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Since making the switch from cigs to vaping

CactusCutie

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
It has only been a few days since I've made the switch from being a 1 PAD to 1.5 PAD smoker of analog tobacco cigarettes to vaping. Now I will confess I am not switched over 100% yet. I've only been vaping about 3 or 4 days and still have about 5 or 6 traditional smokes a day BUT here's what's been happening to me and I have been wondering if there are others out there who went through or are presently experiencing the same thing (or similar). If not what was your transition like?
First let me say everything that has been happening has been exceedingly positive. :bliss:
Second, experiencing vaping for myself has only served to make me one of its strongest supporters.
I am awed on all accounts at the changes not only physically, but emotionally and mentally as well, that I am experiencing.

You know the story. I smoked for more years then I cared for or honestly enjoyed. I knew it wasn't good for me and yet I persisted despite the passing of years, loved ones from cancer and the warning signs my body was and is sending me be damned.

I'm sure a lot of you know all too well the 'rationalizations' we were, or are using to keep firing up the cancer sticks despite what was happening to us. I had tons of them but what is really sad is if we're honest they all boil down to one. That being, "As long as I don't get cancer, or leukemia and I don't have to drag around an oxygen tank I'm in good health. I can ignore everything that is happening to me and my body.... right?....right?...I said right?" :crazy: :bomb:

I won't bore you with the minutia about my health concerns. I will say I am not a doctor. I have not professional medical training. Like most of you I am somebody's patient. These are just my personal observations and changes I've noticed within myself and will share with you (if you're interested). In no particular order:

What I will say, however, is that in just a matter of 3 to 4 days since I've been vaping here's what's happened:
----I've gone from smoking 1-1.5 PAD of smokes down to 8 on my first day.
----On my second day it was seven.
----I can have an alcoholic drink (I do enjoy a glass of wine) and NOT have to have a cigarette or my vape pen in my hand at the same time. :)
----Today I've had 4. I've been up since 5:00a.m. so that's pretty good in my mind. I'm not smoking them down to the filter. I'm actually putting them out with almost a third left and have no desire to finish.
----When I 'want a smoke' I find myself wanting to vape instead. :inlove: Biggest surprise of all, I thought I'd be sucking on that thing like crazy trying to use it as a 'replacement' for a smoke. NOPE! A few puffs will do me and I'm satisfied. I should track how often I take hits on it. It isn't as often as I thought it would be.
----I'm not 'nic-fittin' all the time.
----My legs aren't achy, sore and throbbing any more like they usually are.
----I'm not coughing when I talk, laugh or exert myself or bend over, etc.
----I'm not wheezing in my sleep.
----I'm not congested anymore.
----I don't reek of cigarette smoke. Instead I smell rather sweet as in Pina Colada sweet. :p
----I don't have the munchies, or feel the need to eat incessantly. In fact I eat less.
----I sleep really well.

Most importantly I feel happy. I feel like my goal is reachable. I honestly believe that, "YES, I can quit cigarettes and not get cancer or some hideous disease and die from it. Then, if I want, I can reduce nicotine levels and not have to worry about that 'addiction' aspect if I want to address it. Then I can just vape because it is just so much damn fun!" :bingo:

My goal is to be at zero analog cigarettes by the end of November and 100% vaping. By the end of December I'd like to get to 16 mg of nicotine and by the end of January 12mg.

I am presently using a 18mg nicotine juice in a Vaportech Verve pen style with a 650 mAn battery and refill tank with Sub-Ohm bottom vertical Coil. Not the most sophisticated or newest out there but works well for clueless newbies like me and gives good mouth to lung satisfaction much the way a traditional cigarette does.

So how is it going for the rest of you? What's going on with the rest of you guys? What changes are you noticing since you started vaping? Any goals you have set or a plan you're working on?

Have a good one.
C.C.
 

CactusCutie

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
Well thank you. I'm happy to share because it is all true. Even my husband has seen the change and is encouraging me. That in and of its self has helped.
How about you Leticia? How were things when you started vaping? Notice any changes? If not in your body then in mind and mood?
 

Angrygod50

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Member For 3 Years
Member For 2 Years
It'll only get better. Your taste, smell and breathing will improve also. I feel that once you find a replacement for the "ceremony" of smoking the cigarette no longer matters.
 

CactusCutie

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
"Ceremony" is such an interesting and apt choice of words for smoking that analog isn't it?
The first one of the morning. The one after we eat. The one after work or on the drive home. The one with our drink or before bed. Why is it we can get rid of all of the smoking and easily replace them with vaping and not have a second thought but often those few ritualistic ones seem to be the hardest?

How did you do it? Any advice or good tips?
 

AndriaD

Yes, I DO wear a mask! I'm vaccinated, too!
VU Donator
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Member For 5 Years
It has only been a few days since I've made the switch from being a 1 PAD to 1.5 PAD smoker of analog tobacco cigarettes to vaping. Now I will confess I am not switched over 100% yet. I've only been vaping about 3 or 4 days and still have about 5 or 6 traditional smokes a day BUT here's what's been happening to me and I have been wondering if there are others out there who went through or are presently experiencing the same thing (or similar). If not what was your transition like?
First let me say everything that has been happening has been exceedingly positive. :bliss:
Second, experiencing vaping for myself has only served to make me one of its strongest supporters.
I am awed on all accounts at the changes not only physically, but emotionally and mentally as well, that I am experiencing.

You know the story. I smoked for more years then I cared for or honestly enjoyed. I knew it wasn't good for me and yet I persisted despite the passing of years, loved ones from cancer and the warning signs my body was and is sending me be damned.

I'm sure a lot of you know all too well the 'rationalizations' we were, or are using to keep firing up the cancer sticks despite what was happening to us. I had tons of them but what is really sad is if we're honest they all boil down to one. That being, "As long as I don't get cancer, or leukemia and I don't have to drag around an oxygen tank I'm in good health. I can ignore everything that is happening to me and my body.... right?....right?...I said right?" :crazy: :bomb:

I won't bore you with the minutia about my health concerns. I will say I am not a doctor. I have not professional medical training. Like most of you I am somebody's patient. These are just my personal observations and changes I've noticed within myself and will share with you (if you're interested). In no particular order:

What I will say, however, is that in just a matter of 3 to 4 days since I've been vaping here's what's happened:
----I've gone from smoking 1-1.5 PAD of smokes down to 8 on my first day.
----On my second day it was seven.
----I can have an alcoholic drink (I do enjoy a glass of wine) and NOT have to have a cigarette or my vape pen in my hand at the same time. :)
----Today I've had 4. I've been up since 5:00a.m. so that's pretty good in my mind. I'm not smoking them down to the filter. I'm actually putting them out with almost a third left and have no desire to finish.
----When I 'want a smoke' I find myself wanting to vape instead. :inlove: Biggest surprise of all, I thought I'd be sucking on that thing like crazy trying to use it as a 'replacement' for a smoke. NOPE! A few puffs will do me and I'm satisfied. I should track how often I take hits on it. It isn't as often as I thought it would be.
----I'm not 'nic-fittin' all the time.
----My legs aren't achy, sore and throbbing any more like they usually are.
----I'm not coughing when I talk, laugh or exert myself or bend over, etc.
----I'm not wheezing in my sleep.
----I'm not congested anymore.
----I don't reek of cigarette smoke. Instead I smell rather sweet as in Pina Colada sweet. :p
----I don't have the munchies, or feel the need to eat incessantly. In fact I eat less.
----I sleep really well.

