Non-smoker (or longtime quit) vapers

[lexic]

I'm just curious about how many others are out there and why you started to vape.

Me? I'm a former smoker quit for a little over 10 years. March 19th I decided to try vaping. I wanted the nicotine but had absolutely no desire to start smoking again. I hate the smell of smoke and the mess of ashes and cigarette butts. Why did I want nicotine? I noticed in the years since I quit smoking my anxiety, stress, and OCD increased. I had read a few things about nicotine and OCD and wanted to test if it would have a positive effect for me. It is. These past 2 weeks my brain has been so much more "controllable" and I'm calmer and more focused. I'd much rather rely on nicotine and vaping than anything my doctor would prescribe. Quite frankly, I think vaping is a safer alternative with less sides effects than most pharmaceuticals. I'm willing to take that risk.

So, nicotine or not, what's your story?

 

[redddog]

This isn't the kind of post people take too kindy of around here. There are people out there hellbent on the destruction of vaping and this is a primary tool in their toolbox - non-smokers starting to vape.

I'm with you, though. I had quit for around 7 years (with the occasional half-a-pack blowout every 3 or 4 months) and started to vape about a year after my son was diagnosed with cancer. I couldn't even consider smoking and would have gone back due to the stress. We lost him 4 months ago and I would have certainly gone back by now. It's just me and my wife in the house.

So this is obviously a far better option. Not too mention the benefit nicotene has with alzheimers and demetia which I have in the family.

 

[Coelli]

I quit for 14 years, and my boyfriend for several years. We started vaping around the beginning of the year. We both vape because we liked smoking itself, but not all of the crap that came with it.

For me, it's been helping with weight loss (I've lost about 12 pounds) and with ADHD. But mostly I vape because I'm an adult, and I like it.

 

[Gonzi]

Good post, first one I read refering to health benefits of nicotine. Me, I smoked for about 13 years and quit thanks to vaping. I've been vaping for about 2 1/2 years, can't really remember the date, since for me, I made it a casual transition and worked great for me. I don't know if I qualify for your post since I didn't have a lapse of time between smoking and vaping, but based on how I read your title, I do. I vape cause I enjoy the focus, awareness and calmness that I get from nicotine, and I enjoy the act of it. I've cut down my nicotine strenght from 24 all the way down to 8 on average, range from 6mg to 12mg depending on what device I'm using. I don't see myself going any lower, I went lower since I started getting headaches, not because I wanted to quit nicotine. I'm perfectly happy where I'm at and plan to continue to vape for as long as I can.

 

[lexic]

This isn't the kind of post people take too kindy of around here. There are people out there hellbent on the destruction of vaping and this is a primary tool in their toolbox - non-smokers starting to vape.

I'm with you, though. I had quit for around 7 years (with the occasional half-a-pack blowout every 3 or 4 months) and started to vape about a year after my son was diagnosed with cancer. I couldn't even consider smoking and would have gone back due to the stress. We lost him 4 months ago and I would have certainly gone back by now. It's just me and my wife in the house.

So this is obviously a far better option. Not too mention the benefit nicotene has with alzheimers and demetia which I have in the family.

Sorry to hear of your loss.

I'm glad we have vaping as an option.

 

[lexic]

I quit for 14 years, and my boyfriend for several years. We started vaping around the beginning of the year. We both vape because we liked smoking itself, but not all of the crap that came with it.

For me, it's been helping with weight loss (I've lost about 12 pounds) and with ADHD. But mostly I vape because I'm an adult, and I like it.

I hope it helps with weight for me too. I've done a lot of stress eating and gained quite a few pounds since November when one of my dogs died. She was the second I'd lost last year. I'd had them both for over 11 years. (Not the dogs in my avatar. Those are my newbies who are helping heal my heart.) Add that to the weight I'd gained over 10 years quit. Hoping to get off 30.

Oh, and, yes, I enjoy vaping immensely!

 

[stylemaster2001]

Add me to the list.....

