Nicotine levels, when to decrease.

[sailorneptune01]

I was wondering what the best time frame is for decreasing nicotine levels? I'm currently at 18mg, and I don't want to decrease too fast if it would be hard to adjust. Also don't want to overcompensate and chain vape but I'm aware that some of that might happen when I eventually do decrease.

Should I wait 1 month? 6 months to decrease? Curious to find out what you guys did, and if it worked well for you.

Also would like to know if it was difficult, in regards to craving more nicotine.

 

[Margate69]

Step down when you like. buy small when decreasing so you don't waste money buying a big bottle and finding out you want to step back up.

 

[sailorneptune01]

Step down when you like. buy small when decreasing so you don't waste money buying a big bottle and finding out you want to step back up.

Thanks, I'll have to keep that in mind.

 

[mcol]

Went from 18 to 12 by starting out using 12 in the afternoons and evenings and
keeping 18 for morning. Then gradually switched morning over to 12. Yes I did
vape more than usual for awhile. Stayed at 12 for a few months till I was comfortable
at 12 all day long. Tried to jump from 12 to 6 all day and that didn't work out
so well. Just too big of a jump. So went back to 12 and stayed there for a couple
of months till I re-adjusted, now decreasing by 1 or 2 mg at a time. I don't
necessarily set a time table, as in "By June I need to be at 8 mg."... I'm just
slowly working down the ladder. There are e-liquid vendors who sell a quality
juice at any nic level you want (Yeti Vapes for one off the top of my head), also
there are those that sell at 24, 18, 12, 6, 3, and 0. Then there are those that
sell at 18, 11, 8, 4, and 0. So I have been switching it up with vendors the
past couple of months. Gives me a chance to try juices I wanted to try anyway.
PLUS I get a bottle of 12 mg unflavored, a bottle of 6 mg unflavored, and mix it
myself to the desired nic. Or a bottle of 6 and a bottle of 0, you get the idea.
Hope this helps.

 

[Shigura]

Thanks, I'll have to keep that in mind.

Also keep in mind that you may (or may not) increase the frequency you vape as you begin to drop down in nicotine as well.

 

[WindyCityJoe]

I went from 18 down to12 but kept 18mg on hand for when I felt I needed a little more kick, like first thing in the morning. I did the same thing going down to 6 mg. Really helps if you have 2 tanks ready when you need them. hth!

 

[JohnnyDill]

.....Around here, many people drop their nic levels as we ramp up our wattage with new, more powerful devices. I started out with 24mg nic almost two years ago with ego sized e-cigs, but now make my juice at about 7mg because of low resistance, higher current setups. -Just my experience.

 

[Frenchfry1942]

When I am comfortable with the old. When I drop down, I accept that I will be close to my mod for a couple of weeks. But, life gets in the way and my body's cravings settle. I get busy doing something and forget until the "urge" calls me. If I wait for the urge I don't vape to compensate. I sit my mod out of my line of sight, that really helps.

So far, I switch about every 2-3 months. Why rush, I don't really have withdrawals and I don't spend more than what i spent for cigs. I am down at 6mg now.

Stay with "urges". If you are going to chain-vape, get a bottle of lower nic. I do that in the evening. The front porch or in front of the TV I use 3mg.

Life is good.

 

[Shigura]

When I am comfortable with the old. When I drop down, I accept that I will be close to my mod for a couple of weeks. But, life gets in the way and my body's cravings settle. I get busy doing something and forget until the "urge" calls me. If I wait for the urge I don't vape to compensate. I sit my mod out of my line of sight, that really helps.

So far, I switch about every 2-3 months. Why rush, I don't really have withdrawals and I don't spend more than what i spent for cigs. I am down at 6mg now.

Stay with "urges". If you are going to chain-vape, get a bottle of lower nic. I do that in the evening. The front porch or in front of the TV I use 3mg.

Life is good.

That hit it on the nail for me perfectly. I tend to vape less while I'm at work far less then home simply because I'm to busy to even think about an urge. But then again when I'm home that darn mod rarely leaves reach from my hand. Well also because I have son about to turn a year old and which case cannot be within his reach ever.

 

[sailorneptune01]

Went from 18 to 12 by starting out using 12 in the afternoons and evenings and
keeping 18 for morning. Then gradually switched morning over to 12. Yes I did
vape more than usual for awhile. Stayed at 12 for a few months till I was comfortable
at 12 all day long. Tried to jump from 12 to 6 all day and that didn't work out
so well. Just too big of a jump. So went back to 12 and stayed there for a couple
of months till I re-adjusted, now decreasing by 1 or 2 mg at a time. I don't
necessarily set a time table, as in "By June I need to be at 8 mg."... I'm just
slowly working down the ladder. There are e-liquid vendors who sell a quality
juice at any nic level you want (Yeti Vapes for one off the top of my head), also
there are those that sell at 24, 18, 12, 6, 3, and 0. Then there are those that
sell at 18, 11, 8, 4, and 0. So I have been switching it up with vendors the
past couple of months. Gives me a chance to try juices I wanted to try anyway.
PLUS I get a bottle of 12 mg unflavored, a bottle of 6 mg unflavored, and mix it
myself to the desired nic. Or a bottle of 6 and a bottle of 0, you get the idea.
Hope this helps.

