I Am Needing Advice on E Cigarettes

I actually just ordered a V2 Standard kit and one of their flavor sample packages too. I am still waiting for it to arrive since I chose the free shipping option, it takes a little longer. Why did I choose them as a starter? The cost! The excellent reviews! A wide variety of flavors! Lifetime warranty. Plus, I can eventually make my own e-liquid and reduce my cost even more. After researching online, there are so much info, and true vapor hobbyist do seem to like those that have already been recommended, but naturally I would like to reach the day I can just put it in the closet. Honestly, I quit smoking regular cigarettes years ago, but then had gotten hooked on cigars, a few years back. Many of my friends have used different vapor kits, some good some bad. They all told me to don't waste my time on disposables, cheap convenience stores or especially mall kits! Go direct to the manufacturer avoid cheaper knockoffs...those cost you more in the long run.

Not sure if any of this helps....I think you like me being a noob to this world would find the info at V2 site fascinating and informative all the same. I love the fact that they fully share all of the ingredients in their flavors and for those that smoke Marlboro reds...they supposedly have a flavor that would be Similiar. Not sure if I can share link...but simple google V2 will get you there. Good luck. I will try to check back in and let you know what my experience is like when I get my kit!

Edit add: also when ordering online...always due a google search for current discount coupons! Often you can save up to 50% on start up kits by having a coupon code! I love thrifty deals with digi coupon codes!

I'm starting my second month of vaping, and have no desire for a cigarette. I can breathe better, have more energy, my car/clothes/house no longer stinks of cigarette smoke. I'm using a brand called Carolina Favor, and Ecto for my juice. No problems so far.

a reply to: eletheia

No. 1* I am curious as to why so little has been mentioned of nicotine patches?

They're strong. You'll dream in color ... ISYN. They will suppress the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal (since you're not withdrawing), but do little for 'the habit' ... which is why e-cigs seem (to me) to work so well.

I smoked the dreaded cowboy killers (Marlboro Reds) for 25 years ... 3 packs a day at the end. Cold Turkey worked. I just had to keep telling myself the urge would pass. Even after 8 years, it would rear it's ugly little head. I blame a very untrustworthy boss for making the urge unbearable. Cop out ... I know ... but the guy was a real SOB.

Google Alan Carr Easy Way to Quit Smoking pdf.

That book is simple, but amazing. They also have an audio book that is good too. Should be able to get them both for free.

Good luck!

originally posted by: fullset
Google Alan Carr Easy Way to Quit Smoking pdf.

That book is simple, but amazing. They also have an audio book that is good too. Should be able to get them both for free.

Good luck!

Excellent book. Maybe the reason I had such an easy time quitting smoking.

The nicotine patch satisfied my need for the drug.

The disposable non-nicotine ecigarette replaced the ritual of smoking.

Now the only time I need a puff on my ecig is when someone else lights up in my presence.

Disposable non-nicotine ecigs eliminate all the confusion of batteries and chargers and different "juices".

You don't need to order a "kit" on-line or get involved in these long discussions about "ordering on-line" from fly by night suppliers.

No bottles of un-regulated chemicals or poison to deal with.

No "$185 starter kits" to send away for!!! All I do is walk to the corner store and buy a $5.00 disposable ecigarette.

Two years NOT A SINGLE PUFF OF A CIGARETTE.

Don't get recruited into a cult of nicotine addicts with their ulterior motives.

a reply to: Psynic

Don't get recruited into a cult of nicotine addicts with their ulterior motives.

Oh get over yourself dude, because it was easy for you doesnt mean its easy for EVERYONE. Everyone's brain is differnt, some people can quit cold turkey, others cant.
Deny your own ignorance before replying.

This is my thread update, as I read everyone's replies and tried to give everything everyone said very careful consideration.

So what I purchased was a starter kit with a strong battery and the 510 threads as was suggested for ease of interchangeability.

I went with something that was a little less expensive to start, just in case it's not all that... but I took everything everyone said into consideration since it sounds like battery strength etc play a role in whether or not it will work for you...

