How much nicotine? Problems finding the right amount...

[blueduckgal]

When I got to the shop yesterday, I was given 14mg (and I think that's a percentage not actual mg?). I smoke 3/4 pack-1 pack a day when not on patches (Step 1), and about 1/3-1/2 pack per day on patches. Then I went back after I felt like I continuously needed to smoke, so they changed the juice to 20mg. But after a few hits I'm getting headaches. I still have the need to blow smoke and inhale, and I only get a few hits before I start getting a headache. They're closed today, so I'm going to go back tomorrow and ask for a lower mg...but should I try 16 or 18? The 14 was too little. I know they're not going to keep remaking it for me, so I'm hoping to get it right this time and hopefully I'll be alright the next 24 hours with the 20mg.

I know it's probably hard to judge exactly what mg I should have, but if anyone smoked around the same amount any information or advice would be useful.

 

[cardocter]

i was a pack plus a day and 16 mg was right for me but every time I order I lower it by 2 MG

 

[BostonVape]

i was about pack or more a day.. and i started at 24mg because the way vaping hits you slower.. i needed it for the first 30 days..

i just ordered more juice and i got 16-18mg.. so i'm starting to make my way down a little.

the 12mg was WAY too little for me.. and i didn't get as good of a throat hit from it..

right now I have 24mg in one mod.. and 16 in the other and I kinda switch back and forth.. I jump to the 24mg most of the time still because my cravings seem to still be hitting me

it's tough to tell someone the right amount because everyone is different.. just keep playing around and you will find the right balance

 

[indianajames]

I'm probably off on this, but if you mix equal parts 20mg and 14mg, it should give you 17mg. (Same flavours, obviously, unless you have two that would mix well together, taste-wise.)

Does this sound right to any of the DIY and/or math wizards?

 

[Thorbear]

14mg is 14mg/mL which is equivalent to 1.4%. I started out on 24mg, and I experienced the same as you, just a few hits before i felt the effects, and feeling over-nic'd.
I am currently using 16/18mg, and that works really well for me. I think you could go through both your 20mg and 14mg juices just fine, but might need some adjustment to how often you vape in accordance to the strenght of the juice. Remember to drink lots of water to stay hydrated, as that can help with the headaches aswell.

If your 20mg and 14mg juice is of the same flavor, you could mix equal amounts of it to get 17mg, to try out

 

[darkhood]

approx equivalency:

6mg = ultra lights
12mg = lights
16mg = mediums
24mg = reds/reg strength'
36mg = unfiltered

that's vaping 3ml a day btw - equivalent to a PAD approx.

3ml of 12mg juice = a PAD light cig smoker.

 

[Devilok]

I was a pack a day smoker, and I have found that I am staying at 24mg of nic in my juices. I have tried juices with less nic and I just don't get a satisfying throat hit. I do hope though to eventually go down gradually in nicotine. I can't say I will ever get to 0, but who knows.

 

[BostonVape]

I was a pack a day smoker, and I have found that I am staying at 24mg of nic in my juices. I have tried juices with less nic and I just don't get a satisfying throat hit. I do hope though to eventually go down gradually in nicotine. I can't say I will ever get to 0, but who knows.

agreed.. even with the 16mg I have.. it just doesnt satisfy me as far as throat hits compared to the 24mg.. i think this is going to be a big problem for me trying to cut down lol.. i feel like I might be stuck in limbo at this stage for awhile.. but we will see!

 

[stacee jaxx]

..............................Hey man !.

You wanna hit the Vegetable Glycerine pardner. Don't be messin with no Propylene Glycol !. It aint for you.

As i type this i am hitting 100% VG at 4.5mg. Never had a headache, ever !. I don't go near the PG.

Maybe it "is" the nicotine that's causing your headaches, i dunno. Some people do not respond well to PG from what i read in this forum. Lots of people complain about it. And maybe you are already using VG !.

 

[Ryan1888]

I must be strange because I was a 1-2 PAD reds smoker and have always vaped 12mg nic. I do tend to chain vape through the second half of the day though.

 

[jcal]

I was a 1 pack a day smoker and started 24mg and was too much for me so I went down to 18mg and that worked out .now I'm down to 12mg for daily vape .hang in there you will find your sweet spot. congratulations on quitting.

