Newbie, when to stop vaping concerns...

[Liv2Ski]

Welcome to ECf slummy. Your comments on menthol are intriguing. I have been vaping for close to three years and I have converted many people over to this hobby. The ones (in my experience) that have the hardest time dropping the smokes entirely are menthol smokers. I have been struggling as to why but you may have pointed me in the right direction.

Also you may want to look into some WTA liquids. Do a search and you will find a bunch of info on whole tobacco alkaloid (WTA) liquids. They do offer some benefit to those that feel like something is missing or not being fully satiated by standard juices. It is worth a shot. I have no affiliation to any supplier nor have I used these but I have read may posts on the subject since I am really into DIY juices. Below is a link that gives some top level info and I am certain if you have an interest you can dig up volumes on WTA:

Whole Tobacco Alkaloids (WTA e-Liquid) FAQ | VapeliciousVapelicious

Happy vapes

 

[mkbilbo]

thanks for the replies guys,

I didnt know about the drinking plenty of water part.... i drink a lot of caffein drinks during the day, which also dehydrate, so that coupled with vaping may be reason for my severe headache yesterday

im only using 12mg carts and e-liquids at the moment, which seems by everybodys posts, they are vaping stronger? maybe if i try a stronger cart, i will get to that satisfied felling quicker and wont feel inclined to chain vape as much?

Definitely sip water while vaping. The dehydration can catch up with you. I overdid it at the beginning and dried out my nasal passages enough to get a minor bit of bleeding. Though that's also happened when the humidity plummets and temps fall. But I could feel a definite irritation going.

Far as the nic level, it's hard to say as it varies so much from person to person. I smoked "lights" at a pack and a half to two packs a day but 24 mg nic was too much for me. You'd think for a fairly heavy smoker, that'd be a good starting point. But I vape rather frequently and so lower levels like 12 or 18 are better for me.

You could try an 18 or 24 and see how it goes but be careful. Too much nic could cause the headaches and nausea. In fact, funny thing, I haven't yet totally escape cigs even though I really don't like them anymore but find they give me a headache now. Always regret having one. Still, the time between grows and my distaste for them and preference for vaping increases. So long as the trend is away from cigs, I'm happy.

Try finding vendors or stores with "sample packs" and try out different levels of nic. Also mixes of PG and VG. You have to experiment to find the right "mix" of things for you.

its all a new experience really, and hope i will find what works for me with the e-cigs... i still miss real cigarettes tho and its still hard to resist, but trying to concentrate on the benefits of vaping to keep strong and not go back.

I often miss them too. And give in once in a while. But I find the longer I vape, the less I miss cigs and the more distasteful I find them.

I've become a firm believer in "count the ones you don't smoke, not the ones you do". The more you find ways to make vaping a positive experience, the less attractive cigarettes are. At least, that's my experience. I don't actually "try" to quit cigs. I focus on enjoying vaping and the steadily improving health. Especially the rising energy levels. I feel better and get more done already and I've only been doing this a month.

I decided I would only worry about it if I started going the other way, if the smoking were increasing, not decreasing. So far, so good. Yeah, I sometimes have a cig. But in the last two days, it's been a cig. A month ago, I was buying a carton that would maybe last a week at best. Now it's... one cig in two days?

I'll take it.

 

[mkbilbo]

The ones (in my experience) that have the hardest time dropping the smokes entirely are menthol smokers. I have been struggling as to why but you may have pointed me in the right direction.

Interesting! You know another now. Me. My last brand was a menthol (over the years, I switched between menthol and non). And it's taking me time to get completely free from cigs.

Wonder what that could be about...

 

[mkbilbo]

Also slightly off topic, but something i found interesting... i assumed menthol was always just for taste. but actually menthol slows down the breakdown of nicotine in the body giving it a longer half life. so in theory, smoking or vaping menthols should leave you feeling satisfied for longer.

I missed this the first time through. That would explain some things. I'm getting away from cigs but haven't escaped totally yet. And my last brand was menthol. I wonder if that's why I still feel a "pull" to regular cigs even though I can't stand the things anymore.

Funny thing, though, is I don't care for menthol e-liquids...

