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One Month On...
Posted by
JellyBabyRiot
,
31 October 2011
·
244 views
So I'm just past the one month mark, and I am currently a dual user. Cutting out the analogues bit by bit hasn't quite gone how I expected and neither has the vaping.
I began on 24mg nic prefilled carto's which I thought would be about right considering I had been smoking between 15 and 20 (25 at times) analogues a day previously, but they were too strong. So I bought some 20mg juice which was still too strong. I had started to get quite disconcerted with it all. I'd wanted to convert to vaping to get rid of the fuzzy, cloggy head feeling not replace it with more dizziness (something which I have been suffering on and off with for years).
But I was determined to give vaping a fair chance, so I bought some Glycerine, De-ionised water, syringes and a blunt needle and made some zero nicotine, flavourless VG base about the same consistancy as my other juices. I picked a juice out of my sample bottles that I was not too keen on and "watered" it down to 15mg in a separate bottle. Amazingly this did not affect the flavour, was a much better strength than 20mg, but I still couldn't sit there having a good vape without feeling "overloaded" with nicotine and noticing a raise in my blood pressure. So I vaped just when I needed a hit - which I could get in two or three drags - and continued with that for a couple of days.
It seems I started to get used to 15mg, but I didn't really want to be vaping more nicotine that necessary, so I ran the experiment again this time "watering" down to 10mg. At first it seemed weak, and this time almost completely wiped out the flavour, but this didn't bother me if it meant I could vape properly rather than using my PV like an NRT inhilator.
10mg seemed to be my ideal level, no rough feeling, no dizziness just a pleasant hit and thought I might be able to finally start stage 2 of cutting the analogues down, to around 5 a day or so instead of the 7 a day I'd been stuck on all month. Despite this I was still craving something and at this point in the month I thought I was getting the urge to roll, more than actually smoke a cigarette. As a roll-up smoker I've never been used to the pick up, light and smoke routine of a ready-made smoker. I've always had something to do before I can spark up so being able to just pick up and vape wasn't quite cutting it at the time. So I decided to give direct dripping a try and bought myself an Ego battery, 510 atomiser and a drip tip and gave it a whirl. It was great to have something new to fiddle with and I have had no disasters as yet. Although it's fun, it still hasn't quite hit the mark and am now thinking multiple attachments or PV's may be the way forward. the variety of swapping between PV's rather than continually dripping juice seems to appeal more.
But as the month drew to a close, and despite having a new toy, I have been craving analogues more. Which I am finding difficult to understand, as they are making me feel really rough after about half and taste more foul than ever but it doesn't stop me wanting one. It's like my subconscious is craving the shitty feeling and I hate it now more than ever. I lose concentration and sort of space out. I know it's probably got something to do with the lack of oxygen to the brain, but why would I crave that?
I did crave analogues less on 15mg but still felt overloaded with nicotine, now i'm wondering if it's worth taking the risk with a higher level and put up with a little bit of dizziness just to ditch them properly.
I'm not ready to give up quitting yet and have a plan in place for the coming month, but as my previous plan hasn't really worked I'm prepared to change it as and when I need to. I'm not going to let the analogues beat me, I turn a year older in December and a nice present would be a dizzy free, clear head for the first time in years.
I began on 24mg nic prefilled carto's which I thought would be about right considering I had been smoking between 15 and 20 (25 at times) analogues a day previously, but they were too strong. So I bought some 20mg juice which was still too strong. I had started to get quite disconcerted with it all. I'd wanted to convert to vaping to get rid of the fuzzy, cloggy head feeling not replace it with more dizziness (something which I have been suffering on and off with for years).
But I was determined to give vaping a fair chance, so I bought some Glycerine, De-ionised water, syringes and a blunt needle and made some zero nicotine, flavourless VG base about the same consistancy as my other juices. I picked a juice out of my sample bottles that I was not too keen on and "watered" it down to 15mg in a separate bottle. Amazingly this did not affect the flavour, was a much better strength than 20mg, but I still couldn't sit there having a good vape without feeling "overloaded" with nicotine and noticing a raise in my blood pressure. So I vaped just when I needed a hit - which I could get in two or three drags - and continued with that for a couple of days.
It seems I started to get used to 15mg, but I didn't really want to be vaping more nicotine that necessary, so I ran the experiment again this time "watering" down to 10mg. At first it seemed weak, and this time almost completely wiped out the flavour, but this didn't bother me if it meant I could vape properly rather than using my PV like an NRT inhilator.
10mg seemed to be my ideal level, no rough feeling, no dizziness just a pleasant hit and thought I might be able to finally start stage 2 of cutting the analogues down, to around 5 a day or so instead of the 7 a day I'd been stuck on all month. Despite this I was still craving something and at this point in the month I thought I was getting the urge to roll, more than actually smoke a cigarette. As a roll-up smoker I've never been used to the pick up, light and smoke routine of a ready-made smoker. I've always had something to do before I can spark up so being able to just pick up and vape wasn't quite cutting it at the time. So I decided to give direct dripping a try and bought myself an Ego battery, 510 atomiser and a drip tip and gave it a whirl. It was great to have something new to fiddle with and I have had no disasters as yet. Although it's fun, it still hasn't quite hit the mark and am now thinking multiple attachments or PV's may be the way forward. the variety of swapping between PV's rather than continually dripping juice seems to appeal more.
But as the month drew to a close, and despite having a new toy, I have been craving analogues more. Which I am finding difficult to understand, as they are making me feel really rough after about half and taste more foul than ever but it doesn't stop me wanting one. It's like my subconscious is craving the shitty feeling and I hate it now more than ever. I lose concentration and sort of space out. I know it's probably got something to do with the lack of oxygen to the brain, but why would I crave that?
I did crave analogues less on 15mg but still felt overloaded with nicotine, now i'm wondering if it's worth taking the risk with a higher level and put up with a little bit of dizziness just to ditch them properly.
I'm not ready to give up quitting yet and have a plan in place for the coming month, but as my previous plan hasn't really worked I'm prepared to change it as and when I need to. I'm not going to let the analogues beat me, I turn a year older in December and a nice present would be a dizzy free, clear head for the first time in years.
You've had a long term habit-a big part of that 'neural reward pathway' is the'ritual', teasing out the tobacco-just right, putting the right amount in a rizla, licking the gum, it all builds anticipation, then you spark it up-ahh, that damp nappy, ammonia, stale bread, grotty ashtray, burning paper, wet dog hair smell and taste (its what you probably detect now?) satisfying ?
You have highlighted the fact that you like the footer and fiddling part of vaping (the anticipation build), try not to mourn or grieve the loss of your smoking habit-embrace and encourage the braver 'new you', the one that is now (nearly) a non-smoker, I look at vaping as an inconvenience (for me)-not a pleasure or a replacement,
When I started vaping I was nearly sucking the coil and juice out the attys-I was trying to 'replace' that harsh dunt you get from cigs, I had to go back and 'look again' at what I was trying to acheive, now, I can happily leave my PV at home and go visit friends or family for several hours-and find real satisfaction when I have that first toke on my PV when I get home, dont try too hard to replace the cigs habit with something else.
I hope this helps you, and I hope you succeed.