Must Stop the Insanity! Need advice on stopping dual-use.

[Major2829]

Hola amigos y amigas. I am hitting a wall. I am at a loss as to how to let go of my pacifier. I have made great strides though. When I do have a regular it isn’t until about 2:00 pm, and then not until afternoon working hours. Each time I say to myself, “I do not need this, I do not need to bring these,” I end up grabbing at the last minute.

I have multiple devices. I have multiple flavors. I don’t really think I like having all kinds of flavors. I never really “thought” about the taste of cigs, some were just stronger than others or seemed to smell worse. In my vape head, I feel like I have to LOVE a flavor and there are too many to choose from. Marlboro lights are my go too. If it’s just a nic issue why am I still drawn to the devil?

I work a corporate job so I gravitate towards pod systems because they are discreet. I do have a Breeze which I like, it just doesn’t seem to do the job.
I use the juul (I have 3) and the SMPO. That’s another issue...”doing the job.” I can’t figure out how much is enough and whether or not that is part of my problem. I don’t want to be a chain-vaper. I am not a chain-smoker. I feel like I should be vaping each time I would usually go out and smoke, be in my car, etc. I am sure this is all in my head so any advice (other than “just don’t buy them”) would be appreciated. Thanks!

Alex

 

[Rossum]

First things first: Don't kick yourself for smoking a cigarette here or there. Instead, congratulate yourself for all the ones you're not smoking.

If it’s just a nic issue why am I still drawn to the devil?

Because it's not just a nic issue. There are other things in tobacco that (minor alkaloids / MAOIs) that reinforce the urge to smoke, even if you're getting plenty of nic using other methods. This is a bigger problem for some people than for others.

You may find that as you smoke less, the this urge lessens over time.

You may also think about trying some WTA (Whole Tobacco Alkaloids) liquid. I found it very helpful early on.

 

[Jebbn]

I think I chain vaped for the first month until one day I forgot to have a cigarette. Then I chain vaped for a while longer.
Now I leave enough time between sessions to actually feel and enjoy the nic hit the dopamine receptors.

Sounds like you are doing fine

 

[BrotherBob]

I feel like I should be vaping each time I would usually go out and smoke, be in my car, etc. I am sure this is all in my head so any advice (other than “just don’t buy them”) would be appreciated.

Some folks take longer than others so don't beat yourself up. You know what your doing. Some pods limit the types of juice you can use. Might consider a refillable pod and try different flavors in order find your flavor. Could try one of my favorite juices "Tribeca".
re: Hi!
HaloCigs eLiquid - Tribeca 30ml

 

[HauntedMyst]

I have multiple devices. I have multiple flavors. I don’t really think I like having all kinds of flavors.
Alex

Dia duit cara a chaitheamh ag lorg eolais! I'm the same way. I tried lots of flavors but very few of them sang to me. At first when I was switching to vaping, I need something strong like Atomic Fireball. Then I tried a Red Bull blueberry and it was like the heavens opened. 3 years ago, I found a variant of RB Blueberry that was "the one" and have been happily vaping the same flavor during that time. The Juul is a fine device and can easily be refilled. My advice is find the one for you and learn to refill your Juul.

 

[listopencil]

First, congratz on cutting way back on the smoking. That's a big deal and it's not easy. Think about all the cigs that you haven't smoked. There are things you can do if you use a device that allows you to switch up your juice. You might want to increase the nicotine. I've seen refillable pods that are compatible with the JUUL so you can control what juice you use. I've also seen mods that will take JUUL pods, so you can play with the power level and have a longer lasting device.

 

[CMD-Ky]

What @Rossum said. I was around nine months smoking and vaping. One day, I realized that I had not smoked in who know how many days. That was about four years ago and I am now considered by people with a brain (those who are not group thinkers) as a former smoker.

 

[Susaz]

Hola amigos y amigas. I am hitting a wall. I am at a loss as to how to let go of my pacifier. I have made great strides though. When I do have a regular it isn’t until about 2:00 pm, and then not until afternoon working hours. Each time I say to myself, “I do not need this, I do not need to bring these,” I end up grabbing at the last minute.

I have multiple devices. I have multiple flavors. I don’t really think I like having all kinds of flavors. I never really “thought” about the taste of cigs, some were just stronger than others or seemed to smell worse. In my vape head, I feel like I have to LOVE a flavor and there are too many to choose from. Marlboro lights are my go too. If it’s just a nic issue why am I still drawn to the devil?

