How much is too much?!

[btportugal]

Hi there,

Today I finally got a proper ecig - one of these O cigarro eletrónico Impact which is an eGo derivative, so I'm told.

I am REALLY liking it, but I'm struggling a bit to work out how much puffing equates to a real cigarette, if that makes any sense. In fact, I think I'm perhaps puffing away too much on it, as it's really rather pleasant!

I know this is a bit of a "how long's a piece of string" question, but how many puffs is the same as a cigarette, and also (I guess) does it matter?!

It may seem a strange question, but with a cigarette you know when you've HAD one - how do make the transition? I'm smoking an 18mg/ml liquid.

Not sure my question even makes much sense but hopefully some veterans can advise!

 

[spaceballsrules]

Apart from nicotine consumption, there is really no direct correlation between vaping and smoking. Basically, if you start feeling the symptoms of nicotine overdose, which include dizziness and feeling nauseous, then you are overdoing it. As long as you feel fine, then vape away. If you find that you are consistently vaping too much and getting a nicotine overdose, then switch to a lower strength juice.

The only other side effect of too much vaping would be dehydration, which is easily fixed by consuming plenty of fresh water.

 

[Kollin6618]

I've always vaped more than smoked in terms of how many puffs I take. I started at 24mg and was feeling symptoms of nicotine overdose but when I dropped down to 18mg all was fine. I vape mostly 12mg now with some 18mg and some 6mg on hand. I do vape more as I decrease the nicotine though.

 

[keonee]

Because I chain vape I lowered my nicotine from 18mg to 12mg. I do seem to vape more then smoking, which was 2 PAD....hence why I lowered my nicotine.

 

[bones1274]

There is no direct correlation but this will point you in the right direction.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...ette-vs-e-cigarette-nicotine-equivalency.html

 

[jwoode]

for me.. 12 hits@18mg = 1 smoke..
I reached that number like this.
Take a hit, then ask myself.. do I want another?.. if yes, continue.
Take another hit, ask again, if yes.. keep hitting.

I stop at 12 just about every time.

I do that with coffee too.
3 cups.

so in the morning.. 3 cups coffee and 36 hits.. grab keys.. go.

 

[Zealous]

When you first try to get off cigarettes it's hard to compare vaping to smoking the way you are trying to. With a cigarette you are also getting some other chemicals that you are not getting when you vape. So some of the additional vaping you feel inclined to do is because you are NOT getting those chemicals & your body knows it.

What I did when I switched was I upped my nicotine pretty high (started @ 36 & then dropped to 24 pretty quickly) so that I could FEEL the affect of the nicotine. With the higher dose of nicotine I didn't feel as inclined to vape continuously.

Once your body is purged of the other chemicals in cigarettes you can get a better idea of what nicotine level is good for you. But in the beginning it's pretty hard because there are other factors to contend with.

edit: as was said above though, if you are feeling symptoms like nausea, etc. you are getting too much nicotine. So if you want to continue to vape at the level you are vaping at then you need to lower your nicotine level. The way i did it doesn't work for everyone but it did work for me.

 

[Elizabeth Baldwin]

I'm a chain vapor. My juice depletes fast. So I started at 12mg nic and lowered to 6mg so I can Vape all the time .

 

[Bramble]

I can only echo what others have said and add that I believe that vaping 18 mg delivers less nicotine than what I was getting in a Marlboro Ultra Light ("Sliver").

I vape a lot, though less so now than when I started. I have never felt nauseated or had a headache from it, so I assume I'm not over-doing it. I have juices that range from 18 mg to 15 to 12 and some bottles of 3 mg that I mix with 18 (to get 10 mg). When I smoked tobacco, I sometimes smoked too much and made myself sick.

Purely anecdotal - but after almost 5 weeks of vaping, off cigarettes 100%, I had the stupid idea of lighting one that I had saved. After 3 hits I felt stoned and nauseated. I felt like I was trying to my very first cigarette all over again. And I did what I should have done the last time I had that "first cigarette," and put it out and threw it away.

 

[Cornbread]

I talked to a vendor on the phone a few days ago and she suggested that 20 pulls of 24mg is about the same as smoking a full flavored analog. Have no idea if that's true just second hand opinion I'd thought I'd share.

 

[Silent Solution]

No one answer is correct. I believe it all correlates to how much you were smoking cigs and how you felt, to how you feel now. I can sit on my computer working on a research paper and I vape like crazy. I have no ill effects so Im guessing I'm good. With cigs, I would have to go outside and light one over and over. I would feel almost spent from smoking all those cigs back to back. I feel excellent now that I have been cigarette free for 6 plus months. Never thought I would make it this far, and looking back I can't believe I smoked all those years. Vape on brother. I vape around 3-6 mg nicotine now. Just keep at it and you will find your rhythm per se.

