Still smoking support and chat thread

[Thayamax]

Welcome mountainbikermark! Vent all you like, we've all done it and often it helps.

Quitting smoking is easy....I've done it 100 times! Actually it's one of the hardest things I've ever done. Thankfully you only have to succeed once. Many people are happy to cut down to 1/2 a pack or less a day, but I simply don't think I could do that. I'm an all-or-nothing kind of person and I know I'd creep back up to full time smoking if I tried it.

Don't beat yourself up about it...unless that helps you to get where you want to be. Sometimes getting mad serves to motivate. Just don't let it make you give up trying.

 

[Claudia P]

There are a lot of things in a cigarette that you are addicted to, not just nicotine. Nicotine is just one small addictive thing in them and we all have gone through what you describe. The nicotine in vaping helps but it doesn't stop the withdrawal completely, using a higher nicotine juice can help a bit more though. There are others who use WTA and other things to help but they will have to tell you about them.
Oh and welcome to the group.

First time poster to this thread. Need to vent.
A few days of cigarette free and for the life of me I couldn't figure out why I felt like if I didn't step outside and smoke I was going to explode. I was out of cigarettes so I actually went and bought a pack. I smoked one on the way home and felt just, well, stupid that nothing seemed to have changed. Vaping is taking care of the nicotine, the hand to mouth, the taste, the everything EXCEPT my internal need to be defiant to my health. It was like my mind is calling all the facts that smoking is bad like a teenager that drinks and drives with the mentality of "it might happen to others but it'll never happen to me" a lie.
I've been a smoker for almost 37 years and with every attempt to quit I figure out and defeat at least 1 thing about the habit, only to have another sneak in and kick my .... until I cave.
That pack of smokes is on top of my piano as I write this but I haven't been back.
I refuse to be afraid of failure by throwing them out. The paradox this time (and probably every other one since the first attempt) I've found is my fear of another failure has caused a self fulfilling prophecy. It is why I kidded myself for years that I really do love smoking. That's bullshirt! I've hated being a slave to cigarettes, hated the cough, hated the smell, hated the stained teeth, hated the embarrassment of telling my doctor I still smoke after bragging about how my Faith will overcome, hated the lack of wind, hated the expense, hated seeing what it did to my mom and dad (both died from smoking related things), hated the solitude, hated the feeling I'd get when one of my kids asked me to quit, hated trying to explain why I smoke but don't want my kids to mimic me, hated everything about them for years EXCEPT when I was kidding myself as I smoked one that I enjoy smoking.
I've said for years there's only 2 things I truly hate ,hot and humid weather at the same time, and I always kidded I don't remember the second one unless it's hot and humid. I'm not kidding when I say I hate smoking.
Thank you for reading this.

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[aikanae1]

In case your wondering what your missing in cigs, here's a handy chart that I happened to run into today;


Shoot. It may be too small to read. It actually is a good chart. Here's a link that should work; http://www.pinterest.com/pin/252553491577998611/

 

[mountainbikermark]

Welcome mountainbikermark! Vent all you like, we've all done it and often it helps.

Quitting smoking is easy....I've done it 100 times! Actually it's one of the hardest things I've ever done. Thankfully you only have to succeed once. Many people are happy to cut down to 1/2 a pack or less a day, but I simply don't think I could do that. I'm an all-or-nothing kind of person and I know I'd creep back up to full time smoking if I tried it.

Don't beat yourself up about it...unless that helps you to get where you want to be. Sometimes getting mad serves to motivate. Just don't let it make you give up trying.

I used to quit 20+ times a day, often lasting 8 hours.
In 09 I realized I was a slave when a buddy asked for one at the end of work, I had 2 left, was 3 minutes from a store and had to think about it a moment before giving him one. I was so ...... (not at him but at being owned) I quit for 9 months. It was when I was no longer angry, thought I was free at last, that I started back up again within days of thinking I was free.
I just get frustrated that it seems every time I find THE secret that keeps me going back another sneaky little (expletive) takes its place.
I've thought about that whole control them instead of them control me but I'm not wired that way. I'm all in or all out in many things, including smoking.
Nicotine has never been the reason I went back. That's easy, has been for a long time between otc delivery systems or Welbutrin. A rant on that subject; Welbutrin is an anti depressant with an accidental side effect of not wanting to smoke or eat junk food. It's also marketed (or used to be) under different names for a diet aid and smoking cessation. Insurances will cover it for depression but not for anything else. Knowing this from my doctor in 07 I told him "I'm depressed because I can't quit smoking" and winked at him. He wrote me a prescription for depression. I didn't smoke while on it, lost 22 pounds too. My insurance company cut it off after 3 months because I wasn't going to a head shrink while on the medicine. To pay out of pocket for the meds was about 4 times what it cost to smoke.
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[mountainbikermark]

