Eliquid potency

[karenwest1961]

I've cut way back now. I smoke 1 ml or less than one.

Was just diagnosed last week with atrial fibrillation. Something I've had for awhile, but I started having frequent episodes lately. I no longer drink caffeine, I've changed my diet to include a lot of potassium (I have LOW potassium, which is the main reason for my a-fib), and I use low nic and sometimes mix that with a little 0.

It sucks, but when you get a scare, you start thinking more clearly.

That 36 mg stuff scares the crap out of me. If there aren't people having problems with e-cigs right now, there will be with this stuff, before we can get acceptance for them. If one person with heart issues uses this stuff and he drops dead from vaping a ton of it (keep in mind, that's stupid thing to do...but people do it), then it might get blamed on e-cigs, maybe not...but who knows. If it happens to 3 or 4 people, then you got a WHOLE news story about it and fingers will be pointed at e-cigs. This is not the kind of publicity we need.

 

[Kate]

It's great to see you posting Karen, you are one of our more knowledgeable members.

Sorry to hear that you're having health problems, I hope you recover as well as can be expected.

The 36 is sure to kill someone one day I reckon. I don't know if I dare say this, I don't want to annoy anyone but to me there seems to be a macho link to vaping the highest amounts of nic. Suppliers are unregulated and give us what we think we want but there are no checks on what is good or healthy and hardly any warnings. Not everyone has access to the information on this forum so many people are in the dark about their dose and health implications.

When the pharmaceutical companies take over supply of liquid nicotine there will be quality control, accurate dosage, warnings and safe packaging. The chances of us being able to get the high potency eliquid we get now when it's regulated are small.

 

[Mr.Darcy]

well i dont know about machismo...but i think some people are mistakingly trying to emulate smoking a cigarette as closely as possible by using this level of nicotine...which really doesnt work,of course...

whatever it is thats missing,its got nothing to do with nic level...no cigarettes have this kind of nic punch really...

personally,i only use it for mixing...everyones different,but i didnt like its effect neat,it gave me palpitations and a headache...i dont need this level of nicotine the way i enjoy vaping-it didnt satisfy me appreciably more than regular high anyway...and i dont think its healthy to vape it exclusively...plus i dont want to raise my addiction level either...

of course its up to the individual if they want to esmoke at these levels...some people seem to love it,which is fair dos to them...but i treat nicotine with a measure of caution and respect...and 36mg neat is too high for my taste...

 

[Kate]

"..and 36mg neat is too high for my taste..."

Does that mean you're a big girls blouse Darcy?

 

[Mr.Darcy]

"..and 36mg neat is too high for my taste..."

Does that mean you're a big girls blouse Darcy?

of course not Kate...im an alpha male...i dont need nicotine to put hairs on my muscular,well defined chest...im off to chop down a tree,drink some beer,and then pick a fight with someone weaker than me...

 

[TropicalBob]

but i think some people are mistakingly trying to emulate smoking a cigarette as closely as possible by using this level of nicotine...which really doesnt work,of course...

whatever it is thats missing,its got nothing to do with nic level.

Perfectly true, Darcy. Every noobie e-smoker must read and understand what you wrote. 36mg is not the answer to a cigarette addict's prayers. It doesn't replicate smoking a cigarette. And, with our frequency of vaping, nicotine dependence is likely increasing for even a heavy former smoker. And the higher the nic intake, the greater the likelihood of known nicotine consequences like hardening of the arteries, ringing in the ears, blurred vision, sexual dysfunction, leg cramps, etc.

Control nic intake; don't let it control you. The e-cig is a great way to exercise control just by varying the strength of the liquids we use.

 

[TheEmperorOfIceCream]

This is a very interesting point. I smoked a pack a day when I was hot, but I wasn't a particularly heavy nic user (Superking lights). These days I aways have an e-cig permanently welded to my lips, so the level of nicotine is on my mind a lot more.

I think one of the missing elements is the episodic nature of smoking real cigarettes. It's a lot easier to keep track of consumption if it's a visibly diminishing resource. A couple of mls out of a bottle of e-liquid doesn't have the weight (or cause the guilt) of a couple of empty ... packets.

I'm pretty sure this is why 24 and 36mg liquid is becoming popular. There's a persuasive attraction in the idea that getting a 36mg hit at intervals during the day is more "smoker-like" than constantly sucking on lower strength juice and might even deliver less nicotine to your system overall (I don't think so, though).

Never tried anything higher than 18mg to date, and I do occasionally get the nic sweats off the back of it. I have a screwdriver inbound, though, so I'll be interested in how the 24mg stuff affects me.

 

[karenwest1961]

of course not Kate...im an alpha male...i dont need nicotine to put hairs on my muscular,well defined chest...im off to chop down a tree,drink some beer,and then pick a fight with someone weaker than me...

YeeeHaw! Hey Kate! That turned me on right there! How about you???

