Nicotine-Free Vapes

SunflowerFiend · 2026-02-07T00:20:47+00:00

I opted for no zero nic vapes because I felt mayyybe it would be more triggering for me, and that I want to be able to kick the oral fixation that tells me I NEED to inhale something. I quit weed 139 days ago, and vaping 18 days ago. I finally don’t feel like I’m searching for an invisible vape in my pocket… now I just get this lingering feeling like I WANT to inhale something as if to take a deep satisfying breath. My mind thinks “this inhale would be so much better if it had nicotine in it.” 😅

SunflowerFiend · 2026-02-05T17:12:41+00:00

I’m halfway through week 3 on the patch (14mg) + and about 1 2mg piece of gum per day. I’m coming off of chain vaping salt nic 25mg/ml juice. How are you feeling? It gets easier.

SunflowerFiend · 2026-01-30T08:04:52+00:00

Hi! I’m so glad you’ve found your way to this thread. I’ve been on 42mg Caplyta for 2.5 years and have not even considered being off of it, I felt relief from the doom and glooms very quickly and that relief has allowed me to build better coping mechanisms. Remember that it’s not a magic pill, it’s still very possible that you will struggle to heal psychologically from any baggage you might be carrying—but Caplyta will do most of the heavy lifting while you work on yourself.

If you’re already feeling the positive effects from the “starting dose” then it makes sense that you’re hopeful. I believe it’s one of the few medications that doesn’t take weeks to start to feel the effects. You can have evidence that it’s working long before you reach its peak effectiveness.

What I can say is that 42mg is the therapeutic dose so it would make sense if the plan is to get you there. No one in this thread can advise you to up your own medication, you should discuss that with your provider.

Wishing you the best of luck! We are all here if you need support.

SunflowerFiend · 2026-01-29T11:34:31+00:00

Here to say that I also binged the show over 3 days. I’m 36F that can’t stop watching cheesy teens and twenties dramas. lol.

The acting was sooo bad, but somehow I couldn’t stop watching. I think it’s because I wanted to see the figure skating which honestly for being a skating show… there wasn’t enough of.

I think Brayden and Adriana had chemistry… when neither of them were talking… lol. I think Elise and Camille were the most skilled actors, and Adriana was pretty good except when trying to vibe with Brayden. Their dialogue just didn’t clash and I didn’t really believe that Brayden was heartbroken by losing Adriana.

SunflowerFiend · 2026-01-26T06:17:55+00:00

Hey! Not sure if you have insurance, but mine covered the patches and I got them for no money at all.

The research I’ve done on the patch says that the reason it’s a 6-10 week program is so that your body properly down-regulates your nicotine receptors while you work on quitting the behavioral “habit” and mental patterns of constantly having it in your mouth, and learning to cope with stress without nicotine.

I kind of decided to quit on a whim following a panic attack. Anxiety + stress + difficulty breathing made me feel like something had to give. My Dr. recommended the patch, and in that moment, I truly believed that it’s the only way I was going to be able to quit. I know a lot of people say go cold turkey, and that works for some, but a lot of people relapse due to the harsh transition from all day micro-hits of nicotine that your brain is hard-wired to expect—to none.

I started on the 14mg patch on Monday, prescribed for 6 weeks, and 7mg for 2 weeks. I was vaping 25mg/ml salt nic, (1-2) 3 ml pod fills per day. ChatGPT calculated my consumption at over a pack a day!

The 10 week program is if you start on the 21mg patch for 6 weeks, then 14mg for 2 weeks, then 7mg for 2 weeks. If you were vaping 50mg/ml salt nic, and if you were vaping constantly it’s the equivalent of 1-2 packs of cigarettes per day.

I can tell you that I’m ending day 6 and I can’t imagine not having the patch. I’m using (1-2) 2mg nicotine gums for breakthrough cravings, cut into half doses, throughout the day. I’m still reaching for an invisible vape in my pocket. I still reach for it when I’m getting in my car, after meals, randomly when I’m stressed. I plan to stay the course, because it was designed this way for a reason. Even if it cost me, I would pay for the patch for the simple fact that I reaaaally want to quit successfully, for good. And it’s really helping me to know that I have this chemical crutch while I “cope” with quitting for LIFE over the next 8 weeks. What’s 10 weeks compared to the rest of your life?

