UmeU

Following up on my ‘Day 4’ post, today is four full weeks. The 14mg nicotine patch is the answer that works for me. Some days I put it on first thing in the morning, other days I wait until noon. A few days I have waited until 4pm. I take it off right before I fall asleep because if I forget to take it off, I have super intense dreams. I have taken precisely zero puffs off a vape pen. My heart and lungs feel significantly better. I have started exercising and I really feel like I will be off the patches soon.

I am switching to 7mg patches tomorrow. I have read that it is a mistake to stop using patches too soon so I am going to do the 7mg for at least a month. If I start thinking about vaping too much, I’ll switch back to 14mg patches.

I’ll give another update in a few weeks to report on the transition from 14mg patches to 7mg patches.

If anyone reading this is considering quitting vaping or smoking, get the patches and throw everything else away. The patches eliminate strong cravings, and the occasional craving you do get is totally manageable. At least this is the case for me, and I was consuming around 1-2 packs of smokes per day worth of nicotine since I was a teenager.

I’m 36 and started smoking at age 12. I was over a pack a day for most of those years. I switched to vaping about 7 years ago. I have been going through about 1.5 - 2 pods a day (1.9ml 2.4%)… I believe this is equal to about 70+ mg of nicotine per day though my math could be off.

My lungs hurt, my heart palpitates, I can’t climb a flight of stairs without being out of breath. Sometimes I think I am about to have a heart attack yet for some reason I can’t stop puffing that vape, even in the midst of a panic attack caused by heart palpitations.

Switching from combustibles to vape was a big step for me. I was proud/happy to not smell like smoke but I didn’t realize just how much more nicotine I would end up consuming. Switching to vape was not too difficult and after a few years I could honestly say I didn’t want a regular cigarette anymore. I did however become horribly addicted to the vape.

The past few years I have given a lot of thought to quitting but I keep putting it off. It’s a sad and depressing cycle of hating myself for how much damage I am doing to my health, while constantly puffing away on the vape.

It doesn’t help that I have unlimited access to free vapes.

4 days ago I made the decision to quit and I am feeling really motivated. I took a sleeping pill to get me through the first 24 hours, which I think was a good strategy. On day 2 I bought some ‘step 2’ nicotine patches. These patches are 14mg slow release over 24 hours. Instructions say to keep the patch on overnight but I have been taking them off, and waiting as long as I can in the morning to put a new one on.

The patch reduces the severity of the cravings. The cravings still occur, but they are manageable. I have noticed that the cravings come in clusters. I’ll get a real strong craving, that lasts for about two minutes. That initial wave of fear and anxiety tapers off but then comes back 5 minutes later. This happens 4 or 5 times over the course of a half hour or so, then a few hours go by without any craving at all. Day 3 was easier than day 2, day 4 has been easier than day 3.

I am determined to see this through to the end. I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I plan to go another 3 weeks or so, then switch to the 7mg patch.

It’s amazing how significant the impact has been on my lungs. I feel like I have twice the lung capacity compared with how I felt yesterday. My heartbeat is normal, my breathing is normal. It’s weird how quick and significant the changes have been. I really like how it feels to not have a constant nicotine poisoning. This feeling is very much worth the short bursts of crippling withdrawal, and I know it will get easier.

Not sure if anyone will read this, but I’ll try to update in a week or two. I’m also happy to answer any questions.