Nic levels?

[kj4lxw]

When I started vaping I went with 12mg nic.
During the first 2 weeks, and maybe I was just jumping the gun here, but I felt that maybe I was getting too much nic. No headaches but loss of appetite and insomnia that felt like it was being induced after vaping.

So I got juice in 6mg level, thinking that cutting it in half would help, but it doesn't seem to be taking too well.
I understand nic level can affect throat hit, but it seems like there is none at all, making me want to vape even more. Feels like something is lacking from the vaping as opposed to when I started.
Maybe I'm just getting too far ahead of myself here, I mean going on three weeks still puts me in my infancy of vaping.

Well I'm wondering how much of a difference can be noticed/felt according to the nic level of a juice? Will a 2-4mg make a noticeable difference? I do want to eventually drop my nic comsumption, but I am starting to think this process may end up going slower than I originally anticipated.

I thinking another route is getting some juice with higher content and using it those times when I start feeling that the vaping is not satisfying me. Seems lately I will get that feeling where I consider having an analog because the vape is not "hitting" me strong enough. I still got two pre-filled carts that came with the 510 kit, but they are 24mg. I think maybe I will just get a few hits off those to get a surge then switch back to the low nic.

Maybe I'm just thinking out loud here to help myself deal with it all. I suppose experimentation is the name of the game. Gotta go through it all like everyone else did.

 

[CaptJay]

Having a high juice for those craving occasions is a popular way to do things - which means you ARE dropping your nic level in effect as you only use it at 'bad times'
Then you can chain vape on the lower (or zero) nic juices.
If youre trying to vape less though getting higher nic all round might be better, as long as you dont chain it lol.; and yes sometiems a couple of mg per ml DOES make a difference when youve been on alower nic level.

 

[Automaton]

Lowest I can go and enjoy it is 8mg, and even that's kinda pushing it. I feel nothing at 4mg, personally. No throat hit, no real "lung filling" or whatever you wanna call it - nada.

But lower nic is definitely good for right before bed. I vape 8-12mg in the mornings and at night, and 12-18mg during the rest of the day.

 

[zbasspro]

!2mg is not what I would consider even moderate. I call 18mg moderate. The symptoms you mention could quite possible be due to too low of dose. I say this because you mention no headaches which would be the 1st indication of too much. Nic. is self dosing in the fat that you'll know you've overdone it long before anything dangerous. I think you're right in trying the 24mg carts actually.

I went the 1st month with 24mg, it worked, but I suffered from constipation terribly, same thing happened every other quit attempt, and method. I actually upped it after the 1st month and things improved.

Do whatever it takes to comfortably get you off the cigs at 1st. I believe that buys us plenty of time to taper off the nic if one chooses to. I'm roughly @30mg mixing myself. I don't intend to mess with success for a while.

 

[Kate51]

High doses of nicotine will give you a reeling head feeling, severe nausea, terrific pounding heart or palpitations, ringing ears, shakiness, lips feel tingly; all you want to do is lay down. Like a really bad alcohol binge.
If you are in doubt about your nic level, I would go to a higher nic level and do some very careful testing. Try 18mg, one or two cartfuls, and if you get anything like those symptoms I listed cut it back! Or slow down your vaping cadence. People handle it both ways, higher nic, less vaping, and hold yourself to it! Do not become dependant on more than you need needlessly.
When I first started I was using 12-15mg/ml juice, but I was feeling very hungry, very flighty stomach, and a high 'energy' kind of feeling. I then went to 24mg/ml juice, and was very comfortable with that. It took a couple months for all those sypmtoms to kind of all fade away, those are withdrawal symptoms, as you stated them. I was a 2-3+ pack a day smoker, for 44 years, so withdrawal is something I know about.
You are much too concerned with trying to mimic smoking regarding the 'throat hit', but that's a lose-lose concept. The nicotine is absorbed by the mucosa (Linings) in your mouth, throat, and nose. There is no direct 'lung hit' a cigarette gives you. The absorbtion is not instant, but rather a delayed action, as it slowly absorbs. But over time you have the same constant level of nic in your system, but at only about 10% of what you have with inhaling combusted tobacco + 4000 other chemicals, and a whole lot of CO2.
Switching to e-cigs is more like being on a high dose patch (20mg) but with the added hand-to-mouth and inhaling ~ feels better than sitting on your hands!
After my withdrawal symptoms subsided, I was then able to cut down twice by just simply switching to lower doses, no further withdrawal at all. I can do 6mg juice just fine, but find I have better brain function @ 12mg. (I have ADD). This is what I have been medicating myself with by smoking all this time. From day one I smoked no more.
Vaping is something you must be ready to make some consessions with if you want to quit cigarettes, there is a learning curve, no doubt about it.
And remember: Take long, gentle puffs, hold it in your mouth, and then inhale if you want.

