Week 3 and seeking some motivation to dump analogs

[BigBen2k]

I guess I was lucky, because I started too low at 6 mg/mL, and was able to tell it wasn't enough; I had the jitters. I picked up a 12 mg/mL locally (by luck!) and even if the taste wasn't great, I got the nic level just right.

I have no idea how it would work, if one started too high.

Either way, after 2 weeks of getting it right, it was a lot easier to take it lower; two months in, and I have a 0 nic in my rotation: I start the day at 9, then alternate 6 and 0 throughout the day.

Remember that analogs have nicotine and MAOIs, naturally, which make the nicotine 8 times more addictive. As long as you use analogs, you're getting those MAOIs. E-cigs give you a chance to swap the MAOIs for more nicotine. If/when you can stay off the analogs for two weeks, you'll be golden.

Nicotine by itself, isn't more addictive than coffee. (Yeah, I'm not giving up coffee either )

 

[SharonH]

Did you use to smoke Ultra lights? 50 per day? You're not quitting like most, if that's what you used to smoke. Most 2 1/2 pack a day smokers, smoked regulars.

24 mg might be too much. This is very subjective, but I was on Ultra Lights too, and I used 12mg for the first couple of weeks. I tried 6, and it left me wanting.

tip: keep some 0 nic handy; for those moments you have cravings, but don't want more nicotine.

You can do it!

Actually I looked up online and it said the cigarettes were only 0.5 mg nicotine each - b&h menthol ultra light 100's. So that's 25 mg a day.

I think the nic strength for vaping is a combo of strength of analogs on top of count. But you're the first person I've heard who had a similar issue... the 24 mg is tough for me to vape.

I've been vaping 50% 24 mg ry4 and 50% 12 mg butterscotch mix tonight and that seems to be doing the trick for me as far as normal analog cravings go.

 

[SharonH]

I was an ultra-light smoker (pack and a half a day), and started off with 18 mg. I was chain-vaping like crazy in the beginning, and my strongest urges for a cigarette were in the morning with my coffee. I bought some 24 mg juice for the mornings and told myself that I'd vape first, then smoke if I still had the urge. The 24 mg took care of it for me and after a few vapes, the urge for that morning cigarette subsided and I never needed to light up.

I'm currently still vaping 18 mg all day (still occasionally hit the 24 mg with my morning coffee), but don't feel the need to chain-vape as much as in the beginning. I'm trying 12 mg on my next juice order, but keeping some 18 and 24 mg handy in case I start getting urges.

Bottom line, it doesn't matter what nic level "should" do it for you based upon what you smoked before - all that matters is what nic level actually works for you. If it's 24 mg in the morning and cut back to 18, or 12, or 6 throughout the rest of the day, hey, whatever gets it done.

Thanks! Definitely need to play around to get the right level for me.

 

[polingpower]

I don't want to ever go back, to being sick again, it was just so hard to get over cigs and then nic sick at the start.(24 & 36 first two weeks)
Now down to 18 and lots of 6, will start 0 next. like everybody is saying I do the 18 in the am, then do 6 , but 18 is always handy
I maybe a 6 'er for life time will tell
good luck it will happen you just got to believe YOU CAN DO IT !

 

[SharonH]

I guess I was lucky, because I started too low at 6 mg/mL, and was able to tell it wasn't enough; I had the jitters. I picked up a 12 mg/mL locally (by luck!) and even if the taste wasn't great, I got the nic level just right.

I have no idea how it would work, if one started too high.

Either way, after 2 weeks of getting it right, it was a lot easier to take it lower; two months in, and I have a 0 nic in my rotation: I start the day at 9, then alternate 6 and 0 throughout the day.

Remember that analogs have nicotine and MAOIs, naturally, which make the nicotine 8 times more addictive. As long as you use analogs, you're getting those MAOIs. E-cigs give you a chance to swap the MAOIs for more nicotine. If/when you can stay off the analogs for two weeks, you'll be golden.

Nicotine by itself, isn't more addictive than coffee. (Yeah, I'm not giving up coffee either )

Ooo you got me to another issue here with the MAOI mention. I'm 45 and dealing with hormonal changes. There's benefits on MAOI side... so that might be part of the issue for me. MAOIs are known for reducing hot flashes etc.

I'm honestly feeling right now that given the weekend ahead (and I can take a lighter day at work tomorrow if need be), I should just consider forgoing the analogs entirely. This "toes in" approach doesn't seem to be working. I thought it would be best for relieving anxiety about stopping completely but I'm MORE anxious about how much I'm vaping and smoking than if I were off analogs entirely.

 

[SharonH]

I don't want to ever go back, to being sick again, it was just so hard to get over cigs and then nic sick at the start.(24 & 36 first two weeks)
Now down to 18 and lots of 6, will start 0 next. like everybody is saying I do the 18 in the am, then do 6 , but 18 is always handy
I maybe a 6 'er for life time will tell
good luck it will happen you just got to believe YOU CAN DO IT !

Sweet! Congrats to you and thank you!