Figure I can upgrade later if need be.

I want to thank everyone who replied and gave their input, some seriously valuable information from everyone. I doubt I could have ever made a decent choice without some help!

Let's see how this goes... just now, a couple seconds ago, made the purchase! lol

a reply to: HomerinNC

you know who is really frustrating to me, people who quit cold turkey and think you should be able to also!

a reply to: OpinionatedB

Best of luck, OB ... and I mean that. The hardest step is the first one.

a reply to: Snarl

Thanks!

And your right about the first step... this one took me a year - since I thought about a year ago I should try this... just never got around to it!

Well... a year later - step one complete! Friday is go day, since that is the day I should have everything!

originally posted by: HomerinNC
a reply to: Psynic

Don't get recruited into a cult of nicotine addicts with their ulterior motives.

Everyone's brain is differnt, some people can quit cold turkey, others cant.
Deny your own ignorance before replying.

I agree, " everyone's brain is differnt(sic)".

NEVER did I write it was "Easy to quit, cold turkey".

Hopefully some readers are able to discern the difference between "cold turkey" and utilizing 'Nicoderm' patches in conjunction with NICOTINE FREE disposable Ecigarettes to achieve freedom from ADDICTION.

The testimonials from 'Vape Heads', who are either promoting their own products for PROFIT, or are trying to entice addicts into their own form of addiction, are a TRANSPARENT FRAUD.

Vaping pushers are coming out of the woodwork to capitalize on a new drug delivery system.

Don't get sucked in.

a reply to: Psynic

No one who offered advice to me in this thread owns a vape shop, guaranteed. From ATS, I know a bit about everyone who responded, but you and 1 other... No one is trying to make money off me, they are doing exactly what I asked, and that was to give advice on what works for them. A couple people in this thread started with nicotine e liquid and reduced the nicotine until it was nothing, without the need for any patch.

You gave your advice too, for which I am grateful... but I would prefer advice being given without sitting around and put other people down. It's a much nicer world that way... and ATS has always been full of wonderful people, which is why I come back.

Thank you again for your advice, I read it before I purchased what I did, and I took what every single person in this thread said into consideration.

I was making a thread about this E-cig thing, but I guess it's better to just contribute to this one.

My personal experience:

I'm rather young compared to some of you dinosaurs. Some of you have been smoking for longer than I have been alive.

But I've been smoking since I was 18, which makes me a 10 year smoker. That's just enough time to get addicted and feel it pretty nicely.

Like any smoker eventually will, I got faced with the decision of quitting several times. The most recent one was with the aid of E-cigs.

I'm actually surprised how e-cigs look exactly the same anywhere you go, it just changes the brand of the liquids and the shape of the mouth piece basically.

I bought single e-cig, and a single battery. Before even leaving the shop I realized I would need 2 batteries, because while you can light up a cig whenever you want, you can't light up an e-cig unless you have energy, and you can't smoke while it's charging either.

There are hundreds of combinations for flavours, nicotine intensities and all that, but I was very fortunate to visit the shop of one of the people who are leading the investment of E-cigs in my country, so she actually had some very good advice on how to make it work for anyone. I'm going to mirror the advice she gave me here, it did help.

1- E-cigs are a way of quit smoking. It's not a replacement, and it's not something that isn't bad for you. It just helps you to measure and judge the "distance" you can put between your body and the need to smoke. Be conscious about it, look at it as it is your best friend and that that little thing is going to make you quit. That's the first step.

2- Once you go to the part of selecting the liquids - considering all vaporizers are the same - you should have this in your mind:

- Don't buy flavored liquids (at first). If you do, you won't be replacing the habit of smoking, you will be trying something knew. It will only be a matter of time before you have cravings for cigarettes and the act of smoking.

- The companies that developed the liquids with nicotine for e-cigs have made simulations on known tobacco brands. I was actually presented with a chart, and then the nice lady asked me what brand did I smoke. In that chart, there was a reference. My brand need X% of smoke flavor (cigarette flavor in some brands I think) and Y% of nicotine.

