Need advice on getting off "real" cigs.

[BanjoMan]

I'm fairly new to this e-Cig business. I have 2 different e-Cig models with another on the way, a decent supply of 24mg juice from JC and I've been folding my own pyramid bags for about 2 days. I'm a 30+ year smoker who puts down 2 1/2 packs of Salem Silver's (Ultra Lights) a day.

I LOVE my e-cigs, but there seems to be something missing. No matter how much I vape, I always want to reach for a Salem throughout the day. I don't know if it's nicotine strength, the thickness of the "smoke" I'm inhaling, the smell or the fact that there's no real fire, but "something" is missing...

Any ideas on what that "something" might be? I like the taste of the JC Artic Mint, but the vape just doesn't have the thickness of a real cig. Should I maybe try another brand of juice?

Advice please...

 

[stevo_tdo]

My wife quit smoking with a m201 from litecig and the nuport 24mg liquid from vsvapor. I quit with the m201 from litecig and the 36mg hilton from midwestvapor. That's what did it for us anyways.

 

[youtubecommercial]

I felt the same way before I went to 5V there are a few out that are very good I would suggest looking in the review section of this forum and looking into a higher vapor device. Made all the difference to me!

 

[sherid]

I'm fairly new to this e-Cig business. I have 2 different e-Cig models with another on the way, a decent supply of 24mg juice from JC and I've been folding my own pyramid bags for about 2 days. I'm a 30+ year smoker who puts down 2 1/2 packs of Salem Silver's (Ultra Lights) a day.

I LOVE my e-cigs, but there seems to be something missing. No matter how much I vape, I always want to reach for a Salem throughout the day. I don't know if it's nicotine strength, the thickness of the "smoke" I'm inhaling, the smell or the fact that there's no real fire, but "something" is missing...

Any ideas on what that "something" might be? I like the taste of the JC Artic Mint, but the vape just doesn't have the thickness of a real cig. Should I maybe try another brand of juice?

Advice please...

Personally, there has never been a time since I started vaping over 9 months ago when I have found cigarettes disgusting or foul tasting as some claim. My plan then was to only smoke the real cigs at the times I really wanted one rather than the times I simply reached for one out of habit. For me, that means the first one with morning coffee and some other key times like while driving. I found that I gradually reached for the real thing less and less, excluding times when I am drinking alcohol. So, for me, I have cut back to one real cigarette a day without meaning to. Since I did not worry about quitting and it was never my goal, that attitude makes it very simple to go from a pack a day for over 40 years to 1 cig a day. If I have more, I do not worry about it. Too many people put pressure on themselves to quit smoking, and many of them fail. I like my way because it works for me.

 

[isande]

For a thicker, fuller vapor, you may want to try VG-based liquid. Vermont Vapor (vtvapor.com) and Mist Stix (mist-stix.com) carry VG liquid. Vermont Vapor's tastes better but Mist Stix is cheap, cheap, cheap.

You mentioned you have two models, but didn't say which. The 510 and the various 5v mods *seem* to be more effective for getting rid of those last few analogs.

You may also want to try a higher strength nicotine as a replacement for those few analogs you still smoke. Maybe reach for the 36mg instead of the cigs.

And now for some advice...

Over at my house, what has worked the best is not trying. Seriously. As soon as cigarettes become "forbidden" or something we're trying to avoid, my husband and I smoke more of 'em. I keep a pack of analogs, lighter, and e-cig stuff on my desk... at first, I reached for the analogs several times a day (down from 2 packs) but over time, less and less. The pack's still there and still an option if I choose it, but I haven't had one in several days now.

--K

 

[Dea]

I agree with Sherid - smoke an analog when you want one, not just out of habit. Make it a little harder to get a "real" cigarette and always keep your e-cig handy. Put your cigarettes and lighter two rooms away, or in the kitchen in a cabinet on the top shelf and inside a tupperware container. When you really want a cigarette, it will take you less than a minute to get one - but at least it won't be 2 seconds out of habit.

 

[BanjoMan]

isande,

I have a DSE901 and one of the latest e-Health kits I got off Amazon (and a M401 on the way from China). Suprisingly the smaller e-Health gives me much more "exhale smoke" than the 901... must be the atomizer.

