My opinion on Vaping

[Beowulf]

I tried the patch, and the gum and one medication to quit smoking. The nicotine delivery systems seemed good but terribly flawed to me. Like the creators were well informed, smart people, but did not consult smokers. The problem for me with these nicotine "surrogates" was the strange, maddening way they put nicotine into me. I want a spike of nicotine, a noticeable, tangible intake. I want a sudden buzz, then I want to walk away and do my thing, sated, until the nicotine gradually drops until I am craving that spike again. The patch and the gum gave me steady, full-powered nicotine that made me feel like I was being assaulted. The constant overpowering throb set me on edge and made me feel nauseous.

vaping gives me the spike I want, almost exactly like an analogue. I've thought about this, and to me, in comparing an analogue cigarette to vaping: the vaping is simply a better way to get my nicotine. It is clean feeling, doesn't trash my sense of smell, doesn't make me stink, and unlike the patch or the gum I do not feel like I want to alternate vomiting and biting on a stout stick to overcome the vile assault on my body.

Vaping isn't perfect for me. I am still at 2 analogues a day. I didn't realize that for me, I would have to go through a strange withdrawal period from "mystery compounds" that my body craves BESIDES the nicotine. I had no idea I would react like this. However, vaping IS amazing- I went literally from one pack a day to two or three a day. There was absolutely no tricks involved, and I really can believe that most people could drop analogues entirely by simply buying and trying a vaporizer.

I guess it might be time for me to investigate the e-juices made utilizing tobacco, or to just tough it out, I mean, how hard can it be to break the habit of a few non-descript tobacco smoke compounds? I would think infinitely easier than quitting nicotine.

Cheers

 

[Jixchel]

Many find that the tobacco flavors don't work for them, or they want to get away from tobacco in the begnning. My brand of analogs was marlboro light (gold box as it is now known by) and what is strange to me is that I despised menthol analogs, but my favorite nic liquids are menthol flavors. Mostly the ones by Halo as that is what my local stores mostly carry. Tiki Juice is one of my favorites, and Cool Mist and Menthol Ice, going to try the Malibu Menthol next LOL and then the ECBlends stuff that you can add cool hit to. I figure it is because I was always chewing a spearmint gum when I was smoking the analogs so I guess I was still getting a menthol taste to the analogs that I have come to love in vaping.

 

[John D in CT]

Hiya 'Wulf, and welcome to vaping and to the forum. Congrats on a successful "first volley" in the war against the butts. If you can tell us little bit about the "weapons" you're using, maybe we can help you arm yourself so that you can gain total victory.

I've never seen anything as effective as vaping for stopping smoking, and I guess no one has. Its chief advantage IMO is that is is more enjoyable than smoking with the right equipment and juice.

I'm pretty sure that it is those "mystery compounds" that IMO make smoking more addictive than vaping. I think it is the MAOI's in the tobacco smoke that combined with nicotne make an extremely adictive combo. I find that I can "take or leave" vaping much more than "the next ciggie", and will sometimes leave home without a vape, and not freak out.

I think you'll be able to get away from cigarettes altogether just with nicotine e-liquid - maybe 18mg or so to start with.

Your descriptions of the largely absurd NRT systems reminds me of this great YouTube video from "Chris, the English gentleman". He's priceless, and I use this video often as a "recruitment tool":

E-Cigs v NRT - YouTube

This is one of the most effective videos I've ever seen, and this guy deserves a medal.

 

[Jixchel]

Nice video! Will have to start using it myself for those that are still "on the fence" about ecigs and not wanting to give up their analogs.

 

[Beowulf]

That's a good video, he's a charming man, very happy now. Mine is about the same story. The patches gave me blisters on top of the nicotine overdose feeling regardless of patch strength. The nic gum was slightly better, no blisters that is. Stomach problems, stinging and unhappy mouth and throat, nicotine overdose feeling. The medication made me crazy. Sullen and escalating anger at the slightest provocation. Like I had no control, so that was out immediately.