I work a corporate job so I gravitate towards pod systems because they are discreet. I do have a Breeze which I like, it just doesn’t seem to do the job.
I use the JUUL (I have 3) and the SMPO. That’s another issue...”doing the job.” I can’t figure out how much is enough and whether or not that is part of my problem. I don’t want to be a chain-vaper. I am not a chain-smoker. I feel like I should be vaping each time I would usually go out and smoke, be in my car, etc. I am sure this is all in my head so any advice (other than “just don’t buy them”) would be appreciated. Thanks!

Alex

I can't vape early in the morning and late at night. I need a cigarette. Sometimes I can overcome it and sometimes I can't. But, as I learned from being diabetic and curbing off sweets, you can do it.
May I suggest you start with a Billet Box? It's very discreet and rebuildable, you can load it up with nic salts that will give you a greater hit. Look into it, it's more satisfying than pod systems.

 

[the wind]

the only way I could break the hold was chain vaping and physical exercise when possible.no one wants to smoke when jogging

 

[dennism]

I dual used for 3 months, whenever I wanted a cigarette I would vape first, then light the cigarette if I wanted. Gradually I smoked less and less cigarettes until I wasn't smoking them at all. I've now been vaping for 5 years without any cigs. July of 2013 was my last cigarette.

 

[Baditude]

Maybe just STOP buying packs of cigarettes? You know the old saying, "Smoke them if you got them". You can't smoke them if you don't have them.

If you persist in buying cigarettes, buy a brand of cigarette other than your usual brand. For example, I only smoked menthol cigarettes when I smoked. When I was out of my cigs and someone offered me a non-menthol, I always turned it down as I couldn't stand non-menthols. If you use a non-favorite cigarette, maybe you won't look forward to smoking it as much.

A friend of mine who was a smoker attempting to quit put the contents (ashes and butts) of an ashtray into a baby jar with some water. Every time she craved a cigarette she would open the jar and take a good whiff. It was REALLY NASTY. It kept her from smoking.

 

[mackman]

I do not think I could have stopped smoking without vaping but my mindset not to smoke sealed the deal.

 

[93gc40]

Quit worries about quitting.... took me a solid 6 months to stop the smokes.... truth is it took me 2 or 3 week to realize I hadn't smoked In a month when I quit..

If you got a vaoe that Is delivering g enough nick and if you can force yourself to use the vape first.... it might work for getting you to quit. .. IF you stress over quitting quitting is harder. If not impossible.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk

 

[Rossum]

Quit worries about quitting.... took me a solid 6 months to stop the smokes.... truth is it took me 2 or 3 week to realize I hadn't smoked In a month when I quit..

If you got a vaoe that Is delivering g enough nick and if you can force yourself to use the vape first.... it might work for getting you to quit. .. IF you stress over quitting quitting is harder. If not impossible.

That worked for me. I never actually "quit" (as in forbidding myself from having another cigarette) because I knew a part of my brain would rebel against it. I just stopped smoking.

But people are different, and that approach may not work for everyone.

 

[Philabos]

Everyone is different.
For me, I changed focus from staying away from cigs to looking forward to that vape. The Halo Tribeca juice suggested above is a good one. Gives that sweet spot tobacco hit with a flavor even better than the cig.
I started with a cheap and simple Endura T18.
I just kept in mind the thought that I was not quitting, just moving ahead to something better. I still had six packs of cigs left, which I eventually gave away after two months.
It took awhile.
Good luck.

 

[Coyote628]

Easier said than done but, just stop with the cigs already and every time you feel like lighting up, vape like there's no tomorrow. Chain vape. Break a cold sweat, nausea and dizzy and then set the vape down til it wears off. A little over nic isn't gonna have much worse effect than I just described and it will keep you from wanting that cig. This is how I did it. I remember more than a few episodes of over nic-ing it. I lived thru it. And I was doing this with 18mg juice too. Hooboy, did I get dizzy a few times. But the end result was I didn't want cigs. Desperate times call for desperate measures...

 

[Rossum]

If you persist in buying cigarettes, buy a brand of cigarette other than your usual brand. For example, I only smoked menthol cigarettes when I smoked. When I was out of my cigs and someone offered me a non-menthol, I always turned it down as I couldn't stand non-menthols. If you use a non-favorite cigarette, maybe you won't look forward to smoking it as much.

This certainly can't hurt, but it's amazing how quickly a different kind of cigs can become a person's new normal.