 

[jfalbanese]

Hey guys, Im Dane from the UK.

so recently i decided to put down the cigs and start vaping. had my JACVAPOUR V1P starter kit a couple days now, which i think is more or less the equivalent of the V2 brand in the US, uses the same tech e-cigs. i really love the vaping, and havnt touched a cigarette last 3 days, which has still been hard, but gets easier every day as i get use to settling into a new routine with my vaping.

the first day i started vaping, i was surprised to feel somewhat of a nicotine rush i hadnt had in years, i actually loved it, nice happy light headed feeling tho a little queezy. the next day i had a pretty major headached all day, not sure if it was related to my vaping or not, but i was chain vaping most the day anyway. and now today, im also chain vaping. even so, my lungs feel healthier, my teeth whiter, and i dont smell anymore

But this brought me to my first concern about vaping, when to stop??? searching on the net lead me to the forum in the link below.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...244-when-stop-vaping-not-easy-quistion-5.html

I guess im just concerned my new habbit, altho healthier, is it going to be just as addictive as my old one?. After doing some research, we know nicotine gives you the buzz by binding to nicotonic receptors and in turn releasing dopamine and other neurotransmitters that give the happy feeling. it is also widely thought that nicotine itself, is actually only moderately more addictive then caffeine. Cigarettes also contain Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) which prevent the breakdown of dopamine in the brain, and its thought that the strong coupling reaction between the nicotine and MAOI's from cigarettes is what really causes the addidction.

ofcourse, E-cigs only contain nicotine and no MAOI's, and i am wondering truly, if the lack of MAOI is the reason there is no stopping point to my vaping and i keep trying to get to that comfortably satisfied point where i can put it down and stop vaping, because essentially, without the MAOI's the effects of nicotine are shorter lived.

Also slightly off topic, but something i found interesting... i assumed menthol was always just for taste. but actually menthol slows down the breakdown of nicotine in the body giving it a longer half life. so in theory, smoking or vaping menthols should leave you feeling satisfied for longer.

Im no scientist, but i do have a pharmaceutical degree. interested to hear everyone else thoughts, knowledge and experience on this topic

Happy Vaping,

Dane

take it down a notch soldier. stop sweating the details, and enjoy the 1 month of detox you have to endure. don't make any drastic decisions while you are battling 3 crippling addictions in one. take care of the tobacco addiction first. instead of calling it nicotine, from now on call it chocolate. there that sounds better than nicotine. once you can breath, and you are not ...... maple syrup in 3 or so weeks?, then you can start thinking about your chocolate addiction. one day at a time, one step at a time, one addiction at a time.

 

[Slummy]

Lol, fair enough jfalbanese, you make a good point. like a say, im not trying to cut the addiction right now, just trying to compare my experiences so far, and whats normal or not.

a couple observations today, ive been chain vaping most the day, but not for the last hour or 2 as i started to feel a little queezy and feela bit of a headache coming on. probably over doing it a bit, but at least o got to the point where i finally dont feel like any more . Also i find that filling a cart full with e-liquid, till it wont soak in any more... doesnt last anywhere near as long as a fresh cart, is this normal?

@ Liv2Ski, thats really interesting about the WTA liquids, i hadn't heard of them yet. if they contain the MAOI's i mentioned in my initial post then they should produce an effect much much similar to real smoking. from a search on the web, unfortunately there are no uk vendors yet, but can get them form an american site for $12 per 10ml, + shipping which im sure will be a hefty price since its coming form America, but im most definitely interested in ordering some and trying it out. when i get it, i will post back on here what i think of it.

@ mkbilbo, thanks for the great post, i have ordered a smapler pack from the V2 website, which the cartomizers will work with my Jacvapour ecig. contains 10 different flavours to try out. so far i have only tried preloaded menthol cartomizers and kiwi e-liquid dripped into blank cartomizers. for some reason or other the kiwi e-liquid is nowhere near as enjoyable or produce the same effect as the menthol's, tho the reason im unsure, im wondering if i have some dud batch of e-liquid.

 

[flintlock62]

Welcome to the forum from across the big pond. A headache is a sign of too much nicotine. What concentration are you using? I started at 18 mg on a cigalike, then changed to 24 mg because the lesser wasn't helping. I then changed to a Vivi Nova and 24 mg, and it made my head spin. I went down to 20 mg, then 18, which is where I am now.

I wouldn't be too concerned about the "new habit", because I think it's much healthier than fags. I don't miss the stink!

Edit: I forgot to add. Don'y throw away your empty cart's, they can be refilled, and used over.

