Newbie trying to quit cigs

[Gotridge]

Hi All,

I'm a week and 1/2 new to vaping and still trying to stop the darn cigs. I'm a 2 PAD a day Ultra Lights smoker and have cut that in half, but can't seem to give them up. I have a Vision Spinner and Aspire tank. Started with 18 mg, then 12 mg, but made me dizzy so I am using 8 mg which seems better. I have a few different flavors, but I think my tongue is shot from years of smoking, as I can't seem to taste the vapor very well. I think if the taste factor improved I could chuck the cigs Any suggestions on improving the taste factor and chucking the cigs would be greatly appreciated.

Patti

 

[Rickb119]

Welcome Patti.

I'm sure you've heard it before but, everyone is different. Some quit smoking the minute they started vaping. Others took time and gradually cut down. At 2 PAD ultra lights, that's as much habit as it is addiction. You've already cut your cigarette intake in half. That alone is cause for at least a minor celebration. You're making progress. Keep telling yourself that you are GOING to quit. Maybe the next level will be to cut it back to 1/2 PAD.

Read through the threads in the general e-liquid discussion forum. Find some online vendors that offer sample packs and order a few. (It took me several sample packs from several different suppliers before I found something that I really liked.) If they don't offer sample packs, order the smallest bottle you can. I made the mistake of ordering a few LARGE bottles based only on good reviews. Others may have liked them, but I didn't.

Hang in there. You can do this.

 

[Gotridge]

Thanks so much for the support!

 

[shatteredsoul76]

Luckily I was able to instantly stop smoking when I started vaping but a lot of it had to do with price, there was no way I could afford the start-up cost as well as buy a pack of cigs a day.

I would find a few vapor shops in your area and see if any of them have a taste bar where you can sample different flavors for free, you will surely find something that suits you. I have found my juice taste changes almost daily so I like to swap flavors quite a lot, guess it depends on my mood. Dont give up and hang in there and you will undoubtedly be off the cigs in no time. Oh yeah welcome to ECF and Happy Vaping!

 

[eratikmind]

Welcome to the ECF boards, Patti.

Congrats on your steps to be smoke free. You are doing fine. Take it one day at a time. Little by little, wean yourself to fewer and fewer cigs. You can do it.

In the meantime, be sure to drink more water than you normally do.

 

[Reese77]

I started vaping three years ago, but only just in the last two weeks have completely eliminated the cigarettes. I went through periods of light smoking and heavy vaping, heavy smoking and no vaping, and everything in between. I thought something was wrong or that it just wasn't going to work for me. Now, I've got 10 days without analogs and feeling pretty good so far!

I've found that switching to a lower nic level and vaping more has helped me a lot. Because analogs have chemicals (like ammonia) that speed up nicotine delivery to the bloodstream, they offer a faster "satisfaction" than vapor. So, if you vape all the time, you keep a low level of nicotine in your bloodstream (espcially after stepping down a nic level or two to avoid getting headaches or nausea) to stay ahead of the cravings.

I also have been slowly eliminating my "spots" -- my car, my porch swing, the smoking area at work -- by forcing myself to sit in them and vape like I would a cigarette. It's helping.

Everyone is different, but these things have worked wonders for me. It's only been a couple of weeks, but I just don't have cravings for analogs.

Good luck -- keep fighting! Your life is worth more than the nasties.

 

[krobeson]

I am also the kind who quit analogs when I started vaping, but my reason for it was my wife got diagnosed with breast cancer and it put things into a perspective. One thing I will recommend is to run a lower nic juice since your still smoking and your probably getting a little too much nicotine. Kind of like when you have a patch on they tell you not to smoke because your body will start to get more than it requires and you'll feel ill.

Good luck in your journey!!!

 

[daleron]

Welcome to the forum Patti
Give your mouth some time to heal, your taste will improve with time.

 

[facedown]

Another "Hang in there, kiddo"! A big part of the challenge is that you have years of habits and cues that keep making you think you want to smoke. Take it a day at a time and cut back as you can. That's good advice to try a wide variety of juices from a bunch of different vendors. Some vape shops will let you try samples of different things (with clean drip tips!) so you can find something you can enjoy which will make it much easier to stick with the program.

