Home Test for Nicotine Blood Levels ???

[Bones]

Originally Posted by KreeL

So the 'test' is merely a circus act. You are only curious. Interesting.

Well - Yea - I guess it must be a circus - I see Kreel the CLOWN

[Bones]

Originally Posted by bearscreek

Okay, now I understand. I wasn't sure if you had explained where the info came from and I missed it or what. This should be interesting because even though I got my first e-cig basically just to keep from fighting with ashes and such while I'm working on the computer, I ended up smoking this all the time by accident (basically the very first day). I wasn't necessarily planning to quit smoking. My first thought would have been that I'm getting far more nicotine than before, but at this point I really don't think that's true. Now if someone could just figure out why it was so easy to switch...

Sure - I can tell you why - Cause all smokers know that tobacco smoking is bad for us - We've all tried to stop at some point or another and all had that argument with ourselves and lost it to the addiction/emotional need - For me those little voices in my head started to argue the moment I thought of having a smoke -

It's bad for you don't do it - But I need it to calm me down - That's just the nicotine talking - No it's more than that I enjoy it - Come on you weakling just stop - Ok I'll stop after this last one - There you go now stick with it - NO! I DON'T WANT TO STOP! - and so on -

Put an e-cig in your hand and those voices stop - Your subconscious knows it lost this argument - there is no longer an objection from that little voice inside - The problem is solved - E-smoking satisfies the addiction AND the psychological/emotional need provided by the act of smoking - It's those desires that we really want to satisfy - Nicotine is far easier to give up - Once you have a far safer alternative in your hand - Your brain automatically ceases to view it as "quitting" and knows it has nothing to complain about any longer and the internal struggle ends -

It is the first time in my life I ever felt like I truly could - Have my cake and eat it too -

I had exactly the same experience as you - My first puff on an e-cig marked the end of tobacco for me - Much to my surprise and delight - many friends and loved ones tell me how proud they are of me for having the will to finally quit - I say thank you with a sly smile - Little do they know it required no will at all

[YKruss]

Originally Posted by Bones

Little do they know it required no will at all

Agreed and second that.

Didn't struggle with myself because the thought about lighting an analog never cross my mind as soon as I started vaping and therefore didn't need will power.

[PTJD]

Please keep your posts relevant to OP's original question and refrain from name calling.
Thanks

[Minimike]

I also have a kit on the way. I will post my results when I get them.

[JoAnna1010]

Hello, Kate, Tom and everyone.

Sorry to have "fallen off the edge of the earth" for the last few days.
Have had a crisis at work and been working crazy shifts and more days/nights than I normally work

I have ordered 5 Tobac Alert Tests which I should get next week and I will do:
- Onene test as a random base line.
- One test on a day I smoke only cigarettes.
- One when I smoke only e-cigs.
- One test on a day when I wear one of my nicotine patches (21 mg) but don't smoke anything.
- One test when I smoke a combo of both.

I think I'll perform the tests around 3:00 Pm since this will be in the middle of my 'most awake / most nicotine concentrated" state during the day.

While this is could hardly qualify as "world class research" it will answer the questions I'm intersted in:
- What's my nicotine/cotinine level when smoking cigarettes
- What's my nicotine/cotinine level when smoking e-cigs
- What's my nicotine/cotinine level if using a nic patch
- What's my nicotine/cotinine level when I mix ecigs and cigarettes.
- Is there a variation in my nicotine level from day-to-day...or is my nicotine level fairly constant with either method.

I'll get back to you. Let me know if anyone has performed the test on themselves.

JoAnna1010

[Minimike]

I vape constantly, when awake at least, with 36mg liquid. My test maxed at the 6 level. I haven't had a cigarette in over 2 months.

I guess we are getting nicotine.

[Kate51]

Good morning all,
My test was eye-opening, and I want everyone to understand this is one test, I wouldn't pound it into the wall to hang my hat on!
BUT,
Since I use 24mg/ml juice, and vape virtually constantly throughout the day (heavier when I'm here!) I was scared to death to do the test!
The Test: is the TobacAlert, the only one I could find that gives the actual level of Cotinine, the by-product of Nicotine absorbtion. Cost $20/shipping. Made by Nymox, sold everywhere.
Worth the cost.
With a possible read level of 1000ng/ml cotinine at level 6, my test was at level 4, or 200-500ng/ml cotinine. According to the few research papers on measuring cotine levels and cigarette smokers, with my heavy habit I would probably have tested around 5000ng/ml cotinine level. As this is NOT my expertise please bear in mind, I will continue to do some more of my own searches to try to verify all I've stated. But to the best of my knowledge, this is accurate to state, and the level reading does stay in perameter with the Ruyan research done by NZ Health., that is to say 10% the level of cigarette smoking is delivered by vaping. If this is the way I understand the testing, I will be most interested to see JoAnna1010's more comprehensive self-study, and Joanna you spent a fortune to do this unless you get a discount!! But your testing will be VERY compelling. However, this test says it doesn't differenciate any source of nicotine, so we'll be interested to see if there is a correlation to Ruyan's testing. There are so many many variables, and this one test won't cover them at all, but I was very happy to see where I'm at with nicotine absorbtion. I would be happier if the test strip would accomodate a higher reading level for vaper's, however, and because as in Minimike's case, is it just maxed out or is that the correct reading.....??Unknown, at this point. I will contact TobacAlert to verify that.
The email address is: sales@nymox.com Attn to Michelle Prillo, sales.
That's exactly what I was afraid I'd see, then I still would have had doubts. Vaping for me actually is as if I cut from 3 packs a day cigarettes to 1 or under per day. Not a BAD THING! And, it doesn't stink!

[Kate51]

But to the best of my knowledge, this is accurate to state, and the level reading does stay in perameter with the Ruyan research done by NZ Health., that is to say 10% the level of cigarette smoking is delivered by vaping.

I want to clarify the above part of my post, that is, the Ruyan testing is based on 16mg/ml juice, so you must understand that the higher density juices will skew that 10% of smoking figure. Your electrolyte cotinine level will be dependant on the strength of juice you use. So all statements herein are based on my 24mg/ml juice.
Ruyan result, pertaining to juice:

"... Bullen, Glover, Laugesen, Lin, McRobbie, and Thornley report that after 9 participants used the Ruyan device (16 mg cartridge) for 5 minutes, peak plasma nicotine concentration was 1.3 ng/ml (95% confidence interval = 0.0 to 2.6). In contrast, for those same participants, a cigarette produced a peak plasma nicotine concentration of 13.4 ng/ml (95% CI = 6.5-20)."

Also, plasma (blood) testing will result in readings that exceed cotinine in urine samples by about 90%, this is normal. Cotinine in urine testing also highly reliable.

[bearscreek]

These results are looking great, and I can't wait to see JoAnna's results. Kate, does the info from the test have an estimation of what to expect for the average smoker (sorry if you've already mentioned this)? In other words, I might have expected the middle range of the test to show up for an average smoker. Is this test designed for parents to test their kids or what? If so, maybe it's designed for teenage occasional smoking habits (probably not as much as an adult with "permission" to smoke).