How did you stop smoking?

[rhodzy]

Hello all, not sure if this has been asked before but I can't seem to find it on from my phone so I thought I would ask!

How did you all stop smoking? I originally stopped cold turkey then failed and started again, ecigs then failed and started again, patches, failed and started again, champix tablets, failed and started again.

As you can see there is a pattern where I keep failing. I think it's took me a while to realise but I think I now have it, I just don't think I was ready to give up, I enjoyed it, especially when having a drink!

I've now just been on the champix tablets again for the past three weeks and haven't had a cig for the past 2 weeks, I was a 20+ a day guy could be 40 if I had a night out (pretty bad for a 27 year old eh?)

Anyways I went out for my first "drinking session" the other night and it was irritating me that something was missing, I resisted temptation on having one but knew I needed to do something to fill in the gap. So I got some nicotine free ecigs (just cheap ones) and that helped me! I think it's the blowing smoke, feeling of having one that I missed.

How did you all quit and how many attempts did it take you?

I've tried a total of 9 times! Hopefully this will be the last!

Ps I don't miss:
The smell of smoke
Having to leave friends inside while I go smoke
The taste
Feeling like an outcast!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Boiler]

I tried a several times. Cold turkey was my best attempt (~6 months), Gum and snus hurt my mouth. Patches didn't do anything. Tried hypnosis but kept getting arrested for indecent exposer.

Nearly a year now vaping, completely effortless.

I wish you the same!

 

[james chapman]

I tried all the methods you mentioned. I even got the lozenges,from England,when they were not available here. You said you are 27. I am 51 and at 48 the fags were kicking my ..... I could not breathe and would choke on my own saliva. I got a Blu kit and was determined to make it work. I moved up to the Egos,then a Vamo and now a Provari. You are young,but do it NOW. Stop smoking. vaping does work,I have been quit for 2.6 yrs,love the smell,but hate the taste. Get a good set up. The Blus helped me see this would work,but short battery life frustrated me. Egos 1100 and a carto tank and good juice will work. Do it for your lungs. Imagine being smothered to death,gasping for air. Vaping will make the world of difference. Cheers and good luck to you

 

[Rabbit Chaser]

In 1990, I quit very painfully with the patch. Cheated a lot...took a long time and I was miserable. Gained a ton of weight. Flash forward a couple of months ago when I bought my first eGo style at a cheap knockoff store. Not satisfying, though the juice tasted good. Just not the same. I kept smoking and vaping at the same time. Finally, I found a local shop that set me up right with another eGo type (the EVOD) and I decided that I was NOT going to keep buying cigarettes and vape gear and juice. I finished one last pack and the next day when i thought of a cigarette, I grabbed my eGo. I was determined to not smell like cigarettes, to use what I had invested my money in - a much safer alternative. The first few days, I craved analogs, but upped my juice to 18 mg. I kept my eGo in my pocket as a reminder that I didn't need to smoke analogs. I took random hits from my eGo in the bathroom, the freezer at work....behind the store. That night, I vaped like crazy. Tried different flavors in backup tanks and decided that I much preferred butterscotch to tar and tobacco. I have not smoked an analog since. I work with smokers, my roommate is a smoker. I do not miss it.

I like my new "toy" and I like the new friends I have met since beginning vaping. My local store knows me by name after a few short weeks. They know what kind of flavors I like and let me know when something new comes in (5 Pawns Queenside anyone?). They are helping me decide which to buy next (I am a bit obsessive and like variety) and am considering an MVP2 even though I thought they were ridiculous before.

Not smoking has suddenly become my choice. I have options. I much prefer vaping. I didn't think I would, but I do.

