Trying to quit smoking

StraubreyR

I don't really care if I quit nicotine or not. It's causing me zero health issues. I'm in better health than ever, and not in any danger of going back to cigarettes, as long as I have my e-cig. If getting off nicotine is important to you, for health reasons or whatever, go for it. For me it's just plain not worth it.

Edited to add: My doctor approves! Nothing is 100% safe, but for sure e-cigs are safer than analog cigarettes.

headofphat

OP, listen to Yoda.

There is no try, only do.

ahviendha

I quit cold turkey 2 - 3 years ago, after smoking for 4 years.

I was too stubborn to allow myself to fail. Having friends and a S/O who don't smoke helps too.

Swaggs51

I smoked for 30+ years, and have quit for over 4 years now using e-cigs. Not the convenience store kind though. You need something better. This message board is full of info!

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/

E-cigs are the best thing that ever happened to me. I had tried cold turkey, classes, gum, the patch, and nothing worked until I used an e-cig. I think for me the fact that it takes care of the hand to mouth thing was just as important as the nicotine.

I smoked about a pack and a half a day. On the advice of one of my MFP friends I tried the e-cig and have not had a real cigarette in over a month. I started at the highest level of nicotine and am already down 4 levels. Straubrey is correct though, don't get the disposable convenience store ones. Like Blu or Njoy. I would recommend looking to see if they have a vapor cig store near you. That way you can go down there and they are really good about helping you get started.

Any recommendation on brand? I think both the O.P. and I would be interested

Check out www.halocigs.com

All American made and EXTREMELY high quality. Plenty of starter kits as well as many flavors.

They make a really nice product with good warranty

homerjspartan

i wouldn't use them!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/03/electronic-cigarettes_n_3818941.html

Did you actually read this article? The first point states that they have "toxic" chemicals. Really? Like what? And cigarettes have rainbows and unicorns flying out of them?

The rest of the points are all about marketing and selling to kids / minors. Nothing about health.

The fact that you put this on here with no knowledge about the actual product and how many people it has actually helped is REALLY disturbing.

jasonmh630

Unless you are getting an e-cig with 0% nicotine you are pretty much just transfering your addiction from one form to another. Yes, you aren't getting the tar and all the other horrible things that are in actual cigarettes, but in my opinion the only way to quit is cold turkey. I also recommend that if you do slip up and have a cigarette, don't beat yourself up about it. Just keep trying and you can do it. Good luck!

While I agree that quitting cold turkey does work, the above statement about addiction transferral isn't completely accurate. Yes, e-liquid does have nicotine in it. BUT, the nicotine concentration in E-cigs are not nearly as bad as an actual analog cigarette. An e-cig is just a different vessel for cessation (quiting). It's really no different and no more harmful than the patch or the gum.

I agree patch and gum are the same. I was simply saying that while there is a huge mental addiction to smoking, the physical addiction is to the nicotine. If you "quit" smoking cigarettes and start smoking ecigs, you are merely transferring the nicotine addiction from one form to another. The only way to truly "QUIT" is to do just that. . . Quit!

I'll agree.

RhysMN94

YES ECIGS WORK!!! Bro i used to smoke a pack a day, got an ecig and i havent smoked in 3 months. And saved tons of money. I would recommend going to reddit.com/r/electronic_cigarette and read some stories about how many people have quit. There is a great community there. The media makes ecigs look bad, they are not. they just say that so the tobacco companies can keep there 100 billion $$ income each year from people dying. Get a decent ecig (i have a itaste mvp 2 for 60$) and get some juice, and you will not regret it!! 100% recommend getting an ecig. or just quit all together, but ecig is much easier, and no cancer

Capt_Apollo

i tried patches, the gum, and ecigs. even tried dipping. it all "worked" but after a bit i went back to smoking. eventually it was just the fact that i wanted to really quit that helped me quit.

SymphonynSonata

I bought mine at www.v-ecigs.com and it works great. Haven't smoked in about a year now.

pdank311

Are you looking to quit fast and drop the ecig too or just transfer to vaping and eventually step down the nic level?


If first option... I'd get an ego battery, and a kangertech mini protank 2. Ehh roughly $40?

If the second. Go all out and skip the little stuff. I prefer the Innokin Itaste SVD with a Kangertech Protank 2 or Aero tank. Roughly $100

My personal preference is 12 mg nic and working my way down to 6 mg

Liquid - Fuzion Vapor. My personal preference anyways.

