Hi Folks, Newbie here. On day 16 without a cigarette. I was a long time smoker, my son told me about e-cigs, bought my first at a local smoke shop 16 days ago, very determined to quit and have not picked up a cigarette since. Today has been difficult, so I am reading this forum for support. I am sure many know where I am coming from. Upgraded my equipment a few days ago, drove almost two hours to the closest shop that specializes in vaping supplies (I live way out in the sticks) I had a bad sore throat, thought it was the e-digs and was almost to the point of chucking the whole thing, reading here I must be doing it wrong and that is what is causing it. Still looking for an e-juice I like, so far no luck. Have a bunch more coming though, hopefully I will like some of those. Must say I was very disappointed in them, I was so excited about using my new stuff but this e-juice is not good at all. Thanks to everyone for their stories, it helps the rest of us hang in there.
Trying To Hang In There
- Thread starter Oak Keeper
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Congrats on changing to a healthier lifestyle....it is an hourly/daily challenge at first so don't give up as the juice choices are really key to being happy with vaping.
Today is my 10 month anniversary being off cigs...
...you can do it.
Today is my 10 month anniversary being off cigs...
...you can do it.
Congrats on the switch, and I totally understand what you are going through! I've only officially been ciggy-free for 6 days. Last Sunday a friend kept handing them to me...that night, I said no more! This week I've really focused on vaping (and not hanging out with that friend...she's very much an enabler and deals with vices herself - she tries to drag others down with her...not new). Sometimes the cravings are bad, but I know I can do it, and so can you! I had the sore throat and mouth as well...not fun. I'm sending you some positive thoughts to stay strong, and keep up with a good thing! I've got a juice pack on the way, with some new dessert flavors. I picked Mountain Oak Vapor this time since I'll be moving to the Knoxville area soon and I want to get a head start supporting the locals...plus they had great reviews, great prices, and a nice e-juice sale this weekend. I got the 3pack of 15ml on sale with the code happylaborday. I got 2 smoktech tumblers as well...they were 2.99 and I love the one I have. I've tried some dud juices, but I just buy small bottles and don't feel too bad...I either #hatevape it for the nicotine to keep myself off the cigs, or give it to friends who are low on juice and broke...BTDT lol.
Stay strong Oak Keeper, and vape on!
Stay strong Oak Keeper, and vape on!
Congratulations, Oak Keeper, and keep it up!
Everyone is different, but one of the things that kept my spirits up was being able to come here every day and see someone new kicking the habit. It gave me a lot of encouragement to go on!
Everyone is different, but one of the things that kept my spirits up was being able to come here every day and see someone new kicking the habit. It gave me a lot of encouragement to go on!
Welcome to ECF! And Congrats on 16 days of being smoke free
Hang in there! It does get much easier & remember there are tons of great people here to help you get through the rough patches.
Hang in there! It does get much easier & remember there are tons of great people here to help you get through the rough patches.
When you first switch over, it's not uncommon to develop a sore throat/raspy voice and a cough...don't be discouraged, your body is trying to rid itself of the crud built up from cigs (vaping seems to help with that). As for flavors, what you like now, you might find you dislike later as your taste buds heal.
Congrats on the 16 days! I quit on some in-hindsight crappy cigalikes, which still amazes me. But finding a good juice was awesome. I was a menthol smoker, and got some really minty juice and some syringes to shoot into my cigalike cartridges, and it was so much better. Then I got my first "real" setup, and it's been great since then.
Last night, we had relatives over for dinner, and one of them smoked....he went outside, then came back in reeking of cigarette smoke....not sure how he did that, or if I'm really that much more sensitive now, but it was NASTY! I was so happy that the smell wasn't gonna be a trigger for me! I love all my toys and the variety of juice I have now.
Last night, we had relatives over for dinner, and one of them smoked....he went outside, then came back in reeking of cigarette smoke....not sure how he did that, or if I'm really that much more sensitive now, but it was NASTY! I was so happy that the smell wasn't gonna be a trigger for me! I love all my toys and the variety of juice I have now.
