Transition to vape?

[dbodin]

its day 3 of no smokes, and I can't say im doing great.
this is the longest i've gone without one in years.

Im not craving like I would cold turkey, but I feel like i'm going to "miss them"
Almost like im scared to let them go.

I see alot of people with the banners saying 1 million days without analogs etc

Do you ever really just not want them at all? Or are there times where you really have to fight it like I am now?

Sorry for all the posts, i'm trying to keep my mind off them.

 

[7sixtwo]

The first week is the hardest.

At this point, I can say that I don't want them at all. The stinky habit has been broken and my sense of smell has returned enough that when someone is smoking anywhere in my general vicinity, I can detect it and am not remotely tempted to light up myself. That said, people can do what they want with their own bodies, and the whole "threat" of "second-hand smoke" is a Statist myth. I'm not a rabid "anti-smoker", and will never become one. I'm far too libertarian.

I still vape, but I don't do so nearly as constantly as I did when I first made the transition. Lowering my general nic intake from 18mg to 12mg ejuice was also easier, (and faster), than I expected. I'll sometimes go hours now without "remembering" to vape.

It's a great feeling. I still enjoy some nicotine, but vape more for the taste than anything now, and the monkey is off my damn back, at long last. I had been a ~15 cig per day smoker for 16 years. When I think of the thousands of $ I wasted on slowly killing myself with em, it makes me sick.

Be strong, man. When you're tempted to smoke, remember all the reasons you quit and just get through it with some mental determination. Don't let those dirty little coffin nails have power over you! The craving should pass within a few minutes, and won't be nearly as bad as if you'd gone cold turkey.

Good luck.

 

[RaceGun59]

Hang in there. It's been 11 weeks here. I think you are right on the "missing it" part or at least for now. I have gone from 24 mg of nic to 18 and even 12 nic in some of my flavors. Food taste better. I "smell" better and smell better. It's also fun to answer questions when I break out the L-Tube and ProTank I with the smarties juice. Everyone wants some of the "candy" that I have.

 

[bacc.vap]

The first week to a month is the hardest, just vape like crazy when you have the urge for a cig. After a while the cig urge diminishes greatly, eventually, after you've pretty much transitioned, you find out that the urge to vape is not as strong as smoking cigs, it's not just the nicotine that makes cigs addicting. This is how it played out for me anyway. If you find vaping ain't satisfying enough change things up, up the nic level, find a juice with better throat hit, whatever works for you. My guess is that there are very few smokers who could'nt quit with ecigs once they find the right equipment and juice for them. Good luck.

 

[Rickajho]

3 days? See how you feel about them by end the end of the first week.

You know - you do have options now.

Some people can do that "I picked up a PV and never touched a cigarette again" thing. I wanted to hurt those people when I started vaping. I took 3 months of smoking and vaping before I quit altogether. As I went along every cigarette just got more gross and less appealing. That happens to a lot of (most) people here. It's weird, and no one knows why - but cigarettes can turn on you really fast when you pick up vaping. As a 30 year 2 PAD smoker that's something I never thought I would see coming.

All I'm saying is you no longer have to look at having a cigarette as a total failure. You're not dealing with the American Cancer Society programs any more. For me, smoking them turned out to be their own biggest negative reinforcement. Miss them? They just kept getting more and more gross. After two years plus I still cringe at the thought of smoking one.

Sure I got one of those banner thingees down there. But I didn't put that up until three months after I had my last cigarette. I wanted to make sure I wasn't kidding myself this time. And I wasn't - haven't had a relapse once since 07/31/2011.

Keep in mind too that this isn't just about the nicotine. There is a lot your body has to get used to from quit smoking withdrawal and all that crap you get from smoking. That is different too from person to person, but I had it pretty bad for the first two weeks. Total brain fried, no attention span mess. Still, it was far easier to handle this time than any other quit smoking attempt I ever did. Chain vape, clutching your PV in a fetal position under the bed. Up your nicotine level if you feel your vaping isn't cutting it. Just show up here and blow off steam and ask questions. Like I said - you have options this time.