I'd just avoid the gas station / blu / whatever. It's all junk imho.

rsoice

http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/drugs-alcohol/nicotine-health-benefits.htm

Found this article rather interesting! Thanks for the links, I'm shopping now.

jim180155

I smoked for about 45 years and had tried everything other than Chantrix in an effort to stop, but the only sustained effort lasted 5 months. All other efforts were measured in hours, days, or weeks. In the end, the constant, unrelenting call of "just one more" always got me. I tried e-cigarettes, bought from a kiosk at a local shopping mall a few years ago, but they weren't good enough to keep me going more than a few hours.

Then I found an online review site who rated various companies and I came across Apollo. I won't try to tell you that Apollo is the only good company or the best company, but they are good and deliver a product that can help you get off cigarettes. They sell mostly online at http://www.apolloecigs.com/

That was a little more than a year ago on 4/22/13, and I haven't smoked a cigarette since. I went from the strongest to the weakest nicotine levels in that time, from 24 mg to 18 to 12 to 6 and finally to 0 mg. The zero nicotine solution was kind of strange. I didn't really miss the nicotine, or at least I didn't think I did. But after a few days I found myself nodding off at work in the afternoons and couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. When I finally made the connection between no nicotine and no energy, I over-reacted and ordered another batch of 12 mg solution. That was a mistake. I should have just toughed it out. But I'm on my last bottle of 12 mg and just got in a half dozen bottles of the 6 mg. When those are done I'll either switch to zero nicotine again or just try to quit altogether.

Anyway, e-cigarettes can definitely help you quit smoking. If you're able to quit by just going cold turkey, by all means do that instead. But if you're like a lot of smokers who haven't had any success with other methods, I think you owe it to yourself to get a good e-cigarette kit. Making the switch to e-cigs will give you all the health benefits of not smoking. You'll still be addicted to nicotine, just as you would be if you were on the patch or chewing nicotine gum, but you won't be getting the thousands of harmful gasses, tars or carcinogens that come from burning tobacco. And if you're ready one day to leave the e-cigs behind as well, that's even better yet.

stevemcgurkin

Smoker of 27 years, been on an ecig for 3 months now and feel MUCH better. And food tastes incredible. I can smell things better. There's so many pluses. But we're not here to talk about me.. this is about you.

Here's what you need to ask yourself with all honesty: are you REALLY ready to quit? Physically, yes I would imagine you are. But it's the psychological part that keeps us coming back for more. And that's the real hurdle to get over; faith in yourself to follow through.

Don't hold it against yourself if you slipped up in the past on your previous attempts. For crying out loud, these things have thousands of chemicals in them, many of which are intentionally designed to keep you hooked. So allow yourself the possibility to err, but don't beat yourself up over it. We're human.. we screw up.. it's the one thing we really are good at.

Another thing that you need to have in place is people who are supportive of your quitting. Not people who will tease you if you screw it up one time, and definitely not people who will be critical if you have a relapse. The more people you tell about your quitting, the more pressure there is on you to follow through. Everyone wants to be good on their word, so this is your pact with yourself and them.

And for what it's worth; you can do this, and you are gonna kick *kitten* doing it. Now get to it!

jim180155

Another thought: No matter which brand you go with, I'd suggest starting with the strongest nicotine solution. Others may have other opinions, but I think initially it's important to make sure you're able to get enough nicotine when making the switch from cigarettes, and for most people, there is an adjustment period. The nicotine content does not affect the taste or harshness. In other words, a 24 mg solution will not make you gag. I don't think it's likely to give you a buzz either. But if you go the other route, say a 6 mg solution, you may find that your new e-cig just doesn't satisfy your cravings.

pdank311

Another thought: No matter which brand you go with, I'd suggest starting with the strongest nicotine solution. Others may have other opinions, but I think initially it's important to make sure you're able to get enough nicotine when making the switch from cigarettes, and for most people, there is an adjustment period. The nicotine content does not affect the taste or harshness. In other words, a 24 mg solution will not make you gag. I don't think it's likely to give you a buzz either. But if you go the other route, say a 6 mg solution, you may find that your new e-cig just doesn't satisfy your cravings.

24 mg gave me headaches. 18 was a perfect start...for me. 12 is now my preferred. I can't even vape 18 anymore. 24 sure kills the craving though.

