How did you go about decreasing your nic level?

[RoyToy]

Hi Vets,

Thanks for taking out the time to answer questions for us newbies.

I have been a half pack a day smoker for about 8 years and have been vaping for a month. I am currently vaping 18mg 50/50 blend and have already started finding the nic level too harsh. I was wondering about how the people out there reduced their nic level to 0-6 mg without suffering nic withdrawals like you do when you quit analogs cold turkey?

Was it a gradual process or were there any changes to set-ups that needed to be made? I am quite happy with my set-up currently (Vaporfi Rocket & an eleaf Istick along with a couple of aspire nautilus/mini tanks) but it seems that "sub-ohm"ing is a way to reduce nic levels due to the insane amount of wattage employed.

I dont want to get into sub-ohming and am not able to dedicate too much time to tinkering with my mods as I have a crazy busy job (80+ hours a week) so I was hoping to find a more time-efficient way. Thanks in advance!

-RoyToy

 

[Hoosier]

I've been vaping for...over 5 years now? Something like that. I couldn't make the switch to vaping until I went well above 36mg/ml nicotine. I spent most of last year at 18mg/ml on my main rig and 6mg/ml on my mechanicals. Sometime last year I dropped to 16mg/ml on my main rig and still holding at 6 on the mechanicals.

I drop 2mg/ml at a time. When it feels like I can go lower, I drop it down 2mg/ml and it does not seem to be any real effect other than my juice consumption jumps a bit for awhile. Sometimes I feel like I can drop again fairly quickly and sometimes I can go a year, or so, without feeling that I can drop. I don't schedule anything or drive myself. When it comes it comes.

If you don't mix your own juice like I do, you can usually buy your regular juice flavors in 0mg and mix down to whatever level you like.

 

[Racehorse]

Surprisingly, dropping nic levels when vaping does not seem to bring on the levels of withdrawal that not smoking a cigarette incurred.

This may have something to do with the other chemicals in cigarettes that are not in eliquid, as well as the fact that vaping actually supplies less nicotine to the bloodstream as a traditional cigarette
(Nicotine absorption from electronic cigarette use: comparison between first and new-generation devices : Scientific Reports : Nature Publishing Group)
( Nicotine Absorption when Vaping | Mt Baker Vapor)

I don't think anyone can write a recipe for "you" because every body metabolizes nicotine a bit differently. Best thing to do is just design a formula for yourself and test it.

IF you are buying ejuice, and not making it yourself, then you are somewhat limited to stepping down using the actual mg. strengths of your ejuice suppliers, usually 24mg-18mg-12mg-6mg-3mg-0mg.

You may, of course, mix 18mg with 12mg of same ejuice, in equal parts to achieve 15mg, for instance, if you do not feel you can go from 18mg to 12mg directly. I think this may be a good option for you, because I don't think your body will experience much recognition between 18mg and 15mg, at least not enough to be really perceptible.

My personal step down program was to drop a level every 4-5 months. (slowly in other words). For me, everything tasted a LOT better at lower nicotine levels.

 

[amoret]

Another option is to have different strengths available, say 18 mg/ml and 12 mg/ml. Then you can use whichever level you need at a given time. I've needed to go higher when under stress, and lower when life is on a more even keel.

Like Hoosier, I'm making my own, so it is relatively easy and inexpensive to do this. But even when I was still buying my liquids I would buy 26, 18 and 12 mg/ml and use whichever felt most appropriate at the time, or combine them for in-between levels.

 

[nj1001]

When I switched from a pack a day of American Spirit Blues to vaping 5 years ago I went with 18mg and pretty much made a full swap out of cigarettes for vaping. I'm currently at 12. If I ever feel like its too much I'll lower it or if I ever consciously decide I want to lower it then I will. I haven't been particularly trying to lower it however. Instead, I'm just contently vaping along and satisfied. I'd have no problem buying lower nic but definitely wouldn't want to increase it. I could probably go to 6mg at this point, but just dropped $100 in juice all at 6-12mg but mostly 12.

Many vape to quit, other substitute vaping for smoking. Regardless of the motivation, vaping is better for you than smoking regardless of the nic levels. Like Hoosier said, everybody's different, and whatever rate you can lower your nic that works for you is great.

 

[Train2]

As mentioned, another vote for "gradual" - and another note that it's really easy if you DIY liquid.
I wasn't particularly concerned with my nic use, but figured "why not?".
You can go from 18 to 15 and probably notice no difference, then to 12 in a month or two, etc...
And with a lower ohm setup, you'll probably want to, as the "hit" is much more substantial.