Am I lousy smoker or a very efficient vaper?

[Tona Aspsusa]

I'm pretty new to vaping - only got my liquids Monday, so have been testing vaping with nicotine for only 2 days now.

But I am really confused about what I read in the tutorial here: As a 20-40 cig* a day smoker for over 20 years I should be needing lots of nicotine in my juice, shouldn't I?
And I really do seem to be habituated to high levels of nicotine, I am definitely inhaling deeply, and if I know I won't be able to smoke as much as I'm used to I wear a nicotine patch - and still smoke with it on, with no nausea or other signs of overdose.

*(0.5-0.8mg, so not ultra lights, have nothing against even stronger, but those are really rare now in the EU, and the taste is usually too "tar-y" for me, very few cigs with 0.4 or less are acceptable to me)


But when I started mixing a nicotine-containing eliquid to vape I quickly discovered that anything more than ~15mg/ml was far too much for me. Around 10-12mg feels nice. I mixed one tank to 18mg, and I doubt I'll finish it soon - already a few drags made me a bit nauseaus.

What is going on here?
Are my lungs perhaps really lousy at getting nicotine from smoke (and that's part of the reason why I smoke so much, and absolutely can't stand ultra light "paper" ciggies)?
And is perhaps my mouth and throat inordinarily good at taking up nicotine from vapour?

I know I tend to get rather sick if I smoke cigars/cigarillos or a pipe - but I always thought that was because as a cigarette smoker I was inhaling too much.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

Please give us some more info on the type of juice you are using. Is it all pg or vg? You say you are "mixing a nicotine-containing eliquid to vape." Are you mixing you own juices, and if so, are you sure you're doing it right? Please fill us in.

cheers,

 

[madjack]

...this is one reason, when asked, we tell folks there is no real correlation between funkarettes and e-cig usage...I was a 3ppd/40yr smoker of "light" ciggys...I started on 12mg and it wasn't enough...24mg absolutely knocked my socks off...I have finally settled in at 16mg juice and seriously considering going down to 12mg...on the other hand, I have seen "social" smokers(less than a ppd) who needed 36mg juice to be successful...it is all over the board...the nic from ecigs and how it is absorbed is completely different from the funkies and each person will havvta find their own way forward.........
madjack

 

[Tona Aspsusa]

Please give us some more info on the type of juice you are using. Is it all pg or vg? You say you are "mixing a nicotine-containing eliquid to vape." Are you mixing you own juices, and if so, are you sure you're doing it right? Please fill us in.

I am pretty sure I am doing it right.

I have 36mg/ml nicotine containing PG, pure PG and pure VG. I also have flavours (which I think are PG-based), and 96% alcohol. Haven't used the destilled water yet. With my starting kit I got a few pre-filled tanks with no-nic juices (which are "Propylene Glycol ~55%, Vegetable Glycerin ~35%, Purified Water 10%, <=1%Flavourings), which I have very carefully experimented with cutting to something between 10mg-14mg (at most), or in one case just treated the .2- .1ml left as flavouring. (I discovered that not only am I sensitive to the nicotine, for me just a small amount of flavour goes a long, long way. My favourite right now is a no-nic Robusta that was first cut in half to bring it up to ~12mg strength, and then when there was almost nothing left in the tank at all I topped it up with more 12mg 80/20 PG/VG. I thought it would be almost flavourless, but I really like it.)

For most of my (not that many) experiments so far I have used two different calculators to be sure to get it right. When I am just mixing a teeny tiny amount (1ml, directly in the tank) I can see a small error having a big impact, but OTOH the 10mg or 12mg experiments I've done for only 1 ml are pretty consistent with my 5ml 10-12 mg mixes, so it seems unlikely.

I have mostly used very little VG, probably too little, and hence also almost no alcohol (and no water at all). The alcohol has so far been used mostly just to create a rather weak menthol solution (didn't weigh the chrystals, so I have no idea - didn't think to check beforehand so I just dropped a few chrystals in a 10ml bottle and poured on the alcohol. Dissolved nicely overnight.)