What made me quit this time was the other night at work I was vaping and a co-worker asked me " does it bother your masculinity to be using one of those things?" My smart aleck retort kicked in and I said "I'm more concerned about the 40 pound man with lung cancer when I'm 60 look than my 200 pound huffing on a Seahawks colored vape system look" but I realized I really meant that and smoked my last one that night until what I wrote about in my first post happened a couple of days ago. In time I might not remember the last day I smoked but I hope I never forget that look in my mind when she asked me that question. Smoking killed both of my parents and I turn 50 in a couple of weeks. Play time is over, the odds are no longer in my favor, no matter what those cigarettes try to trick my mind into believing.
I accidentally spilled a tank of juice about half way yesterday It was Chocolate Tobacco by Killer Juice. I thought it was Cherrywood (same vendor) so I filled it with that. The 2 flavors have blended together , making a wonderful taste and aroma. I keep several clearomizers full of different flavors so I can just switch as my taste buds warrant. I discovered the yummy mistake when I switched out from a menthol/vanilla tobacco blend.

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[Thayamax]

I don't blame you for being mad about that comment. Non-smokers and ex-smokers who quit on their own simply don't get it. They think it's as simple as not lighting up just because you decide not to. How dare someone attack your masculinity based on your vaping equipment?! It's bad enough when someone says you really haven't quit smoking just because vaping looks like smoke, but to say that to you was really below the belt. I would have liked to see her face if you'd said what you were thinking.

 

[cowbooger88]

Hey guys! I've been lurking your forum. I may be younger and all but I have been smoking a pad for 11 years. I've quit using nicorette, chantix, nicorette, chantix, chantix, cold turkey.... and now the ecig. Every single time I've started back. Idk why, I hate the smell, taste, my non smoker boyfriends constant b itching about how bad I smell.... Granted I haven't had a cig in over a week I'm sure it not far off.... not that I don't have faith in myself, but yet again another failed method. Nicorette made me sick on the normal dose and crave like a psycho on the low dose. Chantix just made me sick as a dog sleepwalk and sad. Well something in the ecig weather it be nicotine pg or flavoring has had me nauseous break out in hives and the back of my throat looks like I've got strep minus most the pain. I feel like a failure, mainly because my step mom says I'm giving up too easily because she took straight to the ecig. I've been trying! I've adjusted my pg/vg ratios, adjusted the nic level and even flavors nothing had calmed any symptom down, but I'm a failure in her book, I wish she knew how difficult this week had been..... ugh sorry needed the rant


And thayamax is your avatar rocky horror picture show????????

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[Thayamax]

Hey guys! I've been lurking your forum. I may be younger and all but I have been smoking a pad for 11 years. I've quit using nicorette, chantix, nicorette, chantix, chantix, cold turkey.... and now the ecig. Every single time I've started back. Idk why, I hate the smell, taste, my non smoker boyfriends constant b itching about how bad I smell.... Granted I haven't had a cig in over a week I'm sure it not far off.... not that I don't have faith in myself, but yet again another failed method. Nicorette made me sick on the normal dose and crave like a psycho on the low dose. Chantix just made me sick as a dog sleepwalk and sad. Well something in the ecig weather it be nicotine pg or flavoring has had me nauseous break out in hives and the back of my throat looks like I've got strep minus most the pain. I feel like a failure, mainly because my step mom says I'm giving up too easily because she took straight to the ecig. I've been trying! I've adjusted my pg/vg ratios, adjusted the nic level and even flavors nothing had calmed any symptom down, but I'm a failure in her book, I wish she knew how difficult this week had been..... ugh sorry needed the rant


And thayamax is your avatar rocky horror picture show????????