Most importantly I feel happy. I feel like my goal is reachable. I honestly believe that, "YES, I can quit cigarettes and not get cancer or some hideous disease and die from it. Then, if I want, I can reduce nicotine levels and not have to worry about that 'addiction' aspect if I want to address it. Then I can just vape because it is just so much damn fun!" :bingo:

My goal is to be at zero analog cigarettes by the end of November and 100% vaping. By the end of December I'd like to get to 16 mg of nicotine and by the end of January 12mg.

I am presently using a 18mg nicotine juice in a Vaportech Verve pen style with a 650 mAn battery and refill tank with Sub-Ohm bottom vertical Coil. Not the most sophisticated or newest out there but works well for clueless newbies like me and gives good mouth to lung satisfaction much the way a traditional cigarette does.

So how is it going for the rest of you? What's going on with the rest of you guys? What changes are you noticing since you started vaping? Any goals you have set or a plan you're working on?

Have a good one.
C.C.

You remind me of myself, about 3 and a half yrs ago. :D And the way you're doing it is also VERY similar to how I did it, and it just seemed so easy -- one of the things I liked best about vaping was when I discovered that I didn't have to drop cigarettes like a hot rock -- I was damned attached to those coffin nails! -- but could let them fall away almost on their own, as I continued to vape and to enjoy it more and more. And within about 3 wks of starting to vape regularly, fall way they did. The very last one, the one in the morning, was the only one that proved very challenging; I discovered that when I was half-asleep, I kept trying to vape as if I was smoking -- short, fast, hard pulls, fast and deep inhales... and that just doesn't work very well for max nic absorption. Once I addressed that... I was smoke-free for the first time in 39 yrs.

So I'd say, way to go, keep it up, and before you know it... you'll be a non-smoker. The only caution I will offer is, don't let the ease of it contribute to any thoughts of a relapse, despite whatever rationalization your brain may throw to justify a relapse -- it's a good bit harder to do it, the 2nd time. Much easier to stay smoke-free, than get that way.

And hey, welcome to VU and the best part of your life! :hug:

Andria
 

CactusCutie

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
Hi Andrea! :hug:
Thanks for saying I seem just like you. I'll take that as a huge compliment! :)

Yeah, it is seeming all a bit too easy which is making me kind of nervous because I know quitting cigarette smoking is NOT easy. It is miserable and hard. I had been a non smoker twice before. Once for 6 years and once for 3. Then I relapsed both times! Like kick me in the ass hard for that stupidity right? :kickbutt:

So here I am again at try #3 and the last time! I do mean the last time. God, smoking is such a disgusting habit. Not the actual smoking in and of its self but what it does to you and the slow dismantling of your health and well being on all levels.

Like you I am discovering that the desire to smoke analog cigarettes is just falling away on its own. I don't have to drop it like a hot rock. That is comforting in a way to those of us with addictive personalities. Something I noticed, and it sounds like you have too is that deprivation plays a part. When we feel like we're going to be deprived of what we want then like bratty kids we don't want to give it up or let go not matter how much it is destroying us. If we have something equally satisfying----or more so in the case of vaping, that will take its place. We start to realize on our own we aren't missing anything by letting go of our old habit (tobacco cigs) then they fall by the way side. We've replaced them with vaping.

It is those last few 'ritualistic' ones I'm struggling with and that seems kind of stupid to me. I've been trying to ponder their significance and figure out what exactly it is they 'mean' to me. I feel like if I can do that I can let them go completely.

I did like what you said about 'smoking/vaping' style and adjusting between the two. There is definitely a difference! Even though I'm using a vape pen that functions mouth to lung style much like a traditional cigarette I've had to learn I can't take a mega huge hit off that puppy and pull it down deep like I did when I took a drag off a smoke. :blech: Much more shallow and frequent 'taps' so to speak are required. Also I can't be at it for as long as it takes me to smoke a cigarette. Ewwwww..... more then 4 or 5 tokes in a row and I get dizzy and sick. Waaaaaaaay too much nicotine all at once. I think this is also a big factor in helping me kick the habit and transition.

If you don't mind my asking, what type of vaping device are you using presently? What did you start out on? What is your opinion about my pic of vape pen/vapor delivery system for a newbie?

And yeah, you guys can laugh but should I ever get the good old fashioned cigarette blues again and want a 'smoke', I thought ahead. I bought a couple of cigalikes. I figured they'd fit the bill and substitute nicely.

Thanks so much for the encouragement and help.
It means the world. And so does all the good advice. It is so much appreciated.
You guys are the best!
:vino:
 

JuicyLucy

My name is Lucy and I am a squonkaholic
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It is those last few 'ritualistic' ones I'm struggling with and that seems kind of stupid to me. I've been trying to ponder their significance and figure out what exactly it is they 'mean' to me. I feel like if I can do that I can let them go completely

Don't let that make you feel stupid - cigarette addiction goes deep inside the lizard part of our brains, lol

Andria helped me finally stop having those few smokes a day and become 100% smoke free - that was in January 2016 :) Not one cigarette since then and in three months will have been a free of cigarettes for two whole years

Identifying the triggers that make you want to smoke - and figure out how to disconnect it is smart

For me, having a special vape for use only when I wanted a cigarette really helped
 

UncleRJ

Will write reviews for Beer!
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Sounds very familiar.

The kind soul that gave me my first kit as a promotion for his budding vape empire told me flat out that it was A-OK to start my day with a smoke, then switch to vape and grab a smoke as needed and finish the day with a smoke.

I followed his advice and about12 days later found that I just no longer wanted to smoke and I went 100% vape and never looked back.
 

AndriaD

Yes, I DO wear a mask! I'm vaccinated, too!
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Hi Andrea! :hug:
Thanks for saying I seem just like you. I'll take that as a huge compliment! :)

Yeah, it is seeming all a bit too easy which is making me kind of nervous because I know quitting cigarette smoking is NOT easy. It is miserable and hard. I had been a non smoker twice before. Once for 6 years and once for 3. Then I relapsed both times! Like kick me in the ass hard for that stupidity right? :kickbutt:

So here I am again at try #3 and the last time! I do mean the last time. God, smoking is such a disgusting habit. Not the actual smoking in and of its self but what it does to you and the slow dismantling of your health and well being on all levels.

Like you I am discovering that the desire to smoke analog cigarettes is just falling away on its own. I don't have to drop it like a hot rock. That is comforting in a way to those of us with addictive personalities. Something I noticed, and it sounds like you have too is that deprivation plays a part. When we feel like we're going to be deprived of what we want then like bratty kids we don't want to give it up or let go not matter how much it is destroying us. If we have something equally satisfying----or more so in the case of vaping, that will take its place. We start to realize on our own we aren't missing anything by letting go of our old habit (tobacco cigs) then they fall by the way side. We've replaced them with vaping.

It is those last few 'ritualistic' ones I'm struggling with and that seems kind of stupid to me. I've been trying to ponder their significance and figure out what exactly it is they 'mean' to me. I feel like if I can do that I can let them go completely.