If you are a heavy smoker and the hand to mouth drives you more than the actual nicotine, I wouldn't go 24mg, I'd go 18 to start and work your way down. Just my opinion on it.

jim180155

Another thought: No matter which brand you go with, I'd suggest starting with the strongest nicotine solution. Others may have other opinions, but I think initially it's important to make sure you're able to get enough nicotine when making the switch from cigarettes, and for most people, there is an adjustment period. The nicotine content does not affect the taste or harshness. In other words, a 24 mg solution will not make you gag. I don't think it's likely to give you a buzz either. But if you go the other route, say a 6 mg solution, you may find that your new e-cig just doesn't satisfy your cravings.

24 mg gave me headaches. 18 was a perfect start...for me. 12 is now my preferred. I can't even vape 18 anymore. 24 sure kills the craving though.

If you are a heavy smoker and the hand to mouth drives you more than the actual nicotine, I wouldn't go 24mg, I'd go 18 to start and work your way down. Just my opinion on it.

I'm glad you spoke up. 18 mg might be a better choice for some.

Personally, I found the 24 mg a bit weaker than a tobacco cigarette, but it felt close enough that I was able to quit.

Jiminibee

I apologize if this sounds preachy, and I realize it is a long post, and I am not trying to offend anyone, or say people are wrong. My message for those of you who don't want/have time to read the ramblings of a passionate, happy non (ex) smoker: There is an easy way that is free (go to your library!), and has a 96% + success rate. Nothing to buy, it will take you a day or two. Imagine - in a day or two you could be a HAPPY NON-SMOKER. yes, you. EVERY smoker. ANY smoker. It WILL work for you. Try it!

Don't take my word for it - listen to Ellen! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9S4ojJRP2I

(Notice how at the start she says she didn't want to announce it immediately ("I quit smoking...yesterday") but she KNEW the DAY AFTER she stopped that she was done, she only waited because of the mass perception of smokers 'always failing')

My story:
I started smoking when I was 12 years old. I worked my way up to a pack a day by 15, two packs a day by 18, where I stayed as a minimum, up to and beyond three packs some days, until the age of 26. 13 years of being a HARDCORE smoker. A cigarette break for me was chain smoking 3 or 4 in a row, lighting each one from the butt of the last! Yes, I know that is disgusting by anyone's standards!

I stopped, 'cold turkey', by using the Allen Carr Method. He was a 100+ a day smoker who managed to stop using hypnosis, but he was amazed at how, after countless miserable attempts at trying to quit, his marriage deteriorating and still not being able to choose his wife over cigarettes, the hypnosis made it easy for him. So, long story short, he figured out exactly why this was.

Nicotine is one of the fastest acting addictive drugs known to man. The nicotine from ONE cigarette is enough to cause a lifetime addiction. And that's exactly what smoking is, drug addiction.

Fortunately, it is quick acting, but it also leaves the body very quickly. The bigger problem is that the "little monster" of physical cravings/addictions, which is incredibly mild - the withdrawal 'pangs' are not even strong enough to wake most people up during their 6-8+ hours of sleep per night - this little monster sets off what Allen called the "big monster" in your head - the psychological side of the addiction, which is where the traditional 'willpower' method, and the newer 'nicotine replacement therapy' methods (NRT) fall horribly short - they do not address the psychological aspect.

If you can sleep for 8 hours without being woken by the 'terrible withdrawal pangs', why is it when you decide to quit, 3 minutes later you're pulling your hair out, or, like me, rummaging through your garbage can to find pieces of the cigarettes you just tore up because you quit? It's the same drug. The difference is when you're asleep, the physical withdrawal, the little monster, doesn't set off the big monster of the psychology addiction. The physical cravings don't wake you, you go 8 hours without cigarettes, no problem. Compare this to, say, heroin addiction, where the withdrawal pangs are very very real, int3ense, will psychically make you sick, sweat, keep you up at night, etc.

The reason why Allen's method works is because it is designed by a smoker, who very much understands smokers. Instead of doing what all the anti-smoking campaigns attempt to do - tell you why you shouldn't smoke - Allen breaks down and analyses why you do smoke. He breaks down all the myths and allows you to see smoking for what it truely is - drug addicition.

He will change the way that you think about smoking, so that you honest to god NEVER WANT to smoke again, and are super happy about it.

Does it take will-power to not hit yourself in the face with a hammer? No, of course not! So it is very easy to go about your day, week in week out, without ever hitting yourself in the face with a hammer or having to fight the urge to do so. Once you understand smoking, once you change the way you think about it, you will not want to smoke ever again. So it will take no will power not to. It would actually take will power for me to smoke again at this point!

