Newbie looking to quit analogues...advice needed

[UKChap]

Hello!

Long-time reader, first-time poster.

I have been a 30-a-day smoker for around 10 years. I am having some trouble making the transition from analogues to vaping.

The problem is, I hope, a common one: I keep putting off the transition.

If I have a pack of cigarettes, I will smoke them rather than touch my e-cigarettes (I have a 410 and KR808). To that extent, I've thought that the best policy is to simply wait until I have no cigarettes and simply replace them with e-cigs cold turkey.

The problem is that I keep putting this off. I'll say that I'll give it a shot on the Tuesday, but then I'll buy three packs and put it off till the Friday, and so on.

Some of you may ask "Do you REALLY want to stop?" I am pretty sure I do. I once stopped for a year thanks to Allen Carr, but now I am at a point in my life where I have so much going on that it seems difficult to spare the focus on quitting (if that makes sense)

I guess what I want to ask is: have many of you been in this boat before? Did you find vaping to be a much more painless transition than you thought?

I am totally prepared to be reasonable and compromise if vaping doesn't totally do the trick for me to begin with, but it is just making that first step that is the hard bit (for me, at least)

Any advice? It would me much appreciated!

 

[just-cass]

Hiya

glad u posted im not the only one!!!im still finding it hard 4 weeks in and have had the odd cigarette here and there...the way i approached itwas to vape during the day but have a cig too whenever i wanted and i didnt smoke so much...just smoked less and less and now am off them(hopefully!still hard sometimes)...another approach that might work for you is if u want a cig vape for a few minutes and if u still want one go have one but try busy yourself with something else at the time so ur not just thinking of cigs when vaping....

i find too if i leave vaping til i want nicotine i am more tempted to pick one up....its a good idea to vape before you want one or think you might want one cos nicotine from vaping goes into your system slower than real cigs so u need a few minutes to feel the effects. if you change your view on ecigs to an all day at intervals whether you HAVE to have it or not it works better than viewing them as cigs when you have them when you really want one and dont have another til you really want one..

its also a good idea to have different strength juices to hand....higher int he morning and lower at night...keep higher with you in case u need it!!!

perhaps im rambling but i hope you get the general idea...in the end there is still some willpower involved...

hope this helps

cass : o)

ps. personally the "today is the day" thing never worked for me....i found the set day id think about cigs more than i normally would cos i couldnt have them...i would start by setting up al your gear and maybe use it while on the computer or when relaxing or someplace and mabe you could add it as part of daily activites at more times and it wont be so hard to take out of its box....even if you only use it for half the day and smoke half the day in the beginning your still making a positive step....

 

[jennlsnoopy]

I quit analogs as soon as I got my first PV. Not everyone can do this though.

Maybe try to do both for a while. I've heard from some that the analogs start to taste bad the more you use your PV. Just my thoughts.

 

[NCC]

UKChap, I can only tell you my experience with vaping.
I'll grant you, I haven't been on the wagon long ... 54 hours now. But, I also was a 30 analog/day smoker ... for 35 years! I only made one previous attempt to quit. That was 12 years ago. I lasted 10 days with some nicotine replacement patches. But, ultimately, I failed when I went to a tavern. Combined whammy of association with drinking, proximity of other smokers, and the effect of alcohol attacking my willpower, and my quitting attempt died.

Now, to this past Friday: I received my first eCig. To be honest, in over two days I haven't even felt a craving. And that shocks me! I've got 34 packs on hand! I absent mindedly lit a cigarette one time ... just habit, not craving. I put them out of reach now. IMO, this delivery system succeeds where others fail because it gives the satisfaction of 'smoking' ... the habit as well as the addiction. As long as I've been smoking analog(ue)s, I am frankly shocked that I haven't had a desire for one in over two days.

Maybe that won't last, but so far so good.

 

[Caesarea]

Just my 2d worth: find a battery mod: SD, SB, Chuck. This saves you the alibi of fiddling with batt charging and not getting enough vapour. 3.7 volts is prolly enough.
Have eliquid that gives you enough nic and nice tastes. Maybe buy some snus too. Smokeless tobacco. Northerner. Buy Swedish Snus & Snuff Online. The Healthy Smokeless Tobacco Alternative sells General Minimint which seems the most popular newbie snus.

