nicotine levels

[chicpilot]

I'm new to e-cigs using a manual 510 with 24mg 50/50 juice. Yesterday, I attempted to take the plunge after 15 years of smoking about 2 packs a day. I made it through the day with my 510 never leaving my hand. I am very hopeful that vaping will help me through the withdrawal from smoking, and yesterday supported that hope.

Unfortunately, when I woke up this morning I felt absolutely awful. My head has been in a perpetually increasing fog since yesterday. I have a splitting headache and my whole body feels tense. I am struggling to concentrate enough to just write this post. I understand that I am probably experiencing withdrawal from the tobacco my body is so accustomed to but I'm worried it might actually be from an overdose of nicotine. I caved and smoked a cig to see if it helped, and my body relaxed a bit, but I also feel more dizzy and nauseous and still can't concentrate.

I'm worried that if I continue to feel so miserable in this attempt to quit smoking that I will give up again. I really don't want it to come to that.

Any insight or tips from those who have managed and gotten through these symptoms is much appreciated. Is this normal for me to be experiencing or am I doing something wrong (too much or too little nic)?

Thanks so much!

 

[CBB]

It sounds like you over dosed and may have had a little bit of smoking withdraws to complicate it. First, don't assume that switching is simply as easy as replacing cigarettes with a PV it does work for some but some people have to taper off of cigarettes. There are more chemicals in cigarettes that are addictive than just nicotine.

24mg is a little high but where most new vapors start. That being said most also try to start vaping like they smoked, the problem is vaping tastes better and usually isn't as irritating to your body as smoke so you will vape more often and longer. Cigarettes only burn so long so when they are spent you put them out and do something else. Vaping doesn't have a stopping indicator so you can vape a long time without realizing how much you are doing it.

Try watching how much you use your PV and try reducing the nic level. Over nic is not pleasant, pay attention to how much you vape and listen to your body. When you are getting too much nic your body will tell you, problem is we are human and something that tastes good can distract us from those little signals that we my be overindulging.

 

[4mehealth]

Sounds like you just got too much nic. If that 510 is stuck on you like a tumor, maybe drop the nic level?

Remember to drink plenty of fluids (mainly water).

 

[kyaku]

Also make sure you drink a lot of water. PG can cause dehydration.

I suggest that you back off a bit on the vaping for a few days and see if you don't feel better. The instructions that came with my PV suggested that you limit a vaping session to about 10 puffs, then put it down and do something else for a while. Sometimes I use that as a guideline.

Try to relax and take it one step at a time.

 

[Religion]

It could be a variety of things. It is noteworthy that you didn't feel strange all day yesterday while vaping. Consider PG/VG allergy, withdrawal symptoms from cigarettes, simple dehydration, a little too much nicotine (some call it nic O.D.). You can try some various things and if it gets really serious, see a real doctor. Welcome to ECF and Vaping. I wish you the best and hope you stick it out. Vaping is wonderful.

 

[chicpilot]

Thanks for your response CBB.

That's a very good point about the stopping indicator. I had hoped I would be one of the lucky ones that could accidentally quit smoking but I realize that I am not. I have tried tapering in the past and have had very little success. When I first got my PV two weeks ago I cut down on analogs around 50%, but still craved them constantly leading me to the conclusion that I have to just suck it up and quit. With smoking, I know that if I give myself an inch I will wind up taking miles. I also accept that I need help like that of a PV if I am ever going to quit, even if it is not a true replacement. I will try cutting back on the nic levels and see how I feel. Wish me luck!

 

[chicpilot]

Thanks guys! Yeah my coffee intake today has been up as I attempt to kickstart my brain to a normally functioning level. That can't be good for my hydration. I'll stick to water and lighter vaping the rest of today and see what happens.

 

[dormouse]

What kind of cigarettes did you smoke (full strength, lights, ultralights) - the number of packs doesn't matter if you are going to vape as much as you smoked.

