Home Test for Nicotine Blood Levels ???

[Kate51]

Hi Probot, welcome! Anything that looks like that report I would say is extremely relevant...very interesting....it's enough to make your eyes glaze, and also makes one wonder what else was manipulated by the BIG T co's. Remember people saying how they must have raised the nicotine level, and how they denied that, it was never used to increase sales....well, that could have been true while they were raising the level. What about when they lowered it..that would have been after the congressional hearings, if I'm not mistaken, after the establishment of the funding for tobacco cessasion and advertising. If you don't mind I copied it and saved it, that's one I want to flesh out a bit more. There's another story there behind it. I want to check some more dates and dollars.
Maybe that this forum is a better representation of cause/effect, because it is so un-scientific. I don't think anyone goes into this with any pre-conceived notions, does anyone really know what they expected? My goal was to replace the cigarettes with lower-risk lower-dollar device. I think that was pretty well merited, but it couldn't have been pre-determined because nothing was a known. Whereas wearing a patch or using gum or inhalers would be pre-determined, since it was socially and supposedly medically acceptable?? Any one make sense of that??

[KevinD872]

I know there is some debate over the importance or accuracy of this whole thread, but I *do* have a valid interest. Having had a lumbar fusion recently every doctor I have talked to and every article I have read online says you MUST quit smoking because nicotine can interfere with the fusion process. This is of course based on years of study of nicotine users getting their nicotine from cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chew, nic gum and nic lozenges. NOT e-cigs (which apparently give much less nicotine).

I really would like to use at least a very mild nic mix (say 5 or 6 MG) but I don't know if I can and I am afraid to try.

I do wish there was more information on this sort of thing. From reading this thread, it almost sounds like I *might* get away with a very very low dose in my e-cig, but the downside is if it causes a failure, I get to have another fusion surgery.

The whole problem is, nicotine narrows arteries (or something) and bones (particularly in the back where fusion is?) get very little blood supply in order to facilitate repair. Nicotine compounds this problem. Which is why they say QUIT smoking. No gum, no patches. QUIT. As most of us here know, it is easier said than done. I have now been nic-free for about 5 days (ok... a puff here and there from my wife's 11mg e-cig) and I am going nuts.

I do plan to bring this up to my doctor at my two week follow up. I just don't know if there is enough education amongst doctors about these things. I don't want these banned (FDA) or anything like that, but in cases like this, I WOULD appreciate more official research. This could actually be a SOLUTION for smokers with fusions to use while healing. I would experiment myself, but this is my 3rd surgery on the same disc (1st fusion) and I want it to be my last.

I wish it were just the smoking that caused fusions problems, and not the nicotine. Curses!

[Kate51]

I really think there's a lot to be said about ALL the chemicals present in tobacco cigarettes. I believe the nicotine is the least offensive of the whole list! Yes, it supposedly constricts blood vessels, but I couldn't tell you the amount (density of nicotine) you would have to vape for that to be a problem. No more than drinking a cup of coffee. I'm not a doctor, but this is something I've maintained in my own mind for a long time. I would say to be safe stay as low as possible with the nicotine and still maintain minimal withdrawal symptoms, and just don't over do it. Thing is, doctors are not schooled in the particulars of vaping any more than we all are by doing it! Knowledge rules. Just my humble opinion here. Keep up with deep-breathing exercises, in through the mouth, out through pursed lips, several times a day to keep yourself well-oxygenated. Good idea for everyone to increase lung function and capacity. Will help tighten up core muscles as well, they help support your spine!

[KevinD872]

I do know that there were some studies with rabbits, where some got steady doses of nicotine and some had none. Then they performed single-level spinal fusions. The non-nic group did do better.

However, there have been advances in fusion surgeries..... techniques, technology - bone growth stimulators, even a bone growth hormone - BMP - that they use instead of taking doner bone from the patient's hip. Anyway, the point of all of this is that with the latest technologies, smokers now have much better chances of fusions. And these studies were of patients SMOKING, as far as I know. Basically some groups quit 1 month before the fusion, another group quit the day of the fusion, another group quit for 3 months after the fusion, and yet another quit until it was fused. The non-smokers still did better, but the smokers still had a decent success rate compared to years ago.

This does give me hope, in what you just said..... that there ARE other factors in smoking other than nicotine that most definitely affect the outcome of a fusion. I have been vaping nic-free like a junkie since I got out of the hospital, and I do occasionally load up with some 11mg and drip for 3 or 4 drops to chill me out, but only once or twice a day. I would guess the equivalent of maybe 2-3 cigs worth of nicotine per day (considering the apparently lower absorption rate from vaping), if that.

As a side note: When we first got these and before the surgery I was hitting this thing ALL day with 18mg juice. I kept telling my wife that I "had to put this crack pipe down". haha. Of course if I had still been smoking analogs, it wouldn't have been a whole lot different. Just stinkier.

