What made the transition off analogues easier for you?

[Graverobber06]

I got my RN4081 a week before my first vacation alone with my new girlfriend--my i-cant-stand-the-smell-of-smoke girlfriend. I intended it to be like an alternative for when I was out with her or at family gatherings. Three days after I started using it, I smoked my last analog. That was three months ago.

 

[sherid]

The anti-smokers and the "denormalization" campaign has made me want to smoke more not less. It's just the way I am. Other than that, I was intrigued by the concept of electronic cigarettes and by the potential they have for flouting smoking bans (IMO the most despicable campaign in modern history) so I bought one. After awhile, I came to like them and found myself smoking way less. My concern now is that I keep looking for something new, something better and worry that once the novelty wears off; I may not be as intrigued. But, for now, I am enjoying both the e cig and a greatly reduced cigarette habit. I use the e cig for all of the cigarettes I used to smoke daily simply because it was "time" for one. Amazingly, I only really want a cigarette about three times per day. If I were to force myself to quit smoking, I know that I would rebel against myself LOL and go back to my old habits. This way works for me. I know that for some the goal is to entirely quit, and I applaud them. It's just not for me.

 

[nubee]

I guess I was an accidental quitter of sorts. I'd been wanting to try and quit altogether, again, for the millionth time and just couldn't get in to the gum, mints, patch routine. Started 'researching' the whole ecig thing and decided to try the Red Dragon solution. Well, by the second day, I felt SO much better and my original analogs tasted SO bad and harsh that I just quit them - and or course, bought and geared up on my ecig supply. That was really it ... end of story ... haven't gone analog since.

 

[woden]

I got a 901 last Wednesday (June 24th, 09). It was an instant hit for me.
I had 1 and 1/2 packs of analogs left, I smoked them all up that Wednesday and Thursday.
I haven't bought a pack of cigs since ;-) I have smoked (bummed) 3 cigarettes since.

I can seriously taste the burning paper wth analogs now, so I know Im thru with them.

Im 100% happy with ecigs.

 

[kc77]

I just got a red dragon last Friday. I got the 11mg "medium" "marlboro" flavor. For the most part I like it a lot. I don't get the same feeling as with a regular cig but I also don't get ashes on me, I don't go crazy looking for a lighter and I'm not washing my hands, spraying body and spray and popping a mint every time I want to hug/kiss my kids.

I am still having cravings though which is a little weird to me. I think I'm getting sufficient nicotine and I'm keeping up with my normal smoking places/routines and not really varying, just replacing real smokes with the red dragon. What I am noticing though is wanting it less and less. Also, when I am having an analog I'm beginning to feel like gagging at the taste! I'm down from 15-20 smokes a day to maybe 5-6 and today I think it'll be far less then even that. I would eventually like to quit it all at some point but if I never do and only vape I'm still feeling better about the choice for my health, my wallet and my sanity (listening to my husband tell me I stink etc).

I am hopeful that I can ditch the analogs all together. I haven't bought any since Friday, had half a pack left at that point (finished them Sat night) and now I have an old stale pack of American Spirit smokes in my purse and so far just one this a.m.

I recently lost 90 pounds and I'm worried about weight gain which you typically see when you stop smoking. Anyone who's vaping now see that happen?

BTW...I think I may even give up the tobacco flavored cartridges. I got a free cherry one with my starter kit and I have to say.......pretty yummy!!!!

Good luck to all of you who are trying to quit and for those who just like to smoke and have no desire to quit what an awesome way to smoke "responsibly!"

I'll keep on here looking for different things to try and here's hoping I'm off analogs for good very soon!

 

[e-pipeman]

Yes, vaping and smoking are not the same thing. In my view vaping is better. I was one of those lucky souls who just took to it like a duck to water and found out that it had been the nicotine I'd been after all along. It's cleaner, arguably cheaper once you have the kit you like, and POSSIBLY healthier - though the jury is still out on that one. I do like the fact that I feel so much healthier and am no longer short of breath. I love the fact that my tongue no longer looks like a petri dish with some vile fungus growing on it. I don't smell any more - well, maybe a bit, but that smell is ME, not that lovely ashtray fragrance that we all adore. So -the transition off of analogs was a doddle for me because I really liked vaping from the get-go (including all the fiddling about with carts and stuff. That fiddling is really therapeutic imho).

