Quitting smoking and ECigs (Vaping)

It has been a long road, but I have finally put cigarettes away, for good!

My husband introduced me to the world of Vaping! I talked to a pharmacist (my sister) who told me that the nicotine in the ecigs is actually not bad for me health wise! The "smoke" is water vapor....and there are no nasty additives/chemicals.

I thought that if this worked for me, and I LOVED smoking, it may help others too. I have not gained the horrible 15 pounds that usually happens when I quit, which makes me depressed, eat more, more depressed....and eventually throw in the towel and smoke cigarettes again....such a roller coaster!

If anyone wants to quit, and has questions, please do not hesitate to ask me.....

This is all part of my real attempt to be healthy and happy!!!!! It is amazing to be able to breathe while I am riding my bike......I am able to enjoy myself out there!

Please no "bashing" I truly just want to offer an alternative it anyone is looking :-)
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Replies

  • Zarebeth
    Zarebeth Posts: 136 Member
    I started vaping a few months ago after being quit almost 4 years. No judging, please - this is keeping me from picking up the cigarettes, and I am no longer in any danger of starting again like I was before I chose this alternative. I also think they aren't as addictive as regular cigarettes... if mine runs out of charge or I forget them I don't get all panicky like I did when I forgot my smokes. But it sure calms my nerves again when I am stressed - and this last couple of months has been VERY stressful. They aren't helping me lose any more weight, I am still kinda stuck... but being a ginormous emotional eater I am also not GAINING any - which in and of itself is a victory right now.
  • i want to give up smoking so if you could point me in the right direction as to were i can purchase this alternative that would be fantastic or any advice as to what helped you quit would be great too, feel free to add me as a friend as i dont know how to add people on here as im new. thanks
  • vikingchix
    vikingchix Posts: 105 Member
    For anyone wanting information, this site is really helpful. Read up and make your own decision as to what is right for you.

    http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/new-members-forum/
  • ilikejam33
    ilikejam33 Posts: 252 Member
    First Congrats to all of you who are trying! That is a big accomplishment, and the below is advice only, based on personal experiance and a lot of research.

    Vapping is still smoking, nicotein is a drug, it is what you are addicted to, not the cigarettes, and even at low levels it is harmful.

    Do a serach for the Book below in the forums and see how many it has helped, I smoked a pack a day for 13 years, my bf smoked more, and we both quit. And I didnt even want to! I read the book becasue I didnt believe it could work.


    "The easy way to quit smoking" by Allen Carr.

    $15 and can be read in a weekend.

    You will never smoke again.

    Good Luck on your journey :)
  • deeznutz777
    deeznutz777 Posts: 23 Member
    you really haven't "quit". your brain likes the nicotine and that's what you are addicted to. If you keep putting nicotine in, then your brain continues to crave it. It's a vicious cycle that's why people who quit cold turkey are most likely to stay quit
  • I see this is an older post but just reading some of these comments I must add my 0.02..particularly with the last 2 comments...First, its not wise to comment on a subject you have little knowledge on...particularly like jam and deez..Vaping is not smoking..the definition of smoking is intake of tobacco products which Vaping does not consist of...yes you can purchase Vaping liquids that contain nicotine (1 component of cigarettes) but tobacco is absent, along with all the deadly chemicals that cause cancer and various other diseases. When you smoke cigarettes you are also becoming addicted to a multitude of addictive chemicals, not just nicotine. When someone quits smoking that means they quit smoking tobacco. Vaping is called Vaping because you are inhaling vapor, not smoke. So yes, those who stop smoking cigarettes are quitting smoking and starting to Vape, plain and simple. Comments below are just plain ignorant and should be ignored. Vaping goes much deeper then those Blu e-cigs, which incidentally create a false impression by using the term "E-Cig" because they aren't cigarettes at all. Mainstream Vaping tools like Blu are designed and marketed with that E-Cig term to merely help potential customers relate to their cigarette addiction, but in reality it is a personal vaporizer. Vaping is saving millions of lives everyday and will become mainstream culture in the near future due to its amazing harm reduction characteristics. I smoked analog cigarettes for 18 years and "QUIT" cold turkey when I switched to using a personal vaporizer with a liquid juice (produces the vapor-either PG or VG along with various levels of nicotine OR without nicotine completely ....PG stands for Propylene Glycol, while VG stands for Vegetable Glycerin. These two components are what make up most of the e-liquid. Both of these main components are essentially non-toxic, meaning that they are safe for the use of human beings.)
    If you are interested in quitting and love to smoke then this is the answer. Go and research the culture first, do not just go and grab the first E-Cig you find at your local drugstore because they more than likely won't help you. Buy a personal vaporizer that uses e-liquid, you will quit immediately as it gives you the same sensation as a real cigarette, i.e. throat hit, exhale...but with zero odor or toxicity. And folks, lets not be negative and down people for switching from cigarettes because the whole point is for people to stop killing themselves. Mark my words, Vaping will eventually KILL big tobacco, as soon as people wise up. PM me if you want some good links.
  • dibbleedoo
    dibbleedoo Posts: 5 Member
    After 32 years of PAD smoking, I picked up a vape on December 31 and haven't had an analog cigarette since. My sense of smell is already returning. I find vaping relaxing, the people around me say it smells wonderful, and I can do it anywhere and anytime I want.

