Vaping to quit smoking for health reasons?!?!

[adammg]

Sorry if this is a long post, got quite a few questions and need opinions. So here goes, I'm newish to vaping attempted a year ago to switch failed then again earlier this year failed once again. I end back up on analogs with vaping stuff collecting dust in a drawer. My intention was to quit smoking for health reasons then quit vaping/nicotine all together. In the past 3 months or so my health has gotten worse and still on analogs. Main two things wrong are gastro problems and anxiety disorder. Docs tell me both are linked to smoking and its sometimes the chicken and egg. Where I have failed at other attempts has been flavors and not trying high enough nicotine I think. 12mg is the highest I've ever been on. I am a 1 pack a day Marlboro light smoker average. Other thing is with flavors...Tobacco flavors just never seem to satisfy that taste/craving, just taste to me like eatin the tobacco out of a analog. I understand that the burnin can't be replicated through vaping, but other juices just seem so sweet...Taste good but not something to vape all day. RY4 is a good example to me it was too sweet and 555 tasted like a peanut. Thought of trying Bobas bounty but haven't yet.

Real question is

Should I even be considering trying vaping again or try another path?

Would vaping even help my health issues? .... Doctors don't want to answer that one at all

Anyone with similar experiences or opinions on what to do?

Thanks,
Adammg

 

[Sparkle]

The answer is yes.

Start with something that is 24mg Nic and get a sample pack of several types of flavors. Forget trying to replicate the taste of tobacco. Nobody has done it yet. There are some that come close but none that nailed it yet.

As far as health issues are concerned, it's hard to say without knowing what the health issues are but I can tell you that quitting smoking and switching to vaping will certainly improve your lung function.

I can also tell you from experience that smoking does cause gastrointestinal issues. It increases the acidity in your stomach and intestines which is why many smokers suffer from acid reflux. I suffered with it for 12 years and it vanished a week after quitting smoking.

I am not a doctor.

 

[Ray D]

I don't feel qualified to answer some of your questions, but I'm sure the vets will be here soon enough to give you good info.

Should you consider trying to switch to vaping? Yes. I believe you should. You just haven't found a setup that works for you yet. I'm not saying vaping to quit smoking is going to be so easy you'll never notice it. but it will work for you once you get set up. I was a 1.5 pack a day Marlboro Reds smoker for 23 years. Once I got a setup that worked for me, I was good to go. I haven't touched a cigarette in almost 2 months. I haven't even been tempted to for weeks. Granted, some people have it easier than others. and maybe I'm lucky this time around. But literally NOTHING worked for me before vaping. I had the odd temptation the first month, but after that, I didn't miss smoking at all.

Generally speaking, you'll want a tad higher nicotine concentration in your juice than what you smoked, or at least equal, especially when first quitting. For you, 18 mg.s should be about right. I was a heavier smoker than you, and 24 mg.s works just fine for me. As far as flavors go, it's a search for all of us. I wish I could tell you, "this one is for you." But it's not that simple. I can suggest some juices, and hope that one or two works for you, but that's about it. Your best bet, at first, is to buy a lot of samples until you find those 2-3 juices that are just right. And don't disregard non-tobacco flavors. It's a bit of a mental switch to inhale a fruity or sweeter flavor, but you can get used to it quickly. But in terms of a tobacco flavor that may substitute for you, a few suggestions:

Halo's Torque or Turkish
Johnson Creek's Domestic or Silverthorn
And everyone raves about HHV's tobaccos. I'm still a virgin there, but that many people can't be wrong.

For non-tobaccos, try anything that piques your interest.

As far as gear goes, I'll leave that to the experts. They'll ask you more questions to hone in on what will best serve you.

Good luck. You CAN do this.

 

[tidegirl]

No one knows for sure what the long term effects of vaping will be, but like most I FIRMLY believe it is a million times better than the effects of smoking. If you have tried other quit methods and been unsuccessful then you have nothing to lose with trying vaping again.