In general many people find the following levels about right but some need higher and some need lower because everyone drags differently, has different ecigs that vaporize more or less juice per drag, absorbs it differently. SOme people start on 6mg. Some people need more than 24mg. You need to find what level lets you vape as much as you need without getting over-nicced feeling.
Full strength - 24mg
Lights - 16-18mg
Ultralights - 10-12mg

And then you buy some higher and some lower and figure out what you need. But buy decent juice w/ some VG in it. I started on 70pg/30vg and recently switched to 80pg/20vg because I use stuffing type cartomizers and they seem to work well longer w/ thinner juice. PG is thin and lets through the most TH, most irritation, most flavor and makes weak vapor. VG is thick, dulls what PG lets through, and makes thicker more persistent vapor. Jucie that are predominatly PG with some VG still keep most of the TH and flavor but add the nice vapor and give a somewhat smoother vape and are less irritating.

If you are vaping a lot more than you smoked or a lot more often then you may need the lower level to not get over-nicced feelings of headache, rapid or irregular heartbeat, dizziness or cloudy headed, general malaise

if you are just starting out though it could just be the 4000 cigarette chemicals getting out of your system or could be dehydration. Vaping can be drying - drink plenty of fluids. Take some vitamins. I felt "off" just not right for 2-3 days then was fine.

 

[Starspecks]

Thanks guys! Yeah my coffee intake today has been up as I attempt to kickstart my brain to a normally functioning level. That can't be good for my hydration. I'll stick to water and lighter vaping the rest of today and see what happens.

Good game plan. Smoking 1 1/2 packs a day of marlboro lights I started at 8 mg the majority of time. 11mg for curbing a bad craving. 4 mg for bored vaping. Water, water, water, WATER! Lol your body needs it for the detox and helps you from over eating. Dizzy? Chug a glass of water. Headache? Chug a glass of water. Drink a cup of coffee? Chug a glass of water. Lol

Great job! It gets better every day!



Sent from my Evo

 

[chicpilot]

I have been a Marlboro Light smoker. I started out with the 18 mg but since my cravings were still pretty significant I figured I'd try a little higher when I altogether quit. Perhaps that was a mistake. This gives me hope that a little tweaking might do the trick and this will not be another lost battle for me. Thanks again for everyone's input!

 

[swedishfish]

It's difficult to say exactly. All we can do is guess since we aren't doctors. Could be the nicotine, could be withdraws, could be the flavorings or sucky juice. Could be your coming down with something.

You could ease into it. Have a few cigs until you slowly stop the cigs completely. Make vaping an enjoyable experience. I didn't start vaping with the intent to quit. I thought I'd cut down and remove the stink from the house so I didn't put that pressure on myself. I found that I just enjoyed vaping more than smoking and just vape.

 

[wv2win]

I have been a Marlboro Light smoker. I started out with the 18 mg but since my cravings were still pretty significant I figured I'd try a little higher when I altogether quit. Perhaps that was a mistake. This gives me hope that a little tweaking might do the trick and this will not be another lost battle for me. Thanks again for everyone's input!

I doubt it had anything to do with the nicotine from vaping. There is a reason that hundreds of thousands of new vapers use 24mg nicotine strength liquid to make the transition to vaping with no problems what so ever. You may be the exception. But it's much more likely that your symptoms are typical withdrawl symptoms from stopping your smoking, especially considering you are a 1 and half PAD smoker. Since vaping is not nearly as efficient in getting nicotine into your body as smoking is, it's more likely withdrawl symptoms from not getting enough nicotine, as well as the other thousand of chemicals in cigarettes.

Cutting back your nicotine to what someone suggested to 4mg to 8mg, statistically, will insure that you fail at vaping and continue to smoke. You actually could be needing more nicotine when you vape vs less. I would get 36, 24, 18 and 11mg liquid of the same flavor. Experiment first with 24. Then adjust it up or down to see what difference it makes. You can also mix the different strengths to make a custom strength.

It always amazes me that people who have only been doing this for a couple of months automatically think that someone is getting too much nicotine.

 

[swedishfish]

As far as what nicotine level, no one can tell you what strength you need. I bought 12 & 24. I figured I could mix the two to raise the level or lower it. I found the 24 was perfect for me.

My mom was a light or ultra light smoker that smoked for many years. She started with 16 I believe (prefilleds that came with her kit). It was not enough for her either because of the ecig she had or the nicotine strength. I ordered her 36 and she quit the cigs completely. But she lasted a very short time on that, maybe a week or two but it did the trick. Every time I order her juice I decrease it and mix it with her current bottle. She's currently vaping 6 mg. and she's only been doing this the same amount of time as I am. But her intent is to quit. She has COPD and numerous health issues.