    I was hoping my bf would join me (we purchased 2). I have noticed that he is picking it up more and more. It honestly doesn't bother me when he smokes an analog in my presence, as long as I have my vape. My plan is to slowly reduce the amount of nicotine I'm using until I'm just vaping flavor.
  • 1359471600_12_1_USD_10.50_dark.png

    After trying to quit for 25 years, I bought an eGo c-Twist and haven't smoked since. Yeah, what a horrible thing vaping must be to save/prolong so many lives for the people that have given up analogs for vape. Tradgedy. Especially sad that it hasn't caused the usual feeling of black death (all smokers who've tried to quit and failed know what I'm talking about).
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    I am not bashing...just wanted everyone to be aware that even the e-cig has dangers. While yes, you aren't breathing in smoke there are other toxins associated with the e-cig that people don't know about.

    Please take a look at the links provided so that you can be informed of the dangers you are still introducing to your body:

    http://www.primehealthchannel.com/electronic-cigarette-dangers-and-side-effects.html
    http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/smoking-cessation/10-facts-about-e-cigarettes.htm
    http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/249784.php
  • bump...
  • roadmapmaker
    roadmapmaker Posts: 120 Member
    Ecigarette has really made a big difference in both my cravings and clearing up my lungs. For all you that think ecigs are so very harmful they are a long step away from tobacco cigarettes. I would suggest only the ecigs that are made with glycerine and no the propolglycol. I wish the best to all who try to quit smoking it is a tough road when outside stressors come to hit home.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    First Congrats to all of you who are trying! That is a big accomplishment, and the below is advice only, based on personal experiance and a lot of research.

    Vapping is still smoking, nicotein is a drug, it is what you are addicted to, not the cigarettes, and even at low levels it is harmful.

    Do a serach for the Book below in the forums and see how many it has helped, I smoked a pack a day for 13 years, my bf smoked more, and we both quit. And I didnt even want to! I read the book becasue I didnt believe it could work.


    "The easy way to quit smoking" by Allen Carr.

    $15 and can be read in a weekend.

    You will never smoke again.

    Good Luck on your journey :)

    Or you could save $15 and just use this free PDF: http://media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf
  • kaitthegr8t
    kaitthegr8t Posts: 28 Member
    I wanted to quit smoking, so I bouoght a Blu (menthol type) disposable ecig. I figured if I liked it, I would buy the kit ($60). Anyhoo, after about two or three ecigs, that lasted me about a week and a half, I don't use either. I have been cigarette free for almost two months. The only time I ever truly want one now is if I am out drinking socially, but I don't physically crave them anymore. Ecigs were the best thing that ever happpend to my smoking habit. Once my body stopped craving cigs, I realized that it's all mental. Mind of matter. Good luck all!
  • massage_gal
    massage_gal Posts: 76 Member
    Try VaporKings.com for e-cigs. I have the Joyce eGo-C and it does really help. You can choose your nicotine level juices to start, then go down from there to slowly quit nicotine. I was smoking them more regularly before my stepdaughter passed away in November, and my husband smokes them more than I do (They come in a pack of 2). He is on a lower level than I am.