In my case I had to put 30ml of nicotine and 10ml of cigarette flavor. If you smoke a stronger brand, that would mean 30ml of nicotine, or 40, and then 20ml of cigarette flavor. They know the scales, so ask them (or google them).

This is important. If you are used to light brands, or slims, and you use an e-cig with a percentage that emulates a Marlboro (example), you will find it too harsh, and you won't have pleasure using it. The same applies the other way around, if it's too weak, you won't feel the kick of smoking. You need to replicate the experience of smoking with the e-cig, that's the first major step!.

3- After having your mixture figured out, you will notice that the feeling of smoking is pretty much the same. However, there are a few traps. For starters, you aren't smoking. You will have the desire to smoke everywhere, anywhere. Which is wrong. That way you will increase your nicotine intake, and if you fail with the e-cig, you will go smoke even more cigarettes and drop the e-cig all together, just to satisfy the increased need for nicotine.

The correct way of using a e-cig is to not use it as a asthma pump. I've seen people put their e-cigs on their mouth and inhale. That's wrong, for two main reasons: the first is that you are not giving time for the liquid to heat up and vaporize, which produces less "smoke"(vapor). the second is that it's not that pleasant or strong.

You should smoke it like a pipe. You do something like "puf puf puf, inhale". The pufs are you pulling little hits on the e-cig, and filling your mouth with vapor. That will deliver a more even experience while smoking, and avoid that "this isn't doing anything" feeling. But adapt to your taste, maybe 3 pufs are too much, or too little. Emulate what you would feel by taking a hit in a normal cigarette.

4- Then comes the tricky part. This is when you are used to your e-cig, and it did in fact replace your cigarettes. Try to avoid the best you can the temptation of grabbing a cigarette, even if not "just to kill the habit". When you feel the craving, take a puf at the e-cig. That gives you a small hit of nicotine, you can give up the thought of smoking a cigarette, and since you don't actually need to smoke the whole e-cig, you can do this the number of times it is need to kill the cigarette cravings.

That's the actual trick to stop. Any time your brain says "CIGARETTE!!! NOW!" you pick up the e-cig and take one, two, or three hits. The ones you need to feel satisfied.

As time passes, you will notice that you don't need a whole cigarette to feel fine again. You just need to kill it with a couple of puffs from the e-cig. The good thing is that you can do this at any time. You replace the occasional and routine act of opening the pack, lighting a cigarette and going somewhere you can smoke, with the "stop it" act of using the e-cig.

5- Only now the flavors come in. Some people have picked e-cigs, used flavors from day one and stopped smoking. Most people don't. Since it's a different experience, most people will go back to smoking again.

It's only after maybe 1 or 2 months - or whatever the time you need, judge yourself - of using a cigarette-like flavor that you should consider using flavors.

What I did was very simple. I was used to the e-cig flavor, and was using it as a replacement for smoking. I didn't actively smoked it, I just took pufs whenever I felt "hungry" for a cigarette.

Then I switched to flavors (my case, redbull and cola with lemon). The flavors are a brain trick, and if you understand how it works, you can stop smoking.

You get the flavor AND the nicotine into the mix, and you smoke it like you have been smoking before, but it just tastes better now. That gives you a pleasure intake, plus the usual nicotine dose. However, you can trick your brain into forgetting about the nicotine, because of the new flavor and act of smoking the e-cig.

You start by dropping the amount of nicotine in the mixture, and gradually replace it with flavor. Visually, it's the same. Taste wise, it's the same. The experience is the same and you have learned to enjoy it.

Your body won't know it's losing nicotine, it just gets used to it because the psychological need isn't there nagging you.

So you drop to 20ml nicotine... Then 17ml... Then 15ml... Then 10, and so on. And hopefully, one day you will have 0ml of nicotine, and you will be just enjoying some puffs of smoke that taste like you want it to taste, but isn't addictive anymore.

