e-ciggs as stop smoking aid

[Melvang]

Have any of you guys used e-ciggs as a stop smoking aid?

I want to quit, and have tried multiple times in the past with little luck.  So far the only thing that worked was boot camp.  But started right back up.  I have also tried the patch, gum, Chantax twice, and cold turkey.  Thinking about going this route.

Suggestions?

[Jokrik]

I've tried,
thing is; I could only get one type of e-ciggs at the time I gave the try and it kept making me to have cough plus itch on the throat, so I stopped
give it a try but from what I heard the chemical or whatever inside the e-ciggs is still as harmful for the body

I've been trying to quit as well, I stopped for almost 2 months until I hit the wall at work three weeks ago
now it's been an on and off relation

[absyrd]

I'm now about 1.5 months quit using Chantix aside from a 2-day stress breakdown. The beauty of the Chantix was that I could just go right back to quitting easily even though I had the lapse.

That being said, I REALLY miss the activity... having one with coffee, alcohol, after food, after completing a task, etc. I suppose this is also the "oral fixation" part.

I have a friend who I saw last night and told me he quit just using e-cigs. He tried everything, like you, until these finally worked for him. I'm going to do some research and buy one so that if/when I have a breakdown again, I can fall back on the e-cig rather than the real deal.

Best of luck to you. I know the pain. Feel free to PM me any time you are struggling and need a distraction or someone to talk to. I actually bought a JD40 with some of the money I would have spent on cigs and it felt really good! Habit to hobby is another great method to help.

[Jokrik]

I'm now about 1.5 months quit using Chantix aside from a 2-day stress breakdown. The beauty of the Chantix was that I could just go right back to quitting easily even though I had the lapse.

That being said, I REALLY miss the activity... having one with coffee, alcohol, after food, after completing a task, etc. I suppose this is also the "oral fixation" part.

I have a friend who I saw last night and told me he quit just using e-cigs. He tried everything, like you, until these finally worked for him. I'm going to do some research and buy one so that if/when I have a breakdown again, I can fall back on the e-cig rather than the real deal.

Best of luck to you. I know the pain. Feel free to PM me any time you are struggling and need a distraction or someone to talk to. I actually bought a JD40 with some of the money I would have spent on cigs and it felt really good! Habit to hobby is another great method to help.

That doesn't work when a pack of my favorite cig (dunhill) is at $1.2
stupid country with stupid currency rate 

[paicrai]

my question is why do people even start

[SpAmRaY]

my question is why do people even start

Why do people consume alcohol or do drugs or over eat unhealthy foods or take in lots of caffeine. Brain, chemicals, reactions, good feelings.

[paicrai]

my question is why do people even start

Why do people consume alcohol or do drugs or over eat unhealthy foods or take in lots of caffeine. Brain, chemicals, reactions, good feelings.

so you're a glorified junkie (i mean you're only satisfying your nicotine addiction) achieving nothing and making your actual problems worse by not dealing with them

[Jokrik]

Wait,
try yoga, it really helps me reduce any sort of stress level thus reducing my ciggies intake to even none
I use the "yoga daily" apps (they have it both in android and IOS) but you've to pay for it

[SpAmRaY]

my question is why do people even start

Why do people consume alcohol or do drugs or over eat unhealthy foods or take in lots of caffeine. Brain, chemicals, reactions, good feelings.

so you're a glorified junkie (i mean you're only satisfying your nicotine addiction) achieving nothing and making your actual problems worse by not dealing with them

And you are a teenager with angst who's biggest problem is having to go to school?

[paicrai]

my question is why do people even start

Why do people consume alcohol or do drugs or over eat unhealthy foods or take in lots of caffeine. Brain, chemicals, reactions, good feelings.

so you're a glorified junkie (i mean you're only satisfying your nicotine addiction) achieving nothing and making your actual problems worse by not dealing with them

And you are a teenager with angst who's biggest problem is having to go to school?

i mean if going to school didnt make me want to fall at terminal velocity more than usual, yes it would be that simple

[osi]

Good luck to you melvang. The 23rd of aug , I'll be 2 months smoke free.  Cold turkey pretty much

Previously, I've tried unsuccessfully in the past. An e-cig did not help me. I started dipping to try and quit before as well. I just ended up smoking and dipping. Probably would have been the same with patches or gum.

The most important factor in quiting is that you genuinely have to want quit smoking. Seriously, this is the first step.