Each day that you cut back even a few is a victory in winning the war. You'll get there in your own time, but you will get there.

 

[Gotridge]

Thanks so much everyone! The support is greatly needed and appreciated.
Patti

 

[SanFranAndy]

Yeah like the others say, just hang in there. It's going to take some time for you to get your taste buds back. But you will experience better tastes and your sense of smell will become better as well. With time and further cutting back on the analogs, you will soon notice how nasty they smell. Are you using the newer BVC coils from Aspire? imho, the flavor is way better with these.. Good luck!

 

[Gotridge]

Yes, the Aspire BVC with a Vision Spinner.

 

[swimmingo]

you could always try purchasing food flavorings online and add a drop or 2 to your e-liquid. a little bit of flavoring can go quite a ways enhancing e-liquids so you would not have to make any kind of investment buying a few flavorings. and try other brands, maybe the brand you purchased intentionally doesn't use a lot of flavoring or maybe it's old and the flavor has diminished.

 

[granolaboy]

I smoked 1 PAD for almost 25 years. It took me over 6 months to transition from the cigs to the vape. I was less than a month from quitting and I thought there was no way I'd ever make it, but I did.

So don't worry if it's taking some time...that's the beauty of vaping...you CAN take your time. So take your time, and just stick with it. Try different flavours. Try some new gear. This forum is a good place to be.

Vaping isn't smoking and it'll take time to reprogram your brain & body, but trust me, it's worth it.

 

[granolaboy]

you could always try purchasing food flavorings online and add a drop or 2 to your e-liquid. a little bit of flavoring can go quite a ways enhancing e-liquids so you would not have to make any kind of investment buying a few flavorings. and try other brands, maybe the brand you purchased intentionally doesn't use a lot of flavoring or maybe it's old and the flavor has diminished.

ehhhhh....food flavourings are often in the wrong concentrations for ejuice mixing...I've read more than a few reports of people trying and failing...don't waste your time.

Get some flavours from respected e-juice flavour companies like Flavor Art or Perfumers Apprentice. They're cheap and they work

 

[The Joel Train]

Get a nice tobacco flavor with a good percentage PG and you will be surprised. Also your set up has an effect on the vape too but once you get into it you won't want analogs just give it time to get hooked on vapor.

 

[Heliflyer3]

Hi Patti
Yes all the advice above is excellent indeed. Keep in mind this could/can and will be a life changer for you....all to the better. You will get there on your own terms. Keep reading the threads and experiment with some flavors. If you need the tobacco flavor - try different ones. If you like fruity - try those. You can even mix them and create your own... whatever fits you. Welcome to ECF. Keep posting your progress as it may help others also
Cheers

 

[freeatlast!]

Congratulations on the decision to switch to vaping, Patti! I was a 47 year ultra lights menthol smoker who thought she'd never be able to get unhooked from those smokes! When I found eGos and clearos, though, I knew I could and now I have almost a year under my belt.

However, it did take a long time to really be getting satisfactory flavor from them. I switched flavors alot (& always have); drink water or other beverages, brush teeth, etc. to try and help that. Eventually things started tasting more flavorful. The clearo you have is a very good one. You might consider trying a carto & tank in the future as well.

It can be helpful to make an effort at vaping each time you want a cig - vape hard and long; then if you still want that cig, have it....but bet that'll help you cut down a little more. You've already made a lot of progress, give yourself credit for that! Some people keep a topper full of a higher nic level for those especially hard times. Be patient with yourself, and easy on yourself; you will make it.

 

[j0sh]

I would definately recommend trying different flavors. I couldn't quit smoking when I used tobacco flavors. Just made me want a cigarette more.

 

[RPackerII]

I've "false started" a couple of times, even while vaping. Once in 2012 and recently I've finally given up real cigs altogether. I look at vaping as not only quitting smoking, but as picking up a bit of a hobby, if you will. Keep looking ahead and as you quit the real cigs you'll find your taste comes back, smells are more vivid and you'll find out that cigarettes absolutely stink.