Hey guys, Im Dane from the UK.

so recently i decided to put down the cigs and start vaping. had my JACVAPOUR V1P starter kit a couple days now, which i think is more or less the equivalent of the V2 brand in the US, uses the same tech e-cigs. i really love the vaping, and havnt touched a cigarette last 3 days, which has still been hard, but gets easier every day as i get use to settling into a new routine with my vaping.

the first day i started vaping, i was surprised to feel somewhat of a nicotine rush i hadnt had in years, i actually loved it, nice happy light headed feeling tho a little queezy. the next day i had a pretty major headached all day, not sure if it was related to my vaping or not, but i was chain vaping most the day anyway. and now today, im also chain vaping. even so, my lungs feel healthier, my teeth whiter, and i dont smell anymore

But this brought me to my first concern about vaping, when to stop??? searching on the net lead me to the forum in the link below.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...244-when-stop-vaping-not-easy-quistion-5.html

I guess im just concerned my new habbit, altho healthier, is it going to be just as addictive as my old one?. After doing some research, we know nicotine gives you the buzz by binding to nicotonic receptors and in turn releasing dopamine and other neurotransmitters that give the happy feeling. it is also widely thought that nicotine itself, is actually only moderately more addictive then caffeine. Cigarettes also contain Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) which prevent the breakdown of dopamine in the brain, and its thought that the strong coupling reaction between the nicotine and MAOI's from cigarettes is what really causes the addidction.

ofcourse, E-cigs only contain nicotine and no MAOI's, and i am wondering truly, if the lack of MAOI is the reason there is no stopping point to my vaping and i keep trying to get to that comfortably satisfied point where i can put it down and stop vaping, because essentially, without the MAOI's the effects of nicotine are shorter lived.

Also slightly off topic, but something i found interesting... i assumed menthol was always just for taste. but actually menthol slows down the breakdown of nicotine in the body giving it a longer half life. so in theory, smoking or vaping menthols should leave you feeling satisfied for longer.

Im no scientist, but i do have a pharmaceutical degree. interested to hear everyone else thoughts, knowledge and experience on this topic

Happy Vaping,

Dane

 

[jfalbanese]

Lol, fair enough jfalbanese, you make a good point. like a say, im not trying to cut the addiction right now, just trying to compare my experiences so far, and whats normal or not.

a couple observations today, ive been chain vaping most the day, but not for the last hour or 2 as i started to feel a little queezy and feela bit of a headache coming on. probably over doing it a bit, but at least o got to the point where i finally dont feel like any more . Also i find that filling a cart full with e-liquid, till it wont soak in any more... doesnt last anywhere near as long as a fresh cart, is this normal?

@ Liv2Ski, thats really interesting about the WTA liquids, i hadn't heard of them yet. if they contain the MAOI's i mentioned in my initial post then they should produce an effect much much similar to real smoking. from a search on the web, unfortunately there are no uk vendors yet, but can get them form an american site for $12 per 10ml, + shipping which im sure will be a hefty price since its coming form America, but im most definitely interested in ordering some and trying it out. when i get it, i will post back on here what i think of it.

@ mkbilbo, thanks for the great post, i have ordered a smapler pack from the V2 website, which the cartomizers will work with my Jacvapour ecig. contains 10 different flavours to try out. so far i have only tried preloaded menthol cartomizers and kiwi e-liquid dripped into blank cartomizers. for some reason or other the kiwi e-liquid is nowhere near as enjoyable or produce the same effect as the menthol's, tho the reason im unsure, im wondering if i have some dud batch of e-liquid.

i'm just saying the more your body heals, the more likely it is you will modify your quitting plan. day 1 for me i hoped to be nicotine free in 6 months. actual 0 nicotine happened for me 40 days into this thing. it all depends on your commitment. don't believe the crap they taught you about nicotine. that is why you have all these doubts, and of course your body is wondering about the lack of 4000 toxic chemicals in your bloodstream. that is how big tobacco keeps us on the hook for the course of our lives. ohhhh scary nicotine, bad as ......, scary, scary. it's bull. 4 days after you stop ingesting it it is out of your blood. it's the whiny inner child that wants the nicotine, and the gateway back to the stinky's. you have to be stronger than him/her.

 

[Leal]

I found once I got over MAOI withdrawal and then the novelty I can go longer between vapes. With cigs I had to have one to two every hour and if I didn't....well it was ugly. Now I can go two to three hours on a couple puffs. But I still use pretty high nic juice. 24 to 36 mg.

 

[Txrider]

I found once I got over MAOI withdrawal and then the novelty I can go longer between vapes. With cigs I had to have one to two every hour and if I didn't....well it was ugly. Now I can go two to three hours on a couple puffs. But I still use pretty high nic juice. 24 to 36 mg.