You can get through it if you have a real desire to quit. Exactly how you do it? Entirely your own end game - everyone does it differently. The beauty of vaping is the flexibility. There are no "or else!!!" instructions or rules this time.

Best wishes.

 

[moondragon]

Not everyone makes the switch immediately. Although I immediately cut way back, it took me about 6 weeks to completely stop. I guess it just took a little time for my mind to really become convinced that I could really let them go, and that vaping could be a satisfying replacement. Although it may sound silly, I also got to a point where I decided I really wanted to have one of the signature counters

You might also want to consider having a bottle of slightly stronger eliquid on hand for when you get a strong craving. This is something that quite a few people do, especially in the early days.

Congratulations on making the switch, and good luck on your continuing journey!

 

[Jerundax]

Hang in there. I spent a month alternating one cig one vape. Then I went to one cig in the morning and one at night. By the second week of the two cigs a day I couldn't stand the taste anymore. My wife still smokes ( I am trying to let her see it work for me and let her make her own decision) so I am around them a lot. Don't beat yourself up over it if you have one. Just go back to your pv and see how much better it tastes. Eventually it does get easier.

 

[LuanaS]

I stopped smoking in the moment i started vaping. And yes, i missed the analogs at the beginning. I only felt safe after 2 weeks. 6 months now and i know for sure i'll never be a smoker again. I even tried to force myself to smoke a cigarette, but i couldn't go more than 4 puffs.

 

[peraspera]

The NJOY Kings come about as close to the experience of smoking as vaping gets as well as having very high nicotine levels of 30 mg. or 45 mg. The NJOYs are the size and weight of a cigarette and even have a soft "filter tip." If missing cigarettes is psychological the NJOYs should help as well as having a strong nicotine kick tossed in.

I was blessed with a painless transition from 2 1/2 packs a day to vaping but I had a cig-alike glued in my hand like a security blankie for a good month after I switched to better gear a week into vaping. Although not everyone needs or wants the cig-alike form factor for psychological comfort I credit it with playing a large role in not even really wanting a cigarette after I started vaping. Even though I have a lot of more powerful gear I still love my little eRoll for on the go or just sitting down with something small and simple to vape.

Also, having gear and that provides a vape that you find satisfying and enjoyable is hugely important. Creating as many positive psychological associations with vaping as possible reinforces it as a desired behavior. Using icky juice with ineffective and/or temperamental gear won't get you there.

Also, I think there is something to be said for having a cigarette if you feel you desperately need one. Making the psychological association of deprivation with vaping may be counterproductive. The majority of people who post that they had the occasional cigarette when transitioning to vaping nearly all say that cigarettes became increasingly disgusting over time.

 

[Stef.]

Hi dbodin!
It took me two days to stop smoking cigarettes after 30 years of a daily pack of Marlboro Reds. My husband was the same thing. My sister started vaping and kept on smoking cigarettes for another three months. I think the reason why it was so easy for my husband and I was that we were very lucky in having found the "right" eliquid and vaping devices from the first day. Since I stopped smoking nine months ago, I have tried numerous different eliquids and boy...quite a few of them were totally disgusting! If I had started with those ones...I would have never quit, particularly as I did not want to stop smoking in the first place. Since I got the "right" juice for my sis, she hasn't touched a real cigarette and that has been now about four months.
So...what I am trying to say is, get the "right" ecigarette and a liquid that gives you the right amount of nicotine and hit. This can be a bit trial and error but it is worth it. What is "right" is a question of taste. I went for 18mg and nicotine flavour. I started with "Liqua" - American Blend/Tobacco and it is still my fav eliquid, albeit today I mix some Vanilla or Spearmint drops in it to vary the taste.
Wish you the best of luck!
Stef.

 

[wv2win]

You might want to consider whether you have a good model PV and if your nicotine level is right for you. A PV model that will be more consistent and give you 8 - 15 hours on a charge should make the transition easier. I would look at a good variable watt (VW) model PV, as they are closer to "set & forget". Many new vapers need to start out in the 18mg - 24mg nicotine level (or higher) to fully make the transition.