You may want to consider a more casual approach to vaping. The all-or-nothing approach of NRT always was my downfall. When I started vaping I did it on a whim, and I decided I was going to try, but I was not going to stress over it. I was going to vape, but if I wanted to smoke I would smoke. Allowing the smokes made the transition much easier. I still smoke occasionally, mostly when I'm around others smoking, but I am much better off than I was a year ago, and I AM going to get there.

 

[Robino1]

I smoked Marlboro lights also. A pack a day. I'm still vaping 18 and 24mg. Slowly I am transitioning down in nic, 15mg is my next step. I will keep on hand higher mg just in case I find I need more nic. Finding the right setup and juice is key.

In order for others to maybe help you find some hardware that works, what do you have now that didn't?

 

[volume control]

Pack a day Marb Medium smoker converted here. I switched originally using Victory ecigs free trial (call and cancel immediately when you receive the kit) Their liquid is pretty nasty, which i guess was close enough to smoking to get the ball rolling. I was about half and half for a week, before i decided to try V2cigs, and ordered a 25 dollar starter, and a 5 pack of red 18mg carts. That served me well for about 2-3 more weeks where i ended up dropping analogs entirely but NOT PURCHASING ANYMORE ANALOGS, JUST DONT BUY THEM. None of these flavors really completely nailed it for me but i got through it and it was not as hard as cold turkey quitting thats for certain.

As time has gone on i have only really used 2 tobacco flavors, and my current go to is Wordupecig.com Red Full Flavor 18mg 80/20 which has some sweetness, but i guess ive kind of grown over to preferring that fresh tobacco taste

Let me tell you that nasty tobacco flavor you look for, is because your typical analogs, even Marb, are stale, dry, crappy tobacco. I rolled my own using Bali Shag for a few years in college and that tobacco tasted a lot more like eliquid tobaccos, because it was nice and fresh. When i dropped them after college for whatever reason, i ended up using menthols because regular cigs tasted to stale it was nasty and i needed a fix. Eventually i got over it and went back to Marb Mediums.

Good luck

 

[silkakc]

Hi Adam,

My health improved so much when I started vaping! I had smoked for 30 years and had stage 2 emphysema. I breathe fine now and can lay down with no heavy feeling in my chest! I get colds now and they are gone within a week. Previously, my cough would last a month or more.

I think the key to success is finding a Ecig that is strong enough and finding juices that are delicious. Let me recommend a couple things that greatly helped me. My husband smokes and I haven't had any urges to steal one from him because I'm very satisfied with what I have. I have reduced my Nic from 18mg down to 6 mg in the last 2 years and no longer get that panicky feeling in my chest that I think is a "nic-fit".

Try a variable voltage Ecig. The cheapest one would probably be from MadVapes. They work great and you can see how powerful an Ecig can be. It feels like the difference you would get from smoking a Marlboro and a Ultra Light cigarette:

Variable Voltage Box Mod - Variable Volt - Advanced E-Cigs

Get tons of samples of juice! A 50-year-smoker friend of mine loves the Red Box juice from RW Vapors and swears it's the closest vape he's found to real cigs in 2 years of vaping. I love RW Vapors because they have the best price samplers packs combined with great tasting juice. Theirs are $6.95 for 5 samples. Their tobaccos and fruit flavors are excellent. They are 18mg strength and PG but you can order any strength and VG if you wish, in the regular sizes in future orders:

http://www.rwvapors.com/rwstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_12&products_id=112

Try to get one bottle of a higher strength juice for those "911" moments. I carried a 24mg juice with me the first 2 months. If I started panicking and thought of smoking a real cig, I used that for a few puffs until the wave of panic went away. I think I only needed it 3 or 4 times during the first 2 months. After that, those panicky feelings never returned.

I suffer from gastro problems too- chronic gastritis. I have found that the higher VG juices are a better fit for me with my stomach. I can't vape cinnamon or tart juices cus it makes my stomach start to hurt.