I don't particularly care about quitting so I'm happy where I am. But you find out pretty quickly what strength works for you.
Don't blame it all on the nic. strength. It may be that or it may be a number of other things.

 

[WomanOfHeart]

I was a PAD+ Ultra Light smoker and started with 18mg. While my first couple of days vaping went well (my days off), when I went back to work it was horrible! I had cravings for a cigarette all day long! I got some 24mg juice and switched back and forth between the 24mg and the 18mg. I'm now vaping 18mg almost exclusively and I tend to chain vape!

 

[dormouse]

I smoked 1.5 packs of lights per day and started on 16-18mg and vaped about as many drags as I used to smoke. Worked fine for me. I do think that is a better level for lights smokers to try first. And keep trying juices to find ones with aroma/flavor/TH that hits the spot for you - ones that make you go ahhh.

On 16-18 and even once on a 12mg juice, I have overnicced myself by vaping too much. 24mg would have been too much for me.

 

[wv2win]

I smoked 1.5 packs of lights per day and started on 16-18mg and vaped about as many drags as I used to smoke. Worked fine for me. I do think that is a better level for lights smokers to try first. And keep trying juices to find ones with aroma/flavor/TH that hits the spot for you - ones that make you go ahhh.

On 16-18 and even once on a 12mg juice, I have overnicced myself by vaping too much. 24mg would have been too much for me.

You are the exception and you know that from reading this forum and I would hope other forums. Having 24mg as the starting pointing and adjusting up or down from there with different strengths to cut with, insures the best possible options for success.

 

[dormouse]

And I disagree. Have you ever in your life smoked ultralights? Or lights? Do you know what they feel like?

And besides - the OP already has 24mg.

 

[chicpilot]

Ugh, this is all quite confusing but I am determined to find a solution. It would have been nice to have better established what the right stregnth would be for me before jumping on that wagon but I understand it is different for everyone, and when you're still getting nic from analogs it's hard to be sure what is really going to work for you. I guess right now the key is learning to identify what my body is trying to tell me with these symptoms so I can adjust accordingly.

I know that I was feeling no pain last week with a reduced number of analogs while moderately vaping at 18-24 mg, which in hindsight leads me to believe that what I am experiencing is intense withdrawal from other ingedients in tobacco and somewhat less nicotine. Also, while I have been clutching my 510 for dear life since yesterday, I have only been averaging around 3-5 hits for any given 'session' (every 15 minutes or so). It may sound like a silly question but does that qualify as chain vaping?

Everyone is providing me with great food for thought, I really appreciate it!

 

[swedishfish]

It's not just about that nicotine though as far as addiction. That's why it doesn't really hold true that a light cig user should vape low nicotine. True, you get less nicotine with a light cig, but your addiction is still the same as someone that vapes regular cigarettes. Case in point was my mother. She smoked light- ultra light cigs, but she smoked a loooong time. Low nic juice did not cut it for her addiction. That's why some people may need higher nicotine even for a few weeks, even if they were a light- ultra light smoker. Your addressing the addiction aspect of it.

 

[dormouse]

You have 24mg. Try some 18mg. You could even vape some 12mg in the evening. Headache is a very typical symptom of too much nicotine and is the cloudy-headed feeling. I get a headache when I vape too much or too high a nic juice for too long and I never get headache otherwise. Also drink plenty of fluids. Just order some more juice. You can even create levels yourself. With 12mg and 24mg you can make 18mg by mixing them 50/50. Most vendors have empty bottles.

wv2win is right that many do fine on 24mg but it's too much for some people including me.

Also - when I am at home I leave the ecigs in another room where I used to smoke so I have to get off my .... to go vape and don't sit sucking on it all the time. That also helps to moderate your nicotine level. And just moderate your vaping a bit until you get some lower juice to try. Also if you get juice on you wash it off. When you are using carts you can end up getting juice on yourself more than with cartomizers because you fill more often and they dump their juice sometimes. Wash it off. I used to just wipe my hands on my jeans but that nicotine builds up.

hahaha my first typing came out "wipe my hands on my jeans .... hat" yes that would be quite a scene