Quitting questions

[smoksmok]

Hello friends,

I have been a closet smoker for the past 15 years, smoking about 2 cigarettes a day. I usually don't crave for any more than 2 or 3 a day. I am planning on completely quitting. I tried to quit once before and got an e-cig, but I could barely even taste or feel the cig. It felt like I was just trying so hard to breathe nicotine air with no "kick". So, I switched back to regular cigarettes. Now, I want to quit completely. This is probably not the correct forum for it, but for those of you who tried, how did you manage to overcome the terrible craving? I am specifically talking about my throat "lumping up" and my back in a lot of cringy pain.. I don't know how to describe it better than that, but I am guessing these are normal craving symptoms. Please help! I need to find a way out of this!

 

[T41CK]

I just vaped like a mad man. I tried quitting in the past but it didnt work for me. Seems the slightest thing would just piss me off. I would suggest chewing alot of gum and hold on to something in your hand for a week or so helps as well
Hope this helps T41CK

 

[Chimney34]

I agree with with the first responder. I was a total ....* for a couple of days but not as bad as when I'd tried to quit smoking cold turkey. I did smoke the first week but I went from 20+ cigs to 3-5 a day and when they were gone I just vaped like crazy whenever I got the urge to smoke.
Good Luck!!

 

[gavind4]

Welcome. Was the one you used a little cig. a like? There are much better ones. The only way I overcome the craving is to vape a good e-cig. It's big but it works! Now I will try to cut the nic. down little by little. vaping has got to be better than smoking. Now,can I stop vaping? Time will tell. Your in the right place, Keep reading. Best wishes.

 

[stressmama]

Welcome to ECF! I vaped like a chimney when I first quit. I quit on a Friday evening so I would have the weekend to get settled into vaping prior to going back to work. Oddly enough, my worst cravings came about day 8. I increased my nicotine level to 24 mg for the rest of that day and it took care of it. I started with 18mg e-liquid which has worked well except for day 8. I had been smoking approximately 10 real cigs per day prior to quitting.

Set a date, vape constantly when needed, be kind to yourself as your quitting. Good luck!

 

[Hagphish]

Getting into a good e-cigarette set up is a must, in my opinion. The disposables work okay, but I would suggest something like a joye ego model. If you're looking for a better hit and more vapor you can't get it from a disposable.

If you are truly commited it won't be nearly as difficult as you probably think. I started with a blue disposable, then immediately bought an ego set up when it was used up. I'm lucky and have an e-cig shop about 45 minutes from where I live, so I got a lot of help from the people there. It can be overwhelming because of all of the different brands and options, but it will get easier as you go especially if you read a lot on this forum.

I promise that once you get a better quality e-cig and find the right set up for yourself it will be a breeze! Good luck

 

[DrApex]

Yeah, a proper ecig will help a lot. You can get some big vapes with eGo twist batteries and a simple tank/carto like this one:
http://www.madvapes.com/artemas-locking-510-dct-clear.html

Get some 1.5 or 2 ohm xl cartos and you'll be all set:
http://www.madvapes.com/tank-replacement-dual-coil-cartomizers-15-ohms-dual-hole.html

You'll blow out plumes of vapor. Replacement cartos are cheap and last a week to 3 weeks.

I also find adding a little menthol to my juice gives the best throat hit, so if it's throat hit you crave, get some juice with menthol in it. DeKang NPort works, so does House Blend Menthol Tobacco from Goodejuice.


Typed on my mobile. Please excuse typos.

 

[Bullette the Cowdog]

Hi Smok
Welcome to ECF.
Well I also was not a heavy smoker. Was smoking 3-4 ciggies/day. Up to 7/day on a weekend maybe. So I bought a little cigalike & thought some medium nicotine juice would be enough for me to quit smoking ciggies. WRONG!!! Didn't work!!
So I got a bigger device (a Kgo) & some good 24 mg nic juice & it's working. Yay!
Here's my setup:
Kgo 3.7-4.2 volt battery
Smoketech 1.7 ohm cartomizer.
24 mg ejuice.
Keep trying. We're here to help.

 

[Bosco]

I was a pack a day smoker for around 15 years and I quit using Commit Lozenges. It was hard to transfer my addiction to the lozenges but do-able . .I stayed on them for about a year and then quit those cold turkey - that was a nasty 3 or 4 days but that's all it took. For the next few years after that, though, I can honestly say I wanted a smoke almost all the time. It was depressing how long the cravings lasted. After about 3 years I truly started to feel like a non-smoker. Then, 2 years after that, my wife fell off the wagon and I came tumbling after. Now I'm using an e-cig. I ultimately want to quit but I am enjoying vaping and don't have a real time-frame.

If you really want to quit completely it's going to suck horribly no matter what you do or try. You either get through it or you don't. Best of luck in quiting - I will be joining you before too long.

 

[gzin44]

I too tried and failed with the cheap little e-cigs you can get from gas stations. I had a friend that bought an ego because his insurance considered it a smoking cessation device and paid for it. I tried his and thought damn this is completely different than the cheap peice of garbage i bought. I bought an EGO-T and was able to quit smoking easily by taking advice from people here on what fluid and what mixture of fluid to use. This forum is a great support group. It worked for me and I hope it helps you as well. Good luck.

 

[Skinny Pete]

you're probably not used to the nicotine level and also going from heated smoke to heated liquid vapor, gives a different kick to your senses

 

[Aceman12]

I made it 3 months with the little ecigs. I'm still smoking a left over pack right now but it's turned into 3 cigs instead of a pack a day. Once they're gone I don't intend to buy anymore. Look at the kgo/ego starter kits. They seem like the best all around kit in the beginning. They are about as big as a cigar and would last you probably 2 days before charging. Get one with a tank and it will hold you over. Good luck.

