What's your plan?..

[Copperhead]

I just got through reading(most) of the thread about the guy who never smoked but intends to start vaping to take some warped, nostalgic trip down memory lane…Friggin nuts IMO..That said.. he did raise a few points that gave me pause…Some folks mentioned about this being the first step to ridding themselves of a unhealthy practice…

I’m here because I’ve never been successful in giving up a bad habit…One which I really did WANT to give up….In the short time I’ve been vaping…I’ve gone from a pack and half a day of analogs to zero …and without much difficulty..

‘Course this is all still really new and exciting to me…The past week and a half I’ve been happier than a pig it mud…But is this really going to be a beginning to an end?…Like some others have mentioned…right now…I’m not even thinking about rocking the boat so to speak…I intend to savor this "victory" for awhile…Question is… How long is "awhile" gonna be?….

Compared to some of the stories I’ve read here…I guess I’ve been pretty lucky guy….or a boring one…I managed the find the right combination of ecig, juice and nicotine level that allows me to satisfy my addiction…all without much trial and error…Unless something unexpected arises…and besides maybe trying out a few different juice brands and vendors…I don’t see the need to experiment with any other systems…

My only concerns at present are maintaining an adequate supply of juice, batteries, and carts to feed my daily needs…Being a utilitarian kind of guy….I have no interest in fancier ecigs…specialty juices or attending vaping parties…I honestly don’t want to vape for the rest of my life…but then again I didn’t want to smoke analogs for the rest of my life either…

Somewhere down the line…I’m planning to try dropping my nicotine level and attempt to wean myself from this drug…I hope evenually I will be successful.…I don’t think I belong to another forum with folks that are as encouraging, helpful and nice as this one… Even so…I’d like to think eventually my days will be numbered…I don’t see much discussion related towards that goal…Just wondering what others long term plans are or if you’ve even given any thought about it at all….I like this place…and given a choice I’ll take being a long time member here over smoking analogs….Still…

 

[JC Okie]

Well...this is the new member forum, so it would make sense that people here are taking first steps....not last...in this journey. I have seen threads where people talk about how much they've lowered their nic levels....and it also makes sense that once a person has totally quit, he/she's probably not hanging around here anymore....

There's a thread called "Bricks Thread" that I just read through and that guy is down to 2mg and 0mg nic......close to quitting. Like I said, mostly here in the new members forum you're not going to hear much about the last mile....these people are lurking at the starting gate........

 

[Rosa]

I don't plan on quitting vaping. I don't even plan to lower my nicotine level. I noticed that I've forgotten to vape a few times though.. like after eating dinner or with my morning coffee.

So, even though I'm not watching it or hoping for it or encouraging it, it seems like my vaping might taper off on it's own over time. Who knows where it will lead, I'm not too concerned as long as I don't go back to smoking.

 

[Kythcat]

Copper, I feel the same way. I'm waiting on my order to show up on my doorstep right now. My plan is to work my way off analogs first, then after a while (could be 6 weeks, 6 months, maybe even a couple of years) work on lowering the nic levels. Once I'm down to 0nic, then I can work on quitting the motion of "smoking". I know it will be a long, lonely road for me, but in the end it will be worth it.

I'm trying not to put in stone an extact timeline to do all this. Just planning to keep on vaping until the time feels right. If it means I'm vaping till I'm in my grave, then so be it.

 

[NCC]

I don't plan on quitting vaping. I don't even plan to lower my nicotine level. I noticed that I've forgotten to vape a few times though.. like after eating dinner or with my morning coffee.

So, even though I'm not watching it or hoping for it or encouraging it, it seems like my vaping might taper off on it's own over time. Who knows where it will lead, I'm not too concerned as long as I don't go back to smoking.

Bravo! My sentiments precisely ... your whole post.

 

[FireHorse]

My plans for vaping are the same as it is with all my plans.... One day at a time. I don't make long term goals for myself because I know I may not survive long enough to achieve them. Seems silly to some, but that's how I live. I live life on a daily basis because I never know what will happen tomorrow. As the saying goes, "Tomorrow never happens because by the time it gets here, it's no longer tomorrow, it's today" This moment is all we really have, so for me, I'd rather enjoy and appreciate what I have right here and right now, than to fill myself with worries and concerns of what may or may not happen.

