Firstly, good luck with sticking with the e-cigarettes.I remember well when I gave up (before the new fangled technology) and it was very hard. (Fortunately me and SWMBO gave up at the same time and it was a matter of pride about who was not going to be the first to break, that helped a lot)
Secondly, if at any stage you do decide to just quit and go through withdrawal (which is worth it in the long run) please pm me and I'll get a huge packet of pop-corn and glue myself to the politics forum.It should be hugely entertaining for about four weeks!
You say that like I've got some sort of reputation, John?!
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He must be thinking of someone else data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
And he should know what the first rule of fight club is.
Never heard of it data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
I had my first fag when i was about 10 years old...I am now 47!!!
Bought an eGo last week and not had a fag since,i got menthol liquid as a mate said you get more of a hit than the other flavours and after trying others i have to agree (they are all horrible).
I see the e fag as a long term method of quitting my habit after failing many times before.I will gradually reduce my nicotine levels as time passes but will not take any shortcuts as i was/am a heavy smoker.
Well, it's been about a month now, so I thought I would let you know some of my experiences, as they might be helpful to someone.
I'm still not smoking, but still using the e-cig. I have two rechargers, in case one runs out (as it does within a day). My cartridges are 16mg ones, and one cartridge lasts about a day. But it took a while to get that right. At the beginning, I seemed to be going through them quite quickly, and I didn't seem to be getting satisfied, so I would start a new one, thinking the old one had run out.
But my technique was wrong. Watch out for this, because it could screw up your nicotine dosage quite easily. But I read on a website that you shouldn't smoke it like a cigarette at all. Instead you should treat it more like smoking a cigar. The nicotine is absorbed through your mouth and nose, and so there isn't much need to inhale at all. Fast drags will also probably fail to release much nicotine, so drag gently. I generally keep dragging until the e-cig flashes (at which point it cuts out, anyway).
The taste should be familiar to anyone who has tried nicotine gum - but that's what you are aiming for, as the taste indicates that you are getting some nicotine, and can help you moderate the dosage. I think I overdosed a bit at times, causing dizziness, or headaches, until I got it right.
What I do now is just gently breath it into my mouth, and leave it there a bit. You can even breath through your nose when you do this. And you can then inhale if you want to. I typically do 6-7 drags per "smoke".
When you start a new capsule, you may get bigger hits than towards the end - the cartridges are uneven in this respect, so bear that in mind. If you just breath it into your mouth, you seem to get more vapour than by inhaling into the lungs. The amount of vapour can help you identify that a cartridge is getting towards the end, or how many drags to take (eg. maybe take 8 drags of an almost empty cartridge, instead of 6, for the same hit).
Also, it takes longer than a real smoke to get the nicotine hit. So you should resist the temptation to keep dragging more/harder. In a few minutes, you'll lose the desire to have a smoke. But it's worth doing the full 6 or so drags, otherwise you may find you want another smoke again in about 10 mins. And break 30 secs or so between drags.
At one point I got a sinus infection, which was unpleasant but only lasted a couple of days. I am blaming this on the e-cig. Breathing out through your nose may irritate your node/throat/sinuses initially. But that's where you absorb the nicotine, so it may help your cartridges go further.
I think it's worth treating this as is more akin to gum chewing, than smoking - in as much as the absorption is happening in the mouth/cheeks, rather than the lungs, and that may take a bit of getting use to for a smoker. But I still find it more satisfying and easier than gum, as a smoking substitute. The taste of nicotine isn't particularly pleasant, but that doesn't worry me because it's a disincentive itself.
Now my usage has stabilised, and seems to be consistent and at the right level for me, I'll see if I can cut down. I may get some 11mg cartridges, or maybe I'll just try to reduce the daily usage. The goal being - to make going cold turkey easier at some point.
Anyway, that's how it's going for me, so far. I have no real desire to smoke a cigarette again.
well done Mike!
It's a great alternative to the stinkies...
Mike you still on them ciggy looks likes.
I've bought one of these liquid filler uppys today.
Got a bit dizzy and sore throat so reading your post I'm doing it wrong.
Where you a ciggy or a roll up smoker.
What brand (it helps for me to understand your smoking background lol)
Need something as close to the fags for me, maybe I should try different techniques.
I'm going to try different liquids then report back here.
Si
I used to smoke silk cut purple - 15-20 per day. For the e-cigs, I'm using "10motives" (available at Tesco/Sainsburys). It can make your mouth a bit dry/sore - I think that's the vapour stuff, but I don't know. Don't drag too hard - just gently. And allow it to "settle" in the mouth, before exhaling. Kind of like smoking a cigar. Don't forget to breath too - otherwise it might make you light headed/dizzy. If you do feel a bit "heady" it could be an "overdose" sign (but I'm just guessing here) - try laying off it for a bit, or longer waits between drags. Saying that, I tend to do two drags in quick succession - because I feel the first one heats up the element.
You can still breath through your nose, even with a mouth full of vapour, if you see what I mean? Inhaling into the lungs is optional - but don't inhale directly, because that may be too strong (and either you'll get too little nicotine, because you're inhaling to hard, or too much). Draw it into the mouth, and then inhale - like you did when you first started smoking, and didn't inhale directly.
Anyway, that's what I've found. As has been said, it is harder to get the right dose of nicotine compared to traditional smoking - which is very consistent. So keep an eye on the number of capsules you get through. I would imagine one a day is worth aiming for, for most people (about a pack a day?). And then try to cut down (or give up).
The 10motives capsules claim to be equivalent to 25 cigarettes. But I think it may be less than that in practice, but technique may make a difference. I'm sticking with the capsules for now (even if it is more expensive) because I'm hoping they provide a consistent dosage, and for the convenience.
Hope that helps! Good luck.