I did like what you said about 'smoking/vaping' style and adjusting between the two. There is definitely a difference! Even though I'm using a vape pen that functions mouth to lung style much like a traditional cigarette I've had to learn I can't take a mega huge hit off that puppy and pull it down deep like I did when I took a drag off a smoke. :blech: Much more shallow and frequent 'taps' so to speak are required. Also I can't be at it for as long as it takes me to smoke a cigarette. Ewwwww..... more then 4 or 5 tokes in a row and I get dizzy and sick. Waaaaaaaay too much nicotine all at once. I think this is also a big factor in helping me kick the habit and transition.

If you don't mind my asking, what type of vaping device are you using presently? What did you start out on? What is your opinion about my pic of vape pen/vapor delivery system for a newbie?

And yeah, you guys can laugh but should I ever get the good old fashioned cigarette blues again and want a 'smoke', I thought ahead. I bought a couple of cigalikes. I figured they'd fit the bill and substitute nicely.

Thanks so much for the encouragement and help.
It means the world. And so does all the good advice. It is so much appreciated.
You guys are the best!
:vino:

Well, the very first vape I tried was a cigalike, but having tried the disposable ones from the drugstores, I knew they sucked -- mostly the flavor; the original Njoy disposables were otherwise actually a very good proof-of-concept -- but tasted like eucalyptus. Eeeeuuww. So, I got an eRoll, so I could recharge it, and use my own choice of ejuice -- a Virginia flavor from MyFreedomSmokes turned out to taste remarkably like a Virginia Slim! :D

But, I hated both the recharge/refill every 15 minute dance, and also the declining satisfaction of each puff, thx to the non-adjustable nature. Someone clued me in to 'variable wattage," and the Innokin iTaste vv3, so I got one of those -- and also a Kanger T3S clearomizer, since the Innokin top-coil clearos were just SHIT -- and that was so perfect, after those eRolls! Though it was the eRoll that initially got me to the point of quitting, it was the vv3/T3S that sealed the deal. I guess that would be considered a pen style, since it's very slender.

I spent the first couple months as a vaper swearing up and down and sideways that I would NEVER EVER build my own coils; the very idea of "messing with electrical shit" just flat out terrified me. Then one day it occurred to me that I'd already done the awfullest scariest thing I could imagine: quitting smoking... which made other things seem a lot less scary, since the quitting smoking turned out to be not much of a thing at all. :D So I learned... got a kayfun lite plus, then a few more of 'em... then I started doing DIY ejuice, and wound up with the most delicious strawberry & cream... which was a gunk monster and a half, so it really needed an RDA, to cut down on wastage.... I tried this and that, and finally, the Achilles.... and still use the Achilles pretty much exclusively, more than 2 yrs later, because it's simply the best tight-draw MtL RDA ever built... and not available anywhere anymore, to my extreme rage and consternation.

Andria
 

CactusCutie

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
Wow! About the only words in there I understood was NJOY and Virginia Slims. :D
You're awesome!
I'm a bit slow on the uptake here and I hope you'll forgive me but at the moment I have to get dinner ready and I also need to re read your post and digest the vocabulary so I can respond intelligently. You gotta break me in gently with the vocabulary. I'm still learning. :rolleyes:

But I do get the core of what you're saying.
Quitting smoking is the scariest part.
The rest gets easier including learning about vaping and doing something we thought we'd never do which is building our own gizmos and gadgets and making our own juice.
Impressive really when you think about it how far we can make it and take it when we're determined to go somewhere.
I'm looking forward to learning from you and all here.

Have a good night.
I'm starvin!
C.C.
 

okeasykilla

Member For 5 Years
What I will say, however, is that in just a matter of 3 to 4 days since I've been vaping here's what's happened:
----I've gone from smoking 1-1.5 PAD of smokes down to 8 on my first day.
----On my second day it was seven.
----I can have an alcoholic drink (I do enjoy a glass of wine) and NOT have to have a cigarette or my vape pen in my hand at the same time.
----Today I've had 4. I've been up since 5:00a.m. so that's pretty good in my mind. I'm not smoking them down to the filter. I'm actually putting them out with almost a third left and have no desire to finish.
----When I 'want a smoke' I find myself wanting to vape instead. :inlove: Biggest surprise of all, I thought I'd be sucking on that thing like crazy trying to use it as a 'replacement' for a smoke. NOPE! A few puffs will do me and I'm satisfied. I should track how often I take hits on it. It isn't as often as I thought it would be.
----I'm not 'nic-fittin' all the time.
----My legs aren't achy, sore and throbbing any more like they usually are.
----I'm not coughing when I talk, laugh or exert myself or bend over, etc.
----I'm not wheezing in my sleep.
----I'm not congested anymore.
----I don't reek of cigarette smoke. Instead I smell rather sweet as in Pina Colada sweet.
----I don't have the munchies, or feel the need to eat incessantly. In fact I eat less.
----I sleep really well.

Most importantly I feel happy. I feel like my goal is reachable. I honestly believe that, "YES, I can quit cigarettes and not get cancer or some hideous disease and die from it. Then, if I want, I can reduce nicotine levels and not have to worry about that 'addiction' aspect if I want to address it. Then I can just vape because it is just so much damn fun!" :bingo:
C.C.
Isn’t it great?!

It'll only get better. Your taste, smell and breathing will improve also. I feel that once you find a replacement for the "ceremony" of smoking the cigarette no longer matters.
+1 This is true.

And hey, welcome to VU and the best part of your life! :hug:

Andria


And yeah, you guys can laugh but should I ever get the good old fashioned cigarette blues again and want a 'smoke', I thought ahead. I bought a couple of cigalikes. I figured they'd fit the bill and substitute nicely.
:

Well, the very first vape I tried was a cigalike, but having tried the disposable ones from the drugstores, I knew they sucked -- mostly the flavor; the original Njoy disposables were otherwise actually a very good proof-of-concept -- but tasted like eucalyptus. Eeeeuuww. So, I got an eRoll, so I could recharge it, and use my own choice of ejuice -- a Virginia flavor from MyFreedomSmokes turned out to taste remarkably like a Virginia Slim!

But, I hated both the recharge/refill every 15 minute dance, and also the declining satisfaction of each puff, thx to the non-adjustable nature. Someone clued me in to 'variable wattage," and the Innokin iTaste vv3, so I got one of those -- and also a Kanger T3S clearomizer, since the Innokin top-coil clearos were just SHIT -- and that was so perfect, after those eRolls! Though it was the eRoll that initially got me to the point of quitting, it was the vv3/T3S that sealed the deal. I guess that would be considered a pen style, since it's very slender.
Andria
Have you guys seen these? Supposedly they’re a new & improved eRoll. When I saw the eRoll it was already too late, they’d stop making them. But...
IMG_1234.JPG




Sent from the future.
 
Last edited:

AndriaD

Yes, I DO wear a mask! I'm vaccinated, too!
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Member For 5 Years
Wow! About the only words in there I understood was NJOY and Virginia Slims. :D
You're awesome!
I'm a bit slow on the uptake here and I hope you'll forgive me but at the moment I have to get dinner ready and I also need to re read your post and digest the vocabulary so I can respond intelligently. You gotta break me in gently with the vocabulary. I'm still learning. :rolleyes:

But I do get the core of what you're saying.
Quitting smoking is the scariest part.
The rest gets easier including learning about vaping and doing something we thought we'd never do which is building our own gizmos and gadgets and making our own juice.
Impressive really when you think about it how far we can make it and take it when we're determined to go somewhere.
I'm looking forward to learning from you and all here.

Have a good night.
I'm starvin!
C.C.

