finish a project or on the phone, i almost lite my 501 a dozen times.

For some folks its easy, for others its not. I am taking to it well on my 3rd day now. My roomie is not. He is still smoking logs in his car & outside. But at work & at the crib he uses his PV.

Your Nic level may need adjusting. As others have mentioned, get a higher dose, see if helps. Then cut back as needed.

Yo must also understand that even though you my be vaping a 24ml/mg thats not what your getting when you vap. Also it takes longer for it to hit you.

Just be patient, & try different sources. get yourself a DIY mix kit from myfreedomsmokes or another supplier & try it out.

One thing is for sure, stick to this forum, you will get the help you need.

Good Luck,

GO NINERS!!!! WE WON AGAIN, SO SORRY DALLAS COWBOYS, HERE WE COME SAN DIEGO!!!

Bear

 

[wv2win]

It took me over a month to quit completely. What made the difference was getting a bigger battery, manual switch device and higher strength of liquid and I was a pack and a half a day smoker. Getting the manual 510 (I HOPE you got the manual batteries) and increasing your nic strength was the right thing to do. I would suggest using 24mg liquid and also have some 36mg around for when you really need that hit. I would also suggest looking at the premiere devices. Bigger batteries do replicate the feel of the warm smoke of analogs better than any other device. Manual batteries allows you to heat the vapor as much as you want. Here is a list of the premieres and their battery strength:

The Big Nine in Long Battery Life Manual Switch PV’s:

Screwdriver (3.7v): ecigscrewdriver.com
The Black Screwdriver Electronic Cigarette Kit
Prodigy (5v): PureSmoker.com - Home of the USA Built PV !!!
GG (6v): SmokeJuice - HOME
JantyStick (3.7v): Janty USA - Janty USA
LV/ZiMoshi (3.7 or 6v): Hardass Vapor Shop
Super T (3.7v): Super T, Innovative manufacturer of Personal Vaporizer products.
AdapteverR (6v): Home - AdapteveR Home of the ORIGINAL USA built PV
Silver Bullet (3.7v): AltSmoke | Personal Vaporizer Silver Bullet - Kit - Starter Kits
VP1/VP2 (3.7v): VaprLife

 

[holder]

It's so important not to feel guilty if you have a few cigarettes. I've been vaping for about a month but, but lately I've been smoking one or two in the evening. I had two packs left when my e-cig arrived, and I don't like wasting money, I suppose. Usually a real cigarette tastes horrible, and I toss it half-smoked, but sometimes it does feel kinda nice. I'll never buy another pack though. I also found a tip here on the forum that adding a drop or two of vodka helps give your throat hit more "oomph", and it really does, by golly! Another trick I use if I'm craving a smoke, is to sniff my shirt, and think, "Gee, my clothes smell great; why ruin it?"

 

[annah]

I've read that a lot of people use higher nic in the morning and nights, and low during the day.

I find myself vaping constantly during those times, so I might go that route too. I smoked menthols, so I made my first purchase a mint flavor, and I am happy with that.

When I have a craving, I've been doing like another poster suggested- vaping nonstop for 20 min or so. After that time, I'm fine. I used 18 mg the first 3 days or so, and am at 9mg all day long now. I'm finding myself with mild urges to pick up a cig though, so I might bump my nic level up a little. We'll see.

Either way, play around with the nic levels, and figure out what works for you. It's OK if it takes a while to work it out, you're still making progress.

 

[CZEdwards]

Hi, Coralie. I remember your earlier posts from the Women's Room so first off, you're doing fine.

Before you beat yourself up more, consider these factors: your stress level, the availability of cigarettes and the scent, the respite cigarettes bring, and the differences in how we think vaping affects the brain versus tobacco.

For me personally, home is my quiet, calm place and work is where I get stressed, but that's not true for everyone, and with kids, home has its own stressors. (Because it doesn't matter how much you love them, how many mountains you would move for them, when the sweet little voices start shattering glass and cute little feet are wearing lead combat boots and you've heard the same story a dozen times and I. Dunno and Not Me come to visit... )

Slipping outside for 10 minutes for a cigarette is a respite, no doubt, and tobacco smoke hits the brain much harder than vapor does. (Without getting too technical, and with the reminder that this is still guesswork, the current logic is that burnt tobacco delivers a hit of MAOIs (antidepressants) along with the nicotine. When coupled with the stimulant in nicotine, it's a very potent combination. Now add it to the quiet, self-reflective time... )

Smelling it on someone else... of course you're going to want one. Even if you're the calmest, most tranquil person in the world, surrounded by perfect angels of spouse and children, by the end of the day, you're tired, you're busy, and ready for the quiet.

So here are the strategies I would use. Take 'em, leave 'em, pick and choose your battles. First, when you're in the car alone, either turn off the radio entirely -- that's not a good time to be catching up on world events or the hot new single -- or listen to something without interruptions that you consider soothing. (So a CD or an iPod...) Commercials and shifting stories (like on talk radio and NPR) cue the brain to shift gears and that is inherently stressful. Try to minimize that -- stick with one artist or genre, or listen to an audiobook. (Most libraries have them.) Turn the television off, or don't have it close unless you're actively watching it -- what I said about shifting programming goes 1000 times for TV. Every jump cut shocks your brain into a slightly higher state of arousal, adding stress you didn't even know you had.