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

Hi and welcome, cowbooger. What a name! And yes, my avatar is from Rocky Horror Picture Show. Love me some Tim Curry!

Don't let it get you down. Some people have physical reactions to vaping for a while and some are allergic to either PG or VG. Luckily I'm not allergic to either, but I had a terrible sore throat for the first few weeks. First of all make sure you're drinking a lot of water. Yes...more than that. Vaping is very dehydrating. Sometimes the initial reactions are due to the chemicals in the cigarettes leaving your system.

It seems that many more people are allergic to PG than to VG. Have you tried any 100% VG juices? If that doesn't help, try some all PG juice, although they can be pretty harsh. What nic level are you using? Maybe you need to cut it down a little. Perhaps you're allergic to flavorings. Shari, one of the thread regulars seems to be allergic to anything with cinnamon in it. Try vaping unflavored for a while to see what happens. Make sure you make changes 1 at a time to zero in on what the problem could be.

That said, I've never had a reaction to anything vape related, so I may not be the best one to give advice. Stick around and I'm sure others who've had similar problems will chime in. Don't give up just yet. I'm sure you can work it out with some help.

 

[DoloresB]

Hey guys! I've been lurking your forum. I may be younger and all but I have been smoking a pad for 11 years. I've quit using nicorette, chantix, nicorette, chantix, chantix, cold turkey.... and now the ecig. Every single time I've started back. Idk why, I hate the smell, taste, my non smoker boyfriends constant b itching about how bad I smell.... Granted I haven't had a cig in over a week I'm sure it not far off.... not that I don't have faith in myself, but yet again another failed method. Nicorette made me sick on the normal dose and crave like a psycho on the low dose. Chantix just made me sick as a dog sleepwalk and sad. Well something in the ecig weather it be nicotine pg or flavoring has had me nauseous break out in hives and the back of my throat looks like I've got strep minus most the pain. I feel like a failure, mainly because my step mom says I'm giving up too easily because she took straight to the ecig. I've been trying! I've adjusted my pg/vg ratios, adjusted the nic level and even flavors nothing had calmed any symptom down, but I'm a failure in her book, I wish she knew how difficult this week had been..... ugh sorry needed the rant


And thayamax is your avatar rocky horror picture show????????

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

Welcome, cowbooger! Glad you could join us here.

Please do NOT consider yourself a failure--there are several of us, including myself, that suffer from a sensitivity to PG. I cannot vape any percentage of PG at all. All my juices need to be of the VG variety. There are some good vendors that carry VG juices. Hopefully you can find one.

 

[loxmythe]

Welcome cowbooger
Have you tried plain unflavored vg and plain unflavored pg nic juices? Could help you identify if your allergic to one or the other or even the flavoring. I'd be happy to send you a sample of each.
Hang in there and keep trying. We're here to help.

 

[daleron]

Hey guys! I've been lurking your forum. I may be younger and all but I have been smoking a pad for 11 years. I've quit using nicorette, chantix, nicorette, chantix, chantix, cold turkey.... and now the ecig. Every single time I've started back. Idk why, I hate the smell, taste, my non smoker boyfriends constant b itching about how bad I smell.... Granted I haven't had a cig in over a week I'm sure it not far off.... not that I don't have faith in myself, but yet again another failed method. Nicorette made me sick on the normal dose and crave like a psycho on the low dose. Chantix just made me sick as a dog sleepwalk and sad. Well something in the ecig weather it be nicotine pg or flavoring has had me nauseous break out in hives and the back of my throat looks like I've got strep minus most the pain. I feel like a failure, mainly because my step mom says I'm giving up too easily because she took straight to the ecig. I've been trying! I've adjusted my pg/vg ratios, adjusted the nic level and even flavors nothing had calmed any symptom down, but I'm a failure in her book, I wish she knew how difficult this week had been..... ugh sorry needed the rant


And thayamax is your avatar rocky horror picture show????????

Hey CB
I don't know why I didn't think to link you to this thread
You'll get lot's of good advice here and be well taken care of by everyone

 

[DoloresB]

Welcome, Mountainbikermark! I agree with you that it's better to be a healthy vaper than a dead smoker. Play time is over for me, too. I'm almost 57, and I know I need to quit smoking in order to see my 3 beautiful grandchildren grow up.