I'm the same, vaping doesn't seem nearly as addictive to me as smoking was. I will get a nic crave if I don't vape for a couple hours but it's not as intense as a cigarette craving was and doesn't provoke such a compulsion. The cravings only seem about half as strong.

 

[vshadowheart]

I was never addicted to cigars or hookah when I smoked them, but a few hours without my ego and I am not a happy camper

 

[Slummy]

@jfalbanese, i get what you saying bud, i dont beleive nicotine to be the big bad drug. in fact nicotine as a drug alone is not significantly addictive, contrary to popular belief its the MAOI's in cigarettes that cause the need and want to smoke more. its mostly a behavioural dependence than a physical one, so quitting is all about will power in any case. over time your brain compensates for the increase in dopamine and serotonin levels by producing less naturally. in fact a full nicotine addiction, is suppose to take upto and more than 2 years to develop, whilst other studies propose the addiction is nearly entirely habitual.... dont mind me, i like to bore myself with the finer details

@flintlock62, im on 12mg carts at the mo, which seems to be less than what most others are vaping. today has been a strange one, i felt the need to chain vape through 2 carts over 3 or 4 hours today, then got a little headed but was able to put down the ecig and not be concerned with vaping, only getting it out every half hour or so for a few drags. like others have said, its new and different to smoking, so its all a bit trial and error to find out what works for me.

 

[mkbilbo]

Lol, fair enough jfalbanese, you make a good point. like a say, im not trying to cut the addiction right now, just trying to compare my experiences so far, and whats normal or not.

jfalbanese makes an outstanding point and I agree totally. Every cig not smoked is a win in my book.

@ mkbilbo, thanks for the great post, i have ordered a smapler pack from the V2 website, which the cartomizers will work with my Jacvapour ecig. contains 10 different flavours to try out. so far i have only tried preloaded menthol cartomizers and kiwi e-liquid dripped into blank cartomizers. for some reason or other the kiwi e-liquid is nowhere near as enjoyable or produce the same effect as the menthol's, tho the reason im unsure, im wondering if i have some dud batch of e-liquid.

Folks around here with tons more experience than I have say if you run into a bottle of liquid you don't like, keep it. Let it sit. Sometimes, it's a matter of steeping. That is, letting it sit a week or two or more and let the ingredients mix well. I've read many a post from folk who say they'll find a liquid they don't like, set it aside and forget about it, find it a month or something later and it's good. I've only run into one I found bland and uninteresting. Set it aside and I'll try it again eventually. See what I think.

Definitely sample some different combinations of base liquid (PG & VG) and nic levels as well as flavors. I've been at this a month now and still think I'm a "noob". Just really starting to hit on flavor and base liquid and nic level combinations that really work for me.

Heh, it's actually becoming part of the fun the exploring options thing.

Which, come to think, also worries me a bit. I'm too broke right now to take on a hobby.

 

[astounded]

. i really love the vaping, and havnt touched a cigarette last 3 days, which has still been hard, but gets easier every day as i get use to settling into a new routine with my vaping.

the first day i started vaping, i was surprised to feel somewhat of a nicotine rush i hadnt had in years, i actually loved it, nice happy light headed feeling tho a little queezy. the next day i had a pretty major headached all day, not sure if it was related to my vaping or not, but i was chain vaping most the day anyway. and now today, im also chain vaping. even so, my lungs feel healthier, my teeth whiter, and i dont smell anymore

But this brought me to my first concern about vaping, when to stop??? searching on the net lead me to the forum in the link below.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...244-when-stop-vaping-not-easy-quistion-5.html

Hi Dane , congratulations on stopping!

I think it is most probable that your headache is due to withdrawel from other tobacco compounds - Certainly withdrawel from the MAO inhibitors present in tobacco can be problematic for some people. In my experience overdoing the nic from any source predominently results in a feeling of queasiness, general malaise and a very strong feeling of "that's enough". Our bodies are actually pretty sophisticated at regulating our nicotine - I found after a few days I was starting to get used to the slower nic delivery and automatically rolling the vapour in my throat to compensate as much as possible. I would not worry too much about how much you are vaping until you are over the cigarette cravings (unless you do inadvertently overdo the nic ... and if that is the case you won't wonder, you will know!)

Very interesting link, however the scenario regarding knowing when you are done smoking is only true for that individual - sorry - I would light up another cigarette right after, I liked the taste, etc etc (in fact one of the big differences I noticed between tobacco and vaping is that with tobacco I could never have enough ... Could have seen myself working my way up to being one of those 3-4 pack a day smokers easily!)

