I'm going to quit vaping

[Vapeaddict]

Anyone else trying/kicked the habit? Please send any words of wisdom, tips, tricks or even just a reminder that it's gross and I really need to do this!

I've been vaping for about 6 years now and I'm desperate to stop. My DC hate it and it's a bit embarrassing when out and about. It doesn't actually cost me that much (refillable vape, parts are inexpensive) so I can't go for a financial incentive but there are dozens of other reasons to stop.

There's never really been a 'good time' and now is no exception, apart from DH has packed in this week so a) he won't tempt me and b) I feel really bad making it more difficult for him!

I've bought patches and some lozenge type things and have been mindfully cutting down this week. Do I just go for it tomorrow?!

Go for it! It will be the best thing you ever do. It'll be 2 years in November since I stopped smoking (and vaping, on occasion) and I am so happy to have finally knocked it all on the head. I did just go cold turkey though which might not be for most people, so use whatever aids you need to in order to give yourself the best chance of staying off them. Also download the 'Smoke Free' app which shows you day by day progress for things like how much money you've saved on vapes/ciggies, how much your lung health is improving, circulation, etc. as well as a really motivating 'days smoke free' counter. I used to absolutely love smoking, but knew that I wanted to stop it by the time I was 40, and I can honestly say I don't miss it one bit and never even give it a second thought!
Best of luck to you. You CAN do it.

Good decision. Well done.

I would like to also. Finding this way harder than cigs!!

Thanks @TheRoundTable1983 and well done to you for kicking it! I'm not sure I can do cold turkey, though DH said he doesn't feel like the patches are doing anything I think it'll be almost a mental comfort?!

Getting the smoke free app is a good idea, it feels a bit like a commitment.. posting on here does too. I have such a fear of failure I haven't told anyone IRL I'm thinking about doing it.

Thanks @Viviennemary it was a stupid decision that got me into this mess so it's about time I made a good one!

@flowerpink I remember being so ratty when I packed in cigarettes, it's put me off trying to stop up to now.. I can't remember how long that took to wear off!!

Looks like this is day 1! Got my patch and gum at the ready. I feel like something major is missing/lost already! Need to keep busy today

@Vapeaddict you can do this! You are now nicotine free and ready to enjoy your new life. Remember that being addiction free is the natural state of your body. Whatever you feel is missing will easily replaced by something else that is healthy and good for you.
Have you chucked away all your vaping stuff? Put it all in the bin, check the car etc where you might keep spares. All goes in the bin

@Pancakeorcrepe thank you. I feel like I'm cheating a bit using the patches- still nicotine- but have to agree with DH that they don't seem to be taking the edge off. I'm craving hard already.
I didn't have a lot of paraphernalia anyway but it's out of reach. Not sure why I haven't binned it actually but I can't get to it right now!
Need to make sure I don't replace it with snacks/alcohol. I've lost 2st and don't want to gain it back!

Ooh, can I join you? I was just thinking I ought to give this a go! Feels like fate!

I saw on Audible (I think). Allan Carr has a quit vaping podcast.

Excellent decision! I found quitting vapes much easier than quitting the smokes, once the initial habit was broken. It's such a relief not to have to faff around, making sure my kit was charged up, new filters, having the juice in... and I hadn't realised how jittery it was making me - so easy to overdo it, as I'm sure you know...

I'd be careful about alcohol for a bit, just because it torpedoes your willpower.

I remember one morning, the sun streaming in, and it picked up this cloggy vapour hanging in the air, and my cat pulled a face and ran off, and I thought 'Do I really want that in my lungs, in my poor cat's lungs?'

You can do this! Stay strong! Relish the freedom! 👍

I found using gum along with an anxiety breathing necklace meant I wasn't tempted to go back to it because it felt somewhat the same

Please do @ThisPithyJoker! There's never a good time is there, so if this feels like a sign then go for it!

I've read the sample of the Allen Carr book @Tooty78 and it didn't really resonate with me- if I get desperate tonight I'll buy it and read it if just for something to do! I've read dozens of old threads about it but I found myself thinking "oh that person cut down gradually/used 0% liquid/set some rules, maybe I should do that instead of cold turkey on the vape" so I should probably step away as I think this is the only way for me.

I've just tried a Niquitin mini lozenge and it was absolutely disgusting. I had to take it out before it was finished and its left me feeling really sick- though it did give that back of the throat tight feeling. Deep breaths instead.

