Home Test for Nicotine Blood Levels ???

[Tom09]

Originally Posted by Kate51

#3 level showing a bar!!!

Hi Kate51, don’t know, but seems a bit confusing right now. Perhaps you’ve made a typo in assigning the cotinine levels to actual concentrations? The level #s should correspond for test strips designed for salvia and for urine, since they are scaled to return a measure of nicotine exposition. Testing one user for salvia and urine should return identical level #s but correspond to differing concentrations for urine and salvia (by factor 5). So, vaping 24 mg/ml juice returned level #4 (from urine testing) and vaping 18 mg/ml returned level #3 (from salvia testing)? Reading level #4 from urine on urine strip should correspond to about 200 - 500 ng/ml cotinine in urine (and correspond to ~ 40 - 100 ng/ml in salvia). Reading level #3 from salvia on salvia strip should correspond to about 20 - 40 ng/ml in salvia (and correspond to ~ 100 - 200 ng/ml cotinine in urine), afaik.

[Check: your posts presently reads to me as if you would have increased the cotinine level from 200 - 500 ng/ml urine (corresponding to ~ 40 - 100 ng/ml in salvia) to 100 - 200 ng/ml cotinine in salvia (corresponding to ~ 500 - 1000 ng/ml in urine) by reducing nicotine strength from 24 to 18 mg/ml. Which does not make sense. I'd guess you meant „Level #3 represents 100 - 200 ng/ml Cotinine in Urine"]

[happily]

took me 2 days to explain to the doctors what a cotinine test was and why I wanted it but they did some research and are attempting it so we'll see what happens........I was vaping 3ml of 24-36 so (30) a day up until the test if 85-90mg's a day doesn't shoot me off the chart then nothing will. Equal to 6 packs of camel lights

[Kate51]

Originally Posted by Tom09

Hi Kate51, don’t know, but seems a bit confusing right now. Perhaps you’ve made a typo in assigning the cotinine levels to actual concentrations? The level #s should correspond for test strips designed for salvia and for urine, since they are scaled to return a measure of nicotine exposition. Testing one user for salvia and urine should return identical level #s but correspond to differing concentrations for urine and salvia (by factor 5). So, vaping 24 mg/ml juice returned level #4 (from urine testing) and vaping 18 mg/ml returned level #3 (from salvia testing)? Reading level #4 from urine on urine strip should correspond to about 200 - 500 ng/ml cotinine in urine (and correspond to ~ 40 - 100 ng/ml in salvia). Reading level #3 from salvia on salvia strip should correspond to about 20 - 40 ng/ml in salvia (and correspond to ~ 100 - 200 ng/ml cotinine in urine), afaik.

[Check: your posts presently reads to me as if you would have increased the cotinine level from 200 - 500 ng/ml urine (corresponding to ~ 40 - 100 ng/ml in salvia) to 100 - 200 ng/ml cotinine in salvia (corresponding to ~ 500 - 1000 ng/ml in urine) by reducing nicotine strength from 24 to 18 mg/ml. Which does not make sense. I'd guess you meant „Level #3 represents 100 - 200 ng/ml Cotinine in Urine"]

Ok, what I garnered from that is that the saliva test itself is geared with the factor, so the Cotinine levels are Real-time, in other words the two tests are in agreement as far as the cotinine readings. (They would register what they are, factors accepted.) The urine test is supposedly factored for a 10X concentration of cotinine through the kidneys, so with that in mind, there may be a discrepancy of +/- factor of 5, between the two tests. If your statement is right, either one could be 20-100 ng/ml off, correct? It would be an infinitesmal amount "ng" wise.
Is that on track, or no. I'm going back to re-read both of those PDF's again, I see what you are saying, makes more sense to me now that I see your point.
If so, I will re-edit these readings again!! Do not want any wrong statements. You probably are right, sir! You can give me the Pervy if I'm wrong! Thanks! I hate those PDF's because they're not editable, have to copy things by hand. I can't even copy them to my Adobe9 in editable form, I need a real PDF program.
NOTE: Here is the reference I used: Saliva vs. Urine Cotinine Testing With TobacAlert There is no fixed ratio of nicotine exposure when comparing urine to saliva readings So, am assuming that means the readings will stand as the test indicated levels. It's when we convert the readings with Plasma values that the correlations are skewed. MO, what do you think Tom09? Or, does that mean that BOTH tests have to be converted to Plasma values>and then compared. You say. Please say it isn't so!!

[Tom09]

Originally Posted by Kate51

You say.

Sorry, I honestly don’t know for sure. Nymox’ product information is not very comprehensive. I’ve only seen a transformation table (levels to cotinine range) specific for their urine test set. We’d know if you could find a transformation table (levels to cotinine range) specific for their salvia test set, too. My present understanding, as above: levels 0-6 are the same for salvia and urine test strips (e.g. upper limit of level 2 / lower limit of level 3 discriminates between non-smoker and smoker). Both strips have to differ in the cotinine concentrations detected from different body fluids. I'd expect each test to give a concentration related to the respective fluid. But only Nymox knows what Nymox does.