I "quit" a 3pad habit 5 years ago, using a patch. NO desire to take them back up but I did miss the calming effect smoking had, I believe. Just giving you something to do with your hands while bored or whatever... My mother passed away in Dec'13 and I was stressing out bad. My sister was smoking then and I was tempted to grab some of hers. Instead went and got a blu from the conv.store. It lasted about a week, then broke, so I mailed it back to the company. While waiting for the replacement, found this great site and by the time they got back to me, had advanced WAY past a blu. Been vaping 4 months, it helps my nerves and like someone said, I've lost about 12 lbs. also (no more mindless eating). Now I just love vaping all the different flavors, gotten into DIY, got my sister to quit, and feel better than I've felt in the last 5 years, so yeah, I'm a "taking it back up again" vaper, but that's ok.....not smoking (and got my sister to switch)

 

[Coelli]

I hope it helps with weight for me too. I've done a lot of stress eating and gained quite a few pounds since November when one of my dogs died. She was the second I'd lost last year. I'd had them both for over 11 years. (Not the dogs in my avatar. Those are my newbies who are helping heal my heart.) Add that to the weight I'd gained over 10 years quit. Hoping to get off 30.

Oh, and, yes, I enjoy vaping immensely!

I found it helps me not snack as much, and I'm better able to differentiate between real hunger and boredom hunger. It came off fast at first and has slowed down some since then, but I'm sure if I weren't so sedentary it would be coming off faster!

So sorry to hear about your pups. We have 3 in the house that are fairly young (the oldest is 6 at most, he's a rescue so we're not sure) and our foster just went to her forever home on Monday after 6 months of rehabilitation with us. Dogs are the best. That's a drawing I did of my Barley von Soda in my avatar!

 

[Coelli]

So much loss in this thread! My condolences to everyone on the loss of their family members, both human and furry.

 

[Spazmelda]

Reddog- I am so sorry for the loss of your son.

I am not in the same boat as you guys, as I had never quit smoking and thought I never would. I did however, half jokingly, suggest to my husband that he try it. He is taking so many prescriptions right now, and it seems like every time he goes to the doctor to try to get off something, he just comes home with an additional prescription. Nothing seems to be getting better, and in fact everything seems to be getting worse. Like I said, I sort of jokingly suggested he try vaping or a patch and brought up some of the more recent studies of using nicotine for certain illnesses or issues. He wouldn't even consider it because he said if his company ever tested him for nicotine he'd be in trouble as far as insurances goes. So ironic, I think. He can go to work every day pumped full of gabapentin, ambien, Prozac, and occasionally Vicodin, but nicotine? Oh no, not nicotine.

/soapbox

 

[lexic]

I found it helps me not snack as much, and I'm better able to differentiate between real hunger and boredom hunger. It came off fast at first and has slowed down some since then, but I'm sure if I weren't so sedentary it would be coming off faster!

So sorry to hear about your pups. We have 3 in the house that are fairly young (the oldest is 6 at most, he's a rescue so we're not sure) and our foster just went to her forever home on Monday after 6 months of rehabilitation with us. Dogs are the best. That's a drawing I did of my Barley von Soda in my avatar!

I'm sedentary. Not by choice. When I was 15 my neck was broken in a car accident. I have a lot of neurological damage and don't have much fine motor control on my right side. That makes it really easy to gain weight. The dogs keep me at least a bit active. I have noticed I'm snacking and eating late at night less since starting to vape. Haven't braved the scale yet.

Great drawing. You're very talented. The guys in my avatar with me are Ludwag van Barktoven (Bernese Mountain Dog x Golden Retriever) and Woofgang Amadeus Muttzart (Weimaraner x Labrador Retriever). We just adopted Lou (Ludwag) December 23rd. Woofgang has been with us since 2011 as a puppy.

 

[lexic]

Add me to the list.....

I "quit" a 3pad habit 5 years ago, using a patch. NO desire to take them back up but I did miss the calming effect smoking had, I believe. Just giving you something to do with your hands while bored or whatever... My mother passed away in Dec'13 and I was stressing out bad. My sister was smoking then and I was tempted to grab some of hers. Instead went and got a blu from the conv.store. It lasted about a week, then broke, so I mailed it back to the company. While waiting for the replacement, found this great site and by the time they got back to me, had advanced WAY past a blu. Been vaping 4 months, it helps my nerves and like someone said, I've lost about 12 lbs. also (no more mindless eating). Now I just love vaping all the different flavors, gotten into DIY, got my sister to quit, and feel better than I've felt in the last 5 years, so yeah, I'm a "taking it back up again" vaper, but that's ok.....not smoking (and got my sister to switch)

Sorry for your loss.