I was successful this last time because simply put, I grossed myself out. I'd been working a lot and subsequently smoking a lot. Woke up, had a morning cig, and felt disgusted--mentally and physically. That was my last cigarette. Haven't had a puff since. I dipped for 4 days after to ween myself. No relapsing since

Good luck. It is a BATTLE. I keep cinnamon sticks at work and in my car. This satisfys the physical feeling and the best part is I'm just pulling good clean air. Not for any sort of cinnamon flavor, just for the action.

Taking deep breaths when a craving hits is also very helpful for me. My wife still smokes--didnt hello me out that much!!!

[Melvang]

my question is why do people even start

Why do people consume alcohol or do drugs or over eat unhealthy foods or take in lots of caffeine. Brain, chemicals, reactions, good feelings.

so you're a glorified junkie (i mean you're only satisfying your nicotine addiction) achieving nothing and making your actual problems worse by not dealing with them

And you are a teenager with angst who's biggest problem is having to go to school?

Paicrai, the reasons for me starting are of no consequence and of no bearing on this thread.  But if you must know it was due to peer pressure as a teenager.  On a second note, if you are not going to post something constructive at least related to this thread than please refrain from posting. 

To everyone else, thank you for the support.  My issues with the methods

• Cold turkey - plain and simple, nicotine is an immensely strong physical and mental addiction
• Gum - tasted so horrible that I couldn't stand to chew it, plus it burns the inside of my mouth, and did almost nothing for the cravings.
• Patch - did less for the cravings than the gum and don't stay stuck when sweating.  I work construction in a foundry, its not going to happen
• Chantix - I was able to slow down to a touch over half a pack a day but I am horrible about taking Rx's.  I have had about 3 my entire life that I can remember.  And of those only one was for a pill when I was in 4th grade for bed wetting
• smoking non prefered brand/flavor - I would just tough it through and get what I normally smoke with the next pack.

That being said, I REALLY miss the activity... having one with coffee, alcohol, after food, after completing a task, etc. I suppose this is also the "oral fixation" part.

Best of luck to you. I know the pain. Feel free to PM me any time you are struggling and need a distraction or someone to talk to. I actually bought a JD40 with some of the money I would have spent on cigs and it felt really good! Habit to hobby is another great method to help.

I would have to agree with the activity triggers as well.  For the most part mine are breaks at work, getting in the car (I don't smoke in the car with either of the kids and never in the wifes car or my home) after food, and flight paths in WoW. 

I think I just might try the "setting that money aside" deal.  Each day I don't smoke I will put $5 (though my ciggs of choice are more than that even with $1 off coupons).  This would help me get my mill quicker.

With all this said does anyone have any suggestions on which e-ciggs to try?  Should I just get the disposable ones from the gas station, or go to a tobacco shop?

[Grim Fandango]

I am no expert in this. I mean, I do not think I ever been addicted to anything and I am not a smoker.

However, when me and my girlfriend moved in together I pretty much demanded that she stopped smoking. I think it is unhealthy and kind of disgusting. I also knew that she did not even want to smoke anymore. It was just a habit she picked up in high school trying to be cool, and now it was taking her health (8 cigs a day). First she started using some of those products to kick the habit. But instead, those things just reminded her of smoking in various ways. And she would end up sneaking in a few cigarettes and hiding it from me.

It wasn't until she decided to just stop cold turkey without any of those products that she really stopped smoking, and became a non-smoker. Now (7 years later), she feels the same way about smoking as I do.

I think the reason she was able to quit was not because I told her to, but also because she wanted to. She was committed to it. I think that no patch or e-cigarette can replace commitment. I think people can search forever for easy ways to kick any addiction but there are none. It has to come from somewhere within you, and it will probably at times be tempting/hard. Without commitment you will not succeed, bandaid or no.

[absyrd]

I think that no patch or e-cigarette can replace commitment. I think people can search forever for easy ways to kick any addiction but there are none. It has to come from somewhere within you, and it will probably at times be tempting/hard. Without commitment you will not succeed, bandaid or no.

This is 100% accurate. You can't quit if you don't TRULY want to. Yeah, you may miss it or crave it still, but you have to have the feeling deep down that you want to be done. From experience, no drug or aid has made me just stop; it is by vast majority willpower that will get the job done.

As far as starter e-cigs go, I'm just gonna pick up some Blu or whatever they are called at 7-eleven. I don't want  to turn e-cigs into a hobby.

[Findecanor]

my question is why do people even start

They first get addicted to second-hand smoke. That is why use of e-cigs is to be encouraged, not made harder to use.

