I Am Hooked.

I stopped smoking, and started vaping 2 years & 2 months ago

My magical device was an Innokin Endura T18 vape pen, followed by the Innokin t22 kit




I would love to hear what other members used to stop smoking  

I know I'm not a popular user on here like Baditude and all them, been I figured I'd post my story since I've been away.

I've been vaping for the past 9 months, and within the past month, I have unfortunately started to smoke cigarettes again.

In the past I have had problems with depression and anxiety (it started about 3 years ago) and I was on Lexapro and xanax for over a year. Everything was great and I was able to go places and socialize. I stopped taking it a almost 2 years ago thinking I was fine enough to stop. I was, until about 3 weeks ago, all this anxiety started rushing back out of nowhere. It didn't help that I got some sort of flu that was going around but have since recovered from that. At this point, I am afraid to leave my house. I have been having a hell of a time going to work, which was never an issue a month ago. I have had to take time off for the flu and for my anxiety and depression. I broke down at work in front of my boss (not something I'm proud of) and told him I have had these problems in the past and that I need to get back on my Lexapro. So at the beginning of this week, I went to my doctor, which I had a VERY hard time doing as I wanted to pass out and throw up the entire time. She got me back on my meds, but with any kind of anti-depressant it takes a while for it to build up in your system.

I have already taken 4 days off of work, and I'm still afraid to leave my house to do any basic task like going grocery shopping or even just driving (I start to have a panic attack anytime I get stopped at a stop light in traffic.) I'm afraid of losing my job, but I think I can do the FMLA stuff but I'm having doubts on whether what I'm experiencing would allow me to do that. I'll have to read up on what I can do, but I'm just so afraid of losing my job, which would devastate my girlfriend and I know I would get looked down upon by everyone I know. I've been so stressed about it that my body feels my vapes are inadequate and I unfortunately picked up a pack of cigarettes and started smoking again. I'm just so scared right now and I feel like I'm in a rut that I can't get out of.

I know it's not the end of the world, but my mind is telling me that it is, and it's worrying me so bad  

When I first started vaping I always swore off building and dripping. I liked the ease of filling and vaping away. About 3 weeks ago I picked up my first rda. (Mutation x v4) it was ok and it leaked something awful so I set it aside. Well after watching mike vapes review of the troll I decided to pick it up. Just got it in today and threw a dual coil 24 gauge build in it. .came out to .34 ohms and vaping it at 60 watts on my m class. I haven't been able to put it down. I think I'm officially hooked on building and dripping. So glad I picked up this rda. Juice well is deep, holds lots of juice. For anyone who has been considering it, I'd recommend you pick it up. Here's a pic of my setup just for fun. I love my M class too! Vape on my friends!  

A few month ago I was vaping 24mg juice, been doing that for a few years. I started strong to quit cigs. My biggest cravings happen when I wake up, and after a meal.

I made the decision to quit vaping so I cut the strength down to 10mg 2 month ago. Then a few days ago I cut down to 5mg. I plan do cut down further to 2.5mg a month from now, and then 1.25mg...etc. I do DIY juice so all I have to do is dilute my jar when I have 50% left.

Right now I still get some craving at trigger time, and each time I cut down, I need to puff more in the first few days.

I wonder if my cravings will decrease as my nic level decreases. Once I'm at 1.25mg I plan to quit cold turkey, and I wonder how hard it will be? I should also mention that I vape menthol, so each time I dilute my juice I'm also weakening the cooling sensation that I'm used to.

thanks  

When I first started I read high-nic is usually recommended for first time vapers, got 24mg and that was WAY too much for me... Seems the sweet spot for me was 6mg. Was a half a pack~ a day smoker.  

It's been a while!

I left for a while,,,,,,,I think it's been a year or more,,,,,,I took a break because,,,

1) I thought it was getting too political around here (my opinion) and I wanted a break from it.

2) I got a job (which I LOVE) and it takes a lot of my time,,,,,,,

3) I stopped vaping. Yep, me,,,,,,,,who vaped 20 ml a day at one point,,,,Nope, I didn't go back to smoking,,,,,I didn't plan it,,,,it just,,,,,happened. Mostly due to the job, I think,,,,,,I just vaped less and less and less until I wasn't vaping at all,,,,,,,,

then WHAMMO,,,,,,,,the urge for cigarettes hit,,,,,like 9 months after I stopped vaping and almost 3 years after quitting smoking, and it hit like a ton of bricks. It kind of surprised me to be honest. Well, there was no freaking WAY after THREE YEARS that I was going to start smoking (I did that THREE TIMES in the past and it was ALWAYS a disaster),,,,,,so I picked up my provari, charged those batteries, made myself some No Nic juicy peach, and started vaping again.

Thank GOD for my e-cig, because there is NO DOUBT in my mind I'd be smoking again if I hadn't kept it.