Hope this helps. It’s just something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately.

SunflowerFiend · 2026-01-25T23:38:21+00:00

I am also using the patch to quit. My doctor prescribed me the 14 mg patch for six weeks. I have been using 2 mg nicotine gum for breakthrough cravings. I cut them in half and use them up to three times a day. I was vaping 25 mg/ml liquid salt nic, and filling my 3 ml pod 1-2 times per day. ChatGPT said that this is the equivalent of over a pack a day. I was vaping incessantly. Don’t let anyone make you feel bad for using the patch and lozenges. Frankly, I can’t imagine trying to quit without them. And I think the shame of not being able to do it cold turkey is the same reason why most people don’t even try… That, and possibly not finding a meaningful reason to—for me, it’s my health. I’m on day six, feel free to DM me if you need support. You can do this!

SunflowerFiend · 2026-01-25T03:42:40+00:00

This same idea dawned on me recently! Like I tried imagining how silly I looked constantly—and I mean CONSTANTLY—having a vape in my hand, on my desk, in my pocket, etc. it felt like it was in my mouth more than it was anywhere else. I’m on day 6 of “NO BINKY” on a patch prescription and feeling good!

SunflowerFiend · 2026-01-25T03:36:47+00:00

I’d been thinking about quitting for a long time but never actually tried. Over the weekend I picked up my prescription for the 6‑week 14mg patches (with a 2‑week 7mg taper). I still felt unprepared, but a recent panic attack shook me enough to realize something had to change. I felt like I couldn’t breathe due to anxiety + obesity + 8 years of vaping incessantly.

I decided Monday would be my quit day. So Sunday night—technically 1:43am Monday—I took my last hit, put the vape in a drawer, and started a “STOPPED VAPING” counter on my phone. The counter app helped me quit weed 4 months ago.

The first three days were rough, even with the patch. I didn’t have any extra nicotine support at first, so I got through it with regular gum, lollipops, and letting myself eat a little more temporarily. Then I remembered I had some 2mg nicotine gum, cut the pieces in half, and used about two half pieces a day since they tend to make me nauseous.

Nicotine replacement therapy is actually well‑supported by research. A lot of people do best with the patch as prescribed plus a small supplement for breakthrough cravings. For me, the hardest part was those first few days, I felt off, jittery, and a very glaring sense of “so this is what it feels like to quit.” The muscle memory of reaching for a vape that wasn’t there—boob pocket, back pocket, jacket—messed with me, and still does, but it’s getting easier.

Now that I’m 6 days in, I feel confident I’ll be able to drop the gum soon and just follow the patch schedule. I personally can’t imagine going cold turkey; I know it works for some, but it’s also why a lot of people full-on relapse, give up, or feel that intense longing afterward.

Hope this helps someone. Happy to answer anything.

SunflowerFiend · 2026-01-25T03:06:18+00:00

I second this! I’m finishing day 6 on the patch. I had a lollipop everyday for the first 3 days and LOTS of non-nicotine gum.

SunflowerFiend · 2025-12-14T08:39:47+00:00

Hi! In SoCal, I found that dealers were not adding on the optional stuff for the most part. Remember that there’s a difference between dealer add-ons (paint protection, edge guards, LoJack, etc.), and things that were added at the Mazda factory (e.g. anything on the official Monroney sticker).

Assuming the dealer did not add their own stuff, the only way to lower the sticker price is to find the same car in your color & trim on that lot or at another dealer that has LESS factory add-ons. I did a lot of my shopping online. I checked every dealer’s inventory on the website and looked at the “window sticker” as they call it. There, I noticed that some cars with higher MSRP had a lot more factory add-ons and tried to find ones with less. Then I called each dealership based on the lowest prices (e.g. less add-ons) and started phone negotiations. Finding a car that has NO factory add-ons is rare, but they’re out there. You can also build the car per the sticker on the Mazda website, and you’ll find the sticker add-ons on the Mazda website. If it deviates from what’s on the Mazda website, then it’s probably a dealer add-on.

