I've been vaping for about 8 months now. I was an on again off again smoker for about 10 years. Multiple tries quitting with success for several months at a time with a gradual falling off the wagon which included secrecy, guilt and generally mild despair. So I'm now cigarette free for over 8 months but I now am faced with the reality that I'm addicted to this contraption and due to the fact that I can now "smoke" ie. vape pretty much anywhere I want and at any time, I find that I am vaping all of the time - at least once an hour for a minimum of 5 minutes. What have I done? I wonder how much nicotine I'm getting in my system and if it's affecting my health or mood in an adverse way. Whenever I get a mild cold or cold like/allergy symptoms I wonder if the vaping exacerbates or even causes them. I get anxious a lot and I need to duck out to the bathroom for a vape. I usually emerge a bit foggy. My memory seems to be worse than ever. What's going on? I recently switched to a higher 18mg juice from China due to it being super cheap. Maybe it's all in my head and I'm much better off being a closet vaper than a constant secret smoker/quitter. Anyone else having any worries and/or regrets about starting vaping?
Starting to have doubts about my vaping...
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If you're using PG based juice perhaps you're allergic? Maybe try switching to VG and see if it works better?
I'm not really an expert on the topic but since getting in e-cigs thats the only "side-effect" that I've read. Some people are allergic to PG and sometimes it can also cause depression. I haven't experienced this myself so I can't comment on the legitamacy of that statement.
I'm not really an expert on the topic but since getting in e-cigs thats the only "side-effect" that I've read. Some people are allergic to PG and sometimes it can also cause depression. I haven't experienced this myself so I can't comment on the legitamacy of that statement.
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I definitely had issues with it. I failed quitting about a month before I started vaping (gum + lozenges = FAIL). I was sneaking and feeling guilty but still smoking. Had to HIDE from my boyfriend who thought I was still quit. When he found out, I felt TERRIBLE.
Two weeks vaping and I get sick. Not a cold, I feel like I'm on my death bed. First thing I think "man, it's got to be this e-cigarette." Turns out it's a staph infection and has nothing to do with vaping. Remember, your cilia (google it, they're the tiny hairs in your nose and lungs) are regenerating. They are there to keep pollutants and allergens OUT of you. Depending on how long you smoked, they are in some stage of infancy (1-9 months to regenerate according to some googling.. Approximately how long does it take ,once of... - Smoking - Nicotine dependence - Addiction Community - Forum - Revolution Health). They are probably there for the first time in years and have no idea what to do!
Fast forward to 3 weeks vaping, my boyfriend comes back into town. I could NOT vape in front of him. Took about a week for me to do it. I felt bad. I couldn't pin point why, but I was relating my vaping to my (former) smoking. When I was going through nicotine withdrawals, he asked "aren't you stepping down?" I kind of exploded because stepping down from 18mg exclusively to a mix of 18 and 12 is NOWHERE near being free of a nicotine addiction.
We've ironed things out since, but the whole experience was really awkward. Now I'm working on using up my 18mg stuff. So I can get some lower nic content.
The decision to step down has to be yours. Vaping is absolutely better for you than smoking -- remember that. Upping your nicotine level should mean less vaping. If you are vaping more, try a lower nic content. It's hard, but try not to get MORE addicted to the nicotine. I couldn't imagine going back to smoking, ever.. I hope you're in the same boat. As long as you aren't smoking, don't let it stress you out!! Easier said than done, yes. But the more you stress, the more you are going to reach for the drug. It's a sick game your mind is playing on you.
So whatever your decision, try not to feel guilty about it. You aren't smoking and that is the important part.
Best of luck!
Two weeks vaping and I get sick. Not a cold, I feel like I'm on my death bed. First thing I think "man, it's got to be this e-cigarette." Turns out it's a staph infection and has nothing to do with vaping. Remember, your cilia (google it, they're the tiny hairs in your nose and lungs) are regenerating. They are there to keep pollutants and allergens OUT of you. Depending on how long you smoked, they are in some stage of infancy (1-9 months to regenerate according to some googling.. Approximately how long does it take ,once of... - Smoking - Nicotine dependence - Addiction Community - Forum - Revolution Health). They are probably there for the first time in years and have no idea what to do!
Fast forward to 3 weeks vaping, my boyfriend comes back into town. I could NOT vape in front of him. Took about a week for me to do it. I felt bad. I couldn't pin point why, but I was relating my vaping to my (former) smoking. When I was going through nicotine withdrawals, he asked "aren't you stepping down?" I kind of exploded because stepping down from 18mg exclusively to a mix of 18 and 12 is NOWHERE near being free of a nicotine addiction.
We've ironed things out since, but the whole experience was really awkward. Now I'm working on using up my 18mg stuff. So I can get some lower nic content.
The decision to step down has to be yours. Vaping is absolutely better for you than smoking -- remember that. Upping your nicotine level should mean less vaping. If you are vaping more, try a lower nic content. It's hard, but try not to get MORE addicted to the nicotine. I couldn't imagine going back to smoking, ever.. I hope you're in the same boat. As long as you aren't smoking, don't let it stress you out!! Easier said than done, yes. But the more you stress, the more you are going to reach for the drug. It's a sick game your mind is playing on you.
So whatever your decision, try not to feel guilty about it. You aren't smoking and that is the important part.