I'm happy we had vaping to choose as an option. Great for your sister too!

I feel better than when I was quit also.

 

[lexic]

Reddog- I am so sorry for the loss of your son.

I am not in the same boat as you guys, as I had never quit smoking and thought I never would. I did however, half jokingly, suggest to my husband that he try it. He is taking so many prescriptions right now, and it seems like every time he goes to the doctor to try to get off something, he just comes home with an additional prescription. Nothing seems to be getting better, and in fact everything seems to be getting worse. Like I said, I sort of jokingly suggested he try vaping or a patch and brought up some of the more recent studies of using nicotine for certain illnesses or issues. He wouldn't even consider it because he said if his company ever tested him for nicotine he'd be in trouble as far as insurances goes. So ironic, I think. He can go to work every day pumped full of gabapentin, ambien, Prozac, and occasionally Vicodin, but nicotine? Oh no, not nicotine.

/soapbox

Ugh. That is exactly the type of situation I was trying to avoid. I didn't want to take any more pharmaceuticals than necessary if something as simple as nicotine could help. My husband has also started vaping. He's checking on the insurance policy. We will pay the extra premium if we need too. We already had that discussion. He believes enough in the results we've seen in just two weeks.

 

[glointhedark]

So very sorry, everyone, for your losses.

My daughter and I had quit smoking about 7-8 years ago, not really because we wanted to, but because we just could not justify continuing when prices rose yet again. We managed to keep off the analogs, but the desire was always there. About 2 years ago, stressors in our lives were really getting to us, and we both started really wanting to smoke. She had seen something online about ecigs, and we checked out a few vendors and debated a few months, still managing to stay off the analogs. One day, she called me and said she had caved and bought herself a Blu disposable. Told her to get me one. We tried them, they worked to dispel the craving for a smoke. We have been satisfied vapers ever since, with absolutely no further thoughts about going back to smoking. Vaping has enabled us to continue to be successful former smokers.

 

[Purplepeeps]

My sister quit two years ago using the patch. She still uses it and that works for her. Whatever it takes to keep you off cigs and if it helps other disorders, why not! Happy vaping!

 

[ScottP]

This isn't the kind of post people take too kindy of around here. There are people out there hellbent on the destruction of vaping and this is a primary tool in their toolbox - non-smokers starting to vape.

Sorry for your loss.

The people that use this as a tool need to get a F life and stay out of ours. I'm am seriously sick of people that think they need to micro-manage everyone's life. Who do they think they are?

 

[brickfollett]

I was an occasional hookah smoker before vaping and started to smoke cigars on weekends after a tough days worth of work. Specifically swishers or black and milds. Haven't bought one since I started vaping. I firmly believe that I diverted myself before an occasional weekend thing became an every day thing. Could have happened to me, but didn't. I like vaping a lot more because I like to tinker with stuff. I favor rebuildables and my favorites of all time are the Pyrex RSST and the Russian 91%. I still have my hookahs (wet tobacco only) but haven't used them in months.

Vape on

 

[VapoKev]

I've written more about this in other posts. I'm overweight and have sugar cravings that I have been unable to control with will power. They are also made worse by a prescription med I happen to be taking. Even knowing the harm I was doing to my body wasn't enough to keep me away from the cookies, snack cakes, candy, and the like. I knew nicotine could act as an appetite suppressant, so I bought some Blu disposables and gave them a try. I figured I wasn't going to get addicted to nicotine in a week. It worked better than I expected. The cravings are simply gone. I'll eat a piece of cake or some candy now and then, but I can go without it. Most days I do. I've also cut down my diet soda over consumption to zero on most days. My guess is the effect comes from the nicotine, all that hand to mouth movement, and the taste of something good regularly on my tongue. The evidence points to vaping being pretty safe. I know what I was doing with sugar was wreaking havoc on my body. I think it's a good trade off.

 

[luke213]

I smoked for 10 years quit then 4 years later started for a year then quit for a year and was finding myself starting again bumming smokes from a buddy of mine. So I picked up a disposable and now more gear and haven't had a smoke in over a month no interest I'm happy vaping at this point only need more gear and liquid

Sent from my XT875 using Tapatalk

 

[redddog]

Thanks everyone for your comments. It's been a nightmare.