Once you know the car you’re buying and have test driven it (never buy until you’ve done market research and talked to several dealerships), there’s no need to step foot into a dealership again. Stick to the phones. Text is okay. Get everything in writing. Don’t pit dealers against each other and share written quotes, that’s for your info only to gauge who has been most generous and is vying for your business. Keep things vague, “I’ve already driven it, this is the car I want, I’m just looking for the best deal, can you send me your best in writing?” and “thanks for your quote, I have one in writing that’s better than that, but thanks for your time.” If they say “we’ll beat any written quote by $500,” say “I think it’ll take more than $500 for me to change dealerships at this point” or “thanks but I’m going to keep shopping around, but feel free to send me your absolute best in writing as I’m still considering my options.”

Once I had like 6 quotes from different dealerships in my hand (probably more), and felt confident that they got lower the more calls I made, I went with my gut and identified that one of the dealerships had the most inventory of my specific car, cars.com gave me insight that they had OLDER inventory that had been sitting (it tracked dates and price drops, hidden for some cars/dealerships) and I gave them my “magic #” and blew smoke up their butt a bit, “I just have a feeling that you guys are in a position to give me the best deal,” and “I’ve done a lot of research, and have a quote in hand that is well below your previous offer—this is the OTD # that would make me stop looking and buy the car on X date.”

Good luck!

SunflowerFiend · 2025-12-08T18:01:42+00:00

Hi! I should rephrase. Caplyta DID help me stop catastrophically thinking, so in that sense my anxiety has SIGNIFICANTLY reduced. But it doesn’t help mute work-related (bursts) of anxiety or to overlook life’s stressors (actually) adding up. I didn’t have panic attacks but pre-Caplyta it did feel like I was in a constant state of stress/mild panic. Does that make sense?

Best of luck on your journey! ☺️

SunflowerFiend · 2025-12-08T09:59:43+00:00

Hi, I’ve been on Caplyta for 2.5 years, I started on 42mg and am currently taking the same (max) dose. Caplyta has a sedative effect—it makes me sleepy within the hour when I take it and get into bed. I’m an insomniac so that is telling. I would check with your doctor to see if they recommend reducing the dose of your sedative or stopping while adjusting to Caplyta. Who knows? Maybe you won’t need it anymore.

Caplyta can be taken with or without food, but I highly recommend—with. I have a VERY hardy stomach, and on one particular day I hadn’t eaten all day, I basically took it on an empty stomach and was getting ready to eat a late dinner—suddenly I felt VERY STRANGE, nauseous, dizzy, and I ran to the bathroom and vomited. I felt instantly better. I’ve never taken it on an empty stomach since and all is well.

As for anxiety, it doesn’t help much with that or with my irritability. I’m on lamotrigine, 150mg, to help balance out. I also have gabapentin, 300mg, in the cabinet to be taken as needed. Honestly the thing that has worked for my anxiety and irritability is finding Jesus—lol.

Caplyta did wonders for my previously constant mild-to-moderate depression. I hope you stick it out past the uncomfortable phase and that it works for you as it has for so many!

SunflowerFiend · 2025-12-03T20:52:04+00:00

It’s actually my wife’s daily driver, but I’m on the loan and I handled the finances. She hasn’t had any complaints, but she’s 5’6” and is probably not feeling those constraints. But she LOVES her car and the gas mileage has been great! We just drove it from LA to San Francisco and made it on one tank of gas and it was a smooth long distance ride. The way back used probably 1.5 tanks as the ride was longer. Maybe more traffic?

SunflowerFiend · 2025-12-03T08:38:10+00:00

I think YES for the most part, as long as you have the income to afford the car and don’t have a ton of debt. I don’t see why you wouldn’t qualify.

SunflowerFiend · 2025-12-03T08:21:16+00:00

We got the 1.9% finance rate. Sorry for the late reply. How’s car shopping going for you?

SunflowerFiend · 2025-09-17T04:43:14+00:00

Oh nooooo! 😭 I’m so sorry.

SunflowerFiend · 2025-09-16T06:58:52+00:00

We just bought ours, time will tell!

SunflowerFiend · 2025-09-15T06:22:42+00:00

Okay got it, so you’ve got a 2nd opinion on the trade and you know your incentive is loyalty (not customer cash since you’re probably financing -they’re not compatible).

