To quote Fiona Apple, "I've been a bad, bad girl

[Ponygirl]

After weeks of vaping 30 mg, different flavors and loving it, the last week has been awful, in terms of progress. My analogs of choice are American Spirit Organic Lights and I had managed to cut down to 5 analogs a day, from 2 packs a day.
Cool, right? Well, for some reason the last week I have been buying a pack of analogs a day and going thru 3/4 of the pack, along with vaping.
I know we are all different when it comes to stopping analogs and strictly enjoying our beloved ecigs, but this is ridiculous!
Another member (whom I admire very much), stated that I may be addicted to the MAOI's, (not sure if that is the correct acronym).
I even tried running out of analogs and was fine until my morning cup of coffee at which time I turned into a complete frantic addict searching for an analog. It doesn't please me to say that I found a nasty .... and smoked that instead of vaping. Not my proudest moment.
I do know this is a journey and some take longer than others, but I am so disappointed in myself, which only makes me crave analogs more.
Jeez, I feel like I am on a couch in a therapist's office
Not looking for answers, just venting and whomever reads this, thanks.

 

[Ease]

Hang in there. If you want to quit, you will! And good luck!

 

[neonrust]

hahaha! It's tough for me too. Analogs are unnecessary, but I still find time for a couple of them and I don't know why. Order some new flavors and try to change things up a bit to get you back down to 5 analogs a day.

Good luck and feel free to PM if you need a "pick me up" conversation.

 

[The Fool]

Hi Ponygirl, Know that you are not alone in your struggle. Don't know if this will help, but I got a usb passthrough in my second month and since it gave me a consistent 5v hit I could usually use that for several minutes straight and it would help with those cravings. Are you under any extra stress right now? If so, that might be contributing. Good luck.

 

[LowThudd]

Tip: You can make great Coffee flavor juice w/ tasters choice instant, sucralos(splenda) and VG or PG(and nic juice). It's reeall good and easy to make. 5ml of hot water to one single serve packet makes a nice flavoring after it sits for a day.

 

[Ponygirl]

OMG, Ms. T and I are best of friends. I am contributing to her retirement in terms of the amount of flavors I have purchased. I realize it's a process, but being the strong Irish, Leo woman I am, I want to kick myself in the backside. Thank you all for the words of support and Neonrust, PM me anytime - ever heard of separated at birth? I would have sent the exact same msg.!!!! Thx. for the guffaw!

 

[jamesam1243]

the thing is that a cigarette addiction is a lot like a worker's union in that whatever they are making this year they will want at least 5% or 10% more next year, this is merely the nature of nature, a progression if you will, like given our natural urges we will overpopulate the planet until we all starve to death if we don't kill ourselves with our own cumulative toxins first. this is the nature of addictions, be it wealth, power, or sex drive, or our desire for satisfaction through cigarettes/nicotine. that is to say the more nicotine you get, the more nicotine you want.

i find that a Stonewall Java dis solvable pellet will stop my urge for cig after cig in the short term

and i was down to 0 cigs a day for 3 weeks, but i am back up to 10 a day now.


James

July 30 smoked 07 cigs, 33 less than my usual 40 cigs a day 3057 cigarettes not smoked in 88 days by using Stonewall, Joye 510, Hello 016, Ken's BoxMod, MadVapes 2xAA Box Mod, WetBox Vaporizer (ecig) and 19 bottles of ejuice partially used , $0.28 per cig X 3057 Cigs = $855.96 diverted from cigarettes to Vaporizer (ecig). OMG I have spent over $1671.51 in 74 days on this stuff but bare in mind that my old cigarette cost was $330 a month and i have $790 in supplies so $880 in hardware and consumed ejuice

 

[Janetda]

I know some women don't feel it's very 'lady-like' but you might give Swedish snus a try. I know many people, including women find it does the trick.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/smokeless-tobacco/

 

[Quikijiki]

i think you still have to find that "sweet spot" in your vaping. I know I've hit mine already because it came to a point that i really prefer my PV (eGo) over analogs, not just as a replacement, but a more superior experience (vapor/smoke production and throat hit being my highest point of comparison) This is coming from a guy who's been smoking since 1998

wish you well and i hope you get your perfect setup someday!

 

[LowThudd]

i think you still have to find that "sweet spot" in your vaping. I know I've hit mine already because it came to a point that i really prefer my PV (eGo) over analogs, not just as a replacement, but a more superior experience (vapor/smoke production and throat hit being my highest point of comparison) This is coming from a guy who's been smoking since 1998

wish you well and i hope you get your perfect setup someday!

