Nicotine Absorbtion: A Vape vs Smoke Question

[The Cloud Minder]

I've read a lot about nicotine absorbtion and e-cigs and the comparison to burning tobacco cigarettes, and they all seem to have 1 thing in common: more nicotine is typically absorbed from smoke than vapor.

Now, in all the time I was smoking, I never smoked so much that I felt like I was buzzing on nicotine. Not when I was smoking 3 packs a day, and not when co-workers were calling me Mr. tobacco because I had on me at all times, a pack of Winstons, a pack of Newports, a can of Copenhagen, a can of Skoal, a pouch of Red Man Plug, and a pouch of Beechnut Wintergreen loose chew.

But twice now, I have vaped so much I felt like I was vibrating like a guitar string.

Which leads me to my question.

If nicotine absorbtion is less with vaping, why did I never have this vibrating string "overdose" with tobacco cigarettes?

 

[Flavored]

What's your nicotine level?

 

[The Cloud Minder]

What's your nicotine level?

18 in my tanks, 6 on my RDAs.

 

[Robino1]

Time to step it down even further?

 

[The Cloud Minder]

Time to step it down even further?

I only had it happen once at home, the first time I had it happen was juice tasting at a flavor bar that had 6mg samples.

I have literally smoked 10 Winston Reds in a row with no noticible effect.

 

[faeriekitsune]

I think part of it is there is a definitive start and end with smoking. Once you finish a cigarette your brain subconsciously says "that's enough for now" or "still need more". With vaping, a lot of users tend to chain vape and the absorption is a constant gradual build up so your brain might not tell you "enough" until you already have too much in your system leading to a minor OD (buzz or nausea).

Part of it is how you vape I think. Lung hits on a RDA are going to hit a lot harder than mouth inhales on a cig.

My

 

[zoiDman]

...

If nicotine absorbtion is less with vaping, why did I never have this vibrating string "overdose" with tobacco cigarettes?

On Average, How much 18mg/ml or 6mg/ml have you Vaped when you start to Vibrate?

Because if you Tell me, I can run some Ballpark Numbers for you.

 

[AndriaD]

absorption is a constant gradual build up so your brain might not tell you "enough" until you already have too much in your system leading to a minor OD (buzz or nausea).

I think this is key -- the differing time it takes for the nicotine to hit the brain. With smoking, it takes just seconds for each hit of nicotine to hit the brain -- not sure exactly how many seconds, but it's less than a minute. With vaping, it can take 5 minutes or more for each hit of nicotine to hit the brain. So, with smoking, you have near-immediate feedback, as to "enough." With vaping, by the time you feel "enough," you've already vaped more, and moved on into "too much" territory.

Andria

 

[somdcomputerguy]

If nicotine absorbtion is less with vaping, why did I never have this vibrating string "overdose" with tobacco cigarettes?

I have never closely examined all the chemicals in tobacco cigs or their effects, and this is only what I think.
I believe there are chemicals in a tobacco cigarette that negate (somewhat or to some extent) the stimulating effects of nicotine.
I also believe this is in order to make one keep smoking because it feels good, even though in the end it's not.

 

[inspects]

I am not a doctor, I have never closely examined all the chemicals in tobacco cigs or their effects, and this is only what I think.
I believe there are chemicals in a tobacco cigarette that negate (somewhat or to some extent) the stimulating effects of nicotine.
I also believe this is in order to make one keep smoking because it feels good, even though in the end it's not.

I agree...there is a LOT more chemicals in cigarettes than just nicotine....I also think their as addictive as the nicotine, if not more.

 

[VHRB2014]

Ciggys are finite, Vaping is INFINITE.
There is no little bell on the vape that says "20 puffs, I`m shutting down now", :?)

YOU have to learn to self regulate, especially if that juice tastes so darn good, :?)

 

[Ou2mame]

A lot of the chemicals in cigarettes are purely for nicotine delivery. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them even dulled the effects of nicotine. Studies have shown that nicotine blood levels increase much more rapidly for the first minute of smoking a cigarette than vaping, but at the three minute mark, vaping keeps the nicotine level increasing whereas the cigarette falls off, probably because the cigarette is already burned. So I think it has a lot to do with smoking habits. How you smoke greatly increased or decreases how much nicotine you take in per drag, it can even be almost none.