I thought about mixing in my own VG, but I'm not crazy about knocking down the flavor and strength of my juice just to produce more smoke. I'll check Vermont Vapor and Mist Stix... thanks.

I hear what you're saying about "not trying". I'll try to keep that in mind....


edit: Not finding any VG juice on Vermont Vapor's site, and no "menthol VG juice on Mist Stix site... just banana and so forth.

 

[Moonflame]

I agree with Sherid - smoke an analog when you want one, not just out of habit. Make it a little harder to get a "real" cigarette and always keep your e-cig handy. Put your cigarettes and lighter two rooms away, or in the kitchen in a cabinet on the top shelf and inside a tupperware container. When you really want a cigarette, it will take you less than a minute to get one - but at least it won't be 2 seconds out of habit.

I called this the laziness method . I put my cigs in one room, my lighter in another, and my ashtrays in another, but I kept my PV right with me. I told myself I could have one any time, but I had to get up and go get them. It was always easier to just vape and eventually it never even crossed my mind to get up and get the analogs.

 

[azvagabond]

Dont get disappointed in yourself...you spent a lot of time programming yourself to smoke analogs, it may take you a bit of time to quit. I would keep a PV between me and the analogs, vape for two minutes and see if the urge abates...overtime they will become less intense and frequent. Maybe up your strengths on your nics...let your body associate satisfaction with vaping as opposed to smoking.

 

[PhoenixRising]

I am another one who "let's myself" smoke whenever I want to. Over the past few weeks the "want" has gotten fewer and farther between. It took finding the right device (kr808/Vapor King), the right juice and Nic Level (Nhaler 24mg Lung juice), and the right method (chain vaping as needed) for me to move away from the analogs. I still keep a pack nearby as a panic button. For me it is more psychological than anything, if I think I can't have one, then by god I am going to have one. So now, I can - whenever I want. I just want to less and less.

I have gotten to a point now where I restrict myself just a little by saying to myself, "vape for a few minutes, if you still want one, go have one." Nine times out of 10 the urge abates after vaping for a bit. If it doesn't, and I have one, I am not beating myself up about it. 30 cigs a day down to 2-3, is huge progress. And as you can see by my ticker, I started counting before I was completely off the analogs but so what. I haven't bought a pack in a week and I am good with that. I wish there was a ticker that said, I have gone from 30 to 3, but there isn't. I am still counting my success and not stressing about it.

 

[breakfastchef]

Vaping is not a 'magic bullet' to smoking cessation. This is a fundamental problem with the way e-cigs have been marketed. There are so many other factors involved in quitting smoking that an e-cig may not provide. Try it. If it works, great; if not, the vaping experience did not substitute for the cravings you have for analog cigarettes.

 

[Trixie]

I agree with those who have said that "not smoking" doesn't need to be an issue. I too used the e-cigs as a supplement/addition to start, and I too still have a pack of unsmoked cigarettes just waiting for the time I choose to light one.
I started e-cigs in late May, and gradually found myself winding down from 30 analogs daily to 1-3 in early August. Haven't had an analog since August 4th, though I'm certainly free to, just haven't felt the desire. I did make a grab for the empty pack I keep in the car one harried morning (the games we play), and for one moment panicked when I saw no cigarettes when I flipped it open, and then chuckled and realized I didn't even want one, just reached for the pack in a Pavlovian moment - so I didn't bother opening my purse for the full pack, just pulled out my e-cig and went on with my day.
Don't put pressure on yourself, just enjoy the journey. I do suggest though that you don't skimp on the strength of the liquid you use - if you eventually convert completely to e-cigs there will be plenty of time to re-adjust downward, but I found that higher nic. levels, especially in the morning, seemed to make a positive difference in eliminating the analogs.
Good luck, and enjoy yourself.

 

[blackhat]

Try inhaling it like a reg ciggy. I found that when I first got mine (about 10 days ago from skyrl) , I still needed a cig no mattter what strength I used. I realized that when I was smoking a cig I would inhale more deeply but when I vaped it was more shallow. So I conciously inhaled more deeply like I would smoke a cig and 2 days later I was cig free.

Just today I found out that if I add some vg (humco brand from walmart) to my JC juice that its actually more satisfying also. I only made a 3ml trial so far but now I'm vaping less. Idk if there is anything to it or not but it seems to be working for me.