[tjcaustin]

I know a few people that have started vaping to quit smoking and then through the use of diminishing values of nic in their juices, quit vaping as well.  If he doesn't chime in, talk to jdcarpe as well, he bought a bunch of stuff off me a while and has more first hand knowledge of using it to quit smoking.  I think halverson has gone through the whole cycle at this point, as well as glissant, but I'm not entirely sure.

I would also recommend skipping the cigarette style vaping solutions entirely and go into a vape or tobacco shop and checking out a few basic setups there.  Almost everyone running these places are former smokers and are more than willing to help you find the right fit for your hand and usage.  That's not to say you should feel compelled to go buy a custom setup like what I had at Keycon in Chicago, either.  I think it's easy to spend sub $75 and get a good starter setup with device, tank and a couple juices.

[Hundrakia]

Champix!

[iri]

come on, where is your structure and discipline? quitting cigarettes in a reachable goal once you decide to go for it. i was able to do that, and you are able to do that.

[CommonCurt]

They got me off real cigs, and  been quit for 3 years.

If nothing else has worked for you it's worth a try.

[katushkin]

I'm pretty impressed you are still smoking after two series of Chantix. That stuff is really potent. I went on the 3 month course of it and it really worked.

Admittedly I'm smoking again now, but it's really good stuff.

I think the fact that you are still smoking after that is because of one of two things. Either you actually want to smoke, or you have factors in your life that draw you back to smoking.

I think you may need to address those issues first before moving to e cigs

[Hundrakia]

Champix had me quit in two weeks, but yeah. You gotta want it.

[pasph]

The Carr Allen's book worked for me.
Stop searching a magic wand that can stop your "physical" need because 90% of that is just in your head, understand it and change it

[kenmai9]

I smoked from 2011-2013 when I discovered ecigs.

I used e cigs to quit. After a couple months of use of the ecig I got sick of the taste and how it made my throat feel and I just quit smoking (besides herb) completely. Haven't had a stog since May 2013. Feels good. Another thing that helped is getting over the fact that I am missing out on anything (stog talk pretty much). Then it was easier haha.

[Melvang]

The biggest reason I am thinking about going the e-cig route is so I have the se motions and what not as a regular plus with the non-nicotine methods I turn into a giant prick.  So I think with this method I can ween myself off and alleviate that.

I am not looking for a magic wand, just want the right tools for the job.  Chantix had almost no effect on me.  The way it works is it is supposed to block the receptors that the nicotine attaches to.  Must work a little different on me.  I guess this is another example of medicine not being an exact science.  But there are some weird medical type things in my family.  My brother and dad are almost immune to pain killers, and my mom is allergic to every plant and grass normally tested for on the allergy scratch test, except for ragweed.

[RED-404]

I wouldn't call them a quitting aid, but I can say it did help I started a 36mg and worked my way down to 5mg then ran out and quit. Granted, I had quit once before for over a year, then some chick talking on her cell and eating a burger wile speeding came flying across the center median of the highway and took off my mirror and rear bumper needless to say that's the day I started smoking again. :-)

If you're going that rout don't bother with anything that looks like a cigarette. Get a good mod, a good tank and a good driptip for a 306 or 510 atomizer.  Also, don't even bother with tobacco flavors there are some good ones, but they still don't taste like tobacco.

One of my favorites was Roar Vapor "Earl Gray Slut" I actually miss it a little bit.

Note in no-way, did I start vapeing as a way to quit I decided to quit over 3 years after I started vapeing I just used it as an alternative.

I have been off of Nic for just over a year I can't say I miss it, but I do often have a screwdriver pen or stylus hanging out of my mouth...

[divito]

The most successful quitters are those of strong will. While belief in an aid can activate a placebo-type effect, it's all in your mind; knowing this unfortunately hampers the effect.

[RED-404]

I used to smoke up to two packs a day for me dropping the NIC was the easy part. The first time I quit was cold turkey and that was for well over a year. Yes, there is withdrawal but I still consider it more of a habit than an addiction. It's mostly at least for me the ritual and oral fixation. I'm not going to tell you I'm not still tempted after that 3rd beer. Nothing goes better with beer.

[Melvang]

I used to smoke up to two packs a day for me dropping the NIC was the easy part. The first time I quit was cold turkey and that was for well over a year. Yes, there is withdrawal but I still consider it more of a habit than an addiction. It's mostly at least for me the ritual and oral fixation. I'm not going to tell you I'm not still tempted after that 3rd beer. Nothing goes better with beer.