 

[Puter]

When I knew my ecig aw on the way I switched brands of analogues. i smoked the brand I really didn't like all that much for 3 days. Once I got the ecig it was so much better than the new brand of analogues, LOL

Puter

It took me 3 months of vaping and analogs, then I read someone on here suggest thinking of it as switching brands instead of quitting. It took a little bit to get that mindset. I really didn't want to quit, be an exsmoker (one of those) I played a bunch of mind games with myself and finally switched my brand to my 901 with Tennessee Cured. Upping the nicotine helps too. I used straight 36mg VG in the morning at times.

 

[manc]

...I made one with the injector machine and smoked it. It tasted pretty awful, but I got most of the way through it. What is this habit, anyway? I thought. Then something struck me: part of it -- as dumb as this sounds -- seemed to be that smoking the cigarette is a kind of break. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end (just like the cigarette itself as it gets smoked down). Then, the "session" is over. I wondered if that wasn't part of the appeal (why it would be, I can't imagine). With the e-cig, I can just puff away at my desk -- there's no "break" in it. Aw, who knows...anyway, there must be a lot of habitual behavior in smoking having nothing to do with the nicotine craving itself.

mikea, it is interesting to think about this addiction/habit, and see what light is shed on it through the use of e-cigs. I think your use of the word "session" is right on. Like you said, smoking a cigarette has a marked beginning, middle, and end. The whole routine revolves around a small stick of tobacco slowly burning down. It is like an hourglass tipped over, marking the time of the "break." I think this is why it has been so helpful for me to start going outside with my e-cig. Although I don't have a burning time keeper, I am still fulfilling major parts of the smoking routine: I'm taking time out of my day to go outside and drag on something that gives me nicotine. I've read that some people even drip/dip to make it into more of a session, because once those couple drops on the atty burn off, you're done. I dip, but the liquid seems to last longer for me than an analogue would... I'll have to make some adjustments and see if I can get that part of it to work for me also.

...I can seriously taste the burning paper wth analogs now, so I know Im thru with them.

Hi woden, when I've been vaping for a little while without an analogue, I have a similar experience. Lighting up the cigarette and taking a drag, I am so much more aware of the experience of inhaling burning plant matter. The first time it happened, I thought, wow, this paper and tobacco is burning and I'm taking smoke into my lungs. Now, I know that sounds completely obvious, but after smoking for years, I had stopped really thinking about what was going on. Vaping allowed me to step back and be more aware of the experience of smoking. Unfortunately, I'm not completely turned off to analogues quite yet... some day.

Yes, vaping and smoking are not the same thing. In my view vaping is better. I was one of those lucky souls who just took to it like a duck to water and found out that it had been the nicotine I'd been after all along. It's cleaner, arguably cheaper once you have the kit you like, and POSSIBLY healthier - though the jury is still out on that one. I do like the fact that I feel so much healthier and am no longer short of breath. I love the fact that my tongue no longer looks like a petri dish with some vile fungus growing on it. I don't smell any more - well, maybe a bit, but that smell is ME, not that lovely ashtray fragrance that we all adore. So -the transition off of analogs was a doddle for me because I really liked vaping from the get-go (including all the fiddling about with carts and stuff. That fiddling is really therapeutic imho).

e-pipeman, that's a good list of reasons to stop smoking. I too love the fiddling with everything. I think it is good to build new routines around vaping, to replace the ones left behind.

 

[Vapinginmyboots]

My 2 cents: I am a hard case. Maybe this link to an earlier thread I posted in my struggles, but now my success (so far, but im a changed person, nic-addiction-wise now) may help in how it is harder for people like me vs. the accidental quitters who can make a transition so easily: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/general-e-smoking-discussion/13760-no-longer-out-woods.html This is my first link-post, so I hope it works . Its gotta be at least somewhat about state of mind and commitment me thinks in people like me. Hope this helps someone out there at least. I mean by nic-addiction meant to say I transferred over to e-cigs, not quit nicotine lol

 

[Vapinginmyboots]

By the way it took a few more attempts to get where im at now since I started the thread. Almost a month analog-free now! And oh so worth it. keeping on trying made the transition off analogs easy for me, vs. any other quit method that could be thrown at me. Any other quit method has failed.