 

[Rickajho]

Hi

A lot of people want an answer for this one when starting, not really sure why. But it's somewhat like trying to compare apples to elephants. The delivery system is different, the absorption method and amount of nicotine actually absorbed is very different - short of getting some blood work done there is no straightforward way to compare vaping to smoking.

"Too much" can happen if you chose a liquid that has too high a nicotine level - for you. For most people the more real problem is not vaping enough when they start. You have to work harder at vaping than you did with smoking. If you put down your PV... it just sits there. There is nothing to prompt you to pick it up as you had with a lit cigarette.

 

[Vapocalyptic]

Like others have stated, it's a bit hard to differentiate the amount of vape in comparison to smoke. For one, the nicotine absorption isn't as instantaneous (this is due to the other chemicals and alkaloids in cigarettes reacting with each other) so you're working with a delayed delivery of sorts. With this in mind, your body has to react and you may find a lower amount of nicotine can satisfy your urge as much, if not more, than a cigarette.

This can be the opposite, however and you may find that you need more. If you're relatively new, as I am, I would suggest that you vape away. One, you are avoiding cigarettes, so you're off to a great start. Two, your body will tell you when you've had enough. With a cigarette, you typically know if you've smoked too much if you get dizzy, light headed, heart palpitations, or just general uneasiness. I've read that eliquid has the exact same effect. In time, you'll adjust to the difference. When I started, I typically smoked 20-25 cigarettes a day. During times of stress, I would chain smoke. I noticed 2-3 rollies would make me feel sick, however, I have not run into this at all with vaping and I go pretty hard. This leads me to the conclusion that my body doesn't NEED a higher amount of nicotine, I was just ingesting far too much. With this in mind, 18mg works for me, I vape often, and have yet to suffer an ill effect.

Experiment! Good luck!

 

[mkbilbo]

Yeah, what they said.

The absorption of the nicotine is different between smoking and vaping. Your habits are geared toward one way of getting your nic but you changed your "delivery" system.

I've read (more than once) that as smokers, we try to maintain some level of nicotine in our blood streams. And it's not like we take blood tests to check the level.

I think when you switch to vaping, your body is demanding X amount of nicotine but your habits haven't readjusted yet and you make up the difference by just vaping like crazy.

I wouldn't worry about it. Unless you start getting signs of too much nicotine. Like headache, nausea, heart palpitations... something like that happens, cut your nicotine level. A lot. If you're not having physical signs of too much nic, just let your body figure out this new thing.

I realized, when talking about this here at ECF (it comes up a lot), that when I started smoking, nobody told me how many puffs or what inhale method would get me X amount of nicotine either. I hit my personal level by... smoking. You know, "learn by doing".

I think most everybody vapes like maniacs at first. Then settles into their routine over time. I went "low nic, heavy vaper" myself. Some go higher on the nic and vape less often. Takes a while to find what works for you. But you'll get there.

I like vaping. A lot. I cut my nic level so I could do it more. But I think what works, works. I realized just recently that April will be one year since my last cig. I had got so "into" vaping, I hadn't noticed until this month (or so). And I was a 2 pack a day smoker for some 30 years. I can even be around smokers and not get the urge to smoke now. That startled me. I thought I'd have to be one of those annoying ex-smoker types who acted like they had a religious conversion or something (always hated those types when I smoked... annoying people ). Nope, turns out I just don't care any more. Vaping is just better. I even still like the smell of tobacco smoke. Always have (one reason I started).

So give yourself time to adjust and explore this vape thing. You may find yourself enjoying it so much you won't remember why you bothered with smoking at all...

 

[JDSNYW]

I smoked a pipe and cigars, I didn't chain smoke, I would take a few pulls then put it down for a while. So I smoked "strong" but not as often. I vape the same way, very high nicotine but not for extended heavy vape sessions.

 

[Weizenheimer]

When you get a headache, you vaped too much.

 

[MorpheusPA]

Everybody's going to differ.

I used to chain smoke. Now I chain vape. In my case, it's about the same--I vape a lot, I used to smoke a lot.

My mother used to smoke a fair bit, now she occasionally hits on her vape. That works for her.

Some people around here were moderate smokers, and are now heavy vapers.

Nicotine absorption is going to vary. I rarely inhale, I just do it for flavor, so I'm getting a moderate amount but by no means all.