Does decreasing nicotine level to quit work?

[damachine]

A few month ago I was vaping 24mg juice, been doing that for a few years. I started strong to quit cigs. My biggest cravings happen when I wake up, and after a meal.

I made the decision to quit vaping so I cut the strength down to 10mg 2 month ago. Then a few days ago I cut down to 5mg. I plan do cut down further to 2.5mg a month from now, and then 1.25mg...etc. I do DIY juice so all I have to do is dilute my jar when I have 50% left.

Right now I still get some craving at trigger time, and each time I cut down, I need to puff more in the first few days.

I wonder if my cravings will decrease as my nic level decreases. Once I'm at 1.25mg I plan to quit cold turkey, and I wonder how hard it will be? I should also mention that I vape menthol, so each time I dilute my juice I'm also weakening the cooling sensation that I'm used to.

thanks

 

[Rossum]

Everyone is different. What works for one person may not work for the next.

As evidence, I'll present the millions of people who were able quit smoking without vaping; something that didn't work for most of us here. Conversely, there a millions more for whom vaping didn't work; they tried it, but continued (or went back to) smoking.

Some people get over their smoking / nicotine habit, and others who've quit say there's not a day that goes by where they don't miss it, even many years later.

 

[zoiDman]

A few month ago I was vaping 24mg juice, been doing that for a few years. I started strong to quit cigs. My biggest cravings happen when I wake up, and after a meal.

I made the decision to quit vaping so I cut the strength down to 10mg 2 month ago. Then a few days ago I cut down to 5mg. I plan do cut down further to 2.5mg a month from now, and then 1.25mg...etc. I do DIY juice so all I have to do is dilute my jar when I have 50% left.

Right now I still get some craving at trigger time, and each time I cut down, I need to puff more in the first few days.

I wonder if my cravings will decrease as my nic level decreases. Once I'm at 1.25mg I plan to quit cold turkey, and I wonder how hard it will be? I should also mention that I vape menthol, so each time I dilute my juice I'm also weakening the cooling sensation that I'm used to.

thanks

JMO...

I think if you do Anything Habitually, then quitting Entirely can have a certain amount of Cravings.

But by the time you get down to 2mg or so, whatever cravings you have/get are more Mental than Physiological.

 

[Jwaterski]

I agree with zoiD, it's the habit that's going to be a problem more than the nic when you get down around 2-3. I have some 3 and some 0 that I vape pretty much interchangably now. I still have no desire to stop vaping, but if I do, I don't think the nic is going to be that much of a problem, the habit... that's another thing!

 

[Don29palms]

I agree with the others. Cutting down on nicotine can cut the cravings for nicotine but breaking the hand to mouth habit is much harder. Also breaking the habit from triggers like when you first wake up or after eating.

 

[vaper1960]

The way I would do it is to mix two batches at different strengths (one at your current and one weaker) You will need to have two tanks and keep track of which tank has each strength juice. Vape the weaker most of the day, but grab the stronger one for mornings and after a meal. Myself, the ideal method would be to have three tanks: strong for the morning, medium during the day, and weak before bed (sometimes the nic makes it hard to fall asleep) Eventually, you might even get down to 0mg juice but still may want to vape for the pleasure (and habit) of doing it.
About mixing DIY juices (menthol is so easy... only one flavor) You can always adjust your flavor strength even in the tank... add a few more drops, or add some unflavored base when needed.
What tank are you using (mod/tank) or is it an AIO or pod?

 

[Frenchfry1942]

I did the same thing at about 1 month marks, but what I did different, I believe, was to make smaller steps. having 12mg and (same flavor) 18mg juice permits me to vape 18mg juice, then mix equal of the two bottles to get 15mg juice for a month and then switch again down to 12.

first thing in the morning, I might have a 2nd tank with what is left of the 18mg juice, just to get me started.

I did smaller steps. It worked for me.

 

[ian91]

I have been vaping for over 6 years and have just gotten to zero nic in the last few months. I started at 18mg and have slowly worked down to zero in 1-2mg increments that I did not really notice. If you take it slow enough, you will not even notice that you are no longer nic dependant.

 

[damachine]

I agree with the others. Cutting down on nicotine can cut the cravings for nicotine but breaking the hand to mouth habit is much harder. Also breaking the habit from triggers like when you first wake up or after eating.

I feel that craving after a meal comes mostly from nicotine rather than hand to mouth habit?