    But the point is, you smoke the highest level for 30 days, then go down from there 30 days at a time til you are smoking 0% nicotine. The additive that are in cigarettes aren't in these, so they are better for you, although, yes, nicotine is bad for you. I understand that.

    I had a friend that switched over completely that went through a withdrawl period upon totally switching over. He was more addicted to the additives than the nicotine! He has since went down without problems. And he has smoked for decades. The point is, these things work, and I plan to go back to them once my stress level is down a bit more.
  • perkypolly
    perkypolly Posts: 22 Member
    I love my vapour and would never have given up smoking had this not been available. it was a Monday morning in November last year I decided to get mine, when the dreaded ciggie was causing me bad breathing problems but on between 40/60 a day what else did I expect. I got my vapour and started to use it right away and never looked back and haven't smoked a ciggie since. ( I cant even stand the smell of smoke now)

    so now I have tackled that here I am tackling my weight, so hopefully I will be healthy and fitter when I enter the big 50s shhhhhh don't like admitting its looming lol
  • Roni_M
    Roni_M Posts: 717 Member
    I'm seriously considering ECigs to help me quit.

    I'm really concerned about putting weight back on (YES I know all about calories in). I think it's the hand to mouth thing that would be difficult, plus the fact that I really still enjoy smoking. I'm torn between trying these and trying Chantix. Of course, the possible side effects of Chantix are also scary and at this point I'm not even sure if I can go that route because of a bleeding disorder I have (a lot of drugs cause an issue for me). I haven't had that discussion with my doctor yet so don't know if Chantix is even an option for me. I think I'll check out the links you folks have provided. I'm very interested in people who "love smoking" experiences.

    I've read a few books (can't remember the titles) but none have helped. I think for those to work you have to really want to quit. Me... I know I should, but really don't want to! Sad but true. :frown:
  • wowbagger42
    wowbagger42 Posts: 25 Member
    I tried e-cigs around 2 yrs ago, and after Blu sending me the wrong cartomizers, and dealing with their horrible customer service (Wasn't able to be refunded OR replaced), I gave up on 'em (This was before you could get them anywhere, like today).

    Just a few weeks ago, it came to my attention that a friend who I grew up with is now making juice and selling hardware... so I was able to get my hands on a vape kit, and a bottle of menthol juice for now. The pack of cigs I had bought shortly before seeing him (Monday morning, 4/1/13) lasted me until Thursday morning, (I was a pack-a-day smoker), and I haven't had a cig since I threw the empty pack away.

    I can't say I don't think about smoking a real cig once in a great while (after all, it has only been 3 days since my last), but it's been so much easier than my previous efforts. Whenever I think about buying a pack of smokes, I just think how 5 drops of juice last the whole day, and that this $15 bottle that I bought off of him will probably last me a whole month. (That's 2 packs of cigs in my area, I know some have it worse.) I also realize that I'm already feeling better when I wake up. I haven't noticed that much improvement while jogging yet, but I have ~18 years of smoking to try and undo :-/

    ...and about the whole gaining weight thing, well I do use nicotine-laden juice for now, and have been dieting just as I have been for the past month or so, and the weight is still coming off.
  • DaniH826
    DaniH826 Posts: 1,335 Member
    I switched from tobacco to vaping over 3 months ago and haven't looked back.

    Ignore the nay-sayers. It's a great stepping stone tool and has a very high success rate of preventing people from going back to cigarettes. So if you're not wanting to go the nicotine gum route or whatever, it's a decent alternative.

    Of course nothing is better than not smoking at all, but hey, sometimes we gotta take these things one step at a time. My lungs are much clearer and I'm actually able to exercise now. Keeping track of calories has prevented me from putting weight on. The loss is slow, but that's alright. Better than going in the other direction !! :smile:

    You can always wean yourself to a lower grade nicotine juice over time and eventually quit altogether. That's my plan anyway. Good luck!
  • lsmsrbls
    lsmsrbls Posts: 232 Member
    I was amazed by how useful e-cigs were. Switching from cigarettes to e-cigs was painless (even enjoyable) for me and after 6 months I had weaned myself down to no nicotine in the e-cig. Another couple of months and I didn't even want to use the e-cig anymore (not even while drinking, which was the only time I used the e-cig for a while).