The only thing I can think of would be if my 36mg PG would actually be something much stronger. But I doubt that, the vendor doesn't sell anything stronger, and I've read nothing bad about them (twojliquid in Poland).
It is probably just as madjack says, this is unpredictable.

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

Most juices are 80/ 20 PG/ VG or 70/ 30 PG/ VG. The VG gives us the vapor while the PG enhances the flavor and gives us TH (throat hit) and lung hit. Nicotine also gives TH and lung hit. I know some friends that have a high PG ratio and have had to lower their nic content because it was just too much for their lungs and throat. I don't know if this is what you're looking for but I hope it's of some help to you.

 

[besure]

One really doesn't need more then 10mg/ml. Transitioning to a nicotine intake over 10 minuets of vaping from your usual instant hit takes time

 

[Tona Aspsusa]

One really doesn't need more then 10mg/ml. Transitioning to a nicotine intake over 10 minuets of vaping from your usual instant hit takes time

Again, this was something I just don't get - it totally doesn't tally with my so far very limited experience.

I have a hard time vaping for very long - I notice that I tend to take a few drags now and then, not continuously vape for 5 or 10 minutes (that this is possible is something that really appeals to me - with analogs I very often would like to save half of it for later, which is never a good idea).

Once I got some nic in my liquid I can't say that I feel that vaping gives a much slower hit than smoking - I know it _should_, but I just don't experience that.

Well, I'm pretty weirdly wired in many ways, so why should this be any different...

 

[Beans]

Don't over think the why's of it.....We all have to find what level were comfortable with. I was a heavy smoker too and started off with high juice and made myself nauseated quite a bit. Turns out I'm really comfortable at low nic levels 5-10mg. Who knew? I do enjoy vaping more frequently and usually vape around 5-7 mls a day. Give it a shot

 

[Tona Aspsusa]

Don't over think the why's of it.....We all have to find what level were comfortable with. I was a heavy smoker too and started off with high juice and made myself nauseated quite a bit. Turns out I'm really comfortable at low nic levels 5-10mg. Who knew? I do enjoy vaping more frequently and usually vape around 5-7 mls a day. Give it a shot

This is very interesting - and reassuring - to read.

Though vaping 5-7 mls a day seems quite extreme to me at this point - I still smoke (about half of what I used to, without *any* effort at cutting down), and I vape maybe 1-2 mls a day, if even that (hard to gauge when you are trying many flavours).

What has really surprised me is how little of *everything* (nic, flavours, mls juice total) I seem to require. Sure, it is early days yet, but it is really surprising - especially since I'm not very motivated to quit smoking etc. This just seems far too easy - like half a tank of not very tasty e-liquid was suddenly equal to 10+ extremely yummy, hard to get (yeah, I'm picky wrt flavours) ciggies. A bit too good to be true, and I can't figure out why.

 

[KeysBum]

Don't overthink it. Vape whatever works and feels right for YOU.

 

[KeysBum]

Sorry for the hijack, but I just noticed that Beans is gonna be at one year in a couple of weeks. Congrats!

 

[Charlz]

a more important question is what are you using for a vaporizer? I found myself using higher nic on the smaller PVs. On bigger models and better cartomizers I find I can't handle anything over 18mg. I find myself using different strengths of the same liquid now throughout the day

 

[SirVette]

... - with analogs I very often would like to save half of it for later, which is never a good idea)....

That's very unusual & somewhat explains it. Anyway you are doing very well & are 'efficient vaper' so don't worry about it.
Some of us stopped smoking near effortlessly & did not try to quit- i.e. continued to smoke some declining for a couple of weeks or so.

 

[Rick Shockey]

I've wondered the same thing...I smoked up to two packs of Marlboro Red 100's for 20+ years, and since I started vaping 5-months ago, I have NOT had a "nicotine-fit" once...not once, and have not had nor even desired an analogue.