Congratulations on 16 days free! One thing I can't emphasize enough is to drink plenty of water. Vaping is dehydrating. And, that could be contributing to your sore throat.
If the sore throat persists, you might try playing with the PG/VG levels and your nic level. PG and nicotine can be harsh on the throat.
Try lots of flavors, but only small bottles at first. You can get bigger bottles once you find a few you really like. But, don't be surprised if after a month (or six), your tastes change drastically. Your tastebuds are going to take a while to heal.
Hang in there!
If the sore throat persists, you might try playing with the PG/VG levels and your nic level. PG and nicotine can be harsh on the throat.
Try lots of flavors, but only small bottles at first. You can get bigger bottles once you find a few you really like. But, don't be surprised if after a month (or six), your tastes change drastically. Your tastebuds are going to take a while to heal.
Hang in there!
Thanks everyone for your great support, it really does help. When everyone else jumps in with their similar stories, it gives you the great strength, not to give in to your weakness. I don't have any cigarettes in my house at all, and it is a 30 minute drive to anywhere out here. This way I know by the time I get to the store to buy that packs of cigarettes in a moment of weakness, I will have come to my senses. It is so nice to be able to come to this forum when you get discouraged.
Thank you for the suggestion on the PG/VG ratio. I did my reading prior to purchasing the bottles and I ordered my first six small bottles with100% VG. They all taste like absolutely NOTHING. They smell great but have no taste at all and the one that does leaves a perfume taste in my mouth,,,YUCK I will keep trying. I have bottles from four more companies coming this week, all with no more than 20% PG because I thought perhaps this was what was working on my throat and the cigalikes seem to be worse for that problem. I have considered trying to make my own no nicotine e-juice and alternate. I would like to find something that has a sweeter taste and a simple flavor. I am not not picky, I just want something that tastes good. LOL
Again, thanks everyone, YOU ROCK!
Hi Oak Keeper and welcome to the forum.
It's tough, a lot of us have been there. Finding a liquid that you like is very difficult. I am 18 months cigarette free and apart from a few e-liquids that I have found or make myself, I still am at only about a 10% success rate when I purchase pre-made flavors.
Nobody said it was easy right? But I just wanted to say congratulations on making it 2 weeks and 2 days without a cigarette and say that there are a lot of people that will read your post and root for you to keep going. They may not post or 'like' your thread, but they will be in a similar situation as you are and take heart in what you have posted.
Just wanted to let you know that I want you to succeed. Threads like this give me my daily strength to carry on. I am no longer a smoker and neither are you.
So thank you and more power to you.
It's tough, a lot of us have been there. Finding a liquid that you like is very difficult. I am 18 months cigarette free and apart from a few e-liquids that I have found or make myself, I still am at only about a 10% success rate when I purchase pre-made flavors.
Nobody said it was easy right? But I just wanted to say congratulations on making it 2 weeks and 2 days without a cigarette and say that there are a lot of people that will read your post and root for you to keep going. They may not post or 'like' your thread, but they will be in a similar situation as you are and take heart in what you have posted.
Just wanted to let you know that I want you to succeed. Threads like this give me my daily strength to carry on. I am no longer a smoker and neither are you.
So thank you and more power to you.
For what its worth, I was a smoker for 20+ years, was smoking 20 per day when I switched, I use 18 or 16 mg liquids depending where I buy from, over the 20 years I smoked I tried stopping many times but always fell for the same trap, which was just one little screw up / been tempted into smoking one little cigarette and boom game over back smoking full time again, am sure every smoker knows they same story once you stop you cant EVER have one again else you start again right?
Well that fact is now old school, been vaping 2 to 3 months, and guess what one thing I learned about vaping is that it forgives that odd screw up now and again, makes quitting that much easier imo when you can afford to hit the odd cig still here and there, some days I just go out buy 10 still and smoke them all in a day or 2, but then get back on with vaping.
The reality of it is that I now vape way more than I smoke, have gone from 20 per day, to average I dare say no more than 10 per week, some weeks I dont smoke none, but when I do have the odd cig still the only difference now is that it don't make me want to start smoking again.