 

[manc]

My 2 cents: I am a hard case. Maybe this link to an earlier thread I posted in my struggles, but now my success (so far, but im a changed person, nic-addiction-wise now) may help in how it is harder for people like me vs. the accidental quitters who can make a transition so easily: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/general-e-smoking-discussion/13760-no-longer-out-woods.html This is my first link-post, so I hope it works . Its gotta be at least somewhat about state of mind and commitment me thinks in people like me. Hope this helps someone out there at least. I mean by nic-addiction meant to say I transferred over to e-cigs, not quit nicotine lol

Thanks for sharing that thread, Vapinginmyboots. It was good for me to read. I think perception and will and attitude are so important, and that's why these conversations are so great. I'm realizing that quitting for some of us is a process that has to play out. And during that process, if something happens and we slip up, it isn't the end of the world. This is what strikes me as different about quitting with PVs and all the other methods of quitting. With the other methods, usually if you have a smoke, you're right back at the beginning again. But over and over on this forum I read about people who have a cigarette, don't particularly like it, then return to vaping.

By the way it took a few more attempts to get where im at now since I started the thread. Almost a month analog-free now! And oh so worth it. keeping on trying made the transition off analogs easy for me, vs. any other quit method that could be thrown at me. Any other quit method has failed.

Congrats on how far you've come! I feel like we're all on the same mountain path, only some of you are a bit higher up, enjoying fresher air

 

[DC2]

I feel like we're all on the same mountain path, only some of you are a bit higher up, enjoying fresher air

Very nice analogy.


I finally got my first order of juice today, and pre-filled cartridges are a thing of the past now.
And I can tell you this much, Vanilla Ice Cream and Kona Coffee taste really good up at this altitude.

 

[Huma Rojo]

I just started vaping last week and so far I am really excited about all the different possibilities and options that vaping offers as opposed to analogs (flavors, dyi, mods, e-cig models, etc). i rather spend my money playing with vaping gadgets and flavor experimentation than giving my $ to tobacco co.'s + taxes.

That said, I thought switching was going to be easier than I thought. I only smoked two to five cigs per day (mostly in the evening and at night), and I have found that at those times, I need to smoke 36mg juice with my 510 and alternate between two for a couple of hours before going to bed. And I *still* get somewhat anxious about wanting to have "just one analog" but I try to contain myself.

My main problem: Clean TH (vapor) vs. "Dirty" TH (analogs)

Perhaps I am being a masochist? I often wonder if I should try to stick it out or just try analogs gradually since it is still causing me some anxiety, esp. when I get stressed out, I feel that I crave all the other poisons and the super strong hit (don't get me wrong, my 510 and SD satisfy me in the TH dept. but it's a clean hit, which is what I like, but at the same time, I find myself missing the "dirty" hit of the analog).

In the end, I desire and want to stick with the fun, clean and satisfying experience of vaping ... but getting rid of those damn cravings for the nasty crap in analogs is harder than I thought

 

[mikea]

And I *still* get somewhat anxious about wanting to have "just one analog" but I try to contain myself.

I'm still getting 5-6 'I gotta have a cigarette' moments per day, and I have 'em...and I don't understand it. What's to like, anyway? What's in those things that we aren't getting out of e-cigs?

 

[Huma Rojo]

mikea: i am glad to hear that i am not alone. i never even liked the stench/smell of cigarettes before, which is why i assumed it would be a seamless transition. i guess even though nicotine is the main component that we're addicted to, when combined with all the other nasty stuff it can make all the other additives addictive too because we associate them with the pleasure that nicotine delivers (??) I don't know.

 

[Vapinginmyboots]

Thanks for sharing that thread, Vapinginmyboots. It was good for me to read. I think perception and will and attitude are so important, and that's why these conversations are so great. I'm realizing that quitting for some of us is a process that has to play out. And during that process, if something happens and we slip up, it isn't the end of the world. This is what strikes me as different about quitting with PVs and all the other methods of quitting. With the other methods, usually if you have a smoke, you're right back at the beginning again. But over and over on this forum I read about people who have a cigarette, don't particularly like it, then return to vaping.