Adam, you can do this! You just need the right Ecig and right juice and it will be a breeze! I'm not lying- it was painless and 100% easy for me to switch to Ecigs, as it was for my co-worker friend that smoked for 50 years, and my friend Barb who smoked for 67 years. You just need the right juice and appropriate amount of throat hit and vapor

 

[niterider]

Like Others have said, up the MG to maybe 18 or even 24. Also, I'd recommend Halo's Freedom blend. I was a Camel Light Smoker, similar to Marlboro lights and thought this vape had the closest resemblance to a cigarette.

 

[LeftCoastVaper]

You could try my approach, which was to limit myself to five cigarettes a day, using a brand I hated (American Spirits) until you're analog free. Another thing to remember is that nicotine isn't the only addictive substance in tobacco. There are plenty of additives and other constituents that keep you hooked as well. I'd up the ante and go with 36 mg to start, then wean yourself down over time.

To ease the transition you might try a smokeless product like snuz, which would provide most of the "benefits" of tobacco without the obvious detriments. Good luck!

 

[RoseB]

Sorry if this is a long post, got quite a few questions and need opinions. So here goes, I'm newish to vaping attempted a year ago to switch failed then again earlier this year failed once again. I end back up on analogs with vaping stuff collecting dust in a drawer. My intention was to quit smoking for health reasons then quit vaping/nicotine all together. In the past 3 months or so my health has gotten worse and still on analogs. Main two things wrong are gastro problems and anxiety disorder. Docs tell me both are linked to smoking and its sometimes the chicken and egg. Where I have failed at other attempts has been flavors and not trying high enough nicotine I think. 12mg is the highest I've ever been on. I am a 1 pack a day Marlboro light smoker average. Other thing is with flavors...Tobacco flavors just never seem to satisfy that taste/craving, just taste to me like eatin the tobacco out of a analog. I understand that the burnin can't be replicated through vaping, but other juices just seem so sweet...Taste good but not something to vape all day. RY4 is a good example to me it was too sweet and 555 tasted like a peanut. Thought of trying Bobas bounty but haven't yet.

Real question is

Should I even be considering trying vaping again or try another path?

Would vaping even help my health issues? .... Doctors don't want to answer that one at all

Anyone with similar experiences or opinions on what to do?

Thanks,
Adammg

Well you mentioned equipment sitting around. What do you have? What didn't you like about it? As the other folks mentioned find some high nicotine juices with good flavors for sure. That would be pointless if you're using equipment that doesn't work right or suit your needs.

 

[super_X_drifter]

Sorry if this is a long post, got quite a few questions and need opinions. So here goes, I'm newish to vaping attempted a year ago to switch failed then again earlier this year failed once again. I end back up on analogs with vaping stuff collecting dust in a drawer. My intention was to quit smoking for health reasons then quit vaping/nicotine all together. In the past 3 months or so my health has gotten worse and still on analogs. Main two things wrong are gastro problems and anxiety disorder. Docs tell me both are linked to smoking and its sometimes the chicken and egg. Where I have failed at other attempts has been flavors and not trying high enough nicotine I think. 12mg is the highest I've ever been on. I am a 1 pack a day Marlboro light smoker average. Other thing is with flavors...Tobacco flavors just never seem to satisfy that taste/craving, just taste to me like eatin the tobacco out of a analog. I understand that the burnin can't be replicated through vaping, but other juices just seem so sweet...Taste good but not something to vape all day. RY4 is a good example to me it was too sweet and 555 tasted like a peanut. Thought of trying Bobas bounty but haven't yet.

Real question is

Should I even be considering trying vaping again or try another path?

Would vaping even help my health issues? .... Doctors don't want to answer that one at all

Anyone with similar experiences or opinions on what to do?

Thanks,
Adammg

Adam,

You may want to try an unflavored juice. It is what worked for me. The "Flavored" juices all tasted like perfume.

