Calculating nicotine usage

[Rachy_B]

I used to think about how much I used my PV by using batteries. I would use 2.5 - 3 510penstyle batteries everyday. Now, I'm getting all scientific with it and I've got a bottle of 30ml DIY'd juice ready to go, with a cute little measuring guide down the side (every 2ml, it took me AGES!) but I was wondering how that equated to nicotine consumption.

If I use 2ml a day of 12mg, I've hypothetically used 24mg in total, right?
If one cigarette is 1mg, and I used to smoke 20 a day, I'd use 20mg in a day?

Am I getting this right or am I being a bit of a ditz?x

 

[MorpheusPA]

It's not right, but you're not a ditz.

Your theoretical exposure is 24mg/day, but we seem to only absorb 10 to 30 percent of the nicotine in the liquid. So your actual intake is in the 2.4 mg to 7.2 mg range. If you're vaping correctly, it's probably closer to the top end of that. If you take short, hard hits, you're probably toward the lower end.

You can drop your nic levels quite a bit and not notice. I'm chicken, so I only reduce my liquids 2 mg/ml every six to eight weeks or so. I never want to go back to analogs! Although since I DIY, I could simply step the liquid up a bit if the cut were too hard for me.

 

[Rachy_B]

Ahha! So actually, if I am using 2ml of 12mg a day, I've really cut down! Wow! Brilliant!

Thanks for the help...I'll add this data to my spreadsheet ;-) x

 

[markfm]

Morpheus is right, based on what I've read the last few years.

The cig nicotine value is nominally absorbed nicotine, based on smoking machines and human test subjects where serum cotinine levels were measured. The eliquid value is source, starting, not the same as absorbed. From the things I've read, best guess is 1/5 - 1/6 of eliquid nicotine is absorbed.

Look for writings by Etter -- he did a study about 13 months back, measured cotinine levels in experienced vapers, and also did work years earlier, measuring the cotinine levels in active smokers. Net, it looks like experienced vapers using 5 refills/day (nominal 5 ml/day to me, but it wasn't stated explicitly), 18 mg/ml, had cotinine levels about the same as the active smokers. That would mean about 20% absorbed.

 

[MorpheusPA]

So 5 times 18 = 90 mg, to get the same as an active smoker.

Right now, I'm at 5 ml per day of 20 mg, or 100 mg. Figuring mid-range, I'm at 20 mg absorbed per day (give or take a lot). That satisfies me perfectly well. My next mix is 18 mg/ml.

Let's not even go into cost comparisons. My DIY $0.05 per ml liquid, $0.25 per day, totally kills my old $8.50 per day cig habit.

 

[markfm]

Yes, DIY is huge for cost savings. My eliquid uses pricey organic flavorings, but I'm still only running about $2.25/30 ml, $0.45/day for 6 ml. I prefer IkenVape fusion cartos, they just work well for me in a tank, and even changing them every 3 days (too lazy to clean, I like really top flavor), I'm at $1/day consumables. Add in battery replacement, pick up a new mod here or there, it's still under $2/day.

 

[MMarie]

Makes sense to me... smoke particulates are ten times smaller than vapor and get deeper into the little capillaries in your lungs, so you probably absorb much more nicotine in cigarettes.

 

[unloaded]

I gauge mine differently.

If I feel like strangling somebody= Not enough nicotine
If I can feel my pulse racing in my neck= Too much nicotine

I try to keep it in between the two. 8D

 

[mightymen]

It's not right, but you're not a ditz.

Your theoretical exposure is 24mg/day, but we seem to only absorb 10 to 30 percent of the nicotine in the liquid. So your actual intake is in the 2.4 mg to 7.2 mg range. If you're vaping correctly, it's probably closer to the top end of that. If you take short, hard hits, you're probably toward the lower end.

You can drop your nic levels quite a bit and not notice. I'm chicken, so I only reduce my liquids 2 mg/ml every six to eight weeks or so. I never want to go back to analogs! Although since I DIY, I could simply step the liquid up a bit if the cut were too hard for me.

I'm getting smarter! Thanks MorpheusPA

 

[DC2]

If I use 2ml a day of 12mg, I've hypothetically used 24mg in total, right?
If one cigarette is 1mg, and I used to smoke 20 a day, I'd use 20mg in a day?

No, read this...
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...312547-nicotine-absorption-contradiction.html

If you want you can just skip down to the posts by Rolygate.

 

[Rachy_B]

No, read this...
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...312547-nicotine-absorption-contradiction.html

If you want you can just skip down to the posts by Rolygate.

So it's official, you and Rolygate are ORACLES! You know so much! Seriously! You're like the fonts of all knowledge! I take my hat off to you both (or I would if I was wearing one!) for knowing so much!

Basically, I shouldn't even be thinking about comparing and just get on with the task in hand- that being to wean myself as low as possible ;-) x

 

[DC2]

No, Rolygate is an oracle, and I am more like a barnacle.

 

[Rachy_B]

Could we settle on 'you're both awesome and I appreciate everything you do to help me' please? x