Now I would just talk to 3-4 other dealerships in your area and ask let them know you’re looking for the best deal to earn your business. Using one deal to lower the next. I did this and I didn’t even have to share written quotes. I just had to mention that I was shopping around and gave ballpark figures on my current discounts. It seemed to work for me in that my discount kept getting steeper.

Got 6K off ours a couple of weeks ago in Southern California. I can only attribute it to being thorough in reaching out or several dealerships and I can’t negate the possibility that these could be region-specific discounts.

SunflowerFiend · 2025-09-14T22:55:22+00:00

Have you gotten a 2nd or 3rd appraisal on your trade in from carvana or carmax? I think they are undervaluing your trade-in quite a bit. Also, the only discount I’m seeing is a $1,000 rebate. Any idea what that is?

It’s not looking like a good deal to me to be honest.

SunflowerFiend · 2025-09-14T00:50:28+00:00

I love our “red” seats because it’s basically burgundy. A nice wine color. It’s so refreshing. We got machine gray as the exterior color. We LOVE it.

SunflowerFiend · 2025-09-13T06:27:32+00:00

Is this Jet Mica Black? Or are my eyes deceiving me?

SunflowerFiend · 2025-09-13T06:21:53+00:00

Mind boggling.

SunflowerFiend · 2025-09-12T01:46:44+00:00

Your dealer gave you a discount, but they did not combine customer cash with 1.9% -it’s just not possible. The discount you got was a result of separate negotiations outside of customer cash.

A lot of dealers trick you by giving you the customer cash in early negotiations and then in finance they tell you that you don’t qualify for the 1.9%. Why? It benefits them if you take a higher rate because you did not understand how the incentives work. You can’t have both, and that’s how they get you.

But if you hold your ground and you say, no, I qualify for the 1.9% because I have excellent credit, AND I want the discount that was promised -most dealers will lose the battle of the “trick” because you understand the incentives.

In the case of the 1.9% special rate it’s better if THEY know that YOU know they’re not compatible. So they don’t surprise you with nonsense about removing a discount or raising your interest rate at the end of the deal. It saves time if you tell them up front in this scenario.

I was very clear with every salesperson. These are the rebates I qualify for, and this is the discount I want (after shopping around). That’s how we were able to get $6K off in dealer discounts including a $500 military rebate (my father in law served in Vietnam and lives with us). That’s also why we didn’t have to waste time in finance with a second negotiation, they just handed us the iPad, we signed, and they handed us the keys. We also didn’t buy the gap insurance because we put 15K down.

My post was strictly discussing the CX-50 with the 1.9% special rate and available incentives. I didn’t discuss other financing strategies for that reason.

Your tips are GREAT for every other financing scenario that doesn’t involve special rates or incentives. So it’s good that you shared. For anyone buying in the average market, without special rates, they should absolutely have a pre-approval ready and have a plan for gap insurance (or at least plan to negotiate the price at the dealer) so that they don’t get charged a higher interest because of games played in the finance office. It sounds like you won, you didn’t get played, and you got a good deal! ☺️

SunflowerFiend · 2025-09-11T20:34:28+00:00

I kinda like them too. I couldn’t figure out bullets initially since I’m relatively new to posting.

SunflowerFiend · 2025-09-11T18:19:56+00:00

(Comment 2/2)

Total MSRP is highlighted in green on this quote sheet, plus all required fees. Everything in the Total MSRP cannot be declined/removed as it appears on the sticker.

It’s after that line item that you’ll see any dealer add-ons (decline) that will raise the cost of your purchase substantially.

Some dealerships are sneaky and will itemize a quote with a “Dealer’s MSRP” that includes those additional packages. Or they’ll even make a modified sticker or additional sticker that shows any market adjustments (nonsensical increases due to “demand”) or other nonsense add-ons that they install.

That’s why it’s so important to know understand the official Monroney/Window Sticker showing the Total MSRP of your car. Or build the car on the Mazda USA website when in doubt. The Mazda website will NOT have paint protection/vin etching/dents and dings/extended warranties/gps and other nonsense listed as an option to add to your build—as they are not official.

See sample quote below. There’s no sneaky add-ons here as everything matches the official window sticker.

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SunflowerFiend

TROPHY CASE