The problem with NRT (e-cigs, patches, gum, lollipops, etc) is that (1) they do not address the real issue - the psychological aspect, and (2) you are constantly feeding that little monster - your nicotine addiction.

Would you advise an alcoholic to keep a flask of vodka when trying to stop drinking, just to have a nip here and there to fight the urges? The first week he could have a mouthful, the next week half a mouthful, the third week less, and so on. OF course not! Because we understand that alcoholism is an addiction, and by giving the addict their drug, you are maintaining that addiction! This is exactly the same as NRT.

E-cigs are, at very very best, a waste of money to maintain your nicotine addicition while still paying big tabacco your hard earn dollars to slowly kill you.

In reality, they are keeping you a drug addict, who at any time might be triggered to smoke 'just one' cigarette if they have a bad day/drink/break-up/whatever.

I am not saying people can't or don't quit using them, I am saying that their is an easy way to do it, where you will be PERMANENTLY FREE OF SMOKING AND IT WILL BE ENJOYABLE AND EASY!!!

I hate to sound like that sanctimonious ex-smoker, I knew that guy, lots of those guys, and they are a**holes! I sincerely believe in Allen Carr's method is the only way to stop smoking for good. I have no affiliation with the company, I am just one of the over 10 MILLION people he has helped. They have something like a 96% success rate!

He has three ways of delivering his method - a live seminar, an online 'webinar' (pre-recorded videos), and a book - The EASYWAY to STOP SMOKING.

My honest, sincerely, I truly want people to be free of this addiction advice? Go to your library, check out the Allen Carr EASYWAY to Stop Smoking book. Read it *as a smoker* (the method expects and encourages you to keep smoking until the final cigarette at the end of the method - like I said, this is a smokers way of stopping smoking!), smoke your final cigarette, get on with your life as a HAPPY NON-SMOKER.

Again, sorry, HUGE post. I am just *very* passionate about this method because IT FREED ME from being a slave to nicotine.

Have a great day!

pdank311

Another thought: No matter which brand you go with, I'd suggest starting with the strongest nicotine solution. Others may have other opinions, but I think initially it's important to make sure you're able to get enough nicotine when making the switch from cigarettes, and for most people, there is an adjustment period. The nicotine content does not affect the taste or harshness. In other words, a 24 mg solution will not make you gag. I don't think it's likely to give you a buzz either. But if you go the other route, say a 6 mg solution, you may find that your new e-cig just doesn't satisfy your cravings.

24 mg gave me headaches. 18 was a perfect start...for me. 12 is now my preferred. I can't even vape 18 anymore. 24 sure kills the craving though.

If you are a heavy smoker and the hand to mouth drives you more than the actual nicotine, I wouldn't go 24mg, I'd go 18 to start and work your way down. Just my opinion on it.

I'm glad you spoke up. 18 mg might be a better choice for some.

Personally, I found the 24 mg a bit weaker than a tobacco cigarette, but it felt close enough that I was able to quit.

No prob. I think it's mainly because the hand to mouth action was more my driver than the nic. So I was hitting it way too often. So reduced nic levels fixed that.

I guess another area that no one has covered on juice. What do you go with VG/PG ratio? I used to go 50/50 but tend to like heavier vg liquids now and don't really care for how pg makes my throat feel.

_Pseudonymous_

Honestly, the way that worked for me was Cold Turkey. It was tough but I wanted to get rid fot he mettalic rattle in my lungs and feel better than more than I wanted a cigarette. My will power was not strong so I had to stop going out to bars or parties for a while until I was better able to control myself. My last cigarette was October 13th of 2012 and I have never regretted it. Honestly I am completely disgusted by them now to the point where I get annoyed when someone lights up around me. There will be stages you go through, I actually got depressed and was EXTREMELY moody for a long while but then it gets better. It's rough but worth it.

vasairiah

I used to smoke 40 a day, I found that every time I put pressure on myself to stop, I failed. Since last January, I only smoke when incredibly drunk. I took the pressure off myself and this has been the only way I've been able to break the habit.

Good luck!

^agree. I smoked for 10 years and tried a variety of methods to break the habit. Definitely internal pressure added to the stress of "trying to quit". I also kept smoking the "last" cig and thinking this is going to be the "last one" so I had to enjoy it all that more. Once I decided I wasn't going to do that to myself anymore, it was a freeing experience.

For me, I quit cold turkey. I actually had a 1/2 full carton in my freezer that I gave away. It's a decision you have to make yourself, and I'll support what works for you. But ultimately you don't want to trade one addiction for another.
Best wishes.