 

[Bill's Magic Vapor]

I quit smoking with the gum 15 years ago, as a result of an accidental automobile accident I had, and found that I could "attone" for my part in the accident by quitting smoking. Two years on the gum, then went cold turkey. I stayed off the smokes for 8 years. By then I had remarried. My wife of 5 years got cancer and went through chemo and radiation and was under so much stress she started smoking. I joined her. Soon, I was back to 3 PAD, but switched to the healthier American Spirit Black....I tried to quit with vaping in 2009. Found the batteries, dripping and weak juice to just not be enough for me and went back to analogs. Tried vaping again in 2011. Better 650 batteries, but the cartridge drip atomizer setups and the poor juice again left me lacking. January 2013, tried again. This time I had some nice twist batteries, some decent clearos and some very strong juice. I had no intention of quitting, but I like the whole idea of vaping, gadgets, coolness, etc. Once I started vaping this last time, I never picked up another cigarette. Well, correction, I did pick one up about a month later, to "reward" myself for making it a month, took one puff, found it disgusting, and have never had another one. So, smoke free for all of 2013, closing in on a year. The gear and juice that we available to us today is so good, and so much better than previous years, that it's down right confusing to the new vapers. For me, I needed strong, long lasting batteries, good delivery devices that held 2 - 3 mils of juice, and 36 mg/ml juice the first two weeks, then dropped to 24, then dropped to 18 mg/ml, and now I vape at 12 - 18 mg/ml. What a journey! I had tried to quit 18 times before vaping worked this time.

Personally, I do like nicotine and the effect that it has on me. To each their own, and I don't recommend nicotine, but I like it. Pep in my step and all that. I cannot use the RBA/RDA gear though higher than 12 mg/ml now. I don't know where I'll end up, but I suspect between 0 and 12 mg/ml will be comfortable for me, and I'm not in the least bit worried or concerned about it. What I remain ever vigilant about, though, is smoking. My Mother and sister both died of lung cancer, and I'm pretty sure I am at super high risk for this, particularly if I ever smoke again. For those that have quit by vaping, God Bless! For many, it's the only way. TG for vaping! Good luck to you and welcome to the forum.

 

[Rabbit Chaser]

Indecent exposure...lol.

 

[Mark Anthony]

I quit only because of vaping... I will say that it has been quite effortless. I'm a little over a month in and I have never once had an urge for a cigarette. I can honestly say vaping saved my life.

 

[RosaJ]

Tried the patches, the gum, and cold turkey. The longest I lasted was 3 months and started smoking cigarettes again. I started vaping 21 months ago and haven't had a craving for a cigarette since.

I smoked for more than 40 years, 1 1/2 packs of cigarettes a day.

 

[easyE45]

I've been smoking for 7 years and recently got into vaping after seeing the success of my coworkers, its been 5 days and I haven't smoked a cigarette. Whenever I do crave a cigarette I just vape for a bit and the craving is gone! Next step is stepping down my levels of nic in my juice, but just taking it one day at a time! Best of luck to you!

 

[jhelliwell]

I quit smoking in anger in July. One day I dumped 50g of rolling tobacco, papers and lighter in a bin outside a pharmacy, went in and bought patches. I spent the next 8 weeks abusing the highest strength patches, and I say abusing because I plain ignored the instructions to drop down in nic strength. I knew I was failing but was so stubborn I knew I would not allow myself to smoke.

I got somewhat drunk one night, and caved completely. A friend leaped to my rescue and shoved an eGo my way. That was me saved, basically. Now 4 months later, the smell of a cigarette makes me want to puke, and I have no desire whatsoever to light up. And yeah I vape too much. I've gone from 18mg up to 24mg and then down to 21mg.

Back when I smoked, I looked in the mirror and saw the inner terror that I was killing myself and wasn't doing anything about it. Nowadays I see a very happy vaper, not smoking and never will again.

 

[BadTrainDriver]

I started vaping, plain and simple!

 

[Qball6]

1 try and one success. Tried the lozenges once years ago, but gave up the same day. Bought my first pv almost 3 months ago and haven't smoked an analog since. I can say that you have to be ready or nothing will work. I decided I was ready, went to the store, bought a pv and some juice. I kept a pack of analogs for a week, then gave them away.

 

[Toots Aplenty]

I'm quitting analogs immediately as of tomorrow when my first vaporizer arrives from MVS. After coughing up black speckled phlegm I decided smoking -probably- wasn't healthy and after doing a lot of research on ECF and watching GrimmGreen's Youtube videos I decided to make the change. Cinnamon bun flavored mist sounds a lot tastier than burning acrid smoke plus I like blowing "smoke" rings

 

[Rickajho]

How did I stop smoking? With e-cigs. Did the patches & gum & cold turkey & Wellbutrin. Wasn't going anywhere near Chantix/Champix because of the insane (almost literally) potential side effects. None of it worked. I tried so many times I couldn't even give you a number any more. I can't even remember the count.