 

[Nighthawk]

It does sound like your nic may be too low of a dose. Try a higher one and see how that feels. 24mg is my daily vape, but lately, it's not feeling like enough, so I am bumping up to 30 on a few juices when they come in this week. I was a light/moderate smoker of about 1/2 pack/day of menthol 100's. Your nic needs and body will change as you go, so it might be helpful to have on hand several different nic strengths.

 

[kj4lxw]

thanks for the replies, good info.

I was very constipated at first, but that has been getting better since I started slacking off on nic (good thing!)

I just vaped on my 24mg cart a little while and I feel a little better. Took away the craving to chain vape, which admittedly I have done some days. It was just as with cigarettes, needed something to occupy me to keep me from doing it.

I guess I just have to remember that I am still just starting on all this and so it will all take time. Patience needed.

I don't feel I have been trying to emulate or replace smoking, in fact I keep telling myself and others that if you go into this expecting to be an exact replacement to smoking you will be disappointed.


I'm thinking that with being able to drop the analogs completely straight off the bat,I was thinking I would be able to make other adjustments sooner.
I guess I was looking forward to such a new outlook I was not expecting limitations.


I was only smoking 3 packs a week, that was my weekly Friday night purchase at the corner store, never went over that. I guess my nic requirements are higher than I thought.

One thing I truly hated about smoking was how you would keep on doing it despite feeling guilty and succumbing to the need even though it made you feel like crap. Always made me feel like a broken man having to bow to a master. Kind of getting that same feeling thinking about nic, guess it's over thinking again on my part.
Am I just going through some withdrawl and not realizing it? I will just try to chill and relax.
Again thanks all, I appreciate being able to open up and having your support.

 

[wywywywy]

Tbh, it sounds to me more like your atty is on the (natural) way out.
Vaping is always a lot better with a new atty. If I was rich and didn't care about wastage, I'd have one atty a day.

 

[Kate51]

Tbh, it sounds to me more like your atty is on the (natural) way out.
Vaping is always a lot better with a new atty. If I was rich and didn't care about wastage, I'd have one atty a day.

That's the full truth! I use 801's & Janty Stick, so would cost me about $9 (I'd even go two days!) to change everyday...I even thought about cartomizers, but no thanks, I think overall they're still costly, I like my 801 cart size. I can make an atty work for several weeks (2-3) but when it starts getting frustrating nothing helps but a new atty, and clean filler. Frustration can be accompanied by needing to also replace batteries, when they'll only hold an hour charge out they go. For $4 not so bad.
Keeping attys blown out (juice may be thickened by repeated heating) I've also 'cleaned' by soaking in grain alcohol (EverClear, Vodka ~ NOT rubbing or denatured alcohol, that's poison!), and that may give them a little extra time, that really cleans out the mesh ~ be sure to re-prime, worst thing of all is vaping a dry atty=dead atty very quickly. And they taste awful. Mostly though I just do an occasional blow-out into the thread end. Make sure your battery-to-atty connections are clean and dry and fit tightly.
I did go through about six months of VERY poor quality attys, but that problem seems to be better now....long strands of coil insulation floating up from nowhere, burned...very bad.
By the way, kj4lxw, constipation may mean you really need to dramatically increase water consumption, and more fresh fruits & veggies a must when your body is trying to adjust to the 'cleansing' going on. Drink more than you think you can hold, a couple liters a day is none too much. Using antioxidant juices like cranberry and orange juice also a must! VG and PG are both quite drying. Hydrate your tissues from the inside. We are all at fault for not drinking enough water. Coffee, tea, beer, soda, wine (anything alcohol), etc can be also dehydrating, not the thing to use without some correction.

 

[doots]

Yeah Experiment is the only way to do it..

I found 24mg does it for me all the time without any problems..