For a lot of people nicotine is just as addictive as heroin, cocaine, or alcohol.  Speaking of which last I knew alcohol is the only drug that the withdrawls can actually kill you.

According to wikipedia;

"People with ADHD smoke cigarettes at rates significantly higher than others, and start smoking earlier, smoke more, and have more difficulty quitting. Research is ongoing to understand if the brain conditions underlying ADHD make people more prone to nicotine addiction, if the nicotine has some therapeutic value, or if there is no causation underlying the correlation.[97]...

...[97] "Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder". Retrieved 21 September 2009"

My parents were told by multiple teachers while I was in grade school that I might have a minor to slight case of ADHD, so I might have a bit of that working against me.

I did smoke pot back in high school and shortly after but quit with out batting an eye at that.  The cigs though that is a whole other story. 

[absyrd]

I have strong ADHD and generalized anxiety disorder. I started smoking at a young age and continued for 17 years.

The way I see it is that you get anxious when you don't have a cigarette. Then it is an easy fix to relieve that anxiety... just go smoke a cig. Doesn't get much easier. With generalized anxiety, there is no easy fix like this. I fully understand that smoking in the first place causes the anxiety of not smoking, but it feels good to have CTRL (even though the cigs are what is really controlling you)!!! Does that make sense to anyone else?

Oh, and I've been around quite a few recovering alcoholics, heroine and other hard drug addicts. Most of them say cigs are harder to quit, but obviously the withdrawal symptoms aren't as nasty.

[Den441]

I've been using ecig since 2009, never had the feeling that I wanted to quit. Nic is still addictive after all. It's a ton safer than smoking cigs at least, and can be very enjoyable when you find the right flavor and device for you. People customize their vape setups just like people do with keyboards on here, so its also a hobby. It will impact your wallet, but if you are still smoking cigs, it may actually save you money. There are tons of ecig resources on the net, just do some googling if you want to know more specifics on devices and flavors.

[HoffmanMyster]

If you're still thinking about this, I'm running a special "Melvang Discount" over here.   

[tjcaustin]

I sent him an ego, two innokin tanks and some juice to try yesterday

[HoffmanMyster]

I sent him an ego, two innokin tanks and some juice to try yesterday

Bahhh, stealin' my customers, TJ!!   

[Melvang]

Thanks again tj, and Hoff, I replied in your thread.

[noisyturtle]

Quit in less than 2 weeks cold-turkey by switching to marijuana!

[midnightmare]

Quit in less than 2 weeks cold-turkey by switching to marijuana!
(Attachment Link)

I'm still on the search for a good way to turn bud into e-liquid. I guess the easiest way is just to take a road trip to Colorado

[noisyturtle]

Quit in less than 2 weeks cold-turkey by switching to marijuana!
(Attachment Link)

I'm still on the search for a good way to turn bud into e-liquid. I guess the easiest way is just to take a road trip to Colorado

I mean you can extract oil from it but that congeals really quickly, and Probably would clog up an e-cig thingie. If you can figure out a way to make some sort of e-bud liquid you could become a rich man.

[codyeatworld]

Quit in less than 2 weeks cold-turkey by switching to marijuana!
(Attachment Link)

I'm still on the search for a good way to turn bud into e-liquid. I guess the easiest way is just to take a road trip to Colorado

I mean you can extract oil from it but that congeals really quickly, and Probably would clog up an e-cig thingie. If you can figure out a way to make some sort of e-bud liquid you could become a rich man.

Theres an e-liquid here called 420 Original and it has CBD. 

[tjcaustin]

Most of the cannabis based e-liquids I've seen have been some kind of one of tincture.  Usually, most people that are looking for vaping weed go with a specific set up that can use hash oil.  bro caps and a few others would be better at getting into that than I, though.

[noisyturtle]

Quit in less than 2 weeks cold-turkey by switching to marijuana!
(Attachment Link)

I'm still on the search for a good way to turn bud into e-liquid. I guess the easiest way is just to take a road trip to Colorado

I mean you can extract oil from it but that congeals really quickly, and Probably would clog up an e-cig thingie. If you can figure out a way to make some sort of e-bud liquid you could become a rich man.

Theres an e-liquid here called 420 Original and it has CBD. 

Yes, most of them are specifically for pain management so they are high in CBD amounts, but very low in actual THC.

PS  If you have arthritis or wrist pain, CBD gel caps can do amazing things for you and don't get you stoned