Now, I vape all the time (using N-Joy and Blu's currently) so I'm probably getting the nicotine I need, but recently I had to settle for the 1.2's because my store was out of the regular 1.8's - and not a whit of difference...

I might have been a lousy smoker, but if I was one I was a REALLY lousy smoker, lol!

 

[Zogem]

This is very interesting - and reassuring - to read.

Though vaping 5-7 mls a day seems quite extreme to me at this point - I still smoke (about half of what I used to, without *any* effort at cutting down), and I vape maybe 1-2 mls a day, if even that (hard to gauge when you are trying many flavours).

What has really surprised me is how little of *everything* (nic, flavours, mls juice total) I seem to require. Sure, it is early days yet, but it is really surprising - especially since I'm not very motivated to quit smoking etc. This just seems far too easy - like half a tank of not very tasty e-liquid was suddenly equal to 10+ extremely yummy, hard to get (yeah, I'm picky wrt flavours) ciggies. A bit too good to be true, and I can't figure out why.

I"m the same way..

Carton every 6 days, yet I never smoked at work.. so a nine hour gap that never really even bothered me.. But as soon as I got in the car the urge hit. Even when I made the switch (11/11/11) while on vacation with a friend (and fellow vapor), the first urge I really got, was, follow me here, getting in the car on the drive home from the airport.

The switch ws at 24mg, since the camels had .9mg of nicotine. And that was fine, until I started accumulating flavors I liked, and started vaping more than I smoked. Reality is that most of that .9 mg in the camel blue was just burning while it was not in my mouth (as well as stinking as stinking up the walls).

While on paper it seemed equivalent, it wasn't.. A good flavor that I would hit with frequency was to much at .26.. So, recent orders have been at 16-18 depending on vendor. No more nicotine rushes. Compared to some of the flavors I tend to fall on, the thought of a Camel Wide blue is somewhat disgusting at this point.

Vaping 5-7mg a day isn't extreme when you consider what you aren't intaking. While there are no 'approved' studies to justify that, there are endless case studies, in this forum alone, to suggest otherwise.

I don't think your doing anything wrong. I think your doing it quite right, actually; given other posts, seems you're trying to understand personal addiction, and asking all the right questions.

Best

-Z

 

[ambientech]

I smoked 2-2.5 pad of marlb reds. At first I was going through 5 or 7 mls of 24mg juice a day that had very little th and never felt satisfied. Now 2 months in I only vape 2mls a day of 24mg juice that has great th and I am 100% satisfied on most days. I take 3 or 4 toots and sit my pv down awhile. I feel the nic immediately and get a slight nic buzz. Not the dizzy first analog buzz but a nice mellow nic buzz. Some on ecf try to call me a liar about the nic buzz from vaping saying it is impossible but whatever... I tried dropping nic level but I need that strong kick in the throat I get from high nic to feel satisfied. I guess I am efficient vaper also

 

[sandybeach]

My first couple of days I thought the 18 mg. I had bought was too high. So I switched down to 11 mg. After that, I found that 18 mg. was perfect.

Sandy

 

[Tona Aspsusa]

a more important question is what are you using for a vaporizer? I found myself using higher nic on the smaller PVs. On bigger models and better cartomizers I find I can't handle anything over 18mg. I find myself using different strengths of the same liquid now throughout the day

Ahaa - now I am mainly using the standard eGo-T atomizer, and a little bit a 510-T (also presumably standard) atomizer. I have noticed that they are different, but since I don't have extra tanks for the 510-T I haven't been able to do very exact comparisons (I also fear that I may have burnt the 510-T or that something may be wrong with it - it gets *very* hot rather quickly).

But I have ordered an assortment of cartomizers (both LR and standard) and some drip tips and various carts and tanks, so this will be an interesting thing to experiment with. If I react like you I would presume I would need to dial down the nic even further on the LR cartomizers...

 

[Bawn]

dont use LR cartos with a slim type pv the batteries cant handle lr atty/cartos. stick with sr attycartos.