 

[k3vin]

Ego is a good first start and possibly last..

People always ask me. So you have quit smoking, when are you going to quit that? My answer is always I smoked for 25 years, and I am in no hurry to quit vaping...

Vaping is like having a patch, but being able to push like a button whenever you need some nic in your system... I vape almost constantly, and I don't mind, my last trip to the doctor was a clean sound in my lungs, and I can finally get that last little-itty-bitty inhale of breath into my lungs..

I have been vaping a little over a year..

 

[hrpuffstuff]

I smoked a pack of camels a day for over 30 years and was downright famous amongst my peers for knocking them down in under a minute at work.
I researched this e-cig thing for around a year and ended up getting a starter kit from a local shop that deals only in vaping. Got 2 ego twists (1000 power) with stardust clearomizers and 24 nic level juice. I never wanted a cigarette as bad as when I was waiting in the shop to get my starter kit. Everyone was walking around vaping like dragons and when I walked out of that shop, I got in my truck and took my shot at vaping. Didn't really know what I was doing...just sort of fumbled, and sucked my way through the ride home.
I haven't smoked a cigarette since the one I smoked before I entered the shop and as far as I'm concerned, this entire vaping thing is a miracle and waaaaaay undersold. I have no desire to smoke a cigarette (I much prefer vaping and consider it a much better nicotine delivery system.
As was said above, you have to get the real thing (good power) and my experience with other people is that you need to start with a nicotine level that is not too weak (you can always lower your nicotine level).
10 others have followed my lead at work and 3 of them are brothers who dipped skoal and smoked a pack of cigarettes a day on top of the skoal. All three of those brothers stopped dipping and smoking the day they got their kits.
Anyway, my experience (pretty limited) says you have to get the real thing....a little too much fun when it comes to the flavors but heck, those of us who stop a decades long habit that is killing us should be able to have a little fun.
Good luck!

 

[Jellyfish]

To me, quitting cigarettes for vaping is mostly a matter of substitution. You simply move from one really bad habit (cigarettes) to one that is a lot less harmful (PVs). But as others have already said, start with a PV that actually works.

What worked for me was to make sure that my PV was nearby where and when I would normally smoke. Then instead of reaching for a smoke I'd simply grab a vape instead. If the thought of quitting cigarettes scares the hell out of you, have them both available at the same time...that's what I did. But you're likely to find that you reach for you PV over your cigarettes more often than not...and not feel like you're missing anything.

Good luck!

 

[RoseB]

Welcome to the forum just a couple a day? The only time I was able to do that was the first week I started using my e cig. Kind of surprises me that folks are suggesting the hefty equipment, but I was never a few a day smoker.

 

[Jerms]

If the issue is craving nicotine, I would suggest upping the nicotine content of your juice. If you only smoked a couple a day, I wouldn't think smoker habits such as the hand to mouth and keeping hands busy are really an issue. If you only smoked a couple daily you may be happiest only vaping a couple sessions a day, and you'll need to be getting more nicotine to keep the cravings away in between. The way I look at it, heavy smokers may actually require LESS nicotine in their juices since they'll want to chain vape like they chain smoked. In the mean time if you crave, then vape until the craving goes away. When I was transitioning I would only crave a smoke when I went long periods without vaping because my mind is used to equating cravings being fixed by lighting up a smoke.

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[smoksmok]

Wow.. so many responses! Thank you everyone!

To be honest with you, I am not even sure what I am addicted to. I definitely like the smoking part. It gives me a good mellow feeling. So, I am not sure if it is the nicotine, or all the carcinogens that I am addicted to. But, strangely enough, I never needed more than 2 a day to keep my appetite satisfied for analogs (is that what folks call the regular cigarettes on this forum?). So, I must confess that I am a little confused. 15 years is a long time to be smoking, but how was I able to be OK with just a couple a day? So, am I even "addicted" in the true sense, or is it just a lifestyle thing that I chose to continue in my life? I know I am rambling, so I apologize in advance. But, my real worry is that knowing people who can't go without smoking 10, 20 analogs a day, I know I am not as "addicted" to these things as them, but I still crave them. When I don't have them, I have a lump in my throat which drives me crazy. I also have a pull in the back and the neck/shoulders area which also sets in when I don't smoke for a day or so. As soon as I have an analog, it goes away.

Any more thoughts from you guys? I guess I am not really asking any questions here. Just some thoughts and may be some support.

Smok.

 

[Jerms]

It's pretty tough to answer whether you're technically addicted or not. The semantics may not be all that imprtant tho. Some people are just able to occasionally smoke without becoming addicted. It's pretty rare for someone to be a social smoker but they do exist. If you are craving, that's a sure sign your body wants something from them. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance, and cigarette manufactorers add other chemicals to make them even more addictive. Tobacco also contains addictive compounds other then nicotine that effect some people more than others. Those are called whole tobacco alkaloids (wta) and can also be added to ejuices, for a price.

The specific physical signs you get I haven't had, so you may want to look into other sections in the forum that talk about nicotine withdrawal symptoms, or ask your doctor what he thinks. The pulling in your neck and back sounds like symptoms of stress to me and maybe smoking relaxes you, but I am certainly no doctor and have no ability to diagose anything. If it was me I would try some deep breathing or other relaxation exercises to see if that helps.

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[Jerms]

I just checked out the health section of the forum and muscle aches and cramps can be a sign of tobacco withdrawal.

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