stopping
I tried all the usual ways of giving up the smokes but after 40 years of smoking around 25 a day on average I thought I couldn't do it until recently I went to a specialist that deals with smoking addiction and that was in December now its February and I haven't had a cig since new years 40 days today and I did it with an e cigarette .
I don't know why these quitting programs seem to think E cigarettes are bad as they are 95% safer than a normal smoke and their reasoning is that in the long term it may cause problems well maybe it might but I'm only going to use it for 2 to 3 months I started at 12mg liquid and then dropped to 6 mg after a couple of weeks now I'm on 3 mg and I have the 1 mg ready for later .
as for the long tem effects of using an E cig I'm not concerned however the long term effect of cigarettes is death easy choice I think .
The first time I tried giving up I used the quit line and found it to be totally useless as they would call every 2 to 4 weeks say how you going and you could tell them anything and the best advice they could come up with was to put the packet of smokes in the letterbox so that it wasn't so easily accessible .
The gum and tablets that you use orally burned my throat tasted terrible and gave me headaches the patches gave headaches and weird dreams if worn overnight and welts on the skin .
I got champex and did some research on it before taking it and after reading what it had done to some people I disposed of them .
I read on this site that they claim E cigs are expensive well I bought my unit for $30 and the liquid is around $25 from nicopharm and it gets made up in a compounding pharmacy near where you live and sent to you . Over the years I have wasted hundreds in different types of stop smoking aids they were the ones that were expensive .With the E cig I mainly found it easier because you ease into it I went from 25 cigs a day to 10 a day combined with the ecig then every 3 days reduced the smoked by 1 until I was down to 3 a day then stopped .
The thing about using a E cig is it gets you away from the 7000 odd chemicals that cause the cancers etc straight away and reduces you nico intake to a point where you can stop but it doesn't take away the smoking ritual that your use to after so long .
Fortunately people are very different, so I am happy to hear that you managed to reduce your E ciggi use that much and are planning to stop.
For me personally, the E- cigarettes were a total disaster... I actually puffed even more than with a cigarette, especially because I could use it inside a place. So I actually felt even more an addict than with normal cigarettes.
Also its true that you do not have some of the cancerogen factors in the liquid nicotine, although you have other substances. In some of them the long term side effects are basically just not known yet...
So what I want to say- good on you how you advance, you can be proud of it.. but E- cig have as well some concerns...
Everyone has their own way of giving up and I found the Ecig best for me there was a doco on recently called Ecigarettes miracle or menace by Michael Mosley that covered a variety of ways to stop and the E cig did well .
I will never go back to smoking cigs again and I have recently realized how much they stink after stepping into a smoking section of a club and having to walk straight back out .
Well to me the risk of using an ecig or continuing to smoke cigs at almost 10k a year lol is an easy choice its not for everyone but it certainly worked for me .
Thanks for your comments and if we all find our way to stop forever then we can all be proud
Hi Gus, I'm also an advocate of e-cigs, although the one I have is just vapour, and I only use it to have a couple of puffs, and very rarely... no inhaling....it's enough to simply see the vapour. Then I put it away. It's about to die anyway because the charger is broken and I have no way of recharging it. I won't be replacing it because I feel I'll be ok without it. For now, I find it helps with the 'habit', which is really very hard to break, especially when getting home from work and relaxing. Distraction usually gets me beyond thoughts of cigarettes and each day gets easier. I'm coming up to 3 weeks smoke free and can't believe how quickly those 3 weeks went by. Before I know it I'll be at 6 months, then a year, then forever!! My advice to anybody who's on their way to quitting for good, is to pass by a smoker smoking, or step out into the smoking area at a bar, and notice the horrible stench in the air......I don't think cigarettes smelt so bad years ago, I thought they smelt quite good. Not any more.
Hi Judes the E-cig I use is a eGo AIO Pro it plugs into the computer or phone charger usb so its easy to keep charged .I think the whole ritual of smoking is as bad as the nico addiction that's why I like the Ecig but as you say a few puffs and your good . I went to e-cig as a last resort really but I should have done it first I thought the only way I could have ever given up was if I was put to sleep for a month lol I never thought I could do it but once you put that first smoke down and begin and your in the right frame of mind to finally do it you can amaze yourself on how easy it can be if your determined to save your health and money and now I understand how bad the smell must have been to people around me especially in a lift .
I think I may end up one of those ex smokers that tell current smokers how bad they smell lol .
Gus99..welcome to the page and sharing your experience.
Congrats on your 40th day.
I have been a smoker who doesn't smoke anymore for quiet some time now and i went cold turkey as my choice to quitting the dreaded smokes.
We all have a choice on how we give up....some options better than others, but in the end its whatever gets you over that line of not actually smoking a cigarette is a winner..
The Ecig is working for you and that is great, but if it was me puffing on the Ecig i most probably would become addicted to it as a replacement smoke so therefore another habit i have created for myself...
Please come back and keep us updated on your progress.
hi Jenno
I have absolutely no intention of letting the E cig take over the addiction when I first ordered the E cig I bought 2 bottles of 18mg and 2 of 12mg I found the 18 was way too strong for me and disposed of them at my local pharmacy the 12mg was a good start then after 20 days on them I dropped to 6 mg for 18 days now ive just started the 3 mg (2x30 ml bottles)and I already have the 1mg 2x30ml ready for when they run out .I also purchased a bottle of zero nico to use once I finish the 1mg ..I doubt I will become addicted to the E cig I might be using it and it might be the best way I found to give up but it doesn't mean I like it . I have a friend that uses those nicobate minis and she is totally addicted to them she has about 3 cigs a week but goes through the tabs like lollies so any of these NRT items can be a problem if you let it the trick is not to let it .
Good for you, gus99, sounds like you have these Ecigs under control and the understanding about them...and enlightening me about about such a product...llike I said in my previous message.....what ever gets you over the line from not actually smoking a cigarette is a winner.
I am happy that it is working for you.I tried E cig twice but failed. I used to smoke it at my work place during breaks and at home. Although it may also contain harmful chemicals but not as much as a cigratte. I hope you taper it off soon. All the best.
Now I'm off everything 112 days without a cigarette and I stopped the ecig a week ago I sometimes still feel a craving but nothing I cant cope with I wont be going back to cigs ever again so good luck to you guys ...remember a cigarette burns that's what produces so much bad stuff a ecig heats and just creates a vapor that's why there is minimal risk but I never intended using a ecig as a replacement for smoking like some people do I used it because there was hardly any withdrawl the way I did it cutting the nico down over time 12 then 6 then 3 then 1 mg then none