That helps a LOT, thank you. I would've thought to go straight down to 12 from 18. Good to know that it's easier to go down to a lower level for only afternoons and evenings first.

 

[Frenchfry1942]

Also, instead of going from 18mg to 12mg, get a bottle of both in the same flavor and mix them together. That gives a big bottle of 15mg. Amazon and many vape vendors sell bottles cheap.

When I went from 12mg to 6mg, that was a 50% drop. I mixed and vaped 9mg.

 

[jseah]

When I started vaping with blu's and then the Halo Triton, I vaped 24 mg. When I got my first mod and the Nautilus Mini, I dropped down to 15 mg by mixing 6 mg and 24 mg in a 1:1 ratio (I eyeballed it, being off by 1 mg either way wasn't a big deal). I did notice that my vaping frequency went up, but I didn't miss the higher nicotine at all. The big step was dropping down from that to 6 mg when I started using even high wattages and subohm tanks. That first day was a bit rough, I was chain vaping like a fiend. It seemed like I never took my hand off of the mod at all. By the second day, everything was fine and leveled off. I still chain vape from time to time, but it is manageable. I have even noticed that I don't even get the cravings for that first morning vape anymore. I can easily do what I need to do the first thing in the morning when I wake up and don't even start vaping until a half hour later.

All this was within a one month time frame. There is really no set time limit that by such and such date you should drop. There are tons of people who stay at one strength for months or even years before lowering their nicotine levels, while there are others who drop them much quicker. It all depends what works for you. You can mix and match during the day, using lower nic levels at some times and higher if and when you need it. It definitely helps if you have multiple tanks.

 

[WereBear]

Let your body decide. If your vaping style or frequency change your body will tell you to cut down. Or drop your nic level whenever you feel like it, but do it gradually. Nicotine is the addictive part of tobacco, but not the part that causes cancer and COPD. That comes from the tar and additives.

 

[sailorneptune01]

Also, instead of going from 18mg to 12mg, get a bottle of both in the same flavor and mix them together. That gives a big bottle of 15mg. Amazon and many vape vendors sell bottles cheap.

When I went from 12mg to 6mg, that was a 50% drop. I mixed and vaped 9mg.

This afternoon I had ordered a 30ml bottle of 12, and another of 18, (same flavour) for when I'm ready. I'll have to find the empty bottles somewhere for sale, hoping for a Canadian company. Gonna check it out! Thanks a bunch!

 

[caferacer]

This afternoon I had ordered a 30ml bottle of 12, and another of 18, (same flavour) for when I'm ready. I'll have to find the empty bottles somewhere for sale, hoping for a Canadian company. Gonna check it out! Thanks a bunch!

If you can, try to find bottles that have a needle nose tip (I generally prefer unicorn bottles). It makes filling tanks a breeze.

It might also be worth buying a couple of blunt tip syringes for ease of measuring.

Welcome to ECF!

 

[Dimplegirl]

I started at 12mg which I think was way too low for me but I stuck with it and then I tried dropping to 6mg to fast and I was craving and vaping like a crazy person. So now I mix 12mg and 6mg and I vape 9mg. I'll stick with that for a while I think. I just quit smoking less than 2 months ago. Your body will tell you. Plus if I plan a night of drinking I make sure I have full 12mg going.

 

[Frenchfry1942]

I think most vapers, who are lowering their nic, have bottles of different strengths. I used to have a stronger nic that I used first thing in the morning. I don't throw any away, but some does get passed on to others.

Vaping generally dries people out. Don't add water to the beer, just drink extra water.

 

[LazyWench]

I started at 18mg, gradually tapering off analogs over 3 weeks. After a week or so with no combustible, 18 felt too strong, so I dropped down to 12. Kept it there for a couple months, then as each bottle o juice ran out, I replaced it with a 6. That has worked pretty well for me. Not sure I'll ever go nic-free, as it does seem to help stabilize my moods. But I could see using the same process to ease down to 3mg.

I think the main thing is to listen to your body and not put undue pressure on yourself. You've already accomplished a LOT just getting yourself off the ciggies! Just keep moving in the direction you want to go... you'll get there!

 

[houla09]

I started at 18mg, and when I felt it was a bit too much, went to 12mg for a few weeks then stepped down to 6mg where I am today. I do suppliment with a tank with some WTA infused juice on the side when I need that something more (stressful situations). Just go at a pace that suits you and what you're comfortable with

 

[Grimwald]

I was a 40 year chain smoker.

I started at 24mg...sometimes 18mg. After 2-3 months I started to get jumpy, anxiety, woozy, kind of running around like a headless chicken. I also found that caffeine and sugar had more of an effect on me. I picked up some plain VG and bought some 0mg liquid and started cutting back. I also started drinking more decaf. I cut in 3mg steps. 18mg, 15mg, 12mg, 9mg. I cut down every 3 months or so. Basically I let my body decide...anxiety, woozy...cut back. Cravings...back up.

Some of this was due to upgrading equipment. I started on cig-sized and cartomizers. Now bigger mod and Kayfun.

That step down from 9mg to 6mg was the hardest. I had to go to 7 1/2mg for a while...probably psychological. After nearly 3 years, I'm finding 6mg to be a bit much on a dripper, so I will likely mix at 4mg soon, at least when I'm dripping.