I only use unflavored nic in a 24 mg strength suspended in 30% pg / 70 % VG that I order from Wizard Labs. It is a nice, bland hit. You can fill the carto, atty, tank or whatever you use just like you did the flavored stuff, except no nasty taste, just a nice warm vapor.

I too smoked the Marlboro lights for over 30 years and only took me about 3 weeks of vaping to realize that tobacco juices tasted like perfume. Glad I found the unflavored. Oh, it a is also MUCH cheaper than flavored juice. Not that it mattered though, I would still vape it even if it cost more than flavored.

Good luck bro.


Shot thru cyberspace with my iGun.

 

[MikenGA]

I never viewed 'vaping' as a success or failure based on whether or not I 'switched' 100% to one or the other! It took me TWO YEARS to find the hardware (most important), nic strength (barely 2nd place on my list) and flavor (barely 3rd place) I preferred over an analog.

After I made a 100% switch to vaping, when the cravings hit 6weeks in, I tried WTA eLiquid from Vapelicious.com (also available from Aromaejuice.com). WTA got me through the roughest part...and now I'm FREE of analogs for the first time in 32+ years (2 paks/day).

You only "fail" if you require to be one or the other from the beginning. I never "failed"; I did BOTH for two years, while still trying to find a better vape. Eventually, I transitioned 100% from analogs to vaping, and only realized 'success' when I no longer bought analogs.

I required 24mg nic with Ego batts and clearomizers, plus enough WTA eLiquid to get me through the rough times. After a few months, I no longer needed WTA (cravings disappeared), and 24mg was too strong for my body to handle. I cut the nic to 18mg, then 12mg, and now my regular vape is 6mg (or lower).

Breaking the addiction had everything to do with inhaling 'burning' material. Once I got past that stage, I can go for hours (and have gone for two days) with nothing. I now vape, because I LIKE it!

Like others have said, success is not measured by how many analogs you smoke, but how many you avoid by vaping. Looking at my signature below, I'm flabbergasted by how many analogs I've avoided since I made the 100% switch to vaping.

GOOD LUCK to you, my friend! We're ALL here to support you, and we're rooting you on, cuz we know you'll 'do it' when everything finally comes together for you. Keep on 'keeping on'. If we can help, just tell us what you're experiencing and we'll do our best for ya!

 

[tsbrewers]

In my opinion, there are two things that will cause an ecig to not work for someone. One is not enough nic, the other is cheap ecigs/not enough vapor.

My wife was a 1/2 pack of marb ultralights a day, and she needed 24mg juice to kill the cravings. I was a pack and a half of marb reds, and 24mg also worked for me. The majority of people who try and fail are using the cheap disposable, or just plain crappy ecigs too. If you get a good kit, even something like an ego, and some juice with some kick (24?), odds are very good it will work for you.

Brew

 

[adammg]

First off, I want to say Thank you all...never expected so many great replies. I am going to give it another shot with the suggestions you all have mentioned.

Sincerely,
Adam

 

[varitablevoltage]

I think it's just a matter of getting the right juice with the right mix. I've herd good things about Vermillion River Premium E-Juice for tobacco flavors. But, I find that with over 200 or so flavors out there you might want to consider making the mental shift that a smoking alternative should taste like tobacco. I still vape RY4 (I found one I really like) but am also a huge fan of vanilla and I got all kinds of flavors coming to me in the mail (Sweet Gingerbread in time for Xmas!).

 

[Lowstorm]

I was PAD smoking marb lights too! But I started out with a 'lighter' juice and quickly found that even though I was a smoker.. I hated the flavor of tobacco juices. I have since discovered some great juices, some not so great juices. And yes, I've thrown out things that I simply couldn't take. (I've since started a collection of them, so if I ever run into another vapor they can take 'em and try 'em.)

 

[RPadTV]

For whatever it's worth, I had some surgery done two weeks ago and my surgeon told me that switching to vaping was a very smart move.