The secret for me was not learning to stop smoking but learning to enjoy vaping instead, many not sound like the best advise to give to someone wanting to quit but its the truth and it worked for me, so its up to you if you want to take my advise as is or ignore it makes no odds to me, but if you really want a cig that bad then have one go buy 10 even but don't stop vaping as well, then maybe instead of that 10 lasting you a day maybe they last you 2 days, but then when they gone don't buy more straight away vape again for the rest of the week instead and learn like I did that it's not like old times where 1 cig was enough to kick back the old habit, after all vaping is not a cure its a easy replacement so may as well enjoy it for what it is.
Well that fact is now old school, been vaping 2 to 3 months, and guess what one thing I learned about vaping is that it forgives that odd screw up now and again, makes quitting that much easier imo when you can afford to hit the odd cig still here and there, some days I just go out buy 10 still and smoke them all in a day or 2, but then get back on with vaping.
The reality of it is that I now vape way more than I smoke, have gone from 20 per day, to average I dare say no more than 10 per week, some weeks I dont smoke none, but when I do have the odd cig still the only difference now is that it don't make me want to start smoking again.
The secret for me was not learning to stop smoking but learning to enjoy vaping instead, many not sound like the best advise to give to someone wanting to quit but its the truth and it worked for me, so its up to you if you want to take my advise as is or ignore it makes no odds to me, but if you really want a cig that bad then have one go buy 10 even but don't stop vaping as well, then maybe instead of that 10 lasting you a day maybe they last you 2 days, but then when they gone don't buy more straight away vape again for the rest of the week instead and learn like I did that it's not like old times where 1 cig was enough to kick back the old habit, after all vaping is not a cure its a easy replacement so may as well enjoy it for what it is.
Thank You.
I now have an Aspire/Nautilus Mini Tank and a Kangertech/ Aerotank Mini Tank. My battery is a Vision Spinner II. This was the upgrade from the cigalikes from the smoke shop I used for 16 days.
I certainly did not do this by myself, the awesome fella's at the , far away Vape shop helped me. I could have ordered on line, but being so new, I wanted someone who knew what they were doing to help me. I am much better with hands on learning.
The Juice is 100% VG and the flavors are all fruit, with no taste I might add, except the one that leaves a perfume after taste, really! Blukk! I have 9 more flavors coming this week from four other companies, all no more than 30% PG. I am looking for a flavor that is simple and sweet that just tastes good. I watched a review on You Tube, so I have a bottle of Black Cherry coming and have hopes for that one. Not sure if it is alright to mention company names here, especially if you don't like the juice at all, so I won't. I read that 100% VG will not be as flavorful as it would be if you had some PG, so on several of the next ones I had an extra shot of flavor added, hope it helps.
Thanks again.
Grats on quitting I'm 6 months into vaping and i can tell you the being able to breath and money saved are just 2 of many reasons to stick with it.On the pg/vg front i personally dont vape anything under 70vg the downside alot of the flavors do need to steep the most extreem ones almost a month but well worth the wait.The other thing to consider you will almost for sure get vapor's tongue just drink plenty of water and switch flavors to help get through that . One last suggestion is in my opinion alot of your cravings will be for the nasty chemicals in the cigs not nicoteen that to shall pass. Good luck 
I'm 6 months into vaping and i can tell you the being able to breath and money saved are just 2 of many reasons to stick with it.On the pg/vg front i personally dont vape anything under 70vg the downside alot of the flavors do need to steep the most extreem ones almost a month but well worth the wait.The other thing to consider you will almost for sure get vapor's tongue just drink plenty of water and switch flavors to help get through that . One last suggestion is in my opinion alot of your cravings will be for the nasty chemicals in the cigs not nicoteen that to shall pass. Good luck 
its ok to mention names of the juice makers.... we do it all the time, in fact there are dedicated threads to specific juice makers here...
you seem to have an idea of what flavor you are looking for but if you can be a bit more specific maybe we can head you to a specific vendor who does the flavor profile you have....