I'm one of those heavy smokers who never intended to quit, just bought a PV because ciggies were getting too expensive. With enough nic and reliable equipment the taste of ciggies just became disgusting straightaway, I found. But there are others who just tapered off their ciggie habit gradually. Whichever way it happens, it seems that major will power effort is not often involved.

Good luck, UKChap.



C.

 

[laurieok]

I smoked 2 packs a day for over 40 years. I really loved smoking and was really sort of afraid to quit...thought I would fail again. It took me well over a month to finally quit. I still have a couple of packs of cigarettes around "just in case". I panic at the thought of throwing them away, but I haven't needed them in over 6 months! When I first started to vape, I would actually have an analog in one hand and my pv in the other and smoke both of them just to compare. I found that I really love the flavors!! They taste so much better than my analogs did. After a while, I would reach for the pv instead of the analog. I smoked menthols for my analogs, but I really didn't "love" the menthol taste of the pv. But I do love the other flavors and they are really good. When I started I thought I had to have a pv that looked like a cigarette and tasted like one, but now I have all different kinds and all different flavors. I just had to open my mind a little. I still feed my hand to mouth addiction and I still see the vapor. I feel so much better and that nagging cough was gone in a week! Take the time you need for the transition....it will be worth it! The more you think of trying not to smoke analogs, the more you will want one. Don't deny yourself...take it at your own pace!!

 

[AlexTM]

How about keeping a PV ready to vape with your analogs, and each time you want one, you take a few puffs from the PV first?
There is absolutely nothing wrong with not pushing oneself (would have never worked for me), but one has to start somewhere.

Also, make sure you have liquid with enough nicotine in it, and if you find the hardware not sufficient, consider updating it. Although the KR8 at least should produce enough vapour and throat hit.

 

[VapingRulz]

I guess what I want to ask is: have many of you been in this boat before? Did you find vaping to be a much more painless transition than you thought?

Absolutely painless...shockingly so.

I smoked for 37+ years, 1-2 packs a day, and quit a few times but quitting never "stuck" for me. I was also climbing the walls every time I quit and I'm sure I wasn't the most pleasant person to be around. The very thought of having to quit made me crazy because I *loved* smoking.

I haven't smoked since I picked up my e-cig three months ago - not even one cigarette. But even if I had smoked a few, I still would have been very pleased because I would still be avoiding 20+ in the process.

Give it an honest try. Keep your cigarettes on hand in case you really want one - it's not an all-or-nothing thing with vaping. It seems like most people gradually lean more toward vaping in the end because it's just more pleasant and it makes you feel better. Plus, my old cigs never came in delicious flavors like Espresso and English Toffee!

 

[Dfib]

My transition happened very easily.

For many I think the novel nature of the e-cig is itself the best motivator. I know I regarded it as my new toy and it was has been in my mouth for the fast 4 days darn near non-stop. The downside is I'm burning through juice, but the other bonus is I'm not sure if I've ever developed a nicotine craving. Step down was 5 analogs the first, 1 the second, and now off completely. I can honestly say the after meal craving is still there if I eat something fatty, but that's about it.

Like the other posters stated, if you keep your pv close at hand and take some puffs every once in a while you may be less tempted to even reach for an analog...

FWIW I was a 1.25-1.5 pk/day for 15 years.

Good luck!

 

[Jsis]

Tell ya what I'll actually go a little further without links anyway.

Vaping: Burns no higher than 100+ degrees. (digital)

Combustion: Burns higher than 200+ degrees. (anolougue) And this from my understanding is mainly what sees the xtra 4000+ naughties introduced and causes the majority off all damage then caused on the body. Imagine that on your lungs.

At the age off 25 your body losses or lessons it's abilty to repair the damge caused by all this. Fact.

Personally the intial change for me was a lot too take on but after having a week or so off Tobacco then switching to Vaping it was very pleasing. I only began on 11mg Pg Juice too and now intend to take it in the regeion of 18mg with the alternate Vg which should also produce much more vapour therefor again tricking my brain into thinking I am actually still smoking ciggerettes until it realises that I really don't need them anymore. And then I'll try narrowing the nicotine content down instead. I haven't craved a Roll up once since I've been Vaping and I've able to enter environments where other people are smoking and be totally unfazed by it all. The quit Smoking line which phoned me two weeks after coming out off hospital where amazed by this. And they could only say well they don't endorse Ecigs even though virtually all nicotine replacement products don't do anything and are a pain in the jerheebers.

