stopping using e-cig v nrt VERY CONCERNED

[icemanmaz]

After reading loads of quotes from loads of diffrent members I am a little concerned.
I got the e-cig not for the taste but to stop smoking completely.
My plan is to use it for 12 weeks and every 4 weeks cut down on the carts(high med low) 9 days ago I gave up normal cigs completely.
I think a lot of people will buy this to stop smoking not as a replacement to say carry on smoking in pubs in the UK.
Then I see quotes like its not an nrt and it wont work or Im smoking more than ever with the e-cig. I was a very heavy smoker for a long time. After a week withought the normal fags I was well proud and saved £90 on fags.
I am very concerned not knowing what I am putting in my lungs with the e-cig as aposed to say patches but surley it must be better than normal cigs.
I would be interested to know if anyone has quit with the e-cig then stopped using the e-cig without a problem.

 

[kramerica2]

IMHO, you are simply replacing one addiction with another. Probably a much healthier one, but still an addiction.

 

[Oliver]

I agree that many will buy e-cigs to try to quit, that's why it is incumbent on the suppliers to explain that they are not demonstrated to be effective for quitting by any serious study.

In terms of what we are inhaling - yes, that is a legitimate concern, one that is only mollified by the comparison to cigarette smoke.

If you are serious about quitting, you should be attacking the addiction using one of the recognized methods.

In fact, the most successful long-term strategy appears to be doing it cold turkey, but successful quitting depends on your psychological make-up as much as anything.

As stated many times on the forum, using the e-cig to quit is unlikely to be any more successful than by cutting down and then quitting using regular cigarettes, simply because the nicotine is delivered to the brain in a near identical way in each case.

NRT works because it breaks the reliance on the instant-fix sensation associated with smoking before the user attempts to reduce the overall amount consumed.

By the way, puff for puff, you get much less nicotine than with cigarettes. This may be the reason you are using the e-cig frequently. Try limiting yourself to, say, 20 puffs per hour.

 

[BettyRedondo]

Iceman, firstly I would like to congratulate you on a week without fags, well done I really think that you should continue with your plan of reducing your cart strengths and using esmoking as a step programme to quit.

I think step programmes do work, the last time I gave up I used a little filter thing you put on normal cigarettes which reduced the nicotine you got over 3 months, and I gave up for 5 years. Unfortunately I fell off the wagon 4 years ago as I missed the actual ritual of smoking, along with other problems I had at the time.

Although we do not really know what the consequences of using PG may be (or if there will be any) I personally think esmoking could work for many people as an aid to give up. You also have the option of VG instead.

There are members who only esmoke with no nicotine in their carts so I would consider them successful at giving up.

Don't be too hard on yourself, you have done amazingly well so far.

 

[katink]

In my view, if you stop burning tobacco, you have allready stopped smoking completely. You might have changed to vaporizing; and you might have become addicted to that; or you might still be addicted to nicotine - but you have at that point stopped smoking.

If you take the above as truth: then there are a good number of e-smokers (I am one of them) that have stopped smoking completely (so no smoking of any tobacco on the side anymore).
Then there is the group that has gotten off nicotine too... the zero-e-smokers. Would you say they are still smoking, in your terms? Not in mine... but maybe in yours, don't know.

Then there are also people that have first stopped smoking tobacco; and then stopped vaping e-cigs too. Not too many; but they do exist. I know of about half a dozen, I think. Might be more though, I don't expect those to stay around on e-vaping forums so in fact: number unknown... But probably a small minority; but yes, they are around too. (But then: I think a much larger group falls into the category 'stopped smoking' then others seem to define this as, so well...)

 

[Oliver]

In my view, if you stop burning tobacco, you have allready stopped smoking completely. You might have changed to vaporizing; and you might have become addicted to that; or you might still be addicted to nicotine - but you have at that point stopped smoking.

If you take the above as truth: then there are a good number of e-smokers (I am one of them) that have stopped smoking completely (so no smoking of any tobacco on the side anymore).
Then there is the group that has gotten off nicotine too... the zero-e-smokers. Would you say they are still smoking, in your terms? Not in mine... but maybe in yours, don't know.

