I started vaping seriously Sunday. I had been 2-3 PAD (average 50 I'd say) for the last year and 33/day on average for many years. 29 years total on analogs.
I was able to immediately drop a good amount... been between 10-18 a day analogs but am finding mornings and evenings tough. I used to have 3 analogs with first cup of coffee when I got up. Yesterday I was able to wait 90 minutes for first analog and it was tough. I went to the washroom, brushed teeth and went back to bed to wait it out
Today I was able to wait 1.75 hrs before first analog and it took me 6 1/2 hours to have 3. So winning there!
I've been using a timer to increase the time between analogs....but things don't work out as planned always. 2 days ago, both batteries died at the same time (I'm getting used to have to charge one after using it).
I know people have had different time frames for leaving analogs so I'm not concerned that this WON'T work for me. I want to make sure that I don't screw it up like previous times I stopped analogs. The analog anxiety is huge for me even if I do know it's not rational.
I am not enjoying ANY analogs so I don't know why reducing more isn't working. But I am feeling like I'm in detox as much as I have when stopping analogs. It's the weird floatiness in head feeling and not able to concentrate.
I have juice in 11, 18 and 24 mg. I'm not having a lot compared to some people - definitely less than 2 ml a day. I tried chain vaping one day and ended up with chest feeling heavy. Using 100% vg. Don't really like the 24 mg - find it too strong and 11 is enough at the time.
Should I just focus right now on the analogs I'm not smoking and not apply more pressure on myself than I need to?
On a positive note - I have asthma and have not had to use inhaler since starting on e-cigs. Given I am dealing with allergies now, this is HUGE for me. My morning cough is gone too!
Hi Sharon! Glad to hear that you're a least making the good ole college try at it! I don't know it this will help you or not, but here's a summarized version of my own story:
I started smoking at the age of 12. I din't do it because of Joe Camel or the Marlboro Man. Everyone I knew smoked. Adults, old people, kids like me at the time. I'm now 38 years old, and I just started vaping about two months ago. I started off with the V2 e-cigs and found them to be... useless? Anyway. I went back to smoking a pack and a half a day as usual.
I found the e-liduid (or juice as a lot of vapers call it) and to me this has been the best solution. I go through about 3ml a day. Sometimes more, sometimes less. I started out at 24mg of nicotene, the highest dosage I could find. Was a rough start till I got used to it, so I had to stick with the "louder" flavors, like cinnamon for awhile till I got used to it. After a month I stepped down to 18mg nic, and I can tolorate the weaker flavors now.
I do still crave a cig every so often, particularly after certain activities. What I like about the vape is that you don't have to consume an entire cig (or two in one sitting as I often did). You consume WHAT YOU NEED, then you put the thing down for awhile. There's no throwing down a freshly lit cig because you have to go back inside the building on the job and tend to some fire that needs to be put out. You pick it up when you feel like you need it. I vape a lot in the mornings and evenings, when my urges are strongest. Mid-day is usually not a problem unless I'm stressed out.
The real key to this Sharon, is that YOU HAVE TO BE READY TO QUIT CIGS. You have to get to a point where you're so tired of all of the taste of them, the mess that comes with them, the holes in your shirts, and pants, and the fact that other people don't like the way that you smell. You have to get tired of all the coughing fits, all of the ugly crap that comes out of your sinuses. And the cost of it, too. I live on a poor man's budget, and quite frankly, between the health issues and the sheer cost of it, I just couldn't do cigs anymore.
The next most important thing, is to recognize the small victories and celebrate them. Smoking became an anti-social state of mind for me. No one wanted to be around me because of it. It just wasn't cool anymore. Since I've quit, I've noticed that more people are approaching me now, starting conversations. I guess I must smell better, I don't know. But I'm learning to become more social after twenty-something years of being withdrawn. It's just another side-effect of having given up such a terrible habit.
Find flavors that you enjoy. Don't be afraid to experiement. Be adventerous! One of the things I enjoy about vaping, is the sheer amount of flavors. I don't bother with tobacco flavors anymore. Can't stand the taste of them. Coffee, fruits, there's all kinds of flavors just waiting to be enjoyed.
And... don't be afraid to invest some extra money in a decent setup. These plastic tanks and cheap batteries will only get you started. You'll want something more robust as time goes on. You vape because you still enjoy certain aspects of smoking. It's a physchological thing. Put a little money into a good battery, a good tank, and some decent coils or wicks. I personally use an Itaste MVP battery with a Pro-Tank II glass tank and plastic drip tip. The variable settings on the battery allow me to find my "sweet spot" depending on the juice I'm vaping at the time. It's a definite improvement over the EVOD starter kit that I was running in the first month.
Most of all, don't be ashamed if you still do smoke on occassion. Look at it this way... even if you still smoke, you aren't smoking a pack and a half every day. You're still smoking way less than you used to. Just pick your vape kit back up and find out what works for you. It'll work out. Trust me. Once you get used to it, you'll find that you're not relying so much on the habit to get you through each and every day, but that you're doing it more for the pleasure than a fix.
Hope this helps you Sharon. Keep at it. It'll be worth it.