    I did not all at expect myself to stop desiring real cigarettes when I started using them, and I didn't think I would be nearly so quickly able to get off the nicotine all together when I started tapering down. Those things are amazing.

    They were a lifesaver for me.
  • Roni_M
    Roni_M Posts: 717 Member
    Just an update on me... ordered my ecig and haven't had a smoke since it arrived (March 12... so shortly after my first post). They are amazing. I am working on tapering down my nicotine level but not in a huge rush to get to zero. Got my 19yo daughter switched over too. To the negative posts above.... no one claims ecigs are 100% safe, they just claim they are much safer than smoking. When you look at the studies that the articles above posted, it's very obviously skewed. One study shows "carcinogens" but they are in trace amounts, some no more than you would find of you were trapped in a small room with a heavy breather. It's interesting that there is so much controversy about them without proper studies being done. I've read all the pros and cons I could find and my conclusion is it's much better than smoking and of course not as good as going cold turkey. However, if going cold turkey worked well for everyone no one would be smoking now! LOL
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Good job OP...I quit using a PV (e-cig) as well...best thing I ever did and actually kick started this healthier lifestyle I'm livin'
  • SJackson50
    SJackson50 Posts: 282 Member
    I've never smoked, but both parents did. I have no idea what it is like to have such a craving. Much congrats to those of you who are not only on this site hoping to improve your health, but looking to healthier alternatives to cigarettes.
    I believe, no matter what, it is about making HEALTHIER choices--we are never going to be perfect (my McDonald's craving is a perfect example!)...but making healthier choices leads us in the right direction.

    Best wishes, all!
  • merlewalton
    merlewalton Posts: 43 Member
    I've been vaping nearly a year and love it. I smoked for about 20 years before I started. I'm not going to get into your study sucks type of argument but this is on the NIH website about how the exhalation of vapor is not dangerous to human health and anyone who says vaping is worse than smoking is full of it. There are hundreds of chemicals and tar in a cigarette and you are breathing in smoke... Vape juice has 2 chemicals and flavoring...

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23033998

    Good job on putting down the smokes and going to something that is to a degree healthier.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I've been vaping nearly a year and love it. I smoked for about 20 years before I started. I'm not going to get into your study sucks type of argument but this is on the NIH website about how the exhalation of vapor is not dangerous to human health and anyone who says vaping is worse than smoking is full of it. There are hundreds of chemicals and tar in a cigarette and you are breathing in smoke... Vape juice has 2 chemicals and flavoring...

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23033998

    Good job on putting down the smokes and going to something that is to a degree healthier.

    This is an old thread, but one worth commenting on again. I posted on this thread last April and I'm still smoke free. I quit smoking right around the same time as the OP...September 25, 2012 was my last cigarette.

    For me, I had tried everything else...I tried cold turkey, patches, gums, prescription meds, etc...nothing worked. I was a 2-3 PAD smoker and almost gave up even trying to quit...thought I'd just end up dead...then a buddy introduced me to the e-cig. I took to it pretty easy...not so say I didn't want to pick up a cig, but every time I got that urge I just picked up my PV.

    For me it was about harm reduction first and foremost. I had a plan in place when I started vaping to ultimately get off the vape as well, and I have. I started out with the highest nicotine level possible and puffed away on my PV like no other early on. That was me for about 12 weeks or so and then I started incrementally cutting the nicotine back to zero. I hit zero nicotine in May of 2013 and continued to vape for a few months thereafter...eventually my battery completely pooped out on me in October of 2013 and I just never bought another one so I've also been vapor free since then.