You're not alone; it's a huge learning curve for everyone, all the jargon, all the atomizers and mods that do this or that or the other thing -- really the whole first year is like a crash course in atomizer technology, nicotine+PG/VG+flavors chemistry, electronic/battery technology, and alllllllllll the jargon that goes along with all of it -- and all the trials of this or that hardware, to try and find just the right way, the best way, the most personally-satisfying way to vape. Thankfully, none of it is *terribly* expensive; once the cigarettes are gone, there turns out to be a good bit of cash for all that trying of this and that and the other thing. To me, that sudden cash flow was one of the very best aspects, and continues to be!

And it's true that new stuff comes out all the time; one thing I've learned is to never buy new hardware till it's been out for a while; read reviews, watch video reviews, see what people say about the new hardware... and watch the prices fall over the first 6-12 months after a new thing is released -- because other new stuff comes out all the time. Vape prices go down faster than PC/smartphone prices!

Andria
 

okeasykilla

Member For 5 Years
Wow! About the only words in there I understood was NJOY and Virginia Slims. :D
You're awesome!
I'm a bit slow on the uptake here and I hope you'll forgive me but at the moment I have to get dinner ready and I also need to re read your post and digest the vocabulary so I can respond intelligently. You gotta break me in gently with the vocabulary. I'm still learning. :rolleyes:

C.C.
No worries you’ll pick up the lingo pretty fast. Then you’ll be telling us how you dropped a Clapton in your rda by December lol.




Sent from the future.
 

AndriaD

Yes, I DO wear a mask! I'm vaccinated, too!
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Member For 5 Years
No worries you’ll pick up the lingo pretty fast. Then you’ll be telling us how you dropped a Clapton in your rda by December lol.




Sent from the future.

Unless she decides she doesn't need to be a poser and just uses regular normal coils. ;)

Andria
 

Rossum

Gold Contributor
Member For 3 Years
What I will say, however, is that in just a matter of 3 to 4 days since I've been vaping here's what's happened:
Amazing, isn't it?

My goal is to be at zero analog cigarettes by the end of November and 100% vaping. By the end of December I'd like to get to 16 mg of nicotine and by the end of January 12mg.
You might be getting ahead of yourself here. Nicotine is not the enemy, smoke is. Do not reduce nic too soon or too fast since doing so might have you jonesing for a cig. For a lot of people, there's a few humps to get across when after they quit. The first one often occurs around 3 days after your last cig. The next around 3 weeks, and the last often around 3 months. It might be prudent not to reduce nic until you're sure you're over them, or at ther very least, keep some high-test liquid around to help you get over them if needed.

Oh, and if you haven't already, get backup gear. Then get a backup for your backup. Yes, I'm serious. Stuff breaks or mysteriously stops working.

So how is it going for the rest of you? What's going on with the rest of you guys? What changes are you noticing since you started vaping? Any goals you have set or a plan you're working on?
I'm few months shy of 4 years, and I still feel at least 5 years younger than when I was smoking.
 

AndriaD

Yes, I DO wear a mask! I'm vaccinated, too!
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Member For 5 Years
You might be getting ahead of yourself here. Nicotine is not the enemy, smoke is. Do not reduce nic too soon or too fast since doing so might have you jonesing for a cig. For a lot of people, there's a few humps to get across when after they quit. The first one often occurs around 3 days after your last cig. The next around 3 weeks, and the last often around 3 months. It might be prudent not to reduce nic until you're sure you're over them, or at ther very least, keep some high-test liquid around to help you get over them if needed.

Oh, and if you haven't already, get backup gear. Then get a backup for your backup. Yes, I'm serious. Stuff breaks or mysteriously stops working.


I'm few months shy of 4 years, and I still feel at least 5 years younger than when I was smoking.

Yes to all this, and definitely pay attention to Rossum -- he was one of my role models and best cheerleaders over at the other forum, butthead central, and offered really excellent advice the entire time I was there -- imagine my delight to find him HERE! :D :D :D

The nicotine will gradually fall away in time, it's a natural progression.. but there is no need to rush it, UNLESS you have some serious cardiovascular dysfunction that make it a necessity -- nicotine is probably the LEAST harmful active ingredient in cigarettes, but it does have a mild vasoconstriction effect, similar to caffeine in many ways. That was one reason I started decreasing, to help my wintertime "popsicle paws"; I've been at 3mg for close to 2 yrs now, and it really does help; my hands are nearly always warm, and also my feet, and that is a BLESSING!

And absolutely you need backups for your backups' backups. Murphy LOVES vaping, and "shit happens" is more true in vaping that anything I've ever seen before. and it needs to always be easier to find something to vape, than to run down to the store for smokes. ;)

Andria
 

CactusCutie

Member For 2 Years
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Hi gang,

Been enjoying the responses and input. I love hearing the personal stories and experiences. It makes this so much more real for me and I don't feel like I'm alone in the transitioning. I know many of you are years past this stage but I still appreciate you sharing your stories. I don't think you realize just how important it is to people like myself who are quitting tobacco. It is a huge source of support and inspiration.:)

I found plenty of 'cold turkey' or traditional NRT support sites out there. Lots of sheeple who buy into the idea that the only evil surrounding smoking tobacco is nicotine and the addiction aspect; not the myriad of chemicals and the toxic smoke you inhale that cause lung cancer or leukemia and other hideous diseases that if you're lucky and get to live will leave you toting an oxygen tank the rest of your life.

I agree with you about the nicotine being the least harmful thing in cigarettes. Just pisses me off to no end a lot of antis are impervious to that fact and won't address it. They want to stomp on you with both feet about 'nicotine addiction' and their perceived notion of how you are still smoking because you vape. :blah:

Well I say................:finger: to them! They're missing the point! At least I think so.

Here's what else we can add to the list of things that are happening since I've been transitioning:

The most awesome thing happened yesterday when I went grocery shopping. Went to the store and for the first time ever, I wasn't worried about walking out of there without a pack of cigarettes. It didn't even cross my mind to ask for them. It didn't even occur to me. Day 3 and I still have cigarettes left in my pack! Wow!!!

I won't say I'm cured of nicotine addiction as I'm still using an 18mg vaping juice but I have noticed a lot less harmful effects compared to smoking tobacco cigarettes. It does still cause me some problems like what you mentioned Andria, with the mild vasoconstriction. That is the main reason I want to reduce the amount of nicotine in my e juice to address that much like you've done and I'm sure others. I don't like popsicle paws either.

Vaping is a blessing because I can indeed choose when and how much nicotine to opt for. I could never do that with analog cigarettes.

And yes ........most excellent advice when it comes to getting a backup device so I don't have to smoke should my present device quit working. I took you up on that suggestion and ordered one. Got a cute red Lady Q starter kit by Artery. Check it out. Very 'girly-girl', small and looks like a lipstick. So chic and stylish.:shades:

For some reason I don't see me using one of those bigger box shaped models that have become very popular. I have nothing against them. They are so cool and make great smoke. I just like compact objects that fit in my small hands and are easy for me to handle and use. That's why I like the vape pens. (The eRoll above is very nice.) Just a personal preference.

I do see me eventually tinkering with and learning to make my own juices though. Has anyone experienced what I call 'burnt plastic' taste? :blech: I'm not sure if it has to do with the difference between using a box shaped vaporizer versus a pen style or the amount of nicotine but I've noticed some juice (that I've sampled) tastes like burnt plastic.