 

[Portela]

Well, after some time of vaping, our lungs become cleaner and and so the nicotine is easily abosrved. If you take now, a draw in a cigarrete (please don't do it!) you will get dizzy right away.
Many things can have cause this for you, i'm thinking of some misslabeled batch of e-juice...perhaps it was not 6 mg, but 18 or 36mg? just saying..

 

[Ou2mame]

If I take a few drags of a cig I'll definitely be dizzy.

 

[CardinalWinds]

I think this is key -- the differing time it takes for the nicotine to hit the brain. With smoking, it takes just seconds for each hit of nicotine to hit the brain -- not sure exactly how many seconds, but it's less than a minute. With vaping, it can take 5 minutes or more for each hit of nicotine to hit the brain. So, with smoking, you have near-immediate feedback, as to "enough." With vaping, by the time you feel "enough," you've already vaped more, and moved on into "too much" territory.

Andria

I was going to post exactly this, but Andria beat me to it. This has been my experience as well.

 

[AndriaD]

I was going to post exactly this, but Andria beat me to it. This has been my experience as well.

I learned this very powerfully when I first started vaping -- 18mg was way too strong, and I could tell that within a half hour. With 12mg, it seemed ok at first, but after a couple hours, I was just as deathly sick as from the 18mg -- so I got to know really fast, how much slower vaping works than smoking. I had to drop all the way to 6mg before I could start vaping regularly. But when I ditched the smokes a few weeks later, I found I had to go back up slightly on the nicotine. I've gone as high as 11mg without ill effect, but never again tried 12mg for any length of time, just because of the fact that it's not immediately apparent that it's too strong for me; by the time I start feeling stomach pains and nausea, it's too late, and I've already vaped more, so all I can do is start popping dramamine and ginger capsules like candy, praying for the nausea to end. I'd rather be buggy-whipped than endure even 5 minutes of nausea.

Andria

 

[The Cloud Minder]

On Average, How much 18mg/ml or 6mg/ml have you Vaped when you start to Vibrate?

Because if you Tell me, I can run some Ballpark Numbers for you.

You mean like in mls?

I don't know, like I said, the first time it was at a B&M's flavor bar, and I had like 2 or 3 tokes off of 30 different 6mg juices, the other time I was vaping off of 4 different RDA's trying to mix the vapor flavors in my mouth.

 

[The Cloud Minder]

A lot of the chemicals in cigarettes are purely for nicotine delivery. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them even dulled the effects of nicotine. Studies have shown that nicotine blood levels increase much more rapidly for the first minute of smoking a cigarette than vaping, but at the three minute mark, vaping keeps the nicotine level increasing whereas the cigarette falls off, probably because the cigarette is already burned. So I think it has a lot to do with smoking habits. How you smoke greatly increased or decreases how much nicotine you take in per drag, it can even be almost none.

I absolutely fiended my cigs, mostly straight lung inhales, the same way I vape.

 

[RCHagy74]

I had read something similar... lost the link if I even saved it sorry.

Had something to do with Nicotine attaching to your happy receptors and then another chemical coming in and speeding the rate at which the Nic fades from those receptors.
Now with vaping we most likely do not have that other chemical, so the nic hits sticks and fades as normal... while many of us, due to our personal inclinations, vape away the same as we did with a coffin nail. That coupled with what another poster mentioned about the slower vape absorption rate of nic could lead to the dizzies.

Least that is how I think it works for me... could be completely wrong though, move along, mooove along now.

RC Hagy

 

[ian-field]

I've read a lot about nicotine absorbtion and e-cigs and the comparison to burning tobacco cigarettes, and they all seem to have 1 thing in common: more nicotine is typically absorbed from smoke than vapor.

Now, in all the time I was smoking, I never smoked so much that I felt like I was buzzing on nicotine. Not when I was smoking 3 packs a day, and not when co-workers were calling me Mr. Tobacco because I had on me at all times, a pack of Winstons, a pack of Newports, a can of Copenhagen, a can of Skoal, a pouch of Red Man Plug, and a pouch of Beechnut Wintergreen loose chew.

But twice now, I have vaped so much I felt like I was vibrating like a guitar string.

Which leads me to my question.

If nicotine absorbtion is less with vaping, why did I never have this vibrating string "overdose" with tobacco cigarettes?

One thing that's just another snippet of information: years ago, tobacco companies were blasted for adding ammonia to tobacco because its hygroscopic, and moisture increases the nicotine yield.

Purely an observation of my own: I've noticed that I don't inhale as much with the e-cig.