Epilogue Of Sorts

Last week on a road trip with my motorcycle club, I had to go back to the “ash tray”. It’s to dangerous on the road, on “two wheels” with these constant sneezing attacks. I bummed cigarettes, then bought cigarettes. There’s thousands of road miles planned this summer, I’m leaving again next weekend. I love to ride, hate cigarettes, the taste, smell and cost but vaping will surely kill me!

There isn’t much of anything here or on the WWW about my issue with sneezing attacks. Not just a little sneeze but 4, 5 6 or more with an irritable urge, watery eyes and nose. When I put down my vape for an hour, it goes away, when I hit it, it starts back. Allergy medicine doesn’t stop it and makes me drowsy. This just started about 3 weeks ago, it’s like I’m suddenly allergic to...?

I’ve been vaping since 2013 when my lovely 77 yr old Aunt shared her vape. I had tried everything on the market including prescription drugs and hypnosis to put down my 20 year pack a day stink habit. For 5+ years I’ve been using an RTA and DIY juice. I’ve been using the same DIY products from Nicotine River (fresh frozen) since Dec 2019 as well as same flavors, TFA, LorAnn, Capella and same recipes. using a VG 70/30 @ 8+ Nic.
For 4+ years with zero issues I used the Lemo 2. Yes an oldie, but ya no how it is when you find a good combination. Until last year, I could get all the rebuildable supplies at Fastech. Since 2020 I’ve been buying and using different RTA’s, RDA’s Squonks, mesh coils, etc. searching for a “new love”.
My tanks are Profile Unity, Zeus Dual RTA, Creed RTA, Drop, Brunhilde and Dead Rabbit. JIC it was the new packaged supplied wicks & coils, I went back to my old wicking material which didn’t help. Tried 100% VG with VG Nic Salts, no change. I’m at a dead end, totally out of ideas, I give up, still hate cigarettes but...

Any thoughts would be much appreciated!  

Hi All! Sorry if this is long. This place is a lifesaver. I was a 30 year PAD smoker. Tried all the recommendations to quit. Resigned to smoking forever. I heard of vaping in 2013 and found this site. The day my Ego arrived in the mail on April 15, 2013, I put down the cigs and haven’t had a puff since that day. (I still smoke in my dreams every night.) I started out at 18 mg, and went up to 24 for a while. I vaped way higher nicotine than my cigs had, and much more often. I even took my Ego pen to bed and put it under my pillow to use through the night. No matter how much Nicotine I inhaled, I still went through the same withdrawals that I did when quitting cold turkey, or the gum, or the patch, or setting a timer between smokes. It was obvious I wasn’t withdrawing from nicotine. It’s from whatever chemicals are in the cigarettes.

Over the last 7 years, I’ve gone down from 18mg, to 12, to 6, and now 3. Not by choice. I was happy at 18. I started getting lightheaded, so stepped down the nicotine in levels. Not because I wanted less nicotine, but because my body couldn’t handle it. I’m now at 3mg, and starting to getting lightheaded from it. Next step is 0mg. I’ve no problem going to no nicotine, but after so long, I can’t imagine not having the inhale/exhale/hand to mouth repetition.

Has anyone gotten to 0mg and still vapes, or have you broken the habit?  

I have a ton of 0 mg juice that I would like to make 3 mg Nicotine, but I don’t know where to buy nicotine, what type I need or how to mix it properly. Some of you are going to say search the forums but all the old threads I’m not interested in as things change everyday with products and techniques. That’s why I am starting a fresh post and need help in which would be greatly appreciated.

So that’s one thing I need help with.

Second thing I need help with is deciding which dripping atomizer would you recommend. I’m looking for something that’s came out recently that has good reviews. I don’t have much time to search for reviews so maybe you know what’s hot and what’s not? I know it all comes down to personal opinion and I would like your opinion please. (RDA Specifically is what I’m interested in.)

Thank you.  

If you’re from the United States or probably any Western country, you will know how quickly our culture can go from one extreme position to the next on just about any issue. Around 25-30 years ago, nicotine went somewhat suddenly from being a socially acceptable vice that could be done in nearly every public place by almost anyone to a highly stigmatized addiction that turned millions of smokers into second-class citizens. Unfortunately, since the most common delivery of nicotine had been through traditional cigarettes that have been lethal for so many people including both my grandfathers, the stigma behind nicotine has persisted into the era of vaping. And it doesn’t help that the practice “looks like” smoking.