I stopped in one vape shop and they mix their own juices. The other thing I noticed was that every vaporizer they sold was a box model. They sold NO vape pens. When I asked if the juice would work in my pen the guy said, "YEP." Well to make a long story short it does work but it tastes like crap. So much so I literally got sick and wound up throwing the whole bottle away ($18.00) and replacing my coil . :gaah::cuss2: I went to a different vape shop. They sold several different models of vaporizers. I bought some new juice. Tastes much better! Anyone else ever have this problem?
 
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Rossum

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I stopped in one vape shop and they mix their own juices. The other thing I noticed was that every vaporizer they sold was a box model. They sold NO vape pens. When I asked if the juice would work in my pen the guy said, "YEP." Well to make a long story short it does work but it tastes like crap. So much so I literally got sick and wound up throwing the whole bottle away ($18.00) and replacing my coil . :gaah::cuss2: I went to a different vape shop. They sold several different models of vaporizers. I bought some new juice. Tastes much better! Anyone else ever have this problem?
I'd speculate that it was too heavy on VG and did not wick well in the device you're currently using.
 

Letitia9

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Unless she decides she doesn't need to be a poser and just uses regular normal coils. ;)

Andria
Now now...I don't consider myself a poser and use tri core fc in my Nanos. I just like them better.
 

AndriaD

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It sounds like a problem with the coil/airflow; most commercial ejuice nowadays is very high VG, which is very thick, and doesn't wick well in a pen-type setup -- that was one of the major reasons why a lot of folks started using rebuildable systems, back when; now there are "sub-ohm" type tanks, which WILL handle thick ejuice very well... however most of them have this huge whooshing hurricane airflow, which is not satisfying to someone who wants the "thick milkshake thru a straw" type of draw -- like a cigarette's! With the huff type of draw, you literally have to huff, rather than take a normal draw, and that's nothing at all like smoking. Like me, you may have to learn to make your own juice just so you can make some that corresponds to the way you want to vape -- I've got no use at all for the huff vapes; I never huffed chemicals out of paper bags, and have no plans to start, so I see NO reason to vape that way -- I'm trying to refrain from smoking, not huffing!

It's a natural thing when vapers start, to want something small; cigarettes are small, and for some reason, a lot of us think the form factor is significant -- but it's really not; the vape itself is a lot more critical than the shape it comes in. The longer you vape, the more you'll get accustomed to the thing in your hand not being a cigarette, so what difference what shape it is? ;) There are box mods which are VERY tiny -- Eleaf Pico comes to mind, and there are others. With a mod like that, you're not limited to the tiny tanks that can handle only thin ejuice.

Andria
 

AndriaD

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Now now...I don't consider myself a poser and use tri core fc in my Nanos. I just like them better.

But you're not posting pics of your coils either, showing us how pretty and jewelry-like they are. ;)

Andria
 

CactusCutie

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:p Cute.
I guess I should clarify a bit. It doesn't have to look like a cigarette. I could care less if it looked like a cactus. My preference for it to be small is because I am. I'm 5'3" and 115 lbs. So yeah, I'm a tiny person with tiny hands. I'm also not one of those women who carry huuuuuuuuuge purses. I carry a purse not a Samsonite. I got enough shit I cram in it already competing for space. ;)
 

AndriaD

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:p Cute.
I guess I should clarify a bit. It doesn't have to look like a cigarette. I could care less if it looked like a cactus. My preference for it to be small is because I am. I'm 5'3" and 115 lbs. So yeah, I'm a tiny person with tiny hands. I'm also not one of those women who carry huuuuuuuuuge purses. I carry a purse not a Samsonite. I got enough shit I cram in it already competing for space. ;)

When you do get ready for something new and different, something like the Pico might suit you very well; they really are TINY!

But on behalf of luggage-carrying women, let me just say :p I swear, finding a purse with enough pockets for all my stuff is a MAJOR undertaking! :giggle: I really did used to carry an overnight bag for my purse, but they don't seem to make the kind I need anymore. :headbang:

Andria
 

Letitia9

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But you're not posting pics of your coils either, showing us how pretty and jewelry-like they are. ;)

Andria
I don't post pics because I don't make my own clapton wire. I have a lot of respect for the people who do, pure creative art. I don't think of any vaper as less than because their style is different than my own. MTL was a very frustrating for me. If I hadn't stumbled across dtl vaping I would still be smoking.
 

CactusCutie

Member For 2 Years
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Andria.....
The juice explanation makes sense. I'll have to check the content of mine and see what they are comprised of, or call the shop and ask. The vape pen I'm using is Sub-Ohm as it says so on the box. I believe the one I just bought is also. I'll have to do some reading up on mixing juices and probably have to look into mixing and learning how to get the VP/GP thing right to get the most satisfying vape.

I'll also have to web surf a bit and check out some of the more tiny box mods. The holidays are coming. :rolleyes:

As for pics I've been having trouble getting them posted and have been tinkering with them and trying to get them smaller so they fit. I'm not the most computer savvy person (insert old person joke here). Husband is off today and he said he would try to give me a hand with it.

Gotta start the day.
Have a good one.
C.C.
 

Rossum

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:p Cute.
I guess I should clarify a bit. It doesn't have to look like a cigarette. I could care less if it looked like a cactus. My preference for it to be small is because I am. I'm 5'3" and 115 lbs. So yeah, I'm a tiny person with tiny hands. I'm also not one of those women who carry huuuuuuuuuge purses. I carry a purse not a Samsonite. I got enough shit I cram in it already competing for space. ;)
OK, but you used to carry a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, right? I'd think something that takes up no more space than that should be acceptable.

Mind you, I'm a guy. I carried a pack of smokes in my shirt pocket for 36 years, and when I'm anywhere but at my desk or in bed, I still carry my vape there.
 

okeasykilla

Member For 5 Years
Cute.
I guess I should clarify a bit. It doesn't have to look like a cigarette. I could care less if it looked like a cactus. My preference for it to be small is because I am. I'm 5'3" and 115 lbs. So yeah, I'm a tiny person with tiny hands. I'm also not one of those women who carry huuuuuuuuuge purses. I carry a purse not a Samsonite. I got enough shit I cram in it already competing for space. ;)

Lol @ a purse not a Samsonite.
I’m not a woman but I started to want a smaller device after I found the juul. Here’s what I’ve collected since the juul. From left to right
-cigarette pack (sorry, I don’t want to trigger anyone, this is just for scale)
-MyJet
-Vaporesso drizzle
-Teslacigs stealth 40watt mod with a digiflavor siren 2
-30ml bottle of Mr. Salt e. Ejuice (for scale)IMG_1253.JPG

I think the mini mod & siren 2 will be my setup for a while. I can throw it in the smallest pocket of my jeans, I don’t have to lug around batteries & replacing coils & wicks are inexpensive.


Sent from the future.
 
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CactusCutie

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Yippee. Got the avatar up. That only took an embarrassingly ridiculous amount of time. We'll work on pictures next. Me + technology = :deadhorse:

I used to carry a really huge purse too. Wound up going to the doc because my neck and shoulder were always hurting. To make a long story short he kind of scolded me when he saw the size of my 'purse' and said the weight was instigating the problem. Well, he was right. So my husband, bless his sweet heart, said he would buy me a rather yummy and not cheap designer purse for my birthday IF I agreed to get it in a small size and seriously pare down the amount of crap I cart along everyday. I agreed. My neck and shoulder also stopped hurting too. :cool: Yeah, had to 'rethink' the necessities.