Back in 2006, I did a motorcycle trip across Canada. It didn't occur to me that my usual variety wouldn't be available there, and of course space is at a serious premium on a bike. When I got close to running out, I went to smoke shop and bought some Canadian cigs. They weren't at all like the ones I was used to smoking, but by the time I got to the other side of Canada, they were my new normal, and the transition back to my usual ones after crossing back into the US on the west coast was also kinda strange.

I also spent the first half (roughly) of my smoking career on menthols, and like you, I utterly despised non-menthols. Then I quit for a short while (using patches) on a trip to Europe. I did bum a few cheaters while I was there, but none of them were menthol. When got back home, I couldn't stand it and went out to buy a pack. I deliberately bought non-menthols, thinking I disliked them so much that I certainly wouldn't smoke very many of them. Well, that didn't last long at all. I think it took less than a week to be back to my former level of smoking with the non-menthol cigs, and I spent the second half of my smoking career menthol-free.

 

[smoked25years]

It's different for everyone. What has worked for me is to make the Juul my emergency cig replacement. I only use the Juul when the urge to smoke a cig is strong. The Juul is stronger with more throat hit and more nicotine than what I regularly vape.

It took time to get to that point. I started with the Juul as my only device. Then I got a refillable pod system and cut my nicotine to 25 mg/ml. Then I cut it again to 12 mg/ml. So there's a big difference between what I normally vape now and the Juul. That huge difference helps make the Juul a satisfying aternative to a cig when the urge to smoke is strong. I go weeks or months without using the Juul but I keep it handy for emergencies.

Also, I try to focus just on the nicotine concentration. I try not to get sucked into different flavors. Eventually, I'll probably vape unflavored DIY.

My goal was to stop smoking and I've been cig free for 6 months. My long term goal is to stop vaping regularly and just have vapes handy for managing occasional cravings. That second step is very difficult for me.

Good luck!

 

[Ryedan]

Hola amigos y amigas. I am hitting a wall. I am at a loss as to how to let go of my pacifier. I have made great strides though. When I do have a regular it isn’t until about 2:00 pm, and then not until afternoon working hours. Each time I say to myself, “I do not need this, I do not need to bring these,” I end up grabbing at the last minute.

I have multiple devices. I have multiple flavors. I don’t really think I like having all kinds of flavors. I never really “thought” about the taste of cigs, some were just stronger than others or seemed to smell worse. In my vape head, I feel like I have to LOVE a flavor and there are too many to choose from. Marlboro lights are my go too. If it’s just a nic issue why am I still drawn to the devil?

I work a corporate job so I gravitate towards pod systems because they are discreet. I do have a Breeze which I like, it just doesn’t seem to do the job.
I use the JUUL (I have 3) and the SMPO. That’s another issue...”doing the job.” I can’t figure out how much is enough and whether or not that is part of my problem. I don’t want to be a chain-vaper. I am not a chain-smoker. I feel like I should be vaping each time I would usually go out and smoke, be in my car, etc. I am sure this is all in my head so any advice (other than “just don’t buy them”) would be appreciated. Thanks!

Alex

I switched to vaping in 2012, a couple of years after my Dad died from complications from COPD from smoking. I had been smoking for 37 years then. I couldn't quit even though I had seen my Dad go through that until I discovered vaping. In my case my desire to quit made it possible for me to succeed with the help of vaping.

It still took me a couple of weeks of dual use though and it was pretty tough sometimes through the next months too. Some people can quit after their first vape experience, but that just wasn't me. It took me about a year and a half to really get over my cigarette addiction.

I really wanted to quit smoking. I worked hard at it, vaped through cigarette pangs one pang at a time and moved on in my journey. I have not had a cigarette now in six years and I'm not going to have one again any time soon

That's just me though with my personality and my life experience. We are all different and what works for each of us can be very different. IMO, take your time with this and try to figure out what works for you. Some people have done well with higher nic juices at lower power to more closely resemble smoking, some with higher power setups and lower nic to get a more aggressive vape experience. Some people dual use for quite a while and do well with that.

Whatever works for you in the end, to get you to your goal, is the best deal for you.

Best of luck with it Alex

 

[Mike Geaney]

Several years in and I still keep a rig ready with 18mg close by. Early on I had tried to cut my nicotine as low as possible. It didn’t work for me and I felt like a failure. I’ve been vaping 12 mg for about two years now and have no plans on changing.

Make sure what you have is strong enough. Good luck.