Too Much Nic? Too Little? Something Else?

[LotusGirl]

HI All,

Did some research on this before I posted but I'm not really finding the answer out there. Here goes.....

I am about 2 months into going cold turkey from Virginia Slim Lights and into vaping. The first month was a breeze. I felt great, proud of myself. sense of taste came back. An all around beautiful thing

But now I'm at the 2 month mark and the past 2ish weeks I've been feeling anxious (never had that before in my life), cranky (MEAN!) and a little crazy! Thought that would subside and I am doing my best to ride it out...but I feel like it's not going away.

I'm not sure what to do. Is it that I am not getting enough nic? Am I getting too much? Is it not the nic at all but the other chemicals from smoking?

Short of picking cigarettes up (which I do NOT want to do), I'm at a loss for what to do about this. Thought I would look here for thoughts/advice.

ETA: Forgot to mention that my hands shake now too

 

[rbchesapeakeball]

Hi LotusGirl,

What brand of cigarettes and how many did you smoke per day. What's the nic strength of the juice you're using?

 

[LotusGirl]

Hi LotusGirl,

What brand of cigarettes and how many did you smoke per day. What's the nic strength of the juice you're using?

I was a PAD of Virginia Slim Lights. I started vaping with 12MG the first week or so but it made me queazy. I'm now at 6MG.

 

[Iffy]

But now I'm at the 2 month mark and the past 2ish weeks I've been feeling anxious (never had that before in my life), cranky (MEAN!) and a little crazy!

The red quoted words perfectly describe my cold turkey attempt withdrawal symptoms many years ago!

I suggest you split the diff twix the 12 and 6mg. Try some 9mg.

 

[FireDragon1138]

There are other things in cigarettes besides nicotine. I could be vaping 18 or 24mg of nicotine and sometimes feel cravings that would drive me to smoke a cigarette . I recently found out about whole tobacco alkaloids and realized this is the reason I've quit before using smokeless tobacco, but that ordinary e-liquid wasn't always cutting it this time. My expectations for e-cigs were too high, I think. Quitting with smokeless tobacco, once I got past the "smoking" aspect, was a lot easier last time I quit. (the mistake I made with my smokeless tobacco quit was not doing it long term, instead transitioning to the patch and then off the patch later).

The first month you may have been driven by a strong motivation, the novelty of e-cigs, and so on, and now that's worn off. Another possibility is your equipment is not performing correctly.

You might try upping the nicotine to 8-9mg if that is possible. When I quit with ST years ago, I had to be almost green at first to quell the cravings for smoking, but it worked.

 

[LotusGirl]

I forgot to add one other thing going on......my hands shake!!!

 

[angelphyre]

Not sure about the hands shaking, but it does sound like your having nic withdrawal symptoms. I agree with others about trying to up it to 9mg. Maybe that will help. How often are you vaping, btw? You could also be having withdrawals from all the chemicals that were in the cigs. I wish I could be more help.

 

[Frenchfry1942]

I was thinking about all of the other chemicals that are in cigs. I would go to a B&M that mixes juices and ask for 10ml of 9mg juice.

 

[LotusGirl]

Not sure about the hands shaking, but it does sound like your having nic withdrawal symptoms. I agree with others about trying to up it to 9mg. Maybe that will help. How often are you vaping, btw? You could also be having withdrawals from all the chemicals that were in the cigs. I wish I could be more help.

Thanks This is so frustrating. I feel like crying! lol

I was thinking about all of the other chemicals that are in cigs. I would go to a B&M that mixes juices and ask for 10ml of 9mg juice.

There's one B&M here that is horrible but I get your point. Maybe I have some 12MG's left that I can mix up with 6MGs.

 

[kathi17]

I agree that it's withdrawals. 6MGs is pretty low. I have to use 24, but it doesn't make me feel queasy, so it's okay for me.

I still get really bad urges for a cig, so I expect I'm addicted to other ingredients as well as nicotine. Another reason why it would be bad if the law changed so only cigarette companies could make our juices. Who knows what they'd add to them.

I hope 9MG works for you, keep us posted.

 

[angelphyre]

Thanks This is so frustrating. I feel like crying! lol

I know it is! Hang in there! You'll get through this! And remember we're here for you. Vent if you need to, whatever helps!

 

[chanelvaps]

I was a heavy smoker for 42 years so I started my journey with 24 MG. I felt like it was not enough (probably just withdrawing from other additives) and I was experiencing same thing as you so I went up to 30 MG! Did that for the first month and then back down to 24 sort of chain vaping, then down to 18. Here I am at my fifth month and I go back and forth between 12 and 18 now and I am pretty satisfied. Kind of scared to go any lower full time. I am amazed at all the peeps that do 6 mg and below.

 

[Frenchfry1942]

Even though there are so many juice choices at there, I would avoid buying a lot. I have a bunch and I think I am ready to go down some. I am going to get some. I just decided that.

Thanks!

 

[rbchesapeakeball]

Hi LotusGirl,

I got antsy when I first went down to 6, and had to mix with 12. Maybe that would work for you too. Hang in there.

 

[dash]

My ADV I keep 2 tanks going one with 6 and one with 12. If I find I need to vape more I hit the 12. Don't overthink it.

 

[graffiti]

I'm just over two months myself. I've stepped down from 24mg to 6mg at this point. I was hanging out with my mom and she lit a cigarette last night and holy crap did I get a craving.

My solution was to fire up my RDA and take some huge lung hits. Craving went away.

 

[Grimwald]

This happened to me at around the same 2-3 month time period...I called it the "headless chicken syndrome". I was a very heavy chain smoker and started with 24mg. I cut back the nic to 18mg...and a couple of months later down to 15mg. That worked for me.

 

[ButchBoy]

My thought is that you're still too fresh off of cigarettes to fool around with lowering your nic level. If 12 was working for you, go back to it and give it some time before experimenting with lower levels.

Butch

 

[pfaber11]

I've been at this for a while now and settled on 18 down recently from 24. good luck and i sometimes still get the urge to light up. i can feel like this for days on end too. just got to weather the storm. try the 12mg again because i think any less than that is just not going to scratch your itch. hope you feel better soon.

 

[cramptholomew]

This is EXACTLY what happened to me at the 6-8 week mark. I don't think it's the nic. I think it's that your body is finally rid of a lot of the chemicals in cigs, and you're feeling the pain now. There have been remarks as to cigs having MAOI properties, and I believe that. That's the only explanation I have as to why the sudden onset of ALMOST panic. It lasted well over a week for me, and it eventually subsided. It's not just the nic in cigs that we're addicted to. There are PLENTY of other chemicals in them, that I'm 100% sure are as addictive as nicotine.