To be honest I never carried a pack of cigarettes in my purse to or from work. People liked to bum them and not reciprocate. I didn't mind once in awhile but it started to become all the time which pissed me off. :kickbutt:
I'm not stingy but I hate moochers.So I took to leaving my smokes at home and just carrying a metal cigarette case with only enough cigarettes to last me personally for the work day. That was about a total of 6 and my lighter. One or two smokes for the drive there. One or two for break and/or lunch and one or two for my drive home. No more.

It is pretty awesome though how small in comparison to a pack of smokes those mini mods are. Those are awesome. Like I said I do like the vape pens but obviously there are lots of new stuff out there to check out and explore. So many options. I guess it is all just preference and finding one that 'fits' not just your vaping style but also works portability and storage wise. This stuff is new to me and I'm still exploring and learning about it . Pretty exciting though. Impossible to be bored with all the choices out there. I mean how can you not find something you like and enjoy using when vaping.

Gotta roll.
Have a great night gang.
C.C.
 

eStorm

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Everybody is different, what might work for me, might not work for you and vice versa.

I can tell you at the beginning, I was just like you, smoked and vaped. However I smoked more than you do, I did do about 1 1/2 or 2 packs a day on a regular basis, then with vaping I did 1 pack a day, still to much tho. Since I sadly started with a 3mg nic juice and didn't knew better to that time, I could not get off cigarettes even if my life was depending on it.

I then got a 6mg but let me tell you, since I sub ohm this was harsher then actually vaping Tabasco. Couldn't keep that up. I then got a 4.5mg nicotine juice and that did the trick, I wasn't going for the cigarette as the first thing anymore, however my cravings were horrible. So I lit one more cigarette, and turned it off right away, left it in the ashtray. From that day on, every time I had that craving, I would put this unlit cigarette to my nose and that smell made me grab my vaporizer. Later it got worse, as my smell and taste buds got better, I could smell that unlit cigarette from across the table, to a point were it made me gag.

I'm not vaping 4.5mg anymore, but it helped me immensely to that time, I also don't have cravings anymore. Give it a try if you like, nothing to loose, right? Hope you can find something that works for you, good luck on your journey.

One thing of advice tho, don't let people talk you into something, also don't jump on the hype train of new products. Sit down and ask yourself, what am I looking for, what's my goal and what do I might enjoy the most. Then do some research or ask. You can get very frustrated without having a goal or anything like that.
 

AndriaD

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Everybody is different, what might work for me, might not work for you and vice versa.

So very true, and I'm sure is one of the reasons why vaping is so much more effective than other ways of quitting -- not only does it mimic the behavior, but the way you use it can be customized so minutely, in every detail -- it's absolutely empowering, to be able finally to tell cigarettes :finger: and not suffer for it, because there's this new thing that's so much better.

Just stay thrilled with vaping, even if you have this or that issue with hardware or juice or just whatever, all the gnarly shit that goes with quitting smoking, except most of the suffering -- there still might be a little, but it's more like a pesky gnat than a life-sucking vampire. :D

Andria
 

CactusCutie

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Hi guys!

:yes:Whole point of my quitting via vaping was for the empowerment it gave me and the sheer genius behind the fact I could tailor it to my body's and mind's needs and wants without having to suffer a minute while my mind and body adjusts. Even if I choose to vape with no nicotine, a zero mg level, I can still enjoy the habit and/or social-behavioral aspect and not the harm. Win-win as far as I see. Mystifies me why the antis don't. I guess some people would complain even if you hung them with a new rope.

I'm glad our thread took this turn as I've been wanting to ask some advice. I think I'm making a bunch of the classic newbie mistakes. :facepalm: Thought more and more about the cigarettes and noticed I backslid a little over the last two days with my smoking and went up to half a pack. Now I'm not enjoying them or vaping any less. What I think it is, is that I may not be vaping the right dose of nicotine. :question:

Had to do some digging around but found a nicotine level chart that is based on milligrams. Said:
18mg nicotine is for the person who smokes 1-1.5 packs a day.
12mg for the person who smokes 1/2 a pack to slightly more.
6mg for person who smokes 5 to 10 cigarettes a day
3mg nicotine for a person who smokes about 1-5 cigarettes a day
0 mg nicotine for the non smoker.

So, at the time I started vaping I was smoking 1-1.5 p.a.d. of analog cigarettes and based my e-juice selection off of this and went with 18mg nicotine. The guy who sold it to me didn't say anything. In a few days that dropped like a rock to only a few a day and I'm still using the same 18mg nicotine e juice. Maybe that's why the one made me sick?

I'm thinking now it is probably way too high. Now that I cut back on the smokes when I vape using this high dose nicotine my body is being flooded and suddenly my body is craving more nicotine and now I'm trying to keep up the level and compensate by smoking more analog cigarettes or vape more. :blech:

I'm also wondering if I'm having a problem with this juice being compatible with vape pen? :confused: Being new I'm still wading through vocabulary and learning what all the devices look like and are called and the differences. I'm using what I call a pen style and assume it is a mouth to lung device. I will get a pic posted but in the mean time you can check it out. It is the Vaportech Verve Sub-Ohm/BVC Vaporizer Kit. I like this style/type best. Easy to carry, use and fill. Just click the button and inhale and no more nic-fitting.

The Sub Ohm is what's throwing me in the description. Pen devices are MTL but Sub Ohm devices were said to be to be DL. o_O Bit confused on all that. To be honest I'm not that keen on science and chemistry. I'm not one that's going to take stuff apart and alter it to up battery power or heat ,etc. If it makes mountains of vapor fine. If it only makes a little fine. I'm good either way.

What else has me tripped up is ...of course in the most minute print imaginable, it says 18mg and 12mg nicotine e juices not suggested for use in it. Is that why some things may be tasting like burn plastic? That 6mg is the max and that is equal to a full pack of smokes. The 3mg is equal to half a pack of analog smokes. The newest gizmo I ordered also said the same so I'll have to buy some new juice that works properly in it. Won't be able to do that until tomorrow afternoon at the soonest or Saturday at the latest. :gaah: :tantrum::xD:

When you guys stop chuckling can you help me clear some of this confusion up?
Thanks and much appreciated.
C.C.
 

Rossum

Gold Contributor
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@CactusCutie

The nicotine level a person needs varies tremendously based on the individual, the gear that person is using, and the person's vaping style. It's really hard to make a call that way. You need to listen to your body when it comes to that. What I'd suggest is buying some 0 mg juice in the same flavor as your 18 (assuming of course that you actually like that flavor). If you have 0 and 18, you can make anything in between by mixing appropriate proportions of them two. However, if you're back to smoking more than you were when you started vaping, I'm skeptical that your juice is too strong.

I hate the fact that people conflate the whole "sub-ohm" and "DL" thing. One describes the resistance of a coil (and even that doesn't tell us much unless the device you're using operates at a fixed voltage) and the other describes a style of vaping. I'm a confirmed MTL vaper (I haven't DL'd anything since I was in college, a long time ago, and there was no nicotine involved), but I use mildly sub-ohm coils.

