Craving control with electronic cigarettes vs gums and patches

[unlearnaddiction]

I am an internal medicine physician with an interest in addiction treatment and would be very interested to hear people's experience with electronic cigarettes vs nicotine gums and patches. Particularly how strong the cravings to return to cigarettes were with electronic cigarettes vs the gums and patches.

 

[RosaJ]

I had no strong cravings to go back to cigarettes after starting to vape. The day I received my starter kit (an eGo 650mAh with the little dripping tanks) and I used it the first time, I knew ecigs would be the method to eventually quit smoking. I continued smoking because I didn't want to go through the horrible withdrawal symptoms and noticed that every day that passed, I smoked less and less.

After a week and a half, I realized one morning I had not smoked at all the previous day so I lit one up and I gagged from the horrible taste of the cigarette. I put it out and threw away the half pack I had left.

That was 10 months ago and have not craved nor missed a cigarette since.

Through 40 plus years of smoking a pad, I tried the patches several times. But the constant absorption of nicotine through my skin affected me by irritation of the skin where the patch adhered to and I was in a foul mood all the time. Tried the gum for a very short while but it didn't work for me either. I refused to take Chantix as I don't want anything to tinker with my brain function.

Now I vape 6mg of nicotine and sometimes 0mg. My biggest pleasure is the hand-to-mouth motion, blowing large plumes of vapor, and of course the delicious flavors available.

 

[Covert]

Stopped smoking the 1st day I had my starter kit in my hands and have been cigarette free with zero cravings for a little over six months (once I figured out how to use my device to it's fullest potential.) I have previously tried the gum it tasted like garbage and I still had cravings,major withdrawal symptoms,and eventually I gave up and started smoking again. I then tried the patch it worked pretty well until I tried to step down my nicotine levels and again withdrawal symptoms were severe and I started smoking again. Tried the pill which made me feel loopy enough to make me stop taking it and start smoking yet again. I recently wrote a paper on this subject for my Psychology class and can give you the name of the journal and Doctors that have already done some research on "The perceived effect of electronic cigarettes as a smoking cessation and Nicotine Addiction Therapy"

 

[redbucket]

Everyone's experience is different. I tried the patch for like a few hours. It didn't kill cravings at all. But, I found, if I had a patch on while I smoked.. that made smoking even better. Well that didn't help, obviously. First puff of a disposable blu and I never looked back. I googled e-cigs while puffing on my blu and found this forum. Ordered an eGo kit that night shortly before my blu died. Got several gas station brand refillables over the three weeks it took to get my eGo shipped. It was worth it. I vape more than I ever smoked, but my wife is happy I don't smell like ..., and I am happy because I get nicotine and also get to pretend I look cool, whenever I want.

 

[redbucket]

I should note about the "tried the patch for like a few hours" phrase. I mean, I bought a pack of patches and slapped one on. Then didn't feel anything and took it off a few hours later. A few days later, I found myself smoking a cigar and slapped another on. Took if off in the shower that night. Kept putting one on when I felt a smoking urge for a couple weeks, wasn't taking it seriously I guess. A "few hours" is the total time I spent with a patch actually affixed to my arm, not the total amount of time I attempted to use this method of smoking cessation.

 

[Petrodus]

Stopped smoking the 1st day I had my starter kit in my hands and have been cigarette free with zero cravings for a little over six months (once I figured out how to use my device to it's fullest potential.)

That's the "Key"

 

[Vchick]

Patches and gums never eliminated the cravings for me, the oral meds were a disaster. On the other hand I was an instant convert with vaping and have had no cravings for a 'moke - I am 2 1/2 years 'moke free

 

[Hello World]

I am an internal medicine physician with an interest in addiction treatment and would be very interested to hear people's experience with electronic cigarettes vs nicotine gums and patches. Particularly how strong the cravings to return to cigarettes were with electronic cigarettes vs the gums and patches.

I started vaping 10 hours ago, and 2/3rds of 1 pack usually I smoke a day is still left.
So this seems to be working really well, already a major relief breathing easier.

Nic Patch useless, Nic gum loosened some teeth, but e-cig'ing is coming down nicely by the numbers, zero in the way of any withdrawal symptoms either.

 

[jazon1]

I am an internal medicine physician with an interest in addiction treatment and would be very interested to hear people's experience with electronic cigarettes vs nicotine gums and patches. Particularly how strong the cravings to return to cigarettes were with electronic cigarettes vs the gums and patches.

hi im glad your open to e-cig use most physician's i have talked to ether wont talk about e-cigs or are against them because of no FDA approval yet.

personalty i smoked for over 20 years and have tried. patches,gum,pills non worked for more then a day or two they just did not stimulate my cravings (something in hand,inhaling,exhaling) and also left me very agitated,
the e-cig was the first thing that worked for me,the day i got it i think i had one maybe two smokes and that was it a few days later i was tossing out my left over smokes and haven't looked back and have not had a single craving.

but keep in mind if you are going to suggest these to someone make sure you suggest a quality e-cig and tell them not to try to quit using one of those cheep under powered ones from a gas station,i know many people who have tried them and did not like it or didnt think it worked and are now closed to the idea of trying one again because they feel it was a waist of money because the one they got was junk and could not provide the vapor/nic that was needed to be successful.

 

[Jarski44]

I tried just about every NRT out there, both with and without support groups. Nothing was able to kill the cravings, even after 6 weeks or more without a cigarette.