 

[Sambuca]

maybe analogs are "just too easy" for you. there are so many "triggers" for smoking store-boughts that i tend to encourage folks to try RYO cigs instead of store-bought. it helps get down to those "ceremonial" cigs pretty easily. then you try focusing only delaying or swapping those for a vape.

if you smoke at home or in the car, try keeping the ashtrays clean (even when you smoke). don't leave ashes in your waste bins. buy some febreeze and try to get your car/house to smell like a non-smokers.

try to get down to only make a cig when you are going to smoke it, and only smoke outside where there is an ashtray.

i bet your winters are none to "balmy" over there, cold and rain can be a big deterrent over vaping in nice, dry, warm house!

 

[BigBen2k]

Benson & Hedges... I used to smoke those (Yeah, I'm Canadian too). They don't have nic levels on cigarette packs here, state-side. I thought they still had them, north of the border?

I'm 44 but I get no benefit from MAOIs . You definitely want off of them though. The sooner, the better.

I used to have a cup of black tea in the evening; I had to switch to decaf-tea, so I could sleep. Green tea is starting to look good...

 

[SharonH]

maybe analogs are "just too easy" for you. there are so many "triggers" for smoking store-boughts that i tend to encourage folks to try RYO cigs instead of store-bought. it helps get down to those "ceremonial" cigs pretty easily. then you try focusing only delaying or swapping those for a vape.

if you smoke at home or in the car, try keeping the ashtrays clean (even when you smoke). don't leave ashes in your waste bins. buy some febreeze and try to get your car/house to smell like a non-smokers.

try to get down to only make a cig when you are going to smoke it, and only smoke outside where there is an ashtray.

i bet your winters are none to "balmy" over there, cold and rain can be a big deterrent over vaping in nice, dry, warm house!

I run a company and am in Canada half the year, San Diego the other half. I work outside in San Diego. In Canada, I can smoke in my office. Yes, really. So weather issues don't impact me. I kind of wish they did though

I've never done the RYO. I think THAT would cause me to stop. No, the addiction is bad enough, I'd probably figure out how to do it if that was the only option.

But yes - it IS too easy which is why going off 100% might be the only option for me.

 

[ShariR]

Hi. I have seen you posting a few times and thought I would try and help. Have you found a juice you can vape for most of the day? If you have, then get it in two different strengths, like 24mg and 6mg. Vape the 24mg when you are having the cravings and the 6mg a few hours before bedtime so you can sleep. You can always mix them and come up with 15mg nic if you mix it half and half of the same flavor. This will give you more room to play with the same flavor. I started vaping at 18mg and in the first few days realized I needed 24mg to cut the cravings. When I upped the nic to 24mg I stopped smoking entirely. I was a 2 pad Marlboro 100s lights smoker fro 45 years. And I put them down after a week of playing with nic level and flavors. For me it was a flavor I could vape all day and 24mg nic. And the sweet and candy vapes do not satisfy me, I vape a sweet tobacco all day and just "play" with the flavors in my dripper.

If you need help or more ideas come visit this thread where we all talk about vaping and smoking.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...dicted-smoking-habit-support-chat-thread.html

Hope to see you there. And keep it up. Vaping will work for you. Sometimes it just takes some time.

 

[SharonH]

Benson & Hedges... I used to smoke those (Yeah, I'm Canadian too). They don't have nic levels on cigarette packs here, state-side. I thought they still had them, north of the border?

I'm 44 but I get no benefit from MAOIs . You definitely want off of them though. The sooner, the better.

I used to have a cup of black tea in the evening; I had to switch to decaf-tea, so I could sleep. Green tea is starting to look good...

No nic levels on Canadian packs. Got them from online. But I'm in the US half the year. Smoke B&H there too.

You know, the green tea mention is another thing. The first week, I was having 1-2 litres of iced green tea a day but store has been out of stock the last 2 weeks. That might have been helping since I've been replacing half the tea with more coffee and rest with water.

Wow, I had to cut back my coffee and went from 8-10 cups a day down to 5-6.

 

[SharonH]

Hi. I have seen you posting a few times and thought I would try and help. Have you found a juice you can vape for most of the day? If you have, then get it in two different strengths, like 24mg and 6mg. Vape the 24mg when you are having the cravings and the 6mg a few hours before bedtime so you can sleep. You can always mix them and come up with 15mg nic if you mix it half and half of the same flavor. This will give you more room to play with the same flavor. I started vaping at 18mg and in the first few days realized I needed 24mg to cut the cravings. When I upped the nic to 24mg I stopped smoking entirely. I was a 2 pad Marlboro 100s lights smoker fro 45 years. And I put them down after a week of playing with nic level and flavors. For me it was a flavor I could vape all day and 24mg nic. And the sweet and candy vapes do not satisfy me, I vape a sweet tobacco all day and just "play" with the flavors in my dripper.

If you need help or more ideas come visit this thread where we all talk about vaping and smoking.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...dicted-smoking-habit-support-chat-thread.html

Hope to see you there. And keep it up. Vaping will work for you. Sometimes it just takes some time.

Thanks Shari! Yes, I've posted in that thread but there is a lot of volume so it was hard to keep up.