'98?!? I have socks older than that. lol j/k, I don't wear socks.

 

[CaptJay]

Dont stress on it - it happens - it wasn't back to your old habit now was it so its not THAT bad. Give the smokelss tobacco forum people a look - they know all there is to know more or less about MAOI and why some people need that so much more than others - you're not alone and you shouldn't waste time worrying about slipping

 

[Automaton]

First of all, I <3 Fiona Apple. You win times a million.

Second, I'm going to go ahead and agree with an above poster. Maybe time to give Swedish snus a try.

Basically how the chemistry of it works is this.

MAOI's block your neurons from re-absorbing dopamine. And nicotine creates an excessive release of dopamine. So basically, your brain is swimming and craploads of dopamine, which is being over-produced, and not re-absorbed.

When you switch to e-cigs, you still have the nicotine making more dopamine, but no MAOI's, so it's being re-absorbed at a normal rate. You still have more dopamine than the average non-smoker Joe, but less than you did when you smoked cigarettes.

I personally believe this is why a lot of us chain vape. It's an attempt to compensate for the loss of MAOI's, by keeping our nicotine levels (and thus dopamine levels) at a constant high to help cancel out the affect of re-absorbtion.

Some people become addicted to the sustained, hightened level of dopamine to such a degree that nicotine alone can't equal that level of dopamine saturation, and can't sustain the level we're addicted to.

The good news about this is that ways to successfully and safely taper of MAOI's are very well-researched.

Because we have anti-depressants that do the exact same thing. They are MAOI drugs.

So, taper very, very slowly. Keep your snus around, but try to stick to your e-cig as much as you can.

However, DON'T let yourself crave too much. If you feel a craving coming on, just go with it.

I find that the longer I wait to satisfy a craving, the harder it is to vape enough to satisfy it. This is because it takes longer for the nicotine to raise your dopamine levels, when your neurons are re-absorbing them at a normal rate.

So the worse your craving, the harder it will be to sate it without a cigarette.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

 

[Ponygirl]

Thx., CaptJay - not so much stressing as disappointed. It's that Catholic thang!!! Even tho' I don't practice the faith, it's seems to be genetic. Not to mention my great-great Grandmother was Jewish - at least I come by all this self-suffering honest. I wake up guilty!

 

[Ponygirl]

Mistress, I was wondering when you would chime in since you were the person I referenced in my original post. Thank you for your input and once again, your "breakdown" of the process makes total sense.
Cheers.

 

[kj4lxw]

I think you have doing doing great. We cannot expect to start vaping and completely leave the other behind as if it never existed.

Take it easy on yourself, look at the head way you hace made so far. Quit beating yourself up, you're just stressing yourself out into smoking more.
Try some of those smoking cessesion tactics too, doesn't hurt. For myself I find dig=fferent things will work different days.

H*ll, last few days had barely a thought at all about having a smoke. But this morning I tried a new juice that was creamy expresso flavor. It tasted so good and strong, well it actually set off a trigger! You know that first smoke of the day along with your morning cup of coffee? Dam, at that moment I really wanted a cigarette. Vaped through it, but it was really strong.
So there will be good days, there will be bad days. main thing is that you're trying.

 

[Automaton]

Mistress, I was wondering when you would chime in since you were the person I referenced in my original post. Thank you for your input and once again, your "breakdown" of the process makes total sense.
Cheers.

I'm flattered.

Hopefully the Swedish snus will work for you. It has all the same stuff as cigs... just in a somewhat less lethal package. For a lot of people here, the e-cig/snus combo is what finally did the trick.

 

[Quikijiki]

'98?!? I have socks older than that. lol j/k, I don't wear socks.

hahaha well if its true i hope they still grip on your ankles!

 

[neonrust]

Neonrust, PM me anytime - ever heard of separated at birth? I would have sent the exact same msg.!!!! Thx. for the guffaw!

haha! Perhaps we were separated at birth. I just hope you did NOT get the "roman bird-beak" nose that I inherited.


High-Five!

 

[AllisonRoad]

It just takes time. Don't beat yourself up about it.
I almost went out to 7-11 for cigarettes at 2:00am last weekend.

Talked myself into vaping for 30 min, to see if it tt went away. Didn't go away entirely
but it went to a managable level.

 

[classwife]

Awww Pony.....it's ok. Just keep pluggin' along. We pick ourselves up and just get back goin' again. (from a German-Irish/Capricorn).