 

[darkhood]

I smoked lights and ultra lights and started at 16mg and could only take 2-3 hits at a time, every hour or so. Went down to 12mg and have stayed there ever since - I vape approx 5ml a day and smoked 1 - 1 and 1/2 packs a day.

 

[BostonVape]

approx equivalency:

6mg = ultra lights
12mg = lights
16mg = mediums
24mg = reds/reg strength'
36mg = unfiltered

that's vaping 3ml a day btw - equivalent to a PAD approx.

3ml of 12mg juice = a PAD light cig smoker.

so weird.. i smoked marlboro lights for a majority of my term.. and 24mg is where i landed.. not sure why, maybe its just all the other 10,000 other chemicals is why i crave the 24mg .. maybe because its only been 30 days.. but hopefully I can cut down in the next few months!

 

[blueduckgal]

I can't mix it. They replaced the 14mg bottles completely for me. So until they open tomorrow I'm stuck at 20mg. They gave me a 10ml and a 30ml that came with the kit I bought. So I guess I'll just buy two smaller bottles, one 16 and one 18mg and see how those go.

As a side note, can someone theoretically have too much nicotine? Is there such a thing as nicotine overdose"? I'm about ready to switch back to analogs until I can get this sorted. I like the whole process of smoking, and getting two or three hits off it isn't completely satisfying.

 

[Oxyd]

Yes, there is something as “Too much nicotine” and yes, it's possible to overdose on it. On the other hand, I don't think it's likely for you to experience severe health issues from vaping unless you drink the juice or wash your hands with it (nicotine very happily enters your bloodstream through the skin). Wikipedia has a list of common symptoms of nicotine poisoning. As for me, I usually get all shaky and start having difficulties concentrating when I take in too much nicotine – when that happens, I just stop vaping for a while and then switch to a lower nic juice.

I think experimenting with nic strengths is the way to go – I find that about 12 mg is about ideal for me, having smoked about a pack a day of “light” cigarettes for the past few years. But as you've noticed, everyone is different. So what I'd do is to get a batch of various strengths and experiment.

And of course, don't forget to apply common sense – if you start feeling that you might have had too much nic, don't push it, have a break and drink lots of water.

 

[ilovehugehits]

I was a cigar smoker.
So the analog rules don't seem to apply.
I do prefer vaping higher nic though.
Have been using 16mg with my Blu 100.
18mg with the JC Vea.
The cartos from Jet Cigs are 22mg.
I noticed a huge difference with them. Makes me slow down my puffs.
But I have no interest in lowering my nic level.
I drink a lot less caffeine than before.

 

[Beel Weelson]

On my first juice order I did 24mg, simply because I wanted to make sure there was enough nicotine in it and I wouldnt be craving an analog after vaping. Its worked pretty good.

 

[Cyrene]

I started at 24mg and I was a pad+ smoker for 35+ years. Now, after 7 months of no analogs, I normally order anything from 12-18mg.
I don't really care so much about the nicotine levels yet, those were not/are not my main concern. My main concern is staying off the stinkies for life. I normally do a 50/50 ratio of PG and VG, and I find higher amounts of VG give me a lot of phlegm. Grossie. I get a nice throat hit, and nice cloud production at the 50/50. (I like to blow vape rings, lol).

Everyone is different, but I still recommend the higher nic levels for beginners trying to get off the analogs. After that, it's entirely up to you and you will see how it works for you.

 

[hvac999]

I stay at 36mg. because of the TH. Any lower and I loose the TH. I was a PAD red 100s smoker.

 

[blueduckgal]

..............................Hey man !.

You wanna hit the Vegetable Glycerine pardner. Don't be messin with no Propylene Glycol !. It aint for you.

As i type this i am hitting 100% VG at 4.5mg. Never had a headache, ever !. I don't go near the PG.

Maybe it "is" the nicotine that's causing your headaches, i dunno. Some people do not respond well to PG from what i read in this forum. Lots of people complain about it. And maybe you are already using VG !.

It's 50/50 mix. I'm not even sure what VG and PG are actually.