Then there are also people that have first stopped smoking tobacco; and then stopped vaping e-cigs too. Not too many; but they do exist. I know of about half a dozen, I think. Might be more though, I don't expect those to stay around on e-vaping forums so in fact: number unknown... But probably a small minority; but yes, they are around too. (But then: I think a much larger group falls into the category 'stopped smoking' then others seem to define this as, so well...)

Thing is, I half agree with you - clearly if you are no longer inhaling smoke, you are no longer smoking.

Thing is, most times that people talk of quitting smoking, what they really mean is breaking the addiction/dependency on nicotine.

One thing that may well be an advantage is that most people who change to e-smoking feel fitter and healthier and more motivated to exersize and make life changes. Actually stopping the nicotine dependency may well be one of those changes.

 

[icemanmaz]

Thanx for all the replys I will keep on posting my progress monthly and will continue with the forum if or should I say when I give up nicotine.
One thing though in 1995 I gave up for twelve months and felt a lot fitter after about a week I am not getting that feeling now I can smell things a bit better and the cough is a bit better thats why I want to quit complely guess I have smoked for so long and heavy I have one hell of a lump of tar to get rid of and my body will take a while to mend.

 

[Nazareth]

Thing is, I half agree with you - clearly if you are no longer inhaling smoke, you are no longer smoking.

Thing is, most times that people talk of quitting smoking, what they really mean is breaking the addiction/dependency on nicotine.

One thing that may well be an advantage is that most people who change to e-smoking feel fitter and healthier and more motivated to exersize and make life changes. Actually stopping the nicotine dependency may well be one of those changes.

That's the thing with hte E-cigg- it's a step program for htose that really want to do both- to quit actual smoking, and to step down off hte nicotine while still enjoying the feel of a cigg. I've been able to step down from 20 ciggs a day to just 7 per day, and my long term goal is to go even lower until I quit, then to work on the nicotine by stepping that down as well (I suspect my nic 'requirements' are already quite a bi5 lower because a cartridge certainly doesn't hold it's nic content for very long, and I smoke one cart a day so I'm not constantly changing carts to get more nic- so I feel I've greatly reduced my dependency on nic as well)

I think most people will get into ESmoking because htey are sick and tired of their addiction to harmful chemicals as well as to nicotine, and the vast majority will be able to slowly and gradually reduce hteir dependency while still enjoying hte relaxing psychological effects of a device which mimics a cigg- which I beleive is one iof the bigger issues that go along with smoking, and one that we can almost certainly, safely replace with an ECigg. I see no problem with listign hte ECigg as an aid that may or may not work to help recude a person's dependency on the addictive chemicals of cigarettes (with an asteric* that explains that many people are indeed havign success either cuttign down on regular smoking, or quitting altogether- these things certsainly are more effective to many than the patch or gums or inhalers etc- and perhaps, coupled with drugs such as Chantix, might even be of great help in quittign altogether, because on chantix, you're supposed to keep smoking, then cut down, then quit I beleive, which takes quite a few weeks)

 

[DeviLFisH]

Thing is, I half agree with you - clearly if you are no longer inhaling smoke, you are no longer smoking.

Thing is, most times that people talk of quitting smoking, what they really mean is breaking the addiction/dependency on nicotine.

One thing that may well be an advantage is that most people who change to e-smoking feel fitter and healthier and more motivated to exersize and make life changes. Actually stopping the nicotine dependency may well be one of those changes.

maybe is physcology here

for me .after 2 weeks of e smoking actually near 3 weeks going to one mth

I still find I have to some some real cig than will feel like going to gym
whereas e puff seem make me weak....

maybe becos in office I never go out to my smoking area never move around sit there keep e puffing...

but when I on my way to gym I just have to smoke some real cig than got that movitation to excerise...

 

[Nazareth]

Thanx for all the replys I will keep on posting my progress monthly and will continue with the forum if or should I say when I give up nicotine.
One thing though in 1995 I gave up for twelve months and felt a lot fitter after about a week I am not getting that feeling now I can smell things a bit better and the cough is a bit better thats why I want to quit complely guess I have smoked for so long and heavy I have one hell of a lump of tar to get rid of and my body will take a while to mend.