    I give a lot of credit to the e-cig for saving my life and ultimately helping me get on the right track to health and fitness. I couldn't have imagined two years ago being where I am today. I went from a beer swilling (ok, I still probably drink too much beer..but not as much as I used to), chain smokin', couch sittin' sloth to a highly motivated, getting my fitness on and rocking my nutrition 40 Lbs lighter mofo....

    I would encourage anyone looking to quit smoking to at least look into it...it may or may not be for you...but like I said...life saver for me for sure.
  • sk_pirate
    sk_pirate Posts: 282 Member
    I see this is an older post but just reading some of these comments I must add my 0.02..particularly with the last 2 comments...First, its not wise to comment on a subject you have little knowledge on...particularly like jam and deez..Vaping is not smoking..the definition of smoking is intake of tobacco products which Vaping does not consist of...yes you can purchase Vaping liquids that contain nicotine (1 component of cigarettes) but tobacco is absent, along with all the deadly chemicals that cause cancer and various other diseases. When you smoke cigarettes you are also becoming addicted to a multitude of addictive chemicals, not just nicotine. When someone quits smoking that means they quit smoking tobacco. Vaping is called Vaping because you are inhaling vapor, not smoke. So yes, those who stop smoking cigarettes are quitting smoking and starting to Vape, plain and simple. Comments below are just plain ignorant and should be ignored. Vaping goes much deeper then those Blu e-cigs, which incidentally create a false impression by using the term "E-Cig" because they aren't cigarettes at all. Mainstream Vaping tools like Blu are designed and marketed with that E-Cig term to merely help potential customers relate to their cigarette addiction, but in reality it is a personal vaporizer. Vaping is saving millions of lives everyday and will become mainstream culture in the near future due to its amazing harm reduction characteristics. I smoked analog cigarettes for 18 years and "QUIT" cold turkey when I switched to using a personal vaporizer with a liquid juice (produces the vapor-either PG or VG along with various levels of nicotine OR without nicotine completely ....PG stands for Propylene Glycol, while VG stands for Vegetable Glycerin. These two components are what make up most of the e-liquid. Both of these main components are essentially non-toxic, meaning that they are safe for the use of human beings.)
    If you are interested in quitting and love to smoke then this is the answer. Go and research the culture first, do not just go and grab the first E-Cig you find at your local drugstore because they more than likely won't help you. Buy a personal vaporizer that uses e-liquid, you will quit immediately as it gives you the same sensation as a real cigarette, i.e. throat hit, exhale...but with zero odor or toxicity. And folks, lets not be negative and down people for switching from cigarettes because the whole point is for people to stop killing themselves. Mark my words, Vaping will eventually KILL big tobacco, as soon as people wise up. PM me if you want some good links.


    THIS THIS THIS


    I also vape. Best decision of my life!!
  • Chain_Ring
    Chain_Ring Posts: 753 Member
    I can't imagine being addicted to anything. That sucks.
  • IVMarkIV
    IVMarkIV Posts: 116
    Always good to see someone overcome smoking.
    Pharmacologic wise, there are a ton of options with a wide array of dosage forms: nicotine TD, NS, lozenge, inhaler, e-cigarette/atomizer, and gum, bupropion, varenicline, and then clonidine and nortriptyline both off-label use.

    The problem is always getting the right dose form and finding what best suits the person compliance wise!
  • lizpitts
    lizpitts Posts: 67 Member
    I was finally able to quit cigarettes with an e-cig almost 4 years ago. Best thing I've ever done for myself. Currently I'm cutting down the nicotine so eventually I'll vape a non-nicotine solution. No more cough, no more cig odor, no more upper respiratory infections - plus it's WAY cheaper than cigs!
  • theguy12
    theguy12 Posts: 156
    So I quit smoking regular cigarettes on Jan 1st. Have not smoked yet.

    With that being said my finace and I do smoke vaporizer pens BUT they are the no nicotine kind. So we are not still addicted to nicotine - just the act of smoking. We rarely use them except when we drink or around people who are smoking and get tempted. It keeps us on the right track.

    I have read every story around. There is no way that a e-cig with 3-4 chemicals if worse for you than regular cigarettes (1000's of chemicals). Granted the best option is to put nothing in your lungs but for those who aren't quite there yet - I think an e-cig is a great option.