Hi OP. I gave up in January and went the total cold turkey. I was like a bag of rats for three days then my mood improved, more a case of having to break the habit than anything. I had more energy, on the plus side, waking up earlier and feeling better, all nicotine is awful for the body really. Is this an option for you? If you pick three days when you won't be as stressed, like annual leave or a long weekend, it helps.

Should mention that I failed when I used patches/gum on previous attempts. It is far harder than quitting smoking, I think. Fewer immediate positives and harder to stay stopped.

There are essentially two methods of quitting -

The first is cold turkey - just stop everything, i.e. no vapes, no patches, no gum or lozenges. Get the nicotine out of your system asap.

The second method is to break the link between the nicotine and the habit and deal with one at a time. There are two ways you could do this.

You could carry on vaping and either taper the nicotine down to zero or switch straight away to zero nic, then when you have stopped craving nicotine, lose the hand-to-mouth vaping habit.

Or you could switch to patches, gum etc. so you drop the habit first, then when you no longer miss the habit, taper down the nicotine. If you are doing this last method it's important to start with enough nicotine in patches and gum etc. to kill the craving. Otherwise you'll still be missing both the nicotine and the habit at the same time so it has no advantage over cold turkey, you'll just be prolonging the agony. It's fine to double up and use patches as well as shorter acting NRT like gum or lozenges.

Actually there is another method - varenicline. I'd forgotten about it because it was withdrawn for quite a while but it seems to be available again now. It has a relatively good success rate:

https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/varenicline/

I was a vaper for 6 years, before that a smoker. I wanted to give up vaping, I found myself doing it all the time when at home, the bloody thing was never out of my hand.

I bought the Alan Carr book off Amazon and read it from cover to cover, sceptically at first, but when I finished it, I threw all my vapes in the bin. That was in April and I haven’t touched one since.

The book retrains your brain, so that you come to believe that nicotine does absolutely nothing for you and as such, you don’t crave it. Don’t ask me how it works but it absolutely does. I am free of nicotine finally for the first time in over 20 years and I feel bloody marvellous.

I stopped in February with patches and sugar free sweets (now I get through 4 packs of sugar free polos a week as they have become a habit🙄)

I read recently that the 'sweet' receptor in the brain is very close to the dopamine reward centre that you get from nicotine.

V happy that I don't have to mess with juice, pods, batteries etc before leaving the house and I never liked having them on charge at home as I was worried about the fire risk. I would go back in the house and check they were unplugged - such a faff. I also felt so foolish sucking on a plastic tube.

You can do it OP!!

Thank you all for replying! I'm actually doing it 😱 it's been a tough morning at times but i haven't touched a vape.

I've noticed this morning that it's definitely the habit I'm missing, so hopefully this is the hard bit (breaking the habit) and coming off the patches won't be so bad. I keep reaching for it and feeling like something is missing. I really don't think 0% will work for me as I'd still be on it all the time!

@PencilsInSpace I've gone for the highest dose patches and figured I'd top up with lozenges when I really needed to but I felt so sick after that one this morning, I've followed @youngerself and bought some sugar free polos. I always vaped mint so it's sorta replacing that a bit too. Completely agree re feeling foolish sucking on a plastic tube! And the fear when you run out of juice/battery.

I agree it's a two part thing- the habit and the nicotine. I thought I'd be feeling grumpier but so far I'm just amazed at myself each time I resist.

I'll get the Allen Carr for bedtime reading- can't do any harm can it!

How you getting on OP?

Still staying strong @AInightingale thanks for checking in! Nearly my first day down. I'm going to have a nice long bath and get to bed with a book- probably Allen Carr!.
It's good to have completed a full day/got past some trigger points but the weekend is upon me. Might be too soon to risk a glass of wine yet but we'll see!

45 days in cold turkey! You can do it!

If you're using the (highest dose) patches, might be a good idea to remove just before bed. They give you the weirdest, most vivid dreams, probably because the nicotine is stimulating your brain!

Keep going, girl ❤️

Perfect timing @AInightingale I was wondering what to do about it overnight. I put it on first thing this morning and it said 24hrs but I'd probably rather sleep without it, it keeps catching on my top and is getting pretty annoying!
Thank you @TheRoundTable1983 and bloody well done @BewareTheHunted!

Following! Can I join you?