The only reason e-cigs worked - and "all of that" didn't - was e-cigs were the only thing that got rid of smoking while allowing you to maintain all that smoking type behavior. The oral thing, the flavor, the pacing of how you use it, the futzing with something in your hands, even the "smoke" sensations from seeing the vapor and feeling it to something as silly as blowing vape rings. Now try to equate taking a pill once a day or gluing a patch of "stuff" onto your arm to a 30 year history of learned habits from smoking. Oh yeah - you can't. That's one big reason why they don't work. Sure didn't for me.

Not sure why e-cigs didn't work for you. Care to fill us in some more? For some people it was the older technology - just insufficient for what they wanted out of the experience. But sooo much has changed - even in the last two years - that vaping becomes a whole new game practically every six months.

And, of course, you have to have a genuine desire to quit. None of these methods will work for anyone who simply has no desire to quit.

 

[UntamedRose]

seems like a trick Q..... Hmmm

 

[USNRET]

late 2012 went to gas station to buy carton of silver 100's ( that the wife and I were going through every 3 to 4 days) the casher said would you like a disposable e-cig for 10 cents? for 10 cents I'd watch a monkey,,,,, -- fast forward-- Super Bowl Sunday ended up staying home--- (picture) the 10 cent E-cig laying on the kitchen counter, lets try this, Well this is not to bad,- puff a little more- puff a little more. (Reaearch, Reaearch,Reaearch) -- Ordered the couples kit from V2cigs on the 3rd of Febuary-- recieved on the 6th about 1330 (1:30pm). Pluged it in turned it on-- I have not had a real cigarette since Febuary the 6th at 2:30pm, I Can say that once more, ( the wife mabie 4)-- Wow Wow Wow after >45 years of smoking this started with a 10 cent E-cig-- the cost of a pack of camels >45 years ago when I started

 

[spoofox]

after 15 years of a pack a day, and failures with patches, wellbutrin, cold turkey, chantix, all it took was the crappy little FIN's and a nagging wife. been virtually analog free for 8 months. (think i've had about 10 cigs while golfing in that time)

 

[spaceballsrules]

Tried cold turkey a few times. That always lasted a few hours at most before i broke down.

The patch did nothing but leave me sore wherever I placed it.

Chantix!? I am not going to take a pill that gives night terrors and suicidal thoughts. No thanks.

Once I got my first ecig kit, I slowly weaned myself off of the cigarettes and on to the ecigs. The hardest cigarette to give up was that first one in the morning that I would smoke while I did my "business." I tracked my cigarette consumption daily, and made it a point to smoke just one less than the day before. I also switched from buying cartons to just buying one pack at a time, and switched from my regular Winston Lights to American Spirit. I figured if I was going to stop smoking, I might as well smoke the best while I still could. I would use ecigs to fight the cravings as long as I could before caving in and having a real cigarette. It helped that I found a flavor that emulated cigarettes well, which was Virginia from Backwoods Brew for me. I finally resolved to smoke my last cigarette one evening, and the next day I woke up and vaped, and only vaped. With my ecig and decent juice in hand, it was way easier than I could have imagined.

 

[PBOB]

My brother-in-law showed up to the house one day with an e-cig. eGo Battery and a clearo filled with juice. He offered it to me and I did. I thought...maybe. A couple of days later, I walked into the local B&M and bought an overpriced kit with 2 650mah eGo C-Twists, 2 clearos, a charger, little zip pouch and 10mls of juice. Never smoked another analog. Spent $110 on that rig! (Shaking my head) If I only knew then, what I know now. IMHO, it was still money well-spent.

Anyhow, I never really intended on quitting. Wasn't really trying. Wanted to reduce the expenses, still not sure that worked. But after 3 months now...

Two weeks ago, I went into the doctor for a checkup and I was taken off blood pressure medicine. Was it quitting smoking? Hell, I don't know, but quitting probably helped.

 

[Rickajho]

seems like a trick Q..... Hmmm

Nah. Sounds like someone is losing faith in their Champix - again.