Good Luck

 

[jefsview]

It's a behavioral thing. You rebuilt your life around your smoking habit, created rituals (waking up, after meal, bathroom, before bed, under stress), and got used to having that pack and lighter and ashtray close by.

When you quit smoking, you have to break those habits, and it feels like you LOST something. No lighter, no ashtray, no smell. Luckily, the PV takes up a lot of slack, but you're so use to searching for where you laid down your pack of smokes, you keep looking for them

I still sometimes will finish something and start looking for my smokes, or think "I need a smoke," "or where are my cigarettes." It takes time to break those habits and create new ones.

It's easier for some than others. To tell you the truth, I still miss the ashtray. Not the gunk, not the odor, but just having it there for all the little bits of debris I find around.

But I walked away from smoking very easily for a 30+ year smoker. I got fired 2 weeks after beginning vaping, but I didn't go back to the analogs. Vaping is just so much better, cheaper and satisfying.

 

[zanestone]

I was lucky to be one who switched to Vaping without going back. I smoked a pack a day for over 20 years and am glad to finally be off cigarettes. Its been almost 2 months since I switched.

About 3 weeks in my battery(V2 Mega) died on me while at work and I had a cigarette. I was shocked that I could not stand it. The smoke, the taste ( I still kind of like the smell). I knew then and there that I would not be going back and immediately sought a battery replacement.

For me I think the fact that the delivery mechanism is like smoking so it fulfills my oral fixation .

 

[Jin Ng]

Anyone selling e ciggie in singapore? Kindly pm me pls.

 

[BardicDruid]

And don't forget that your body is going through withdrawl, it's missing all the carcinogenic chemicals that increase the addictiveness of cigarettes.

 

[Skitty]

Hi! I'm new, and only been off analogs for 5 days now, so know what you're feeling. As others have said, the behavioural addiction is sometimes almost as strong as the chemical one. I have found myself craving them now and then, but when thinking about it it's just the action of lighting up that I'm after, nothing more. And when I've been around other smokers, I'm actually quite put off by the smell, there's no draw to it even now. I'd assume as more time passes the habit of it fades and if that's all that's there, it won't be so urgey.

 

[dbodin]

So many great posts and storys! Your guys are amazing. I woke up today and I feel so much better about kicking them. I really think i can quit this time. I'm using 1.8% nic Johnson Creek Domestic and 1000mah ego twist.

I tried to cheat a little and have a few puffs off a regular today, and I truly felt that i didn't need it - then put it out.
All the positive feedback is really encouraging, thanks guys - i will keep you posted

 

[volm]

I think it's very simple.
If you really want to quit smoking, electronic cigarettes can help you.
And after two weeks of e-smoking, regular cigarettes will seem to you nasty.

 

[SorryNameTaken]

You are doing things so right for yourself. You are sticking with it and you are here making posts to keep your mind off of analogs. Use this place for a support system as much as you need to. There is great advice and great people here, so I really do think checking in here daily makes the switch that much easier.

Now, I think there is a natural grieving process we go through when quitting smoking, as silly as that sounds. I mean analogs were there for us when we woke up, when we were stressed, when we were bored etc. For me the biggest thing is making sure my e-cig is there instead of analogs. Anytime it would have been routine for me to have a cigarette, I take my vaporizer with me instead. For example, I work from home and I always looked forward to going outside and smoking a cigarette just to get away from my computer since I didn't smoke in the house. When I first started vaping, I didn't take those breaks and just continued to work all day. I realized that was just one of those things I needed because, even with vaping right at my desk, I still needed the routine of going outside. So now I take my usual breaks and instead I go sit outside with my vaporizer for a little while and come back in.

So stick with it! There will probably be random times even months down the road where you will miss it, but it will get easier as it goes.

 

[Worzel]

Dbodin, my piece of advice I swear by, is to just believe that vaping is all you have now. It isn't bad! You actually get flavors! You definitely need good juice and a setup that suits you. I started with cig alikes and now my favorite setup is a Smok e-pipe with a tank, and I am female! Just search around for the next step.