I'm finding it difficult to give up smoking completely. I'm at 1/2 PAD of what used to be known as "ultra-lights", and I've just started vaping again, and have to figure out just what strength my juices need to be so I don't get nic-sick or crave stronger cigarettes. I'm just a work in progress, I guess.

 

[alisa1970]

Hi and welcome, cowbooger. What a name! And yes, my avatar is from Rocky Horror Picture Show. Love me some Tim Curry!

Don't let it get you down. Some people have physical reactions to vaping for a while and some are allergic to either PG or VG. Luckily I'm not allergic to either, but I had a terrible sore throat for the first few weeks. First of all make sure you're drinking a lot of water. Yes...more than that. Vaping is very dehydrating. Sometimes the initial reactions are due to the chemicals in the cigarettes leaving your system.

It seems that many more people are allergic to PG than to VG. Have you tried any 100% VG juices? If that doesn't help, try some all PG juice, although they can be pretty harsh. What nic level are you using? Maybe you need to cut it down a little. Perhaps you're allergic to flavorings. Shari, one of the thread regulars seems to be allergic to anything with cinnamon in it. Try vaping unflavored for a while to see what happens. Make sure you make changes 1 at a time to zero in on what the problem could be.

That said, I've never had a reaction to anything vape related, so I may not be the best one to give advice. Stick around and I'm sure others who've had similar problems will chime in. Don't give up just yet. I'm sure you can work it out with some help.

Good advice, and welcome Cowbooger! No, you're not a failure, you're having some trouble with the vape. Many of us have various problems that make it difficult to vape. Also, keep in mind that sometimes what we think is an allergic reaction may have nothing to do with vaping at all. You may actually BE sick. Cigarette withdrawal can do that, along with a lot of other things that can be uncovered when you quit.

I second (third?) the suggestions to give unflavored PG and VG a try. Even if you still are having some kind of reaction it will tell you something. I went through several months thinking I was reacting to something in the juice and later found out (after trying lots of elimination that wasn't working), that it was something else entirely.

Stick around, we'd be happy to help you in any way we can.

 

[mountainbikermark]

I don't blame you for being mad about that comment. Non-smokers and ex-smokers who quit on their own simply don't get it. They think it's as simple as not lighting up just because you decide not to. How dare someone attack your masculinity based on your vaping equipment?! It's bad enough when someone says you really haven't quit smoking just because vaping looks like smoke, but to say that to you was really below the belt. I would have liked to see her face if you'd said what you were thinking.

She's a smoker, was smoking one as she said it.
I wasn't mad, was actually testing out a new flavor of juice and was thinking more about that. I'm just a VERY practiced smart ... and slipped up.
I didn't even see her look when I said it.
Masculinity to her and I are 2 totally different things I suppose. To me it's internal and about putting others above myself when needed more than my build. There was an anti crime commercial once on tv where this big muscular guy said "to have the courage to say no, to be able to walk away from someone who just dissed you, to rise above it is strength and power ". Then the camera zoomed in a little in his huge bicep and he said "this is just muscle". That's masculinity to me. I guess to her it's about looks?
Anyway I'm sorry if I gave the impression I was mad about her comment. Taken aback a little, yes, but thankful that that's what it took for me to stop smoking cigarettes at the same time.

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[loxmythe]

Welcome mountainbiker
You have more tolerance than me. I'd have said something snarky

 

[alisa1970]

She's a smoker, was smoking one as she said it.

Well she's something else, too (rhymes with witch), IMO.

 

[cowbooger88]

Hi and welcome, cowbooger. What a name! And yes, my avatar is from Rocky Horror Picture Show. Love me some Tim Curry!

Don't let it get you down. Some people have physical reactions to vaping for a while and some are allergic to either PG or VG. Luckily I'm not allergic to either, but I had a terrible sore throat for the first few weeks. First of all make sure you're drinking a lot of water. Yes...more than that. Vaping is very dehydrating. Sometimes the initial reactions are due to the chemicals in the cigarettes leaving your system.

