If you’ve quit vaping, please tell me how you did it!

[BabCNesbitt]

I quit smoking years ago, before I got pregnant with DD1 (now 13). A couple of years ago I was having a shitty time and started buying vapes for nights out - well, fast forward to now and I’m getting through an Elfbar a day, and vaping from first thing in the morning to last thing at night 😳

I’m aware of the cost, the effects on my health and the environmental impact and also that it just looks really stupid, but I feel much more addicted than I was to cigarettes - it’s just so much easier to puff away and it has less of the yucky side of smoking (though I’m also aware that I smell of fake candy crap a lot of the time!) Has anyone managed to quit successfully, especially if you were a heavy vaper? How did you do it?

I could have written this OP! I started vaping around 3 years ago, I was never a smoker before but started buying vapes for nights out (for some bizarre reason) and ended up addicted.

I would pick my vape up when I woke in the morning and be puffing all day until bed time. No matter what I was doing, I would have my vape in my hand!

I found out that I was pregnant on 27th December and haven't touched a vape since. To be totally honest, I found it so difficult at the beginning and felt angry, agitated and in desperate need of a vape (sounds pathetic typing this out) but the longer time goes on, the less I think about it. It has definitely gotten easier.

I'm obviously not saying get pregnant to give up vaping lol, but I just wanted to comment and share my experience as I know 100% how you feel. I know that it's early days for me, but it does get easier - the first couple of days were the worst. Good luck OP!

@zinrlow I'll be 50 this year and recently broke up with someone so pregnancy is very definitely not an option for giving up this time 😁Thanks for sharing your experience, though!

Hey @BabCNesbitt have you had a crack at quitting yet? Ive vaped for years, having previously smoked, and have to quit for upcoming (elective) surgery and am dreading it 😩 I've quit a few times before (2 pregnancies, which was strangely easy, and then for another operation- but went straight back on it after)

I too am hopelessly addicted. Tbh I do feel like I enjoy it (despite what Allen Carr says!) but I hate the reliance on it and feeling like such a slave to the addiction, and I worry about long term health implications.

For me the physical nicotine addiction is secondary - I can ride that out without too much issue, but it's the hand to mouth/ 'throat hit' that I miss most. That's what I'm craving whenever I vape (every 5 minutes haha)

The vape is in my hand practically all day (WFH which means I can vape constantly) and I honestly don't know how I'm going to quit. I am so bad at delayed gratification and have no self-discipline. Allen Carr didn't work for me because my brain is too stubborn and told me it was too simplistic and I do get something out of it damn it! 😆

I'm reducing nicotine down and on Monday am going to 0%, then once I've ridden out the physical withdrawal will have to tackle to habit side :( I just can't imagine being able to do it, I'm literally reaching for it constantly

Hope you've managed to kick the habit OP! If not perhaps we can quit together 😆

Ah, no, alas, still puffing away here 😔 The longest I’ve managed so far is around 8 hours, and then I crack - I get antsy and grumpy and feel like everything is shit and nothing will be good unless I can vape. Apparently nicotine plays havoc with dopamine receptors so going through a period of feeling bleak is to be expected, but I keep finding excuses to postpone that even though I’m sick of vaping! When’s your op, @bumblenbean? A joint quit could be supportive! I really want to start running again and I know I’ll need to stop to manage that because vaping makes me so short of breath - I feel like a knackered old lady sometimes and it’s because of the bloody vapes.

Ah I feel your pain OP! I get the same if I even go without for a few hours - I end up getting really irritable and sort of self sabotage and decide I don't want to deny myself and it's too depressing to never vape again 😆

Op is on 18th Feb - supposed to quit a few weeks in advance, so I'm cutting it fine- hence the zero nicotine from Monday as nicotine is the main issue for surgery I think.

I feel like I have such an addictive mindset. Am equally unable to stop eating shit and mindlessly scrolling on my phone! Wish I could get into the mindset of believing I get nothing out of it, but brain is refusing to budge!

Running could def be a good motivator for you. Do your friends/ family vape? My DH recently quit- I was outwardly supportive but secretly a bit jealous and resentful of the smugness!

No, none of my friends or family do, so it’s just me sneaking out for puffs when we’re out 😳 I know what you mean about the snacking and scrolling (obviously because I’m replying so quickly on here 😁) - I wonder if it’s all tied in together, a general addiction to quick fix hits? The solution would probably be to learn to develop satisfaction with slower paced pleasures, but getting from here to there feels almost impossible sometimes!

Yes totally agree, need to work on deferring rewards - but the doing is the tricky bit 😝

I'll let you know how the nicotine free mission goes on Monday - it's gonna be a hellish week!! 🤣

I changed to nicotine free vape fluid for a couple of years, then went on holiday.uday to Singapore where it's illegal so I had to stop. Just went cold turkey

For me it was a really gradual reduction of nicotine % until it was 0%.
Then all I had the break was the habit as the nicotine addiction was already over.

I felt the same way when I quit. Vaping felt even harder to stop than smoking. What helped me was cutting down slowly, setting limits and tracking my progress Seeing my health improve with www.puffstats.com kept me motivated It made a huge difference. You can do this.

My lung collapsed. Didn’t vape (obviously) when in hospital, and when I came home I threw all the stuff in the bin.

I had been a heavy smoker in my 20s and gave up on my second real attempt without too much difficulty. Giving up vaping was extremely difficult and I had tried several times before the collapsed lung without success.

Still miss it, but the lung collapsed WHILE I was vaping, so the memory of the agonising sudden pain, the chest drain etc. is going to be enough to keep me off for good!

I reduced the nicotine amount. So I was a 18mg vaper for ten years, then gradually each month ish went down - 16,12,6,3 then zero nicotine - stayed on that a bit longer with holiday and house move. Then picked a day hid away all my vape stuff in a box (give it to someone to hide maybe) and stopped. I have been enjoying those adults colouring books and started swimming.
it’s been 5 months now
best of luck to you x

That sounds like a really tough experience glad you made it through. If you're still finding it hard sometimes, an app like www.puffstats.com can be helpful to track your progress and stay motivated.

I found using an app like https://www.puffstats.com really helpful. it tracks your progress and gives little boosts to keep you going. Worth checking out.