New and trying to quit juul.

[Jennynotmary]

I am more addicted to juul than i ever was smoking. They are discontinuing the mint pods so i figured i need to stop now while i can ween off, before i am forced to. 

My issue is it's a mouth thing. I think it comes from sucking my thumb for too long. I haven't done that in years, but it is a comfort thing. It occupied my hands and mouth. I like to hold something. I am smoking my juul without even a thought. 

Has anyone else had a problem with a juul being too easy?

What can i do to replace that physical feeling?

[JACKIE1-25-15]

Welcome to EX you have come to the right place for support.  You will learn lots of things to do other than vape.  You have made the right decision to quit.  It has become a matter of life and death just like smoking.  I would suggest starting cutting up some plastic straws and kept them close by to sucked on to relieve the hand to mouth action.  In the meantime go to My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX and make a decision how you are going to go about quitting, learn about triggers and track your vaping if you are still vaping. Believe that you can we have successful vaping quitters here also.  Glad you found us.   

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome to our community!

As far as something to keep you hands and mouth busy, I like the straws noted above because you can also get a puff of air from one.  You might also keep a cold bottle of water handy from which to take a bunch of sips.  It will give your hands and mouth something to do, and the water will help to flush the nicotine out of your system.

Although primarily a smoking cessation site, I have seen a huge increase in the number of people coming for help to break free from vaping. Research suggests nicotine may be as addictive as heroin and cocaine. Here is a great article with information about the products: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/vaping/vaping-101-what-know-about-e-cigs-addiction-illnesses-n1054981... There is further information here: https://www.becomeanex.org/quitting-e-cigarettes and here; https://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/smoking-facts/impact-of-e-cigarettes-on-lung.html .

E-cigarette users can get more nicotine than they would from a tobacco product — extra-strength cartridges are available, or the e-cigarette’s voltage can be increased to get a greater hit of the substance. I understand some pods equal the nicotine in a pack of cigarettes. Because it is available to you most anywhere, anytime, I believe it might be more difficult from which to break free than tobacco products - but it CAN be done!

Nicotine addiction is nicotine addiction - no matter the delivery device - and how to beat any of them is about the same. Every time you read :"cigarette" in the information I will give you, just sub "Juul" or “vape,” or “device.”   The one thing different I would recommend is that you first start to reduce the nicotine content of the pods.  Start with a lesser amount in, like, one in every four, then three, etc. until you are only using the smallest amount, or reduce the amount of nicotine in the pods over time That way the physical withdrawal should be more manageable. You might find useful information, as well, here: https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/quitting-smoking-vaping/quitting-e-cigarettes.

I recommend that you educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind.   To that end, I suggest Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” . Vaping was not a concern when this was written, so you will need to sub “vape”as necessary. This is an easy and entertaining read which can be found online or at your local library. If you do nothing else to get ready for your quit, please do give this a read. Here is a video to inform you further about nicotine addiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWMgPHn0Lo&feature=youtu.be.

After you have completed the recommended reading, it will be time to make an informed choice of the quit aid, if any, you will use. If you go that route, I personally recommend the aids that don't let the addict control the dose such as the available prescription drugs or the patch. If used properly, gum, lozenges and inhalers are fine, but they need to be used only as a last resort after you have tried to delay and distract.   I have seen folks become addicted to them if they substitute them for every cigarette they used to smoke - just trading one addiction for another.  You need to start out with a plan to reduce use of them over time - which the patch does by decreasing the dose contained in them..  For the gum, you can start by cutting each piece in half, then in quarters, then sub regular gum of the same flavor in between, adding more and more regular gum.  For the lozenge, you need to start subbing a mint in between to begin, increasing the number of them over time.

It will be informative if you do the tracking and separation exercises recommended here on the site. As you track each device use, note its importance, and what you might do instead. Put each use off just a little to prove that you don't NEED a puff just because you think you do

The idea is to change up your routines so the vaping associations are reduced.  Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand in a place different from where you vaped. Maybe switch to tea for a bit.  If you always had that first puff with your coffee, try putting your tennies on right out of bed, going for a quick walk, then taking your shower and THEN your coffee! Rearrange the furniture in the areas you used to vape so the view is different. Take a different route when you are out and about so you aren't driving by your vaping supply shop. Take a quick walk at break time instead of vaping.