However, in and of itself nicotine is not dangerous. It occurs naturally in fruits and vegetables, and does not cause lung cancer. It’s a drug, just like any substance or activity that releases dopamine in the brain. I’m personally much more concerned about the consumption of highly-caffeinated, high-sugar drinks, which are not age restricted, “flavor” restricted, and aren’t taxed to death. I’m also much more concerned about the proliferation of flavored beer and spirits in the last couple decades, which have minimal restriction on advertising and haven’t been scrutinized by the FDA to any degree comparable to JUUL or the e-cigarette industry in general. And while those substances can be very addictive, they are often encouraged in social settings, can be “enjoyed in moderation”, and aren’t considered an epidemic. Without getting too political, I’m entirely convinced that progressives would rather have 400,000 smokers continue to die each year because they didn’t switch to vaping than a new generation take up a significantly less harmful habit.  

Hey everyone! So it’s clear that things are changing for all of you who live in the USA. I truly feel for all of you, and I still can’t believe this is happening. But, what is the impact that this is going to have in all of the other countries that basically depend on the US market?

I live in Perú and in most shops, if not in all of them, most of the juice that is sold is directly imported from the USA. Does this mean that we won’t be able to purchase these items anymore either? And what about new devices? I’m aware that most of them are made in China but under American brands.

I understand that the USA has probably been one of the biggest markets in regards to vaping. How is this whole thing going to impact the rest of the world? Our vape community isn’t that big, it just started growing last year. Stores don’t really make their own e-juices, it’s hard to get good quality ingredients.

I’d really appreciate your thoughts <3  

So I’ve been vaping for around 7-8 years and in all that time I’ve never broken the glass on any of my tanks even though they have all been dropped several times on many different surfaces. Well that all changed today when I dropped the bulb glass on my Uforce T2 while cleaning it during a coil change. Sadly I only have one and the extra is a straight wall glass that reduces the capacity. So I’ve ordered a three pack of bulb glass in case it happens again. I haven’t started a thread in awhile and thought this was the perfect subject to share with my fellow vapers. My diary entry says...”Today I became a man” I know it’s kinda B.S. that in order for us guys to be considered a man in today’s society we cannot have an intact cherry. I don’t make the rules, I just follow them, and although I don’t agree completely, I do feel a little different afterwards. Dare I say, more like a man. Anyway for you ladies thinking of breaking your first glass tank, here is some musical inspiration courtesy of Neil Diamond.

This is what happens when I’ve been locked up in my house for too long, scared of the world around me. Things get weird man...
Cabin fever  

Is it safe to use the vaporesso revenger (built in batteries) and the vaporesso revenger mini (lights up) after owing it for three years? It seems to have kept 3/4 battery charge and I have not used them in a year and a half. I ask because I’ve read older batteries can be dangerous to use if they have low voltage or something.

Also is it safe to use Sony lithium ion batteries after 2 1/2 years? Their volts was at 3.6 when I started charging them. I haven’t used them in a year and a half, but I did charge them once during the year. Using them in arrow sense mod.  

Hi friends, I’ve been busy with work and I haven’t been able to keep up with vaping news. Also, I felt kind of sad with all the stuff that was going on.

How are states reacting to the ban? Is that still going on? I’m not sure if I dreamt it or it actually happen, but I think I watched a video about how they were getting rid of the ban? And there’s going to be like a protest or something?

Sorry if the question doesn’t belong here  

Hey kids!

I have been so horribly absent from here over the last 5-6 years. Long story short, quit the stinkers on 8-22-10 and haven’t looked back. Vaping has grown and changed so much during the 11 years I have vaped, I won’t even bore you with the details of what gear was like when I started vaping. You fellow veterans know. It took a whole different level of commitment than it does today, because NOTHING had the power, endurance, or availability it does today.

I have been a 8mg/ml vaper for the last 10 years. I did kick it up to 12mg for a bit when I went through a divorce 5 years ago. There have been so many vape ban scare events that I am stocked up on supplies well. I have made my own juice for 10 years so my stash of nic is good to go. I can decrease the mg/ml if that situation ever arises, but at age 44, I think I have enough to last me at least a good 20-25 years at my current mg level. If I drop the level down, I think I am good to go until the nursing home days come calling.

The biggest part of why I wanted to post here again is:
1. After being a smoker for 16 years, I used smoking for every stressor life threw at me. Since I started vaping, I have survived undergrad, my masters, and my doctorate degree. ZERO temptation to go back to the stinkies. Went through a very unexpected divorce. Never tempted to return to Marlboro. If you commit to the process, it does work. I got remarried a year ago. My husband enjoys the occasional cigar and bourbon on the deck. I can hardly stand to smell him when he enjoys a stogie, which is thankfully only a few times a year. I realize how gross it must have been to be around me when I smoked 1-2 PPD. It does suck in the beginning but giving up the stinkies is worth it.