I switched to an e-cig on a Sunday afternoon (finished the pack after the morning football game). I had 2 cigarettes on Monday, 2 on Tuesday, 1 on Wednesday, and 1 on Thursday. Haven't had one since, just celebrated 3 months smoke free. In that 3 months, I can honestly say I have had a strong carving only once. My typical craving, maybe twice a week, is not very strong and are very fleeting.

Not sure what you plan to do with this very unscientific, anecdotal evidence, but I hope this helps.

 

[OttoBahn]

Tried patches a couple of times (out of curiosity more than any real effort to quit) - am sure I've tasted the gums before (same reason). Neither reduced any sort of cravings.

Along came e-cigs - with a decent starter kit, quit from day one. Been free since Aug.2011 (with about a 3 day lapse, very early on when I ran out of 'stuff' w/out realizing it.)

Am sure the alternate methods (gums/patches) work for some - w/ecigs though, was really effortless (minus the learning curve.)

 

[Clovery]

The patch definitely had an effect, but didn't work for the strong cravings I'd get first thing in the morning, after dinner, when drinking, etc. Nicotine gum works for cravings, but it gives me strong & painful hiccups and I couldn't deal with that side effect. The Nicotrol inhaler worked pretty well for me - I was able to quit for a couple of months with it. I would occasionally get the hiccups from the inhaler too, but I learned to take little "hits" under my tongue or into the side of my cheek. If I tried to inhale it like a cigarette, I'd sometimes get hiccups or throat irritation. The cravings were still pretty strong at times, and I had many failed quit attempts with the inhaler. Last year I quit for about 2 months using a low dose (step 3 I think) nicotine patch all day, and the inhaler for breakthrough cravings. I finally relapsed when in a social situation with other smokers, and then went right back to a pack a day.

In May I bought a KGO e-cig kit. I was ready to quit and excited for it to come in the mail. The day it came, I started vaping (12 mg/mL) and have never had a really strong desire to smoke since. There was a half pack of cigarettes in the drawer for months; I wasn't even tempted. When around friends who smoke, I go outside with them and vape. The e-cig completely eliminates cravings for tobacco cigarettes for me. It's been over 7 months since my last cigarette.

 

[GinnyDragon54]

BACK STORY: I started smoking when I was 18. I had a few cigarettes before that (was probably 13 or 14 when I had my first one, stolen from my sister), but not enough to consider myself a smoker. For the most part, I was a 1/2 a pack to a pack a day smoker, and at my worse, I was at 1 1/2 packs a day! With a ton of begging from my parents, I "quit" when I was 19. I tried both the gum and the patch, but neither of them really worked for me. I still smoked the whole time I was using the gum, and the patch stopped working almost as soon as I stopped wearing it. Plus, it was really itchy where I had applied it!!!!! I smoked off and on (without my parent's knowledge) from that time until I was 24 (October, 2011 to be exact). my parents found out I was smoking again, and basically told me to quit or move out. My mom suggested I try e-cigs, and ween myself off of nicotine that way. I was kind of intrigued by the concept of e-cigs, so I decided to buy my first starter kit (Blu, for anyone that's curious). It worked better than the patch or gum, but still not enough to get me off smoking. A couple months later, I switched to a gas station e-cig (Mistic), and used those for about a year. I'd still have a cigarette now and again (like maybe every couple months or so) just to see what I'm missing, but as soon as I light up, I find it gross, and am like "why am I doing this?" Then, about a month and a half ago, I switched to Ego's, and I haven't looked back since.

I think a lot of the reason why vaping works when things like the patch, gum, etc don't, is because it gives you that act of smoking. You're still inhaling and exhaling "smoke" (or in this case, water vapor), and your hands are still busy. You still get the social aspect as well. You can go outside and vape with your friends who are smokers or vapers, and chat.

 

[Huffelpuff]

25+ year smoker here. Tried patches on several occasions and was constantly on edge and felt that I needed a cigarette. Maybe less than the times that I went cold turkey, but still just irritable and feeling like I was constantly forgetting something that I needed (a cigarette).

On my last patch attempt, I bought high strength and made it two weeks - didn't step down the dosage bc I was still having very strong cravings. Became very sick - nauseus, disoriented--couldn't get out of bed. Took patch off and started smoking again because I felt extremely ill and didn't care. The sickness dissapeared almost immediately - I think that I was od'ing on the nic from the patch. (At the time I was about 100 lbs from a pre-quit smoking diet). I can't be sure that the patch was the culprit but all evidence pointed to it. Not sure if the nic from a patch accumulates in your system or how it happened but it was scary.

A few months later tried ecigs - 2 weeks on ecigarettes and never wanted to look back again. Cravings gone and enjoying my new hobby.

 

[RoseB]

Hello The longest run I had with patches was 2 weeks. That was in '04 withdrawals were intense. Ate a ton of celery and chugged tea. This helped keep my mind occupied. Then I went back to smoking. October of 2011 I gave the gum a try. I went from a can a day just to the gum. Made it about 20 hours the withdrawals were more than I could handle. Two hyper little kids and withdrawls don't go together. Then this fall I went to e cigarettes. It wasn't to bad. Started out with 18 mg nicotine. It doesn't feel the same as patches or gum. Maybe it's because of the action of vaporizing is so close to smoking, and it makes a good distraction.