 

[FyreDragon]

I would like to think that eventually I will end up being able to drop my nic to zero. But for now, I know that it is time for me to simply be kind to myself, give myself plenty of time and stick to remaining analog free. That alone has been a huge improvement compared to the damage I was doing to myself with analogs. Who knows? I may never get there before I die. And if that happens, I am not that concerned about it.

But it was certain that remaining on the analogs was going to cost me either life, limb, or other morbidity and that not too far in the future. I had already been told that I was showing the early stages of COPD after over thirty years of smoking tobacco. For me vaping was a godsend. Regardless of my history of working in the medical field, and knowing full well what the consequences were, I would have continued smoking cigarettes anyway. Such is the nature of that addiction.

So... I will continue to vape, congratulate myself on having found and implemented a safer alternative to the analogs, reduce the amount of nic I am using as I feel I am ready to do so, and be happy that I live in an age when such wonders as e-cigs are a possibility.

At least for now, that's my plan!

 

[jimmy2x]

After smoking cigarettes for 50 years, I'm so damn happy to be off them (over three weeks now). Have absolutely no intention of even trying to quit vaping - enjoy it too much. Have I traded one addiction for another? Of course, but it HAS to be safer than the "real thing".

 

[grandmato5]

I didn't purchase my first e-cig to give up analogs but only to use an e-cig at times that it would be more convenient then an analog BUT when I lit a cigerette 4 hours after I started vaping and I really didn't like the taste of it I realized this was an opportunity to give up analogs which for me was amazingly easy to do.

I do now have a plan to eventually give up analogs but its a plan I know will take time and I am not going to rush to get there. I started with 20 mg nic and now am comfortably using 10-12 mg nic with only an occasional need to get a 18-20 mg boost once in a while. I plan to spend some time at this level even past needing that occasional 18-20 mg boost. Whenever I decide that its time I will attempt to reduce down to 8 mg with that occasional 12 mg boost or even 18 mg if I really do need it and hopefully continue to reduce that nic level a little at a time until I'm nic free.

Who knows if I will be successful but so far I have had success and that give me hope that at some time in the future I will be completely successful in no longer being addicted to nic. Who know, I might even decide to continue to vape at a 0 nic level just because I want to even if I no longer need to !

 

[Kevin Freeheart]

My goal will be to eventually drop to 0mg nic, but I'm not really thinking about when and how I'll do that.

My goal for now is to find the right e-juice so that I can be comfortable vaping and not smoking. Once I've found that, I'll start weaning off a few orders at a time, but I'll need to find the sweet spot first.

 

[Automaton]

You're not alone.

I have kind of a 2-year plan to get me down to no-nic and infrequent/no vaping. Sounds like a long forecast, and it is, but I want to take my time with it for a few reasons. A. I still enjoy my habit a little, B. My body doesn't take jolts to the system very well, and C. I'm scared to wean off, honestly.

By the time I turn 24, I want to have 2 batteries, 2 atomizers, a bottle of low-nic juice, and a charger sitting in a box somewhere, that I rarely touch. They will get replaced every year or two, as they expire. I will always keep them around. Why? Because if I get taken with the urge to break down and smoke, I don't want to wind up going to the gas station and buying a pack. I want to have something right there that I can turn to, in order to prevent relapse.

But I do want to get to the point where I can get through a day, or a week, or a month, without needing it. And I'll get there... slowly but surely. I'm already dialing down my nic... slowly but surely.

 

[WomanOfHeart]

I didn't start vaping with the intention of quitting smoking. For me, it happened pretty much the same way as it did for grandmato5. I wanted an alternative when analogs wouldn't work or be acceptable, and I wanted to be able to get my nicotine without having to go to our downstairs "Smoking Lounge" or outside. Vaping cut down my use of analogs from a pack and a half to just a half in a couple of days. Once I got myself set up right, the analogs were history. It was painless and nothing short of amazing, but still, I have no intention at this point to quit vaping or even try to decrease my nicotine levels. I'm thrilled with the results and the savings.

Vape your head off, but not if you've never smoked before.

 

[banjo]

CopperHead: nice post and very thoughtful. My only reason for taking up vaping was to get off analogs. I was a heavy smoker for over 55 years, and had just about resigned myself to dying with a pack of cigarettes in my pocket. I bought a Joye 510 kit and quit smoking the same day. I did, for a while, keep a pack of smokes around - just in case, but I never needed them and I tossed them out about a month ago. Because it is such a relief being smoke free, I haven't really considered trying to wean myself off vaping, and I doubt that I will. I have, though, lowered my nic level from 30mg to 24mg, and might go lower if it feels right, but I'm not going to worry or think about it.