I've been playing around with different liquids. The one I love best I can't get right now while I'm in Canada. But I have figured out a good mix that doesn't seem to bother me in any way. I think the real thing is to vape more often like I was during the first week.

 

[BigBen2k]

Great to hear; I think you're on the right track, dropping off the analogs.

Just vape away, as much as you need for the first two weeks. It gets a lot easier after that.

Keep us posted!

 

[SharonH]

Some GOOD news - thanks to following some of the suggestions made, I was back down to 10 analogs yesterday.

The biggest things that worked for me:

- Waiting around 90 minutes before I had first analog
- Putting 10 analogs in a pack at the start of the day - that was my "budget". The rest I had on-hand went out of sight.
- Every time I wanted an analog, I vaped first - even after meals!
- I made sure that one of my two batteries was always charging (I have had issues with both running out at the same time)
- Brushing teeth right after having an analog
- Making sure I was drinking more non-caffeinated beverages

I did end up running out of analogs by 9 pm and given lately I've been getting to bed around 3-4 am, that meant I just ended up going to bed by midnight. But I hung in. I also went 15 hours between analogs which is a recent record for me.

I think the daily budget vs timing in between will work better for me.

I'm aiming for another 10 day today and then will drop to 9 tomorrow. That's the plan anyway. I don't have enough analogs on hand to do more than 10 today so it will force me to stick to the program!

 

[BigBen2k]

It looks like you need a bigger eGo

A 900 mAh (unregulated) eGo lasts me all day. It's not much bigger than a 650.

Nice going!

 

[SharonH]

It looks like you need a bigger eGo

A 900 mAh (unregulated) eGo lasts me all day. It's not much bigger than a 650.

Nice going!

I'm thinking of getting a Provari so I can play with the big kids

This is what I have. So you're probably onto something. I am lost when it comes to the tech. I got this in b&m.

 

[Mike Sheda]

That's awesome! Fantastic for you!

So I think I'm going to go ahead and order some more stronger juice to get in. If I order it today, I should have it in for Monday. Weekends tend to go easier for me.


I REALLY appreciate the comments everyone has given. I've been beating myself up since day one on this being so much harder for me than it seemed to be for others.

DON'T Beat yourself up on it. Everyone is different. As the cliche goes, it's more about the analogs you didn't smoke than the ones you did. If you think you are failing, that just adds more stress, which is a trigger in itself. Just keep trying.

You are slowly replacing one habit with another. That takes different times for different people. Hang in there and you'll be successful. (or as in another cliche goes, this is a marathon, not a sprint)

You have seen many tricks that people have used to get through it. This board is filled with information (and support as you have seen). These are all tools to help you.

good luck!

 

[Mike Sheda]

I'm thinking of getting a Provari so I can play with the big kids

This is what I have. So you're probably onto something. I am lost when it comes to the tech. I got this in b&m.

I have found that the "hobby" aspect of it was part of the success. Trying the different flavors, the different tech, and all the other stuff.
Also, if you buy a provari there is the, OMG I just spent so much on this, I am determined to make it work factor
But they all do the same thing, use a battery to heat some liquid to the point of vapor so that you can inhale it.
I got some Cheap MODs (2 SIDs at 30.00 and 2 VAMO V3 at 36.00 and some batteries and a charger) So I have 4 mods for less than a provari, but it's still money spent. But now I never need to worry about not being with charged devices (as well as the 3 Ctwists I started with).

I like the ProTanks and the Evods (both use the same coils). I'm at the point where I'm pretty happy hardware wise, and now mostly there at the e-liqs I like. But I did order some DIY supplies to play with my own juices as well.

Sometimes it's fun to let your OCD run a little free and see where it goes.

 

[SharonH]

And THAT is my reasoning for getting a Provari. I wish I were kidding

I get your points though 100%. Thanks for your support and encouragement!

 

[nicetucu]

The changing habits part is the worst. When I started vaping it was hardest in the morning and like you after meals and evening not to smoke. It's different for everyone. I was so jealous of the stories you hear of people quitting cigs on day ONE of vaping lol.

If you have work and life stress it is even more difficult in my opinion. I chain vape 24mg all day long and feel as if sometimes it's barely enough to get me through a day.

There is a certain mindset that we are giving something up or taking something away from our lives by not smoking cigarettes. The truth that I have found personally is I've gained so much more and can't believe I smoked for 32 years of my life (2/3 of my life!).

- breath so much better
- smell better
- physical stamina
- teeth getting whiter
- taste and smell is now like when I was a kid lol
- skin looks healthier
- blood pressure getting closer to normal
- heart doesn't have to work as hard
- don't worry if you have enough cigs until morning stress
- variety in flavor

ah the list goes on, just those come to mind with only one coffee in me this morning. Vaping is not magical , you still need to use some will power. When the time is right for you to quit altogether, you will do it.

You smoke light cigarettes so maybe higher nicotine in the morning to get you going and tone it down towards bedtime so you can sleep and not over nic yourself. Try sample packs from different juice vendors to find what you like best. Vaping great tasting juice really helps.

You have literally thousands of people here willing and ready to help cause we are all in the same boat (well most of us anyways). Just remember what ever works for you is the right way. Good luck SharonH!