Advice question

[Vaperer]

Good evening everyone.
I'm ready to start dropping my nicotine levels. I'm presently using 18 nicotine level. Today I just received four bottles of 12 nicotine. I do feel a little antsy and some nervousness. Will this go away with time and then I can drop to even lower levels? And eventually quit? Has anyone here successfully lowered their nicotine levels to the point to where they didn't need to vape anymore? Thank you in advance.

 

[englishmick]

I started with 24. After a few months I dropped it to 18 and didn't even notice a difference, so soon after that I dropped it again to 12. That didn't work out at all. I had to go back up to 18 pretty quick. Now I'm down to 8.

Thing is if you drop the nic level it might be fine or it might be too much to handle. The only way you'll find out is to try it. Just don't be a hero. If you drop the level and start to suffer go back up again. You will get where you want to be eventually. It's better to take your time than risk relapsing.

 

[Rossum]

I started with 18, plus some occasional 24. After about a month, I tried to drop to 12. No bueno! So I mixed the 12 with 18 (half and half) to get 15 and that was OK.

 

[93gc40]

Mix some of the 12 with the 18... so the nic reduction is less... or increase wattage.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk

 

[alvitae]

I dropped from 36 to 2. First thing I did was switched from MTL to DTL. Then finding a device and atty combo that hits like a truck. Then another thing was to start mixing my own liquid. Besides the benefit of making my juice practically free if you compare it to what I was paying, It also allowed me to micro manage my nic levels.

 

[DeloresRose]

I started on 24, dropped to 18 less than two months later. 12 within a year, and a 6 a couple months later. For a time, I had 6 I. Some tanks and 12 in the rest.

For now, I have 3 and 6, but it’s not been enough so I have some 12 steeping. I do both MTL and dL. i Also recently got a rda to test my diy, but I’m finding it really gives me a good blast of nic when I need it.

I think you’ll know when to drop. You’ll also know if you dropped too soon. You’ll find that different vape styles will give you more satisfaction with less nic.

 

[FΛDED]

I started with 24mg nic back in 2012. Few months later, went down to 12mg. Then 6mg. And now 3mg. I tried the 0mg thing, it wasn't a satisfying vape for me, then went back up to 3mg. My reason for going down was because of the throat hit.. started getting a little much. Everyone's going to be different. If I feel I need more throat hit, I turn the wattage up. For me, I like a lil nic, 0mg juices taste a little off to me (my opinion). But if quitting altogether is what you're trying to do, congrats and good luck, I wish you success.

 

[Opinionated]

I never really intentionally dropped my nicotine levels..

I started vaping on 18mg and kept on it until one day I realized I didn't "have" to vape the same way I had to smoke..

So that was when I quit vaping. I did not step down or decrease the levels at all first. Of course, I was unsuccessful that attempt, but it started a ball rolling so to speak...

Today, I don't vape.

I would recommend that if you want to decrease the amount you use, to do so slowly.. I did massive drops in nicotine through quitting attempts.. it's a much more difficult means of dropping nicotine levels than to do small and incremental drops that are virtually unnoticeable.

If you drop your levels just 1mg at a time, and let your body to fully adjust to each decrease before dropping levels again then you likely won't ever much notice it - but every one is different.

Either way, it takes a month or so to adjust to a decrease in nicotine.. sometimes a little longer, sometimes a little less..

 

[Mr. Relentless]

Went from 2 packs a day to 3mg. Had a good dl setup that actually got me feeling sic from to much nic. Maybe a good pull off a rda every once in a while would give you that nic shot you need.

 

[stols001]

If dropping nic levels and not switching vaping styles i.e. moving to sub0hming, which it sounds like you may not wish to do, I'd probably recommend going a little slower, although everyone responds to nicotine drops differently. I am about to do my first drop (after I vape my mixes currently steeping) and I'd think I'd probably approach it in 1 or 2 mg increments. But you can certainly try dropping to 12, your body may handle it fine, and if not, well you go up a bit (and probably more easily too, since you'd have already dealt with a lower drop. So, no need to be nervous, if it's too much of a drop, you can go back up but not all the way back up.

Yes, there are several vapers who've gotten to 0 nic or to not vaping at all. They may not be around just now to say it, but many people approach vaping as a "step" toward cessation and they are eventually successful. I'd say go at your body's speed, but I'm sure over time you will be able to decrease significantly or even drop completely if you so desire.

If you do, keep some vape equipment around for "just in case" moments, it's better to resume vaping than smoking, (JMO as always). Best of luck!

Anna

 

[Grimwald]

I started 5 1/2 years ago on what would now be ancient equipment. I was a very heavy smoker.

I began at 24 mg and after 2-3 months my body told me to drop (anxiety, sleeplessness, etc). I began to drop by 3s...21, 18, 15, 12 etc. If I had cravings, I went up, anxiety, I went down. It was all pretty smooth, but I let my body tell me what to do.

The hardest was 9-6-3. I did 9 - 7.5 - 6 - 4.5 - 3 - 2 - 1.5. I'm down to 1.5...took me about 3 years. I doubt that I really need the nic any longer, and I can go a lot longer without vaping, but I'm still addicted to the action and the lung feel of smoking. I wonder if I could ever quit completely.