 

[agcat]

Vaping is one of the few pleasures I have left in my old age and I'm not about to quit. I found a flavor almost 8 months ago that I like more than a cigarette and I like it. I mean I really LIKE it. I don't ever remember saying that about a cigarette.

 

[Affectionatedragon]

Gosh, that's a really good question. I just started, and I haven't completely quit analogs yet, so really haven't thought about what my long term plan is. I think for now, I'd just be happy to not have to smell like an ashtray where ever I go.

 

[smitti1]

My goal is to get to 0mg nic. That's my only goal. If I happen to give up on vaping after, that's fine. If not, that's fine too. By the end of 47 yrs smoking, I had become a very heavy smoker. I knew within 5 min of starting up my Ego, that I could do this and haven't looked back. All other attempt at quitting had failed miserably, and had pretty much given up on ever quitting. I first ordered 24mg & 18mg nic levels not knowing where to start. 24mg was definitely too much, but did fine w/18mg. Gradually, I could tell I needed a lower level and am now at 12mg. My body just kinda figured it out for me, so that part has been a no-brainer. Now 18mg is too much, and am going to have to dilute it. I'm lowering the nic level far faster than I ever imagined I would. It's not any decision I've made, it's my body telling me. Now I get a big buzz on 18mg. Whew! Can't take that.

Except for a blood pressure upset, not smoking has been absolutely painless for me. BP much better now. It's been fun, interesting and have found so much help here on ECF! I still have a pack of analogs on shelf under my desk, a pack in the glove compartment, and 2 in a pack here on my desk. Haven't been tempted even once to light up. WoooHooo!!! All I want now is to get completely off the nic. and will keep on vaping for however long I need/want to. The way it's going, I won't need to decide to lower the nic. My body is calling the shots for me. : ) I couldn't be happier.

Wishing all of you the best!!! Keep at it & don't give up! Success with vaping is different for everyone, so don't get discouraged if it takes you awhile to totally give up the analogs.

PS: I have finally quit looking for my cigs/lighter/ashtray too. : )

 

[Magus86]

I enjoy smoking. I enjoy vaping. I know smoking is bad for me, and it's an expensive habit. So when I found out about e-cigs, I saw it as an opportunity to be healthier and save money(I haven't gotten to the saving money part yet, I'm still buying crap, but hopefully that will end as soon as I get my multi-pack of atomizers. I'm sure it will start up again when I need more juice, but I don't plan on buying more than juice and replacement parts). I haven't totally given up smoking yet, but I've greatly reduced it. In the last two and a half months since I started vaping, I've only bought 2 packs of cigarettes. I was never a heavy smoker to begin with, but 2 packs in 2 months is a hell of a lot better than 2-3 packs a week or more. My plan was never to quit or stop inhaling nicotine. I enjoy it. And I REALLY enjoy vaping specifically because of all the amazing flavors the juices come in. I don't ever plan on quitting or reducing my nicotine. That may change one day, but I know that now I'm breathing better and not coughing up phlegm all the time. I feel better overall. I like the fact that I can get juice with ginseng in it. It helps wake me up in the morning and keep me going throughout the day. Screw coffee, I got my chocolate eclair-flavored "cigarette."

 

[amlall]

I didn't start with the intention of quitting, but i've been vaping 2 weeks and haven't touched an analog since. I thinks thats great. For now if i quit i quit if i don't oh well, at least i'm saving money and not killing my lungs

 

[Kizmara]

My plan: Today I will not smoke a cigarette.
Come tomorrow my plan will be the same.

 

[Vapomaniac]

Hi Copperhead (don't bite me!!),

My "plan", if one could call it that, is simply to stay off the analogs for as long as I can, hopefully, for the rest of my life. As for how long I plan to vape or whether I plan to wean myself off of nicotine completely, I suppose I'll play that by ear. I'm already mixing batches of no-nic juices and switching off between those and the hi-octane, pre-mixed juices. I obviously still need the nic, but I find that vaping satisfies the other components to the smoking habit.

Will I ever go to zero-nic or stop vaping all together? I dunno, honestly. I guess I'm a play-it-by-ear kind of girl


Best of luck, CH!

Marie