Congrats on how far you've come! I feel like we're all on the same mountain path, only some of you are a bit higher up, enjoying fresher air

Thanks Manc! Being analog free and on the PV is a journey filled with potholes, the potholes begin to lessen about the 2nd or 3rd week into it. I smoke an occasional cigar, have had 3 of those total in past weeks, but I do not inhale them. Smoking a cigar is a thereaputic last resort for me it I have a real bad day, and the taste is nasty, but I am still analog free and id rather puff on one of those than smoke a nasty cigarette if it comes down to it. Best of luck to all vapers and keep at it!

 

[karenlee]

I seriously believe a step up in nicotine will do you wonders, even if its just some puffs of the strong stuff on occasion. The feeling I got when I stepped up to 36mg from 18mg was the equilavant of satisfying my hunger by stuffing myself. After a couple of days I went down to 24mg. Now I just hit 36mg at various times.

When you get enough that you have to put the vaporizer down I promise you won't be looking for an analog. The trick is low stuff for when you really want to vape like crazy and high stuff for when you can't satisfy the cravings. I also placed my vaporizer outside for a few days so instead of walking out and picking up a smoke. I could grab it and make it my smoke break. Although I vape constantly, I get cigarette type enjoyment when I have to make an effort to take a vape break.

good luck

also if you haven't done a straw mod on your carts I highly recommend you try it. It's been blowing my mind with nic the last 3 days since I tried it.

 

[karenlee]

Just got NJOY from Costco. Frustrated cause I feel I could suck on the darn thing all day and just get a headache. No nicotine buzz. Strongest cart is 18 mg. How do you get 36 mg and what is straw mod?

 

[mikea]

mikea: i am glad to hear that i am not alone. i never even liked the stench/smell of cigarettes before, which is why i assumed it would be a seamless transition. i guess even though nicotine is the main component that we're addicted to, when combined with all the other nasty stuff it can make all the other additives addictive too because we associate them with the pleasure that nicotine delivers (??) I don't know.

I think you're right -- there's other "stuff" that appears to be addicting.

At the very least I got this out of a quit-smoking program I was in many years ago (it wasn't a bad program but didn't work for me -- because I wasn't really ready to quit at that point): what we think of often as pleasure from smoking is actually just relief when the level of nicotine in the bloodstream has dropped below the tolerable level, and we raise it again. At least, that's what the lecturer said. So, after a meal we get real nutrients into our system, the nic level goes down, and ... post-meal: gotta have a smoke right now!

But still, it does sometimes feel like enjoyment, even if it's self-deceptive. Insidious habit! At this point it no longer feels like enjoyment to light up.

I'm noticing that my lungs feel better, what with my having cut way down. No more wheezing at night in bed, either. No nasty cough on waking up. So all that should outweigh the "pleasure" of smoking but still...it's not happening as quickly as I wish it were. Need to bring more will-power to bear on this. Clearly I'm not one of those people for whom the e-cig can do the whole job. (It sure helped big-time, though!)

 

[kathyst]

for me its not having the option for an analog. if there are analogs in the house, i will smoke them . ive already proven that to myself(unfortunately my brother is staying with us and he smokes analogs, so they are around when hes home). ive only been analog free for 2 days since i started, but the other days ive only had 2-5 (one day i smoked 10 because i went to work thinking it was only going to be a half day and ended up being a full day and i didnt bring my charger with me so i went and bought a pack, but still only smoked 10 in the time period i normally wouldve smoked a whole pack and started my next already). i still get the urge for an analog multiple times a day and i would definatley go have one if i had them, but theyre not around so i dont have the option and im not going to go to the store to buy a pack as that would, IMO, be a complete failure when i have my VP right here. im hoping when i find my "perfect" juice i will no longer get the urge for analogs.

i honestly think i get less nicotine now with the VP and ill be able to quit nicotine completely.

I totally get what you mean, T, that if there were analogs around you would smoke them. You say you have no option, but you do have the option -- you could talk yourself into allowing yourself to get a pack next time you're out, or even go out on purpose and get a pack. But you haven't (besides that one work day). So, I'm proud of you for not doing that.

That's my next phase, when I don't have any in the house.

kathy