Some thoughts,,,,,,,,

1) whoaaaaaaaaaa what the heck happened to this forum???

2) Provari has a VERSION 3??????????

3) Where the heck do I reset my password????????? I forgot mine, I had to have it reset, and I'd like to change it to something I'll remember.

4) It's nice to see everyone  

I joined ECF back in August of 2017. I was sixty-five years old and had been smoking 25-30 cigarettes a day for 40+ years. I began vaping at the same time win the hope I could at least cut down. I dual used for months, continually cutting back on cigarettes. I smoked my last cigarette on May 11, 2018 - I am coming up on my three year anniversary. When I began, I vaped 24mg nicotine. Now I alternate between 3mg and zero nic.

Given how incredibly positive vaping has been for me, I am in shock at recent events. I was down to two working mods. I have ordered four mods, some tanks and a bunch of coils. I am still able to buy some eliquids where I live - but many of my favorites from Halo have been discontinued. I still have some outstanding hardware orders that I hope get delivered.

The treatment of vaping in the media has been a one sided disgrace, and propaganda works. Over the years when I have mentioned to people that I quit by vaping, they respond, ‘so you quit smoking by picking up a habit that is even more dangerous’.

I am set for at least a year. Fortunately I have kicked my addiction to nicotine - I recently vaped zero nic for a month. If I was just starting out, it would truly be panic time, and I would go back to cigarettes for sure. I suspect that many will do just that. Happy I started when I did.  

Hi all-
I haven't posted in a long while. I am in need of some suggestions as to what could be going in with me all of the sudden with my vaping.

Within the past two months I have a very hard time breathing when vaping. I was just thinking at first that I was getting sick or something. Then, I stopped for a few days completely and I felt better so I started again. The evening of the first day back to vaping, I laid in bed trying to go to sleep feeling like an elephant was sitting on my chest and that my throat was closing up. It was very scary. So scary that I have now been to the pulmonologist as well as the cardiologist (because the chest heaviness was bad). My lungs are clear and heart is in good condition. Soooooo....I went and purchased a ZERO nicotine juice thinking that maybe it was the nicotine. NOPE.....that didn't work either, I have used my e-cig only on the past two Saturdays and it has zero nicotine liquid in it and I still have the same problem after the day of vaping. I feel like I am struggling to breath. It is horrible. It takes a day or so to subside. I really enjoy my vape. I quit analogs on April 9, 2011 and have been vaping every since. Does anyone have any idea what the problem could possibly be? Maybe I should try just VG Juices....would that make a difference? Please help....any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!!  

A quick back story to start. I was a 1-2 PAD smoker for about 5 years. I found vapes and quit smoking. I was able to stop vaping and smoking for 18 months until I picked up smoking again for a few years. I have once again been able to stop smoking and started vaping again. Simple transition, some willpower for sure, but I have kicked the habit completely. When I started vaping again I purchased an Istick 50w and a troll. Have been using 3mg liquid only. It's been about six weeks smoke free again and I want to, not only upgrade, but reward myself. I read and read and watch reviews non stop, my head hurts from all of the stuff out now. I use my mod consistently at 45 to 50 watts. I have a 0.4 dual coil build and a chuff top. The heat from the vape is less than perfect, but I like the vapor production. I am interested in temperature control as well. If I need to buy two mods to have everything I want, so be it. Not that money isn't an issue, but right now it isn't a factor. I have been looking at IPV3, Sigeli 150, IPV4, Mech Mods, you name it I have looked and can probably tell you the specs off the top of my head. I just can't decide! I need your help ECF! I know I want at least dual 18650, as my Istick lasts maybe half a day until I need to charge. Good flavor and large vapor production atty, temp control, and good ergonomics. Thanks in advance for all input and help.  

I joined this forum 8 yrs ago. After a couple of years of learning and contributing, I moved on, continued to check back every once in a while but never stopped vaping. I very rarely buy premixed juice, maybe 2-3 times in the past 5 years so when all these lungs issues came up and every other news story was about how vaping was going to kill you, I knew that I was probably OK since I make my own juice. Then it started to sound like there was actual medical proof that vaping was leading to serious lung, heart, etc, disease. Damn near threw all my gear out after reading news stories from several reputable resources confirming my worst fear.

Then I decided to come back here. I can usually pick out the BS pretty quickly and my hackles are already up from having to fend off endless well meaning "you have got to stop vaping!!! " conversations and obvious postings of the news stories on FB .

I grant you that I want all these warnings to be wrong because I love vaping, I really do. It does not make me cough, it doesn't stink up the house and I was pretty confident that it was saving my life. So I'm really kinda POed about all this crap. And I know I'm not alone. I want honest answers and that's what I came here for. After reading just a few threads I'm feeling more relaxed (or is it because I'm sucking on the nautilus mini like a milk shake...). I'm certainly not going to throw anything out...just yet. Anyway, thanks for still being here, nice to drop in .