You will teach your body that it doesn't need nicotine nor cravings like that. Everytime after that you feel like picking up a cig, take a puff. The psychological aspect of it will tell you "you smoked, you're full", but since there is no nicotine in there, it will then only be a matter of time before you realize you don't need the e-cig at all.

How did it work out for me?

I stopped smoking within 3 months. First month was cigarette replacement, second month was flavor month, and in the third month I gradually decreased the amount of nicotine each weekend.

a reply to: VashKonnor

Oh wow, very cool!

okay... definitely then perhaps I will try that way with the nicotine and the flavors! I REALLY WANT TO USE THIS TO QUIT, even though just replacing with something less harmful is at least better... I just need done with all this.

Thank you for your advices!

a reply to: xDeadcowx

I need advice. Please.

I got the e-cig on wednesday and charged it etc. I think the choice of e-cig was good, battery is powerful etc and it draws fine.

Here is my problem, it's really hard on my throat. I want to use only that... but especially in the morning trying to use it seems impossible...

I coughed so hard this morning I puked... lol. That sucked.

So what do I do, am I trying to use it wrong? Does it just take time? Am I using the wrong kind of e-liquid?

Advice here is needed.

Thank you in advance.

a reply to: OpinionatedB


Hahaha.

And how much did you pay for this "puke"?

Can you return it?

Get a nicoderm patch. Buy a ten dollar, disposable, no-nicotine e-cigarette.

Read 'The Easy Way'.

Break the chain of addiction.

a reply to: OpinionatedB
Hey, just started mine too. I actually found this following link reassuring regarding the side effects one may experience Side Effects

They offer some hints on counter-acting most of them. Good luck on quitting. So far, my cough has not changed as much, not as bad as my cigars. Will check back here in a week or so, and see if things are getting better for you.

Op, what level of nicotine are you using? Did you smoke light or full flavor cigs prior to the e cig? There are different amts of nicotine in the liquid. I smoked full flavors then went to 24 mg of nicotine, now down to 18. You might have to start on a lower level of nicotine. Try that.

originally posted by: HomerinNC
Op, what level of nicotine are you using? Did you smoke light or full flavor cigs prior to the e cig? There are different amts of nicotine in the liquid. I smoked full flavors then went to 24 mg of nicotine, now down to 18. You might have to start on a lower level of nicotine. Try that.

Does this sound familiar to any cigarette smokers out there?

Sounds like the same nausea we went through when we were BECOMING cigarette addicts!

We know it will pass though, it's always a bit tough in the early stages of becoming an addict.

Persevere and you can be a Vapehead too.

There are PROVEN effective means of breaking the chains of addiction that don't create the risk of developing a new addiction.

Substitution of a LESSER drug is how HEROIN was invented. It was supposed to be the SAFE alternative to OPIUM.

Ecigarettes are great! Just don't group the non-nicotine, disposable version that STRICTLY address the habit and reflex of cigarette addiction with the 'Steam Punk', 'Techno Gadget' 'Drug Delivery System' being marketed by unscrupulous internet vendors and promoted by the 'Vaping Cult'.

They don't care that by forcing restrictive legislation they REDUCE the chances of someone quitting smoking through the use of no-nicotine ecigarettes.

a reply to: OpinionatedB

Hey, sorry I didnt respond sooner, just realized there was a reply.

E-cigs are different than normal cigarettes. I wouldnt say they are harsher, they just hit differently.

You will get used to the feeling of an e-cig and nearly everybody runs in to the same issue at first. What i would suggest is to take very small pulls, small enough that it doesnt make you cough. Lots of little ones instead of one big one. That spot on the back of your throat will acclimate eventually.

I pull on mine like you would a cigarette, fill your mouth with vapor, then inhale the vapor all at once.

I am not sure what juice you chose to get, but not all juices are going to have the same "throat-hit". Experiment with small bottles of different types and you will fine ones that work a little better for you. Sweet juices are generally less harsh than the tobacco flavors. Some people love the tobacco flavored ones, but i think they are nasty.