You need to distract yourself through any craves.  You can take a bite out of a lemon (yup - rind and all), put your head in the freezer and take a deep breath of cold air, do a few jumping jacks, go for a brisk walk or march in place, play a computer game.  Keep a cold bottle of water with you from which to sip. Don't let that vaping thought rattle around in your brain unchallenged. Sometimes you need to quit a minute or an hour at a time.  You will need to be disciplined in the early days to distract yourself when a crave hits.    Get busy!  Here is a link to a list of things to do instead of vape if you need some fresh ideas:
 https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instea...

The conversation in your head in response to the "I want to vape" thought needs to be, "Well, since I have decided not to do that anymore, what shall I do instead for the three minutes this crave will last?"  Then DO it.  You will need to put some effort into this in the early days, but it gets easier and easier to do.

Stay close to us here and ask questions when you have them and for support when you need it. We will be with you every step of the way!

 Nancy

[sweetplt]

Hi and Welcome to Ex’s Jennynotmary 

Please do the work and readings that are suggested by YoungAtHeart ... from what I see around here with those that vaped...it can be used everywhere versus smoking cigarettes...you have more triggers, urges etc., to plan and work through....remember much of this journey is no longer feeding the addiction....make a plan, make a quit date and become knowledgeable in your addiction....keep close to here for support...we are here for you....Happy Friday ~ Colleen 354 DOF 

[AnnetteMM]

Hello! I quit Juul and I wrote about it here: https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/people/AnnetteMM/blog/2019/09/08/how-to-quit-juul-or-vaping-in-ge... 

Juul pods taste good, so temporarily replace them with something else that tastes good.

Cinnamon sticks, lollipops, Twizzlers, gum...

[Barbscloud]

Welcome to the Ex.  There are numerous thing you can do instead of vaping/smoking.   We all probably have our own preferences.  In addition to deep breathes and  staying in touch with the Ex., I liked Sour Patch Kids and chewing on straws.  The important thing is to stick to your plan .  You can do this.

Barb

[bonnieherche]

Hi there -

im new to the ex community and don’t have as much experience or wisdom as many of the gracious folks who have already responded, but I am 12 days into my quit after 2 years of using JUUL and 19 years of smoking before that. Given that quitting JUUL and other vapes is new, that’s gotta be worth something! I can 100% relate to you, I became exponentially more addicted to JUUL than I ever was with smoking cigs. For most of my “cig smoking career” I (at least felt like) I could take them or leave them, it wasn’t unusual for me to go the whole day without smoking and have my first after 7pm. JUUL, which like many I turned to in efforts of getting off tobacco, turning into a whole new beast. I ended up juuling 3-4x more than I was smoking before, up to a pod a day at the end, and doing it all day and everywhere-many places I’m ashamed to admit. All this to say the addiction is strong and quitting is hard, but with the right mindset and tons upon tons of motivation, it can be done. I chose to go the nicotine patch route, knowing that the nicotine content I was getting from the JUUL was super high and constant. I downloaded a ton of tracking apps to keep me focused and also busy with activity, craving trackers and more. I joined this group and 2 others on reddit (quittingjuul and stopsmoking) so I could connect with others going through similar experiences and understand what to expect. I read Allen Carr and got to understand my use of nicotine in a whole new light and saw it for the devil it is, especially as someone who struggles with anxiety. The cravings are tough and can be long at first, I chose to take to long slow sips of ice water and shoving cinnamon tea tree oil toothpicks in my mouth. I bought stressballs for my hands and play games on my phone. I have been practicing meditative breathing and keeping calm, spa like music on to keep me calm and grounded. Sometimes there is no other option than to white knuckle through a really intense craving but knowing what your goal is on the other side can really really help. Everything feels like a trigger when quitting JUUL if you are used to vaping everywhere as I was, but try to avoid the really big triggers, I’m taking some time off from going out to dinner and drinking especially, and am prioritizing peaceful time at home. Try to change your mindset and think of this as a time of wellness and self care, and decided for yourself what does that mean? Let me know if you want to chat further offline! 

[Barbscloud]

Your experience and wisdom are just as valuable.  We all learn from new and experienced quitters.  Congrats on your 12 days!

Barb

[bonnieherche]

Thank you Barb! I am always amazed by the positivity and encouragement of this community. It’s been motivational and inspiration. Peace and kindness is a big part of this process, to yourself and to others. 

[Jennynotmary]

This had a lot of great advice! I just ordered some cinnamon tea tree oil toothpicks on amazon. I am not yet sure if i want to try patches or gum or both.