 

[Kate]

Ha, he's a pretty cool customer, that's for sure.

 

[TropicalBob]

Did nothing but make me laugh.

But it's good to see both Karen and Emp back in form!

 

[Kate]

I found a picture of Darcy:

Just for a laugh Darcy

Thanks for all the good advice you give on the forum

 

[leaford]

off to chop down a tree,drink some beer,and then pick a fight with someone weaker than me...

Heee's a lumberjack and he's OK...
YouTube - The Lumberjack Song
http://www.geocities.com/fang_club/lumberjack_song.html

 

[edisme518123]

I've been using about .5ml of 24mg per day for a few weeks now. The only withdrawal symptoms I've had so far were the first 3 days after my first atomizer died. I was then using 36mg liquid at about 1ml per day (for about 2 weeks) when my atomizer died and I had to wait a week for a replacement. The first 3 days were mild symptoms including headache, fatigue, aches, and irritability (not uncontrollable, but more difficult to control). The rest of the week I felt pretty normal, no noticeable symptoms. Then I got my replacement atomizer and purchased some 24mg liquid. I've been much better with the 24mg liquid and I plan to go to a lower nic level. I also have a few bottles of 0 nic that I had originally bought for my mom, but she stopped using her e-cig only 2 weeks after quitting analogues for the e-cig. She's now been cig and e-cig free for just under a month.

I'm going to Kansas with my girlfriend's family for Thanksgiving and will be gone for 5 days. I don't plan on taking my e-cig with me on this trip and hopefully all will be well. I'll most likely stop using my e-cig 2 or 3 days in advance or at least cut down. We'll see how it goes...

 

[TropicalBob]

If you can cut down and then quit, you have achieved most smokers' Holy Grail. Seventy percent of smokers say in polls that they want to quit -- but can't. If you can, go for it.

Let me note something strange: I've received e-cigs that came with high, medium, low and no nicotine carts. I CAN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE. If you took away the identification and mixed the carts together, I could not tell you what had high and what had low. I "feel" no difference at all. Do it!

 

[Mr.Darcy]

@ Kate and leaford...nice one guys...

TB,ive noticed that also with the carts in the past...its strange...i wonder if its something to do with residual nic in our systems+a little cerebral trickery...

anyway,in the last few weeks ive been gradually cutting down to lower nic doses via ever increasing glycerine dilution...not always easy,but of course its much easier than cutting down on cigarettes ever was...

if i could eventually do a bananadoc,and only vape glycerine with or without flavourings for hand to mouth,id feel so liberated...it'll require some mustering of willpower...but im approaching that stage...

 

[karenwest1961]

Did nothing but make me laugh.

But it's good to see both Karen and Emp back in form!

I've missed my favorite people!!!!! It's been a weird couple of months around my house, that's for sure.

 

[TheEmperorOfIceCream]

I heard that, Karen!

Finally getting some control back over the train wreck that passes for my life. Glad to say the e-cig held up through some fairly heavy trauma and I'm still smoke free!

Emp

 

[leaford]

Good for you, Emp, and welcome back.

 

[Zach]

I just started using e cigarettes this saturday, that was 3 days ago.
I have an NPRO super mini cigarette. You definitely have to sip it in a particular way, but you can get a very strong hit out of it.

I got it with a pack of 10 18mg (high) menthol carts. I can tell already that the nicotine i am getting from the e-cigarette is a lot more than i was ingesting smoking. I tried a medium and low cart, and really those are a lot more like actually smoking in terms of harshness and nicotine levels. 36mg juice seems unnecessary, possibly unhealthy. No way analog cigarettes provide that much nicotine. Possibly snus or dip, but not smokes.

Dripping 18mg gave me sweats. I am 5'8 160 lbs, but i was a heavy smoker before i got on e-cigs. I am switching to medium next order.

 

[fsu1dolfan]

If you can cut down and then quit, you have achieved most smokers' Holy Grail. Seventy percent of smokers say in polls that they want to quit -- but can't. If you can, go for it.

Let me note something strange: I've received e-cigs that came with high, medium, low and no nicotine carts. I CAN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE. If you took away the identification and mixed the carts together, I could not tell you what had high and what had low. I "feel" no difference at all. Do it!

Yeah but of those 70% how many actually enjoy the ACT of smoking....for me the e-cig is the optimal choice. I'm a very light smoker unless drinking or in a party setting. I just got my e-cig yesterday with the starter carts and bought some empty ones for the 11mg juice. So far i have played around with it and eveuntally will buy some 0 nic juice to combine. I merely enjoy the ACT of smoking and very little dependency of nic. Which i think if managed properly with the juice the e-cig could be highly beneficial.

This is a great thread to make you think about the nic intake. I think i will slowly move towards 0 nic eventually and i am sure it will be just as enjoyable now...Now as for caffine....Umm i better have that cup of coffee in the morning otherwise you might want to avoid me