Find a flavor you love. Someone above mentioned licorice and anise. My spouse adores mocha and cappuccino. For me, it's mint, black tea, jasmine and rose (and frequently blended in pairs of those.). Find a flavor that makes you crave it, not just the nic.

Next, vape all the time. If you can do so at work, at your desk or on a break, do it. Again, this is unproven, but anecdotal data says that the nicotine in niquid interacts with our brains differently than analog smoke does. It's like vaping is maybe more bioavailable, so you have less surplus nicotine in your blood. It also seems to take longer to hit -- 35 minutes instead of 5 -- but it seems to last longer. This may explain why a lot of those who quit smoking with the PV seem to be chain vapers.

Vape indoors. It's not such a big deal *Now* but in another two months, when the Lake Effect starts whipping up, you don't have to go outside. You can always rescind the order later. (but if you do start vaping indoors, don't be available to anyone. That ten minutes is still yours.) This was my biggest incentive to switch -- I hate sweating unless I'm making it happen (I don't mind exercise, but I really hate heat) and we have a no smoking indoors rule, too. Vaping is okay, though. I also am looking forward to not having to roll out of bed when it's -13 and swaddle myself in polar fleece and wool just so I cant get up and moving.

You say if you have a choice between an analog and the PV, you'll choose the analog. Three months ago, that was true for me, too. I had 3 packs left when the PVs arrived. My partner smoked a pipe and cigars, so that made it easier for me, and my best friend smokes/smoked Marlboro lights (which I hate) so no bumming from her. I made the decision that once I was done with my three packs, I was done. I took the decision away from myself and took the choice away. It's a commitment, yes, and one only you can make, but having the temptation of available analogs makes it harder. Don't buy them, and ask your partner to either switch to vaping, too, or quit. (You said elsewhere he can just put them down.) The first week is hardest, no argument.

You will get there, I promise, if you want it. Just always tell yourself to vape first, then if you really want an analog, you can have it, but spend ten minutes vaping first.

 

[annah]

Absolutely excellent advice, and very well written!

 

[doots]

I agree with all the above in parts. Everyone is different and it takes some people awhile to fall into full time vaping. UP your nic juice to 24 and get some 36 also. It will make all the difference.. Hang in there,,

 

[coralie]

Thanks for the advice and encouragement. I think part of the problem is that at first, my batteries worked well, well one of them did. I got a replacement for the other one. They don't seem to charge well or hold the charge. Or something. The vapor production isn't as much as when I first got my 901. The learning curve for how to vape...long slow drags, holding it in the mouth...that kind of thing, I haven't mastered it yet. I love the taste, the smell, and the way it looks to vape. But the hit...I haven't adjusted. Maybe when the new juices come and the 510 manual will help. I smoke marlboro menthol lights now, so I have menthol juice. I use it to top of regular or vanilla cartridges. Maybe I need to change the cartridges more often. I look inside and they still look wet, especially because the topping off, but I haven't found the juice flavor just for me. My package is out of customs, so just a few more days hopefully.

wv2win, do any of the Big Nine work with the 901 or 510?

I will stick with the suggestion several of you gave to not buy a pack again. It will help. If they're around, I definitely smoke them. I wonder if my husband would keep his away from me for 3 days or so, just to solidify my transition. He is supportive of me switching to vaping, although he was skeptical at first.

Thanks again for the advice. I will keep trying, and try to let go of the guilt. If I can choose to vape for a few days, I think the transition period will pass and I can finally give up the stinky sticks in my own time.

 

[wv2win]

wv2win, do any of the Big Nine work with the 901 or 510?

Most of them do. The Prodigy works with both. The Screwdriver works with the 901. The GG works with both. The AdapeR works with both. And I think they all work with the 901 but for the rest of them, I'm not sure about the 510. It will tell you on the web sites.

If you really want the best throat hit, the most consistency, the longest battery life, the least expensive batteries and the least hassle, then the one of the Big Nine is the way to go. There are enough positive posts about them on this forum by scores of members to support that point.

 

[doots]

You can get a 510 mod with a 14500 battery that will last all day for like 30 bucks. uses a 510 atty you already have. just need the batteries and a charger.

 

[LaterSkater]

I guess I was lucky. I still have 9 packs of analogs in my fridge. I have had no desire to smoke them. I threw away three packs from my car yesterday. It felt GREAT! I freaking HATE the big tobacco Corps!

 

[coralie]

Ah, I wish it were that easy for me... I am thinking of it too much as giving something up.

Well, and the charging issue. Which leads me to an analog when I don't want one.

CZEdwards, I'm totally printing your response and putting it on my fridge. It is seriously that helpful to me. Thank you.

Thank you all of you for taking the time to offer suggestions. This forum is a huge assist, and without it, I probably wouldn't have tried ecigs, or if I had, it would have been a crappy one, and I probably wouldn't have stuck with it. Thanks again.