If your vape tastes like burning plastic, that doesn't have anything to do with the nic level in your juice. Most likely your coil is toast. How long have you been using it?
 

eStorm

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Keep in mind lots of information out there is very dated or based on personal experience. Take it with a grain of salt. However if you're sub ohming, it's in most cases not recommended to vape nicotine at higher strength, however there's still people out there, that have no issue with it.

I would advice that if you have not experienced extreme side effects from it, aka tingling arms or fingers, being light headed or dizzy, nauseated or anything like that, and feel satisfied then stick with it for a couple of days weeks, start down grading slowly. However if you find yourself experiencing all that, still grab cigarettes in between and/or chain vape, hell yea go get some 6mg or even 4.5 as I did. I'll explain why in a second.

Chain vaping 6mg can become unsatisfying and uncomfortable, not for everybody of course, but in most cases. While you can easily chain vape 4.5 without all that negative bs and would have probably a easier time then doing the 3mg.

However, I would also suggest that you get a juice, that's more on the heavier side of flavor. People might argue with me, but I noticed vaping let's say a vanilla custard with sweet tobacco, was a easier transition then just going for plain fruit juices. If you don't like tobacco so much, I have that issue too, try desserts, but if you want to stick to fruits let's say, get some let's say raspberry cream, strawberry cream, orange cream etc.

Might sound funny, but somehow vaping heavier flavors seems to distract your mind a bit more. Now if you want to stick with that 18mg, maybe get a higher ohm coil (above 0.9 ohm) till you have a easier time, in that case I would even go as far as getting a 24mg juice, or the new 60mg nic pods. But please for the love of god, don't sub ohm these nicotine strengths lol.

Hope that made it a bit clearer? English isn't my native, having hard time explaining that, or at least to make any sense, also takes me an hr to type all that lol. Anyways, mtl is also not only for above ohm vaping anymore, times change, but sure you not gonna find a person vaping mtl @200w lol, most of us could mtl sub ohm if we wanted, cus we all have these fancy 300w devices, yet vape at 30-50 w lol
 

AndriaD

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@CactusCutie
I hate the fact that people conflate the whole "sub-ohm" and "DL" thing. One describes the resistance of a coil (and even that doesn't tell us much unless the device you're using operates at a fixed voltage) and the other describes a style of vaping. I'm a confirmed MTL vaper (I haven't DL'd anything since I was in college, a long time ago, and there was no nicotine involved), but I use mildly sub-ohm coils.

Very, very true -- my son uses ONLY sub-ohm coils, usually somewhere around .5 ohm, which he vapes at around 20-25 watts... but vapes MtL -- a much airier MtL than I prefer, and some might call it "restricted DtL" but he does vape it MtL -- he just likes a looser draw; he smoked full-flavor Camels, sometimes the "Wides", and they had a fairly loose draw, as cigarettes go.

And yeah, it really is nearly impossible to make sweeping generalities about nic strength -- I smoked for nearly 40 yrs, and started with a cigalike, but even 12mg made me sick as a goat. 18mg is *often* where new vapers start, if they've smoked a pk or more a day of full-flavor cigarettes... if they smoked Lights, then 12mg... but if, like me, they smoked ultra-lights, they might need to go with 6mg -- but Rossum said he also smoked ultra-lights, and even years into vaping, still vapes much higher than 6mg -- it really is all a matter of what your own body can tolerate. But I *would* venture to say that as the amount of smoking declines, the nic strength might need to go up slightly; I started out at 6mg, but once the cigarettes were gone, I went up to 8mg, then 9mg, and finally 10mg for about 6 months, before needing to go lower again.

Listen to your body -- if it feels nauseous, cold-sweaty, jittery, dizzy, that's probably too much nicotine; if you feel more of an urge to smoke, it COULD be that you need more nicotine -- OR, it could be a) your brain acting like a typical 3 yr old and throwing a fit for something it wants, or b) the other alkaloids in tobacco, including and especially the MAOIs. Sometimes it's very hard to know if it's just the brain asserting its desires 3-yr-old style, or an actual physical need.

Andria
 

CactusCutie

Member For 2 Years
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Wow,
You guys are great. :thanks:

O.K. so again correct me if I'm wrong. It isn't so much my device as it may be my body adjusting and/or my nicotine level.

I did recently change out my coil when I changed my flavor. It wasn't even a week old. I think you may remember my mentioning earlier I bought a flavor from a shop that sold primarily boxes and not pen styles. The guy said, "Yep will be just fine in your vape pen." Well it made me sick. I was literally nauseous and dizzy.

In retrospect I bought that stuff right when I had cut back to my lowest point of smoking analog cigarettes. Maybe it wasn't so much their juice or my device as it was the nicotine content hitting me that particular day. Massive overload for my tolerance level.

Although I am still smoking approximately half a pack or less that is considerably less then I've ever smoked. I'm starting to think that the level may be a bit high. My body adjusted quickly to getting more nicotine and I'm not getting sick but I am having some of the jittery and nervous symptoms. Now I'm wanting more analog cigarettes as well.

And yes, to be honest, I think as Andrea mentioned some of my inner child may be having a bit of a tantrum. I do allow myself these cigarettes. Most I will smoke completely but a few I find myself taking halfhearted hits from them and then just leave them either dangling from my fingers smoldering away or I'll put it out with still a good bit left unsmoked. Obviously I'm not enjoying them the way I used to. I just 'want' or 'need' them for some reason psychologically. :zombie:Kind of like people who get a cup of coffee, take three sips and then just let it go cold.
I ordered another vape pen and it should be here in a day or two. So now I'll have two. I can try an experiment:idea:.
Since it was recommended by the maker that I use 6mg or lower nicotine in it, I can buy the exact same flavor of vape juice I have now in a 6mg or check and see if they can custom mix me something slightly lower and see if this makes a difference. I'm obviously going to have to peruse the flavor forums and mixing ones a little bit too and see how this DIY stuff is done. Not only is it economical but it appears better when it comes to nicotine levels.

I do agree vaping a more aggressive flavor helps and it certainly gives your mind something to focus on and look forward to. I found a yummy thing called 'Baker's Dozen' that tastes exactly like banana nut muffins. :) Sweet, but not annoyingly so and even the vapor that lingers makes you want to take a spoon to it! Sampled some fruit flavors but I'm not into sticky-icky sweet so I haven't been able to find the right one yet that made me go, "Ah-ha!". Since I've been trying to quit smoking I've been avoiding the tobacco flavored and mint/menthol like stuff. Figured better safe then sorry with that. Finding a flavor is a lot like jeans or shoe or bra shopping. Or for the guys used car or engagement ring shopping. A nightmare to find but pure magic when you find it. :inlove:

And eStorm your English is just fine. :vino:
 

Letitia9

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It helped me cut down if I just took a couple puff off a cig, then put it out and picked up my vape. You absorb nic differently with vaping. You get some instant satisfaction if you hit cig 1st, then you aren't waiting for the vape nic to hit and getting frustrated.
 

AndriaD

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And yes, to be honest, I think as Andrea mentioned some of my inner child may be having a bit of a tantrum. I do allow myself these cigarettes. Most I will smoke completely but a few I find myself taking halfhearted hits from them and then just leave them either dangling from my fingers smoldering away or I'll put it out with still a good bit left unsmoked. Obviously I'm not enjoying them the way I used to. I just 'want' or 'need' them for some reason psychologically. :zombie:Kind of like people who get a cup of coffee, take three sips and then just let it go cold.