 

[kristin]

I agree with others - make it harder to reach for the cigarettes, first.

I recommend trying High Voltage from Nhaler.com. The nic level isn't real high, but the vapor is great. His regular liquid produces great vapor for my husband in the 24mg.

This may just be me, but I feel like the more I try to get vaping to emulate analogs the more I would want an analog. So, I switched to different flavors from tobacco and told myself it was the NICOTINE that I really wanted, not the tobacco smoke. I haven't wanted an analog since I changed to non-tobacco flavors.

That may not help you, but it did it for me!

You can do it!!

 

[jlcanary]

I know what you mean. It took me a while to stop smoking analogs. I noticed that the vapor seemed lighter than real smoke. It didn't matter how much there was, it just seemed lighter (fluffier if you will). Also, the vapor is cool while analog smoke is warm and that took a little getting used to. I mix my juice with Wilton's brand glycerin (VG) and it makes the vapor a little thicker. What finally got me to stop analogs though was turning to menthol. Before I vaped I smoked regular light cigs, not menthol. I don't know why the menthol got me off the analogs, but it did (and now I'm a menthol junkie). I ordered a 50 gram bottle of menthol crystals so I can add it to all of my juices. It is great.

 

[BanjoMan]

Thanks everyone. I just placed an order with Vermont Vapor after e-mailing Adam and confirming his juice was mostly VG (about 10% PG). I'm going to try their thicker 35mg juice and see if it makes a difference. I think it's just a matter of getting the right nicotine/vapor combo. In the meantime I'll keep my Salems handy.

Banjo

 

[kinabaloo]

I know what you mean. It took me a while to stop smoking analogs. I noticed that the vapor seemed lighter than real smoke. It didn't matter how much there was, it just seemed lighter (fluffier if you will).

Yep - no tar and ash

 

[Turbolover]

I've been vaping for 6 weeks. I told myself I wasn't going to buy cigs for a month and see how it worked out. I use juice that's between 16-36mgs depending on how much I'm craving a "smoke". I had some cigarettes yesterday while drinking at the bar. I highly recommend getting some targard filters for those times that you do smoke. The filters are similar to the e-cig carts and the clear ones show you how much tar you aren't getting in your lungs. Once you use it up (disposables work for about half a pack) just look at the filter, the tar and smell how bad it smells from using it.

 

[Dea]

I've only been at this 10 days now and I've learned a few things about myself and analogs that may be helpful.

First I've spoken to my doctor because I have some medical issues. I have chronic headaches, fibromyalgia, and I'm byploar. Oh, i also ended up in ICU 6 years ago due to lyme disease. Because of fibromyalgia and the strange things it does to me we have no idea if I suffer any long term effects from lyms disease.

Basically in all I've been stable for nearly 4 years now. But the meds I take can change almost instantly if I change other factors quickly. This includes analogs. There's also the fact I don't handle change well in any situation.

I've been smoking for many many years. I spoke to my doctor about quitting analogs (please no yelling, I know e-cigs are not supposed to be a substitute hehe) What my doctor said however was to cut back slowly. Especially for my problems. He said to cut to 12 a day for a week, then 10, then 8, you get the drift. If I have a bad day and smoke a couple analogs it's important to not feel guilty. If i really want one then smoke half. Only fight it for a very short time. Otherwise it becomes fixated in my mind.

What I've found is as long as the pack is outa sight it's outa mind. I can keep them near me just not in view. Lighters too! Seeing them triggers wanting an analog. This may seem really simple and strange but give it a try. Might just surprise yourself

Dea

 

[gointomexico]

I was a pack a day smoker for about 20 years. I quit about 3 times, longest was for 2 years, but I always went back to smoking. My brother turned me on to e-health cigarettes right before x-mas, and boy, I couldn't get enough. I can smoke these guys inside unlike analogs which I have to smoke outside. I think they taste better. I do agree that there is something missing from the e-cigs, but its not enough for me to go back to them. I tried an analog the other day, it was a camel 100. It tasted awful. I don't think I can go back to analogs again.

As an aside, I'm not particularly interested in quitting, but I don't want to go back to analogs.