I switched from American name brand analogues to a Danish imported tobacco and filling tubes with a little machine. I suffered withdrawals when I switched. I was smoking something wholesome and intaking MORE nicotine per smoking session, suffering almost no on-the-hour tobacco cravings as with American death sticks. Yet I went through withdrawals. From what? Bad Mystery Compounds put in there by design in the American name brand stuff. Got over it. Now I've got withdrawals again from something I am addicted to besides the nicotine.

I have a back up plan, which is a Ploom. This device was bought as a novelty and so far my wife uses it with tea or mint "pods" (little pre-made pots specifically for the Ploom). I could always use the Ploom with tobacco "pods" when I'm having problems. One possibility.

As far as PVs, I have a 510 with tanks and cartridges. The cartridges are really nasty to me and I've already experimented with modifying them as per some ECF posts outline. I have a new Smoktech Bolt with a Smoktech DCT. I like the 510 for dripping, but I don't like the metal taste I always seem to get, thus the Bolt was bought.

Juice so far is Dekang as far as I can tell. All tobacco flavors taste like variations of "nutty". Only one "tobacco" flavor I threw away because of the terrible taste. I have two mint varieties, they aren't bad, but unusable in a tank apparently. I also have a cherry flavor, which is absolutely foul to me- and unusable in the tank I guess.

What vendor(s) or makers have juice that is a lot different than the Dekang fare? The Bolt makes a big difference so far. The 510 gave me a metallic taste and I would also get a medicine-ish taste from using it long term that bothered me. The Bolt alleviates both nasties.

Juices seem to be labelled by vendors, obscuring their source. So it isn't so easy for a newbie to discern what is what.

 

[NGIB]

I get most of my juice from ECBlends as they are priced right and allow you to customize to your liking. Make sure to get a high enough nicotine level to get you off the smokes. I started at 36mg and stayed there for the first few weeks. I'm down to 24mg at work and 18mg at home now and it's working well. Vaping delivers nicotine differently than smoking and it's not as "instant" or "direct" as smoking is. As I was getting off of 36mg juices, I just bought the same flavor in a lower nic level and mixed them to drop the level. Your tastebuds won't stabilize and heal until you're completely off the smokes for a week or so, so stay with smaller bottles of juice as your taste preferences will change...

 

[accordioni]

Hi Beowulf,

I had the same experiences with cessation aids as you did, and when I tried someone's e-cig and like it, I bought my own kit. I then found that I preferred it to cigarettes, and it went down, 3 a day, 2 a day, and then I actually threw away a packet of cigs with a few in it.
My way of thinking about it is, that vaping is an alternative to smoking tobbacco. Being a nicotine addict, the e-cig provides the enjoyment and psychological "comfort" that smoking cigarettes provided, so I don't feel denied or in a state of despair from nicotine withdrawal. I can also, if I so decide, reduce the nicotine levels of my e-cig, and give up nicotine. If I wanted to. But I don't feel compelled to at the moment, because I am not contaminating myself or anybody else with hundreds of chemicals (in tobbacco).
When smoking I was in avoidance about the chemicals and additives in cigarettes, and never wanted to look into it. But a couple of days after I switched to e-cigs, I came accross an article (when I was looking for symptoms of tobbacco cessation) about the effects of all the additives in tobbacco.
This helped me understand why I was having all the withdrawal effects - it's not just the nicotine, it's the analgesics, anaesthetics, flavourings, sugar products/sweetners, vitamins etc that you aer withdrawing from as well!!
It made me very annoyed that this is exactly how the tobbacco industry had me hooked for 30 years, and it then bacame a mind thing to make sure I never gave them a penny every again!
Here is the article. It makes you feel happier about reducing cigarettes - if anything!

Pharmacological and Chemical Effects of Cigarette Additives

Good luck with e-cigs, take your time and try different things til you find what works for you.

 

[Beowulf]

Thanks for the good article, Accordioni! Yes, when I switched to the Danish tobacco and experienced weird withdrawal symptoms I felt betrayed. Not only was I purchasing something that was healthier it was by far CHEAPER.

If someone would have told me in my teens that I had to pick a nicotine product to become addicted to and then let me try cigarettes and a vaporizer, well, the answer is obvious and rather elegant. I'd rather wrestle with batteries and widgets than doctors and chemotherapy, methinks.

 

[BlueSun!]

I am glad you found a way to quit!