I prefer more tobacco based flavors (NET's ... naturally extracted tobaccos) that have substantial hints of cocoa, fruit, honey...
there are juice makers that will do almost custom mixes as far as PG/VG percentages, extra flavor shots to increase the flavor density, and nic levels from 0 to 36 ( sometimes even higher)
Heathers Heavenly Vapes is one of the juice providers that I do reccomend highly...
you seem to have an idea of what flavor you are looking for but if you can be a bit more specific maybe we can head you to a specific vendor who does the flavor profile you have....
I prefer more tobacco based flavors (NET's ... naturally extracted tobaccos) that have substantial hints of cocoa, fruit, honey...
there are juice makers that will do almost custom mixes as far as PG/VG percentages, extra flavor shots to increase the flavor density, and nic levels from 0 to 36 ( sometimes even higher)
Heathers Heavenly Vapes is one of the juice providers that I do reccomend highly...
Welcome aboard to ECF, Oak Keeper.
Hang in there. I smoked for some 30 years. Since I started vaping, I have no desire for a cig. You will find what works best for you.
Hang in there. I smoked for some 30 years. Since I started vaping, I have no desire for a cig. You will find what works best for you.
Congrats on your Smoke Free Way of Life Oak Keeper. What I have found out in my 3 weeks of vaping is that, imho, it is better for me to find a shop locally and try testing their juices. Most have testers set out so you can try them. This will give you a good idea on what you are purchasing. Most of the juice I have purchased online has been somewhat disappointing to say the least. So now if I order a bottle online, it is the smallest one they have and I dont add anything to it like extra flavor or stuff like that. I also go with a 50/50 ratio on the PG/VG. This is so I can get an even blend of flavor and cloudage.
See if they have Vape Meets in your area. There is an area here at ECF for Groups and in particular, Area Specific. Slide in there and see if there are any Vapers in your area that you could hook up with or get info on Vape Meets that may be happening around you. This would give you an opportunity to try more juices and find the elusive "All Day Vape" juice most of us are eagerly trying to find.
Congratulations again Oak Keeper and Vape On Brother.
See if they have Vape Meets in your area. There is an area here at ECF for Groups and in particular, Area Specific. Slide in there and see if there are any Vapers in your area that you could hook up with or get info on Vape Meets that may be happening around you. This would give you an opportunity to try more juices and find the elusive "All Day Vape" juice most of us are eagerly trying to find.
Congratulations again Oak Keeper and Vape On Brother.
Congratulations! I've quit smoking recently too. The first two weeks were the hardest to not give in to the cravings. The frequency of wanting to run out n buy a pack of smokes has lessened, but it is still there. Reading about other vapers' stories at ECF certainly helps.
I found a cinnamon flavor and a lime one were the only ones that worked on my deadened by long time smoking taste buds.
I found a cinnamon flavor and a lime one were the only ones that worked on my deadened by long time smoking taste buds.
Hi and congratulations! You know you CAN make your own ejuice. I make my own and love it. It's very simple. Pg, vg, nicotine, and flavoring. They have free juice calculators that tell you EXACTLY how much to use to make your batch. I like a sweet juice so I use a sweetener as well. It saves so much money making it yourself. If your interested you should visit the DIY sub forum on ecf. What I like about making my own is, you can make it EXACTLY to your own taste. Hope this helps. Best wishes.
And in case no one has brought it up, make sure you drink lots of water. PG/VG both suck water from your body like nobody's business! You'll find over time that it is a great indicator of your body's hydration level; vape always tends to be smoother on the throat when you are well hydrated and "scratchier" when your not, when using the same juice!
You've achieved the hardest part already, not smoking! For that, you need to congratulate yourself. Now, do honor to that commitment and strength of character and keep it up! I won't wish you good luck as it doesn't enter into it; you've already got your victory! Now, just keep it!
You've achieved the hardest part already, not smoking! For that, you need to congratulate yourself. Now, do honor to that commitment and strength of character and keep it up! I won't wish you good luck as it doesn't enter into it; you've already got your victory! Now, just keep it!
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