Yes, I experienced this towards the end of my smoking -- I was still permitting myself to smoke when I really really wanted to... but the longer I vaped, the less I enjoyed those cigarettes. One day, at my parents' house, after lunch I went outside to the truck to have a "real" smoke... took 2 hits, and thought, yuck, this tastes awful, and doesn't even have as good throat-hit as my vape! So I put it out and went back indoors to my vape very happily -- and the end of that week was the end of smoking, because I really couldn't figure out why I was still bothering with the expensive stinky things. And I really do think that once you've been at this for awhile, you start to realize that you really don't get anything from the cigarettes that you can't get from vaping -- except more broke, and more stink. :D Once your brain realizes that you're still getting what you need, it settles down and goes along with the plan -- but as I've often noted, it takes a mind to trump a brain. :D


I do agree vaping a more aggressive flavor helps and it certainly gives your mind something to focus on and look forward to. I found a yummy thing called 'Baker's Dozen' that tastes exactly like banana nut muffins. :) Sweet, but not annoyingly so and even the vapor that lingers makes you want to take a spoon to it! Sampled some fruit flavors but I'm not into sticky-icky sweet so I haven't been able to find the right one yet that made me go, "Ah-ha!". Since I've been trying to quit smoking I've been avoiding the tobacco flavored and mint/menthol like stuff. Figured better safe then sorry with that. Finding a flavor is a lot like jeans or shoe or bra shopping. Or for the guys used car or engagement ring shopping. A nightmare to find but pure magic when you find it. :inlove:

A flavor that helped me a lot when I was making the transition from tobacco flavors to everything else, was a "cool pineapple" flavor-- there's an ingredient called Koolada, which gives the same coolness as menthol, but without the strong icky taste of it -- mixed with a fruit flavor, it's reminiscent of sherbet. Pineapple was sweet, but with enough bite to balance the sweetness, and then the coolness to calm down that bite -- perfect!

Andria
 

Letitia9

Citrus Junkie
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I started vaping with lemon juices. So refreshing and it helped that it didn't go with the taste of tobacco.
 

okeasykilla

Member For 5 Years
You absorb nic differently with vaping. You get some instant satisfaction if you hit cig 1st, then you aren't waiting for the vape nic to hit and getting frustrated.

I’ve been thinking about this quote for some time now. I believe that’s the selling point of nicotine salts. They say you absorb the nicotine much faster with nic salts vs the freebase nicotine that’s in most ejuices. As a nic salts vaporer myself I can say that it is true. It’s almost like your first cig in the morning, how you’ll get a little nic buzz from that first drag then before you know it you’re putting the butt out. I would like to suggest cactus cutie to try mr. salt e ejuice. NOT the 45mg but the 25mg because she’s down from 1.5 packs a day to a half a pack (which is awesome!!). That instant gratification you get from the nic salts is good. 2 or 3 tokes from your vape pen & it scratches that itch in your brain. Pair that with an Innokin T20S, I think it could be a winning combo. What do you veteran vaporers think about my idea? Have you veterans tried nic salts? Would you suggest nic salts for cactus cutie?
Here’s what I’ve envisioned
Innokin t20s
IMG_1257.JPG
Mr. Salt e ejuice
IMG_1256.JPG
I think the Innokin would be a good move for cactus cutie. They’ve designed the t20s for beginner vaporers & the coils are pretty large and can handle thicker juices.



Sent from the future.
 
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Rossum

Gold Contributor
Member For 3 Years
Have you veterans tried nic salts?
I tried the Juul stuff a few years ago when it was new. They actually patented the salts thing and I'm mildly surprised they haven't gone after some of these vendors for infringement, but I digress. The Juul stuff was surprisingly effective for such a small device, but then it is a tad over 50 mg/ml strong. I drained some of their pods and mixed the contents down to my then-normal 15 mg/ml, which I vaped in one of my normal devices off and on for a few days. The results were to me were "Meh"; not really any better than my normal juice. Mind you, I'd already been vaping (and cig-free) for 1.5 years at that point. What I was looking for was that immediate kick in the pants when I woke up in the morning that a cigarette used to give me, but it wasn't there.

Honestly, I think WTA liquid is probably better for someone who isn't quite getting there with straight nic.
 

AndriaD

Yes, I DO wear a mask! I'm vaccinated, too!
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I tried the Juul stuff a few years ago when it was new. They actually patented the salts thing and I'm mildly surprised they haven't gone after some of these vendors for infringement, but I digress. The Juul stuff was surprisingly effective for such a small device, but then it is a tad over 50 mg/ml strong. I drained some of their pods and mixed the contents down to my then-normal 15 mg/ml, which I vaped in one of my normal devices off and on for a few days. The results were to me were "Meh"; not really any better than my normal juice. Mind you, I'd already been vaping (and cig-free) for 1.5 years at that point. What I was looking for was that immediate kick in the pants when I woke up in the morning that a cigarette used to give me, but it wasn't there.

Honestly, I think WTA liquid is probably better for someone who isn't quite getting there with straight nic.

Yes, but WTA is never a good idea for someone who isn't smoke-free yet -- because if you're still smoking, then you won't notice any difference between regular ejuice and WTA -- except WTA's much-higher price. WTA is really only effective when you've already quit, and THEN start having cravings, or extreme mood dysfunctions.

Andria
 

Rossum

Gold Contributor
Member For 3 Years
Yes, but WTA is never a good idea for someone who isn't smoke-free yet -- because if you're still smoking, then you won't notice any difference between regular ejuice and WTA -- except WTA's much-higher price. WTA is really only effective when you've already quit, and THEN start having cravings, or extreme mood dysfunctions.
You might have a point there. I'm trying to remember when my first order of WTA showed up. Let me check my records...

[time passes]

Yep, it wasn't until a few days after I put down the stinkies.

And it looks like I ordered more the very same day it showed up. :D
 

AndriaD

Yes, I DO wear a mask! I'm vaccinated, too!
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You might have a point there. I'm trying to remember when my first order of WTA showed up. Let me check my records...

[time passes]

Yep, it wasn't until a few days after I put down the stinkies.

And it looks like I ordered more the very same day it showed up. :D

When I had my dual use relapse after my appendectomy in 2014, I knew it might take more oomph, giving up the sticks again, so I ordered some WTA, and just let it sit, thinking I'd use some around the 3-wk smoke-free point. I didn't make it that far -- 10 days after I was very happily smoke-free again, I got the most GODAWFUL cravings, though i really didn't wanna smoke! So I vaped some WTA... later that night I realized that after I had started vaping the WTA, I had experienced ZERO cravings.

The big point is... if you're still smoking, you're still getting the full alkaloid cocktail which is contained in the WTA, so adding WTA is just pointless. Once you're on nothing but nicotine for a week-ish or more, and the bad cravings come back... then you know you need to add those other alkaloids if you want to stay off cigarettes without dire suffering. It's strictly physical, does absolutely nothing for the will or desire or commitment to not smoking; those have to be "self-service". :D

Andria
 

AndriaD

Yes, I DO wear a mask! I'm vaccinated, too!
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What is WTA?


Sent from the future.

Whole tobacco alkaloids. Nicotine is about 95% of the full alkaloid cocktail in tobacco -- for most, it's sufficient, but some need to add the other alkaloids so they can be weaned off slowly; some of those alkaloids are MAOIs.

Andria
 

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