 

[damachine]

I have been vaping for over 6 years and have just gotten to zero nic in the last few months. I started at 18mg and have slowly worked down to zero in 1-2mg increments that I did not really notice. If you take it slow enough, you will not even notice that you are no longer nic dependant.

Since you are no longer nic dependent, if tomorrow you have to throw away your vape, do you think you can handle it?

 

[Don29palms]

I feel that craving after a meal comes mostly from nicotine rather than hand to mouth habit?

In that case you're probably just SOL. Good luck to you.

 

[ian91]

Since you are no longer nic dependent, if tomorrow you have to throw away your vape, do you think you can handle it?

I am pretty sure that I could just quit but I do like the act of vaping. I was a chain smoker and am currently a chain vaper. I still go 5-10ml of ejuice per day. My wife only goes thru about 5ml a week with 0 nic and she doesn't want to quit either.

 

[Hawise]

Quitting nicotine is very personal. I've heard from a lot of other people who, like me, had little trouble cutting down from 24 mg/ml or so to 2 or 3 mg/ml, but really struggled with the final step. Then again, that's no assurance you'll have trouble. Some people are able to quit easily; others aren't.

I think diluting your flavouring as well was a great idea. Good luck going the rest of the way!

 

[Beamslider]

Depends on the person. The desire to quit and making a decision on how to and doing it is the most important.

I stared with the throw away 50mg devices and stayed with them for a month or so to stop smoking. Move to a higher vape volume device with 18 mg nic and stuck with that for around 6 months.

Since then it has been a steady move to higher vape volume lower nic level. I am currently vaping dual coil rta with 1.5 mg/ml nic. Have been for around a year now. Not really planning on lowering the nic from there but have noticed I don't actually vape as much as I use to vape but still go thru about 9 ML a day of it. Not planning on quitting as I enjoy it.

 

[vaper1960]

BTW, to really judge how much nic you are getting, multiply the nic mg x ml / day. Examples: 10 mg x 6 ml = 60 mg/day, 6 mg x 10 ml = 60 mg/day. Same overall amount.

 

[damachine]

BTW, to really judge how much nic you are getting, multiply the nic mg x ml / day. Examples: 10 mg x 6 ml = 60 mg/day, 6 mg x 10 ml = 60 mg/day. Same overall amount.

I vape 4 ml a day so at 5mg that's 20mg. Each cig usually has 1mg of nic so I'm technically smoking 1 pack a day worth of nicotine, but my craving is waaay less compared to when I smoked cigs. I also don't get that high.

So I guess nicotine from vape is absorbed much less compared to cigs?

 

[vaper1960]

No No... it doesn't work that way... apples and oranges. It's been discussed much around here... cigs deliver harder faster nic (and many other compounds) Don't recall all the details but it's not the same I assure you. Can't just compare my doing the math... maybe someone else know the exact explanation why.
20 mg a day is very low... good for you.

 

[Coyote628]

You might use 20mg of nicotine per day but how much of that your body absorbs is different from person to person, not easily compared to how much nic you get from a cigarette and just all around hard to figure.

 

[Hawise]

I vape 4 ml a day so at 5mg that's 20mg. Each cig usually has 1mg of nic so I'm technically smoking 1 pack a day worth of nicotine, but my craving is waaay less compared to when I smoked cigs. I also don't get that high.

So I guess nicotine from vape is absorbed much less compared to cigs?

As others have said it's not really a direct comparison, but you're right that less seems to be absorbed. Additionally, there are a bunch of other neurologically active chemicals in cigarettes that you're not getting with vaping, e.g. you're already free of them. So I guess you could safely say that, addiction-wise as well as health-wise, you're well ahead of where you were with cigarettes.

 

[zoiDman]

I vape 4 ml a day so at 5mg that's 20mg. Each cig usually has 1mg of nic so I'm technically smoking 1 pack a day worth of nicotine, but my craving is waaay less compared to when I smoked cigs. I also don't get that high.

So I guess nicotine from vape is absorbed much less compared to cigs?

A Cigarette's is rated by how much Nicotine is Absorbed when the average smoker smokes 1 Cigarette.

Whereas e-Liquids are defined by how much Nicotine there is in 1 Milliliter of Volume.

Absorption of Nicotine while Vaping varies depending on many Factors. But rates of Absorption tend to Max out around 45% on the High-End. And 15~20% on the Low-End.

Also, e-Cigarettes do Not contain the Multitude of Chemical Compound found in Tobacco Smoke. So your Body is Not Craving those Compounds once someone has Successfully Switched.