 

[AngeNZ]

When I dropped from 18mg to 12mg I actually hardly noticed any difference in how I felt. I did this after 2.5 months on 18mg.

Maybe do as suggested above and mix the 18mg with the 12mg to make it less of a drop. If you still feel too antsy (I liken it to having ants in your pants ) then give yourself more time at 18mg.

 

[Vaperer]

Thank you for all the advice I think I'm going to stick with 12 and see what happens. If I get nervous to the point of jumping out of the window I guess I will increase back to 18. Or mix it and change it to 15..
Thanks again

 

[Coastal Cowboy]

I dropped in threes too. Started with 24 and went to 18 to start, but then learned how to DIY my own juice and modify store-bought juice.

Agree that dropping from 9 to 6 and then 3 took the longest. I'm at 3 now and I can barely take a drag from a tankful of 6mg juice. I do keep some around, just in case.

I still have a couple of 12mg bottles, too. Just in case.

 

[DaveP]

About 3 years ago I dropped from 24 to 18, then to 12 and 6, and finally 3mg. It was really not an issue, except that I began to vape more often. I stayed at 3mg for along time and began to DIY. I have juices at 3mg, 6mg, and 9mg now that I vape depending on my mood.

You might want to keep a bottle of 24mg around for when you feel the need to vape something higher. Most flavors will keep for a year or two, so you don't have to worry about most juices going bad quickly.

 

[chellie]

I started at extremely high (well over 40) and am down to between 2 and 3. My advice is to drop very slowly.

That's a big drop, in my opinion, from 18 to 12. Why suffer unnecessarily? Since you are feeling it dropping from 18 to 12 you could consider mixing equal parts of the 18 and 12 and that would be 15. If you can handle that then stay there for a while before dropping to 12.

 

[Vaperer]

I seem to be tolerating the 12 pretty good so far. But of course my consumption increased lots Taking this good advice and going to mix it into 15.
Oh well I tried. I guess nicotine wins again.

 

[stols001]

@Vaperer , nicotine didn't "win." You just tried a bit too large a jump, that's all. Also, I think it's probably common to vape a bit more with every drop in nic, it tends to level off.

I think going to 15 is a great idea. You can adjust to that first, then make another drop when you are ready.

I'm still not QUITE ready, I don't think but even if I never decrease my nic, at all, I am still engaging in harm reduction. I'm really glad I said to myself "I am never going to put pressure on myself to drop, and certainly not rapidly." I figured, if I could get to JUST vaping alone, I would have achieved something I never would have thought possible. None of my docs really care about my nicotine level at this point, they're just happy I am no longer wandering in to their office, chalk white, and displaying symptoms of a smoking related illness. My poor docs actually LIKE me (I'm a likable patient) and as I was consoling one of my PCPs about the likelihood of laryngeal cancer, (he really though I had it, I was being scoped by an ENT the SAME day, fastest referral I ever got, LOL) I really realized: good doctors HATE to see their patients suffer and die an early death due to tobacco, and it really kind of drove home the idea. "This is really causing harm, not just to me, and not just to my family even, but it's bigger than that. I feel fortunate to have people who kind o gave a rats behind, as every doctor visit was worse.

I returned a few months later and my I announced to my PCP (I did call, once I got the results from the ENT) "Hi, I'm your non-laryngeal cancer patient (I always figure docs have too many patients to remember. He was like, "Yes, Anna, I remember quite well."

I felt bad, but you are already a success, you are vaping! I'm sure nic reduction will happen, naturally over time, probably with some discomfort here and there. But if you never reduced your nicotine even ONCE, you've already made tremendous strides.

I look at nic as my pal, actually. Cigarettes, not so much but nicotine does more good than bad at least in my particular body. As I decrease, when I decrease, I just plan to approach it with an open mind. The hardest transition, I ALREADY did it.

Best of luck, don't be discouraged, is my longwinded post above, I guess.

Anna

 

[chellie]

I seem to be tolerating the 12 pretty good so far. But of course my consumption increased lots Taking this good advice and going to mix it into 15.
Oh well I tried. I guess nicotine wins again.

Don't beat yourself up. You are going in the right direction --- down. Years back I had a very severe accident/injury and I was on heavy painkillers round the clock. When I was able to walk (hobble) again 5 months later --I applied the same principle of decreasing very slowly. I just kept decreasing slowly and had no problems.

I like life to be as pleasant as possible. The main reason I did not stop smoking until I found vaping was that I did not want to be unhappy. I dropped my levels much like Cowboy did. I dropped by 3's until I got down to about 9 and then by either 2 or 3. I was just looking at the one small bottle of custom made I kept and it is 48 - cannot believe I vaped that! I mainly mixed prebought juice to get to my targeted level. Currently, I am in the ballpark of 1 to 3 right now --mostly 3 with a long-term goal of zero.

Just go slow until you feel comfortable and then go down slowly. Good luck!

 

[Vaperer]

Right now I'm using 15 and I feel perfectly fine. I guess you learn something new everyday