[justme4112]

I have been following this thread with curiousity. So curious, in fact, that I bought a couple of Tobac-Alert tests and tried one. 30 year 1 pack a day habit. Analogue free for 62 days, currently vaping 5.5-6 mg/ml liquid (bumped down to this level 7 days ago as my hope is to get to 0 nic soon). Chain vape when I'm not at work - love the flavors! Test results indicate a level of 5.

Hoped for a lower reading, especially at this low nic. level, as I hate nicotine withdrawl! However, am glad to know, and now instead of stepping down to 0 nic. in 3 weeks as originally planned, I'll cut the level in half again one more time for a while, before going to 0.

Thanks for being curious people, I love information.

[StephenJP]

For god's sake it's just a question. Either answer it or leave it alone.
If some one did answer it I'll probably never know because of all the bicker.
To much ridicules stuff to read to get to an honest answer.
Every one I have talked to at any length about the e-cig has asked that question, I too am wondering. I like that I am doing something better for my self. I would never have been able to do it without the E-Cig. I have been a
2-1/2 to 3-1/2 pack a day smoker for many years BUT! I would like to know how much nicotine am I getting.I'm not worried but I do believe in education
(knowledge).
P.S. I haven't heard an answer yet or where to go to get one.
StephenJP

[Kate51]

Originally Posted by StephenJP

For god's sake it's just a question. Either answer it or leave it alone.
If some one did answer it I'll probably never know because of all the bicker.
To much ridicules stuff to read to get to an honest answer.
Every one I have talked to at any length about the e-cig has asked that question, I too am wondering. I like that I am doing something better for my self. I would never have been able to do it without the E-Cig. I have been a
2-1/2 to 3-1/2 pack a day smoker for many years BUT! I would like to know how much nicotine am I getting.I'm not worried but I do believe in education
(knowledge).
P.S. I haven't heard an answer yet or where to go to get one.
StephenJP

StephenJP, sorry, did we miss a question from you about nicotine??
Please, ask again, I don't see anything from you previously. If you are asking about the TobacAlert tests, there is one for urine and one for saliva as well, you'll have to Google that one, below is a place for the urine test strips. I have lost my saliva link.

http://www.drugstore.com/products/pr...it1=tobacalert

Kate

[Kate51]

Originally Posted by justme4112

I have been following this thread with curiousity. So curious, in fact, that I bought a couple of Tobac-Alert tests and tried one. 30 year 1 pack a day habit. Analogue free for 62 days, currently vaping 5.5-6 mg/ml liquid (bumped down to this level 7 days ago as my hope is to get to 0 nic soon). Chain vape when I'm not at work - love the flavors! Test results indicate a level of 5.

Hoped for a lower reading, especially at this low nic. level, as I hate nicotine withdrawl! However, am glad to know, and now instead of stepping down to 0 nic. in 3 weeks as originally planned, I'll cut the level in half again one more time for a while, before going to 0.

Thanks for being curious people, I love information.

Congratulations on your test, I have to tell you it may seem high to you, but the cotinine level you're at is about half what it was when you were smoking! Not to mention a few thousand less chemicals you're ingesting, that's the really good news. Good luck to you, and welcome to ECF!
I'm at about a level 3 right now, no pressure to go lower unless I feel a personal urge to just do it. I have already cut 25%, from 24mg/ml to 18 mg. I can handle this! Will do another cut when I get the urge. I don't feel as if I'm hurting myself or anyone else with my PV.
Kate

[justme4112]

Thanks for your support Katie51. I'm envious that you are at 3 vaping 18 mg, I'm obviously vaping 2-3 times more than you of the lower nic juice (I do have 4 pv's full at a time with 4 different flavors, tee, hee!).

Or, here's where reading these test results show to be tricky. It certainly would only be a guess what factors all influence the results - ie., I am exposed to second hand smoke as my husband still smokes some, as well as vaping - also, do different people metabolize nicotine at different rates, as they do with alcohol, and so on.

Still,it's very interesting to follow this thread. I do feel much better about not smoking regular ciggies, and might even stay on the pv's indefinitely, but frankly I don't really like all the futzing about with juice, equipment, etc. that comes with them. I'm also curious what it would be like to be nicotine free after 30 yrs (that is if the new "normal" would be nice and not cranky and tense all of the time).

Good luck to you as well!

[Kurt]

Bumping this up because I think there are still questions.

Anyone interested in doing this test with 2 or 4 mg lozenges? If you have not used these, you just stick them up high between cheek and gum and leave them. All nic is orally absorbed, or throat absorbed. No lung.

I am interested in this because it would tell us whether orally absorbed nic is converted to cot or remains as nic. And if you've finished a 4 mg lozenge, you've taken in 4 mg of nicotine. Depending on how much you decide to actively suck on the lozenge, it may last in the mouth for a few hours.

Seems this would be a good oral-only calibrated measurement. I suspect the majority of nic from vaping is orally metabolized quickly to cotinine.

Blood test would of course be good too, but more of a hassle.