I guess im just concerned my new habbit, altho healthier, is it going to be just as addictive as my old one?. After doing some research, we know nicotine gives you the buzz by binding to nicotonic receptors and in turn releasing dopamine and other neurotransmitters that give the happy feeling. it is also widely thought that nicotine itself, is actually only moderately more addictive then caffeine. Cigarettes also contain Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) which prevent the breakdown of dopamine in the brain, and its thought that the strong coupling reaction between the nicotine and MAOI's from cigarettes is what really causes the addidction.

ofcourse, E-cigs only contain nicotine and no MAOI's, and i am wondering truly, if the lack of MAOI is the reason there is no stopping point to my vaping and i keep trying to get to that comfortably satisfied point where i can put it down and stop vaping, because essentially, without the MAOI's the effects of nicotine are shorter lived.

Also slightly off topic, but something i found interesting... i assumed menthol was always just for taste. but actually menthol slows down the breakdown of nicotine in the body giving it a longer half life. so in theory, smoking or vaping menthols should leave you feeling satisfied for longer.

Im no scientist, but i do have a pharmaceutical degree. interested to hear everyone else thoughts, knowledge and experience on this topic

Happy Vaping,

Dane

If you read a whole lot of anecdotes, it seems that once people have got over the other tobacco compounds the craving for nicotine seems to be less intense, although still varying in strength between individuals (which makes sense in light of the research about the MAO inhibitors in tobacco) ... Which I am assuming will leave us with a nicotine craving of some degree, some desire for hand-mouth activity, some dependence on a self-soothing behaviour which I would guess mostly being the inhalation, and for some people a craving for throat hit (my guess there is a mild dependency on endorphins which would be released if the throat was irritated) ... And undoubtedly some other individual factors as well!

I think that it definitely seems that a lot of vapers have an easier time decreasing their nicotine than if they had tried that when they were still smoking. I have found it interesting that when I supplement with Quickmist spray (much closer to the sudden nic delivery we were used to as smokers) my vaping automatically decreases to compensate.

I agree these are very interesting questions - and thanks for the tip about the menthol ... I am immediately going to apply that to my before-bed vape choice (being one of those very nicotine-dependent people who used to have a smoke upon waking up in the middle of the night ...)

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this - good thread!

 

[mkbilbo]

With cigs I had to have one to two every hour and if I didn't....well it was ugly.

Oof. Very familiar story that. People who know me offline reacted with fear and panic if I said anything about trying to quit.

 

[astounded]

Oof. Very familiar story that. People who know me offline reacted with fear and panic if I said anything about trying to quit.

I'm with you there ... When I read a post asking would you want to sit next to a ...... addict or a tobacco addict on a 7-hour plane ride my immediate thought was "Is the tobacco addict like I was?"

 

[Slummy]

Thanks for you replies everyone, i learnt a lot from your comments and advice.

today was my 4th day of vaping ecigs, and it was a lot more regulated for me today, not chain vaping all day.

i find that when i wake up, i will chain vape for a good while before i get to my happy point, then i can easy go an hour or two before vaping again just like when i was normally smoking. after the morning i was only vaping maybe 10 puffs at a time every hour or so.

so as somebody suggested, i think i need to use a stronger nic hit in the morning and use a lower one later in the day.

truly loving the vaping experience tho, and every day without a cigarette makes me feel awesome . already looking for an upgrade on my device... something with a bigger battery and better vapor for round the home. im very tempted by the innokin itaste vv, anybody had experience with these?

 

[Chrissie]

Hello & welcome Slummy

I'm also in the UK BTW

I agree that it may be best to use a higher nic juice in the mornings. Plus do make sure you up your liquid intake to counteract dehydration

And you have every right feel awesome - well done you

 

[djsvapour]

Welcome Dane. I am sorry to have missed you and the thread.

I used JacVapour e-cigs for a few months so have some experience of the product you are using. I will have a read of the thread when I get time. However, I am not surprised you have been vaping "too much" at times on 12mg (is that what you've been on?), I used JacVapour liquid up to 24mg to quit my 15-a-day smoking habit. As soon as I switch to an ego battery e-cig I went down to 18mg and these days hardly vape at all.

I vape most for the first hour of my day, and then it trails off. I vape very little in the evenings, and if I do, it's just for 5 puffs (?) at a time.

 

[nickvegas]

great post thank you.