[Kate51]

Originally Posted by Tom09

Sorry, I honestly don’t know for sure. Nymox’ product information is not very comprehensive. I’ve only seen a transformation table (levels to cotinine range) specific for their urine test set. We’d know if you could find a transformation table (levels to cotinine range) specific for their salvia test set, too. My present understanding, as above: levels 0-6 are the same for salvia and urine test strips (e.g. upper limit of level 2 / lower limit of level 3 discriminates between non-smoker and smoker). Both strips have to differ in the cotinine concentrations detected from different body fluids. I'd expect each test to give a concentration related to the respective fluid. But only Nymox knows what Nymox does.

I gave you this one, right? Saliva vs. Urine Cotinine Testing With TobacAlert
I have to confess, because it's the simplest, I think I can assume my two tests correlate correctly with each other. It's when we have to compare with plasma testing that the cotinine levels differ from Plasma/saliva or Plasma/urine. At any rate, because of the tiny values of measurement, the difference would not be vastly important with saliva/urine. Do I get or The measurements between each number value in both tests is identical. Anyway, thanks so much again for all your help, this is enough to explode my head. Good thing I got out of that "cigarette fog" I've been walking around in the last few years. Or, have I?? Scary thought.

[Kate51]

Originally Posted by happily

took me 2 days to explain to the doctors what a cotinine test was and why I wanted it but they did some research and are attempting it so we'll see what happens........I was vaping 3ml of 24-36 so (30) a day up until the test if 85-90mg's a day doesn't shoot me off the chart then nothing will. Equal to 6 packs of camel lights

Holey Moley! I think they must be interested in you!! You may be surprised at how low your absorbtion level is, though. We'll hope so anyway. Will be fun to know. THANKS! By the way, be sure to tell them about the Ruyan testing, New Zealand, they have allowed e-cigs and endorsed them!! Here's a link, a video to watch, the Doctor's name is Laugeson, and let them know that this has been thoroughly tested at Aukland University and is published. New testing coming out soon, has to be published first to be released.
New Zealand news report

[Tom09]

Originally Posted by Kate51

I gave you this one, right? Saliva vs. Urine Cotinine Testing With TobacAlert

Hi Kate, I did not get this one (got your Nymox inquiry email with file "Salvia vs Plasma"), but have found it the meanwhile (and attached the table below) .

(1.) So, the NicAlert test strip gives a proxy for cotinine concentration, no matter which fluid, indeed. Strip is designed such that concentration is the same, not the exposure level. I was wrong and stand corrected. (2.) The ratio between cotinine in urine vs cotinine in salvia at one time is well reflected by the different levels discriminating user vs. non-user in that table, too. Which leads to the discrepancy I pointed out some posts above. However, both samples were taken at different times, your personal ratio may not exactly correspond to some theoretic valu, whatever. No need for digging in the noise.

[Kate51]

If I remember right Saliva vs. Urine report was one I had gotten before, I should have included that with the two very confused ones I sent. It seemed a little more straightforward, so went with it. I do think though the two samplings differ in theory the tweaks come in when comparing to plasma. That makes sense to me anyway. The two tests are still IMO too low ranged to be a significant help to a high nic user or PV + smoker, will be maxed out and I wonder if a home test would be accurate beyond low level testing. The original tests are better than a yes/no test, but right now these seem to be the only ones on the market. Happily reported having trouble with Doctors who didn't really know what he was asking for. For a country so consumed on anti-smoking they don't seem to want to realize that all smokers can't use the same stop smoking methods. So it's quit with Pharma's poor SRT's or cold turkey. Pharma knows they are not effective, but as long as they make money I don't think they have much concern. I wish I was in a better position to let people know the e-cig is the answer for so many. But it's still up to the user, stop or go a safer way, at least. Cold turkey would have put me at very high risk of failure. And total misery the whole time.
Thanks for all your help!!

[deewal]

Please keep this testing going.
I have been vaping since very nearly this time last year. I have Hypertension (amongs other things) and the only thing i know is that since i stopped smoking my BP has gone down and my Doctor has CUT DOWN my Medication as he say's i don't need as much now.
I was smoking 40 a day of strong Cigs for about 40 years and quit on the very first day i got my first PV.
So i've been a guinea pig for almost a year and i'm still alive Damn it.

[Kate51]

It's amazing to see your banner, that is so great! Yes, I am happy too....not only beat the cigarettes, but beat the meat wagon as well. I could not breath anymore. I kept it sort of hidden from everybody, but I could't carry out the garbage without having to stop and get my breath back. Our mailbox is 20 feet from the front door, and that was too far. I was totally in misery with allergies, bronchitis, ever infected sinuses, dark circles, sleeplessness, couldn't think anymore, the whole bit. Just dragging myself. Not quite 5 months, I'm like a born-again person. All of that is gone! Everyone is amazed at what I did, even though I didn't "quit", so to speak. Now I'm down to 18mg/ml juice, just the beginning. I needed to test my nicotine intake and compare it with a "smoker's" number, just for my own peace of mind, I already knew it was a lot lower than a 2-3 pack a day habit. I was right, and wanted to share that. There are more tests that will be coming in.