I use a Titan Tecc510 with auto batteries and a charge case. This can be charged overnyt, just as you would a mobile phone and then lasts through out the whole day without the need off having to charge em by the wall which I absolutly hated. It's also no bigger than a 10-pack. Infact almost identical in size.

Each user's taste varies and I think the people asking question should research a little into the different varities available and other people's experiences. It's very informative if you are willing to take it in.

Good luck

 

[terrie1]

I quit analogs as soon as I got my first PV. Not everyone can do this though.

Maybe try to do both for a while. I've heard from some that the analogs start to taste bad the more you use your PV. Just my thoughts.

Analogs began to taste TERRIBLE! Then I quit.

 

[ChesterN]

I agree ... Don't push yourself. Me ... I smoked & vaped simultaneously for about 2 weeks. I wanted to train my mind into associating vaping with smoking. After a couple of weeks, I found myself lighting fewer & fewer cigarettes until one day, I didn't smoke at all. THat was almost 6 months ago and I do not plan to ever go back.

 

[lostdaze]

I think the solution is real simple, when you are ready and really want to quit, you will. Until then it may be difficult to put that cigarette down.

 

[Lilibet]

It's only been four days for me and I'm still in shock that it was so easy. I'd smoked for 47 years and was up to 2 packs a day, more or less. I knew that I should stop (and my husband reminded me daily) but I never made a serious attempt because none of the smoking cessation methods sounded as if they'd work for me.

Then last week my sister got a PV and was very enthusiastic about it. So I ordered one and the day it came, after I charged the battery, I started using it and haven't had a cigarette since, nor do I crave one. I'm sure set-backs are possible, but I'm off to a good start and delighted with my PV.

 

[ArtAttackTat2]

I think the solution is real simple, when you are ready and really want to quit, you will. Until then it may be difficult to put that cigarette down.

I absolutely agree!!! I smoked 2 to 3 packs a day for about 30 years. Then made the decision to put them down....for good. From the moment I made that decision, I have not wanted or thought about smoking a cigarette....period! I can't stand the smell of them now (and my wife and employees are all smokers) I've tried to quit in the past with limited success, but I think the key this time is I truly wanted to quit! The mind is a remarkably powerful thing!!! Good luck though!

 

[justcloves]

I smoked Djarum cloves exclusively for 20+ years. I started vaping in October 2009 because of the ban on clove cigarettes. Knowing that I wouldn't be able to purchase my cigarettes anymore really made me commit to using my electronic cigarette, even though it took me a few weeks to like using it. I put 5 packs of Djarum golds in my freezer, with the thought that if this went badly, I would have enough on hand to try to import some. Once I got used to vaping, I'd feel occasionally that I wanted to go outside for a smoke but I would remind myself that I didn't do that anymore and vape instead. It wasn't the need for nicotine that made me want an analog since I vape 30 - 36mg, but just the habit of lighting one up. I am happy now with my KR808D-1 and the clove juice from DIY Flavor Shack. The funny thing is, I took a cigarette out of the freezer the other day just to see how I felt about it, and was surprised that it didn't taste nearly as good as I remembered and was much less flavorful than my clove e-juice. Making it difficult (but not impossible) to smoke an analog by freezing them helped me concentrate on using the e-cigarette. And not wheezing in the morning or having to go out in the cold are great benefits too.

 

[Sandi]

I've smoked for 32 years and quit probably a hundred times if not more over the course of those years, I've tried everything from "pills" to "patches" with everything inbetween. The majority of that time I was 1-2 pack a day smoker. For the last couple of months I have finally managed to cut down to about 1/2 pack a day but still couldn't manage to leave them alone.

Like many, because of health issues and concerns I have no choice but to quit... not to mention in AZ they are up to almost $8 a pack So far this has been the easiest method I've ever tired! But that could possibly have something to do with the 24mg stuff I got (way to stong)... but it's working!

 

[Dkrom68]

Quit the same day I started E-Cigs and havent looked back wish these came out 20 years ago. Smoked Marlboro Reds for 24 years and tried to quit numerous times in every way I could and nothing worked like this. It was such a relief and now Im a PV addict LOL