Just determien that there is no rush, take thigns slow, and I beleive you'll find yourself conquering one smoking trigger after another with hte help of Esmoking- I've foudn myself gaining victories over triggers like the mornign cigarette, the after meal cigg, etc, and have been slowly able to cut way back on real cigarettes- it's taken me a month, but it's also not liek hte cold turkey where it's an 'all or nothing' type situation where setbacks are goign to be disasterous for you.

If I fail in a goal- let's say one day I am able to forego by evening cigg before bedtime- and I do htis for a coupel of days, then I break down and have one one night- it's not like I've failed miserably- I simply keep trying, and have hte Ecigg to help calm hte nerves when it comes time for bed- this helps trememdously whereas goign cold turkey, I would really have nothign satisfying to help calm the nerves- Each trigger point would be horrendous because I have nothign to help me htrough it. And, if I slip up, it still will be a LOT easier to get back on the plan to stop the nighttime cigg because I have somethign that helps wean me through it.-

Just go one victory at a time, and work on it till you're confident you have it under control, then go on to hte next trigger point, and os on and so on- just go slow- there's no real rush to do everythign in one week, or even one month or more- it's a reconditioning that takes time, and with little goals, you'll feel more and more confident the more you conquer, and compoleting the small goals will give quite a good feeling

 

[lukewells]

I plan to use e cigs to completely stop smoking real cigs (next week when my big box of e cigs and carts arrives )

Ok, so I understand that I may well become long term addicted to e.smoking.... but I am ok with that. My main concern is getting off the real cigs as quickly as possible for both health and cost reasons (spending £70 a week on cigs for myself and my girlfriend and feeling out of breath at the gym)

I plan to take my time on the e.cigs and very slowly work down the nicotine levels (probably drop a level every 3-4 months) till I am a zero e.smoker (then I will have to get some zero nicotine patches to get off the zero e.cigs lol )

 

[TropicalBob]

Pay close attention to Smokey Joe's wise words. He is correct. E-smoking is NOT a way to quit smoking. It is, we all hope, a healthier alternative for smokers addicted to nicotine.

E-smoking continues the smoking addiction, physically and mentally, without subjecting users to the tarry carcinogens produced by burning tobacco and sucking in the smoke. Enjoy the e-smoking alternative. And maybe you'll do it for a lifetime, if it remains legal, or maybe you'll decide you don't need nicotine at all some day in the future. Either way, good luck staying off cigarettes.

 

[TheEmperorOfIceCream]

Yup that's the big deal here. E-cigs might help you stop burning tobacco, and that would be a huge victory. But it doesn't help you quit nicotine.

Emp

 

[Nazareth]

i can quit anytiem I want- i just .. don't ... want ... to

I didn't mean to back over the vampire, it's just that I didn't see him in my rearview mirror

 

[TheEmperorOfIceCream]

funny that - I want anytime I quit...

 

[lukewells]

Day one.... (well its day 2 now sort of as its 2am) of NOT smoking real cigs.

Unlike with previous attempts with patches/gum/inhalators I feel like my nicotine desire is being totally fulfilled by my e-cigs!

Bring on the next day .... I am ready

 

[dablackanarch]

It's funny. I get asked, "Are you using that to quit smoking?" more than I get asked, "So, is that healthier than smoking for you?". I don't intend to quit smoking, in the sense that I don't intend to stop inhaling nicotine. I get a much faster 'high' and my nicotine withdrawals go away faster when I inhale nicotine than anything else I try (and I've tried snus, snuff, etc.)

If you want to step down your nicotine to 0, I say go for it. You may find that you're able to do it. However, everytime I've quit (up to 8x quitting now), it has always been cold turkey. I'm probably more addicted to the psychological habits formed around my smoking than I am with nicotine. My e-smoke is a wonderful thing and I don't ever intend to stop doing it.

 

[TheEmperorOfIceCream]

hey dab

I think we're all finding out just how much the 'ritual' matters to us. Quite a few no-nic bods on the forum who never would have made it if they didn't have something to handle and puff away on.

Emp