It seems that many more people are allergic to PG than to VG. Have you tried any 100% VG juices? If that doesn't help, try some all PG juice, although they can be pretty harsh. What nic level are you using? Maybe you need to cut it down a little. Perhaps you're allergic to flavorings. Shari, one of the thread regulars seems to be allergic to anything with cinnamon in it. Try vaping unflavored for a while to see what happens. Make sure you make changes 1 at a time to zero in on what the problem could be.

That said, I've never had a reaction to anything vape related, so I may not be the best one to give advice. Stick around and I'm sure others who've had similar problems will chime in. Don't give up just yet. I'm sure you can work it out with some help.

Welcome, cowbooger! Glad you could join us here.

Please do NOT consider yourself a failure--there are several of us, including myself, that suffer from a sensitivity to PG. I cannot vape any percentage of PG at all. All my juices need to be of the VG variety. There are some good vendors that carry VG juices. Hopefully you can find one.

Thanks guys! I did find a local vape shop and we tried a 100% pg juice no nic no flavor and I got a migraine and hives. We didn't go any further then that.


Well if I may a little back story? Lol

I originally tried vaping back around Dec 3rd 2013, specific but prob not the right date haha. Anyways I was using an 80p/20v juice at 18mg. Initially I thought it was the nicotine, I got a migraine instintly. After two days of vaping only I quit. I couldn't take it. During the two days though I had ordered some juice online. The b&m didn't label ratio on bottle so when I ordered online I had gotten 60/40 in 12 mg. Christmas Eve I decided to try vaping again. I used the new juice mixed with a little bit of the other juice. My throat felt super scratchy and when I woke up christmas eve my throat had these spots all over it (i have pics if anybody is actually interested lol but they are pretty gross haha) I couldn't handle the ecig vapor on my throat so I bought a pack. That's when my stepmoms criticism started. Well however long my countdown says (i think 12 days?) My paycheck didn't run as long as it should have. I had a bunch of liquid left and figured I might as well start using it instead of cold turkey again (that's an awful feeling no thanks)

Well the first few days aside from a little headache I was fine. Well I forgot my juice at home so mixed some of the b&m juice with the online juice since I had it at work, and I broke out in hives like crazy! I contacted the b&m after some research on pg sensitivities and that's when I found out they were 80/20. Took getting hung up on like 4 times and speaking to the owner since the shop employees were worthless.

That's when I found another shop that does custom mixes and we tested the pg. Well I have like 15 bottles that are still pending vape mail. Some are 40/60 some 60/40....my throat only just started breaking back out today. I had the dry throat spell a few days ago and started pushing fluids hardcore. Anyways I forgot where I was going with this lol. I have a horrid memory

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[alisa1970]

That sounds like a true PG allergy...I would definitely find the PIF juice trading thread (or hand your stash over to your step-mom) and try to get some VG.

Some people are fine with PG up to a certain percentage but not beyond, some can't take even PG from flavorings and nic extraction. One of our members actually ended up in the hospital with anaphylactic shock because of her allergy--it's not something to mess with at all.

 

[Thayamax]

She's a smoker, was smoking one as she said it.
I wasn't mad, was actually testing out a new flavor of juice and was thinking more about that. I'm just a VERY practiced smart ... and slipped up.
I didn't even see her look when I said it.
Masculinity to her and I are 2 totally different things I suppose. To me it's internal and about putting others above myself when needed more than my build. There was an anti crime commercial once on tv where this big muscular guy said "to have the courage to say no, to be able to walk away from someone who just dissed you, to rise above it is strength and power ". Then the camera zoomed in a little in his huge bicep and he said "this is just muscle". That's masculinity to me. I guess to her it's about looks?
Anyway I'm sorry if I gave the impression I was mad about her comment. Taken aback a little, yes, but thankful that that's what it took for me to stop smoking cigarettes at the same time.

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s pen aholic in Beast Mode (Notetoo)

Her comment just goes to prove that anyone can be an idiot.

Welcome mountainbiker
You have more tolerance than me. I'd have said something snarky

I'm sure I would have loved to hear it.

Well she's something else, too (rhymes with witch), IMO.

I like rhyming.

 

[alisa1970]

....and I seem to have lost my iTaste VV....

Never lost my eRoll, but have misplaced that dang iTaste twice now...and my 1300 mAh Spinner. How do you do that???