I went 8.5 days without an analog! But then...

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(tl;dr I freaked out, had a cigarette, think snus might help)

I was doing so well! I smoked for over 22 years. The only time I went a week without smoking I was in the hospital for, ironically, lung surgery. (Not smoking related.) vaping was keeping me partly sane, but I was still twitchy and irritable - putting it mildly - and even vaping 36mg for 30 minutes straight didn't satisfy me much.

I was freaking the hell out today, completely wired and on edge, my nerves stretched to the point of breaking... And then I had a cigarette. It tasted gross, but OH GOD I felt so much better! So good that I immediately had another.

Needless to say, I'm disappointed. But I'm not beating myself up. 8.5 days is a huge accomplishment for me, definitely a proof-of-concept.

I know I can do this, and after (many) hours of reading, I suspect the other alkaloids are the key. After analyzing my options, I've come to some conclusions:

  1. I've looked at WTA e-liquids, but I'm just too wary. I'm already uncomfortable inhaling flavorings - yes, vaping is probably safer than smoking by several orders of magnitude, but there's not much information about the safety of vaping the hundreds of different flavorings used in e-liquids. Food-safe does not equal vape-safe. Ingesting and inhaling are completely different routes of administration. For me, as of now, WTA e-liquids are just too much of an unknown.
  2. I've used and liked snuff in the past, but I have a bad history of putting... um... other things up my nose and don't want anything that mimics that kind of behavior.
  3. I'm not a fan of spitting, and I'd like to minimize trauma to my already wrecked dentition.
  4. Snus it is!

I'm grateful for the information about it on this forum. I'd heard of it, seen it for sale, but never really thought about it. Now that I know about the other tobacco alkaloids, snus makes a lot of sense to me. I'm on several potent psych meds - trust me, there's compelling reasons - and I was already aware that I'm particularly sensitive to MAO inhibitors. The other alkaloids may also explain why gums and patches always led to apocalyptic meltdowns whenever I tried quitting.

I'll be back to let you all know the results.
 

ckquatt

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I really enjoy snus. I quit for about 6 months about a year ago using it. That was before our convenience stores starting selling it soi had to order online for the good stuff. The shippibg charges were killing me. You can't beat snus for an alternative. I'm a complete tobacco lover so I have my cigars, pipes, and nasal snuff still in case I need something different.

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The Rebel

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Snus made a world of difference for me. I could never completely quit with vaping alone and it drove me nuts. I could vape all day without a problem but I had to have a smoke in the morning and at night. I just couldn't break that part of the habit. I read alot about snus and even tried the US versions in the past without success, but when I started using actual Swedish snus dropping those final few analogs was easy and almost painless. 8 months today without a cigarette and I'm going to keep it that way.

Give snus a try but get the honest to goodness Swedish brands. You can check at General.com for a store location that sells General brand or check local gas stations. If you find that you might need a stronger snus, check the online dealers for specials and free shipping offers and stock up. Also check the "What's Under Your Lip" thread as we post online specials there as well. Good luck!
 

The Rebel

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buysnus has free shipping if you order 30 cans or more of swedish match snus. lots of flavors to choose from.

Man, their prices are pretty high. I can get a can of General Original here locally for $5.15 OTD. But General is the only brand I can get so I guess you have to bite the bullet to try other brands. :glare:
 
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