Question for ex-smokers who switched to vaping

[Jonathan Tittle]

How long did you remain at the nicotine strength you chose when you first started vaping before you started to lower it?
Are most people who have been vaping for a year plus down to 0% nicotine?

I started at 15mg, dropped to 12mg and now hover between 10-12mg steadily. I didn't get into vaping to completely drop Nicotine, rather, drop the harmful aspect of smoking dried plant material. I enjoy the throat hit that the Nicotine provides, something that has not yet been easily replicated.

I was a pack / day or less smoker, so I didn't stay at 15mg too long, about a month or so. At 10-12mg, I get exactly what I need without any issues and it's consistent enough for me. I'm smoke-free now and enjoy vaping for what it is and what it's done for me (i.e. no more horrible breath, no more continuous back pains, no yellow teeth, no smelly clothes etc).

That being said, I don't have any plans to drop to zero-nic until we have a way to fully replicate the throat hit that nicotine provides. The substitutes that are available simply don't measure up for me, IMO.

 

[bogmonster]

Hey Jman,
Like a lot of other folks here, started at 18mg after over 20 yrs of PaD smoking. Dropped down to 12mg after a couple of weeks or so. I have some 6mg flavours as well and will probably move more in that direction as refill my liquids. I'm vaping a lot more frequently than I was smoking (I don't have to go stand out in the cold with these), so I'm not missing the higher concentrations at all.

Good luck!

 

[ConradM]

Was a POD smoker for 19 years so I started with 24mg. For the first few weeks I toyed around with lower nic levels but vaped 24 to keep my cravings at bay. Now I'm using an RBA so I pretty much stick to 18. I've been vaping for over 50 days and if I still had clearos I would probably still be using 24mg.

 

[DaveNC]

After smoking at least a pack a day for about 30 years, I quit last spring by vaping 24mg. Dropped to 18mg after a few months, now I'm at 12mg. I plan to keep going that direction, but I'm starting to miss the throat hit that 24mg gave me. I may try a higher PG/VG ratio and see if that helps.

 

[joecil]

I smoked for 50 years, switched in early September and by November was using 2% nicotine which I still am using. I've not smoke a cigarette since Sept. 9th 2013 so 5 months free of them. I don't even have a craving for them but my senses of taste and smell have come back a lot since then also.

 

[LoriVanPelt]

the nic was never and still is never an issue for me... i take whatever is in stock at my local shop if it is a flavor i want... i am more addicted to the hand-mouth action... i have anywhere from 0-24 mg/nic .... does not faze me one way or the other... i was a pack a day smoker for years... stopped the instant i tried vaping for the first time a little over a month ago.. will never go back to analogs... love the vape !!!!!

 

[doghair]

I smoked a pack/day but have found I'm fairly sensitive to nicotine in vape form. I work with people that can pound down 24 all day long but if I did that I would pass out. I started vaping two weeks ago on 18 and it turned out to be too much so I dropped to 12. This works out ok when I take a break for a few hours between puffs like at work. When I'm at home I lose track and hit it harder so 12 was too much and I dropped to 6 at home. So anyway currently 12 when I'm out, 6 at home right now but I'm pretty optimistic I can everything down to zero in maybe a month or two. I am still smoking 2 sticks a day and hope to ditch those soon. The best part is that i don't really care about the timetable since it's taking care of itself.

 

[TraceyS]

I smoked and vaped for three months...vaped when out and smoked at home...outside. Then decided to stop one or the other and stopped smoking...started at 24mg and lowered it to 18 and have stayed there for about a year. It seems to satisfy me and I also am not real worried about stepping down...if it happens that is great, if not that is ok too

Tracey

 

[TheLizinator]

I smoked a pack and a half a day for many years. Before quitting, I was smoking Djarum cloves (heavy), and I think I had also become hooked on clove. I believe I missed the clove effect/flavor as much as I did the nicotine. My first e-cig experiences were with the lightweight, 510-types that didn't deliver much power or vape. I slowly moved toward a 5V vape and learned to make my own box-mod devices. I am now using an itaste VTR. Talk about "heavy"; I think I am developing muscles in my forearm just lifting this box but it sure does the vaping job!

It will be 5 years in May for me and I would never dream of smoking another cigarette. I still have my last pack of smokes on top of the refrigerator, unopened. It is reassuring that I could smoke if I wanted to, I just don't want to anymore. I make my own juice, between 36 and 50 mg. nicotine. I started at 24, which did nothing for me so I began increasing the nicotine levels until I no longer felt a craving to smoke. I hover around 36-48 now and I do know when I drop below that I feel dissatisfied. I vape a lot less than I used to, but still keep my PV close by (just in case lol). My smoke-induced health issues disappeared very shortly after I started vaping; great reinforcement to stay with vaping. Obviously, I have no incentive to give up vaping or to eliminate the nicotine from my vapor. I do vape when I'm in public, but just hold the vapor in and don't exhale it. It's very easy to be discreet since attracting attention to vaping can really stir up a hornet's nest.

 

[weskeene]

I was a 3/4 PAD with Reds. Moved to 24 mg vaping...too high. Stuck with it until some more liquid arrived. Now I'm at 15 (mixing my 24 with 6 50/50). I have been there less than a week, and it's working fine. I tried to drop to 12, but it's too soon. In a few days I will try it again.

I think the rule of thumb for me, personally, is to not try any steps less than about a week apart.

Wes

 

[always9988]

I started at 24 mg with a cig a like device, and even that high nic didn't get me to quit smoking all the way. Got a bigger device and was over niccing myself way too often. I dropped to 18mg and still feel like I'm over niccing, but I'm also still smoking 2-3 a day. Some health issues caused a lot of stress at the same time I was quitting and I decided not to force myself to give up those couple while I am already so stressed. I feel like I shouldn't cut down anymore til I'm off those last few smokes in case I need that level through a craving, but I'm getting the dizzy weird too much nic feeling a bit too often still.

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