2. 11 years in, zero health issues. I am a physically fit and busy person anyways. But zero lung issues from my years of smoking or my years of vaping. My current PCP doesn’t even know I vape. I can hike with zero problems. I ride a Harley, and do cross country trips on it, and always stop to hike in places to find rando waterfalls and whatnot. I was in the mountains for a week this spring and zero breathing issues or short of air like I used to have when I smoked stinkies. I did find my vape hit a little harder though and I vaped less! Bonus to vaping is I can vape while I am riding my motorcycle, I don’t have to pull over to smoke lol. The Harley is a new hobby since I quit smoking, so I don’t know what that would have been like, but I see fellow riders pulled over to smoke all the time. Glad that isn’t me!

3. I am a mental health provider. I prescribe meds for depression and anxiety and all the other mental health disorders all day long. And I am a HUGE advocate of vaping to patients who want to discuss it. Many mental health patients have a nicotine dependence. I always tell them I will not be the one barking at them to quit, as it is their choice and whatever consequences result from smoking, they are already aware of those and it isn’t my place to preachy preach about it. But I do tell them I used to smoke, I quit 11 years ago, and I have vaped ever since. I have shown several my device and tank, I refer them to local vape shops that I know are good and helpful, and I refer them all to check out this site. I get pissed when I hear how many reply with their PCP telling them how vaping is so bad. The medical world has been brainwashed pretty good, lemme tell ya. I am an outside the box kind of provider, I don’t buy into all the malarkey the “experts” want to feed us. I won’t go into covid and the current state of affairs in our country, but if more healthcare professionals researched instead of following the masses and “expert rules”, our healthcare world would be a better place. Pharma and the FDA annoy the hell out of me. Anyways, there are more of us “good guys” in healthcare though that do advocate and support than some think, but we are still a minority, with the majority being asleep at the wheel about non FDA approved harm reduction and cessation devices. Every time I see a PCP start Chantix I want to scream. It has about a 2% success rate at best from my personal observations. Anyways, the TLDR here is I support the cause and fight for education about vaping every day in my office.

I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support and help from so many of you fellow veterans back in the day. I am still in shock at how much this industry has evolved in a relatively short period of time. Nic salts…..who knew that would ever be a thing! The one discouraging thing is seeing how many companies have closed up shop anticipating the regulations. I loved my freedom smokes for my nicotine. But, that is the nature of retail period, some survive and some don’t. With USPS delaying the mail ban, I think most could have hung on a little longer. But I don’t run their business or know their projections and models and revenue, so I have no place to judge. ❤️ Vape on friends! I will try to stop by and visit you all more often. This always has been and will always be a great community!  

Concerns about dripping

Newer-generation e-cigs allow users to choose — and change — what flavorings they heat up in their devices. Most vapers choose a liquid with nicotine (that addictive, stimulant found in tobacco). To get the biggest nicotine hit from each puff, some vapers take the outside cover off of their e-cigarette and use an eyedropper to “drip” the liquid directly onto the device’s coil.

This is an atomizer used for dripping. A couple drops of e-liquids are dripped directly onto the hot coils to create a vapor cloud.



E-liquids reach higher temperatures when dripped directly onto the coil. This also creates a bigger vapor cloud and provides a bigger throat hit. A new study now raises special concerns for teens who drip.

Allowing the liquid to get superhot can transform harmless chemicals in the e-liquid into toxic ones. (Note: At least one recent study showed that the hotter the vaped liquid became, the more likely it was to undergo such a toxic transformation.) And dripping makes this super-heating likely. Some people even use attachments, called atomizers, to do this more effectively.

Vaping hobbyists that do smoke tricks may have popularized dripping, says Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin. A psychiatrist at Yale University in New Haven, Conn., she’s been studying vaping behaviors in teens. Many now drip, she and her colleagues report.

This team surveyed 1,080 Connecticut high schoolers who said they vaped. One in every four teen vapers said he or she had tried dripping.

This is the first time any study has reported on the popularity of dripping in teens. (Researchers don’t yet know how common dripping is among adults.) The new statistics appear in the February Pediatrics.

Most teens who dripped said they had hoped it would let them make thicker vapor clouds or give the vapor a stronger taste. At present, little is known about the health risks of this type of vaping, Krishnan-Sarin notes.

And that worries her. “There’s great concern,” she says, “that kids are being exposed to higher levels of known carcinogens this way.” Researchers don’t yet know if this is true. And that’s because no one has yet studied whether more of these compounds get into the body when people drip instead of vaping normally.

For now, Krishnan-Sarin says a bigger vapor cloud or more flavorful hit probably isn’t worth the risk. “You don’t know what you’re exposing yourself to,” she points out, and no one should assume that the e-liquids and the vapors they generate are harmless