Best of luck!
due to the fact that I used to get an obscene amount of nicotine smoking a pouch of filterless hand-rolled TOP or Bugler tobacco every day, the amount of nicotine I get in comparison from ecigs is very low -- I find that all the ecig really does is take my cravings down to the point where I don't go buy tobacco (plus now that I vape the taste/smell of tobacco is horrible, so now I don't have any choice but to vape no matter how much more nicotine I crave haha...)
so, given that, I can't imagine fiending for the ecig -- it just doesn't deliver nicotine fast enough for me to feel like I'm smoking -- so all day I'm basically running below where I'd like to be, especially since I really don't like a ton of throat hit, so anything over 30mg juice with over 50% PG is just too much for me (and that's at 3.7V) -- in order to get the same nicotine from vaping 24mg or 16mg juices as I used to get from smoking all those rollies is if I basically never set the ecig down... which is not the case because I vape between 2.5-3ml a day
so, it is my opinion that some of this could be in your head -- I don't think ecigs pack enough nicotine whollup to have that kind of effect on an ex-smoker -- but I'm not you, so I could be way off-base
so, given that, I can't imagine fiending for the ecig -- it just doesn't deliver nicotine fast enough for me to feel like I'm smoking -- so all day I'm basically running below where I'd like to be, especially since I really don't like a ton of throat hit, so anything over 30mg juice with over 50% PG is just too much for me (and that's at 3.7V) -- in order to get the same nicotine from vaping 24mg or 16mg juices as I used to get from smoking all those rollies is if I basically never set the ecig down... which is not the case because I vape between 2.5-3ml a day
so, it is my opinion that some of this could be in your head -- I don't think ecigs pack enough nicotine whollup to have that kind of effect on an ex-smoker -- but I'm not you, so I could be way off-base
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Thanks for sharing adeline. Yeah, I definitely won't go back to smoking cigarettes. I actually had one a few months back and it was awful... well let me clarify - ....ing awful! and disgusting. When a coworker coming off his smoke break ambles by my cube I can smell him 10 feet away. Never again. I'm pretty sure it's the higher nicotine content that's messing with me. I may even be overdosing once in awhile. I'd wondered if it was lack of sleep or poor nutrition but I guess I'll have to cut the stuff I have now and see if it helps any.
You can feel no guilt by walking away from the e-cig as well, not being sassy... just saying... there is low 6mg nic juice as well as no nic juice to help wean, if you feel that would help you... I also recommend a base blend of PG/VG that is compatible with you
My comfort level is from 50/50 to 75/35 depending on the flavors.
While my choice in vaping versus smoking happened without me considering the e-cig as a "way to quit" I am happy it happened; I can breathe, smell and taste better.
Plenty of us will/would and have smoked while sick as a dog, and can't imagine vaping being any different.... but to each their own. Wish you the best
My comfort level is from 50/50 to 75/35 depending on the flavors.
While my choice in vaping versus smoking happened without me considering the e-cig as a "way to quit" I am happy it happened; I can breathe, smell and taste better.
Plenty of us will/would and have smoked while sick as a dog, and can't imagine vaping being any different.... but to each their own. Wish you the best
that makes sense I guess -- you were getting about a quarter of the nicotine I was, so for you vaping an 18mg juice would be like me vaping a 72mg hahaha -- if I vaped on that once an hour for 5 minutes, I'd probably feel like I was getting too much
It's very possible you're over-doing the nicotine, especially after cutting down your analog habit. I'm no doctor, though, and you know your body better than anyone else. Have you read this thread?
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...ing-your-symptoms-while-adjusting-vaping.html
It *might* help you pinpoint whether you're over-doing the nicotine or not. When you say "lack of sleep" are you finding your heart and mind racing at night -- not-able-to-fall-asleep insomnia? Maybe use a lower nicotine level in the evenings -- after your "after dinner vape" cut down your levels.
Even after vaping for 8 months, there is apparently still a learning curve. Listen to your body, and don't let your mind run away from you
Proud of you for staying quit!
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...ing-your-symptoms-while-adjusting-vaping.html
It *might* help you pinpoint whether you're over-doing the nicotine or not. When you say "lack of sleep" are you finding your heart and mind racing at night -- not-able-to-fall-asleep insomnia? Maybe use a lower nicotine level in the evenings -- after your "after dinner vape" cut down your levels.
Even after vaping for 8 months, there is apparently still a learning curve. Listen to your body, and don't let your mind run away from you
Proud of you for staying quit!
One thing to keep in mind is that this is a healthy alternative to smoking. You've kicked the cigarette habit, but not the nicotine habit. Stay to one nicotine level for a while. Once you're used to it, try dropping down.
I, too, agree that I vape more than I smoked, but I don't feel sick or unhealthy from it. I'll take a few drags of my PV, put it down, then a few drags, rather than actually taking enough drags to equal a cigarette.
The more important issue is to stay away from analogs. Try lowering your nicotine, slowly but surely! Buy a bottle of 12mg nicotine, and slowly incorporate it into your vaping routine, until you "prefer" the 12mg, and keep going.
I wish you the best of luck!
I, too, agree that I vape more than I smoked, but I don't feel sick or unhealthy from it. I'll take a few drags of my PV, put it down, then a few drags, rather than actually taking enough drags to equal a cigarette.
The more important issue is to stay away from analogs. Try lowering your nicotine, slowly but surely! Buy a bottle of 12mg nicotine, and slowly incorporate it into your vaping routine, until you "prefer" the 12mg, and keep going.
I wish you the best of luck!
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