What nic level are you?

[RJazz117]

The wife and I started on 24mg about 9 months ago. Inside of a month, we dropped to 12mg. We dropped from 12mg to 6mg very soon after that. Now, 9 months later, we're both using 3mg, and using much more advanced gear. I'm more of a cloud chaser, and she prefers her mouth-to-lung hybrid style.

 

[Vapez]

I vape everything between 0-9mg

 

[curiousJan]

Started at 24. Down to 3.

 

[Belhade]

I don't think I (intentionally) vaped any stronger than 18mg since I first started (six years ago) and, after going all the way down to 0 I'm up to 2-3mg.

 

[RebornLincoln06]

6mg when dripping, 14-18mg when using my nautilus.

 

[MimiB]

6mg during the day and 3mg at night using a herakles sense hydra tank between 30-50w

 

[Waxxiii]

I'd like to reduce my nic just so my DIY stash lasts longer. I've been researching nic and learned this so far. One cigarette yeilds 1 mg of nic in the smoke so a pack a day smoker is inhaling 20 mg of nic. A brother of mine, vaping for a year, vapes 2 ml of liquid per day that has 12 mg nic per ml (2 ml X 12 mg = 24 mg of nic). So he is vaping about the same amount of nic as when he was smoking. I found a reference to a study claiming vapers absorb 96% of the nic they inhale. If that's anywhere near true the nic from vaping is comparable to smoking.

I read a post that detailed the same thing except it stated that only 50% of nicotine is absorbed and that therefore if you vape 2ml at 12mg you are actually absorbing 12mg. The poster also referenced and linked a study so I've been using this formula to work out what nicotine level to use. If I am absorbing 96% then I maybe started out on a nicotine strength that was too high.

I wish I could find the study he mentioned so I could look it over myself.

Have you seen any reliable info regarding how much nic vapers actually absorb?

 

[AndriaD]

I read a post that detailed the same thing except it stated that only 50% of nicotine is absorbed and that therefore if you vape 2ml at 12mg you are actually absorbing 12mg. The poster also referenced and linked a study so I've been using this formula to work out what nicotine level to use. If I am absorbing 96% then I maybe started out on a nicotine strength that was too high.

I wish I could find the study he mentioned so I could look it over myself.

Have you seen any reliable info regarding how much nic vapers actually absorb?

With the earlier hardware, I think rates of absorption were much lower than they probably are now; it seems reasonable to think that modern massive-cloud-producing equipment could deliver a great deal more nicotine and thus make it much easier for us to get more of it.

One thing that I think makes it difficult when we're first making the transition from smoking is that nic absorption from vapor is MUCH SLOWER than nic absorption from smoke, so it may seem as if we're not getting nearly as much -- I think we do, if we're patient enough to wait for it, but that's very hard when you're accustomed to near-instantaneous delivery of the nic and other chemicals to the brain. Once you get accustomed to the slower delivery, then it gets fairly easy to reduce the level. I think that's why so many people need to start out at such a high nic level; not so much that they need that much, but that they need to get it fast enough to prevent resorting to cigarettes.

Andria

 

[Waxxiii]

With the earlier hardware, I think rates of absorption were much lower than they probably are now; it seems reasonable to think that modern massive-cloud-producing equipment could deliver a great deal more nicotine and thus make it much easier for us to get more of it.

One thing that I think makes it difficult when we're first making the transition from smoking is that nic absorption from vapor is MUCH SLOWER than nic absorption from smoke, so it may seem as if we're not getting nearly as much -- I think we do, if we're patient enough to wait for it, but that's very hard when you're accustomed to near-instantaneous delivery of the nic and other chemicals to the brain. Once you get accustomed to the slower delivery, then it gets fairly easy to reduce the level. I think that's why so many people need to start out at such a high nic level; not so much that they need that much, but that they need to get it fast enough to prevent resorting to cigarettes.

Andria

This makes sense. I hadn't made the connection that nicotine delivery is slower when vaping. Now I think about it it is quite obvious. You certainly don't get that head rush using a vape gear. Or do you? I never have.

For me the physical side of addiction is the least problematic. I genuinely haven't noticed any withdrawal symptoms when I've dropped levels (I don't know why I worry about what nic level I should be at so much). The obstacle for me was that I enjoyed smoking so I needed to replace that, which luckily I can by vaping.

 

[AndriaD]

This makes sense. I hadn't made the connection that nicotine delivery is slower when vaping. Now I think about it it is quite obvious. You certainly don't get that head rush using a vape gear. Or do you? I never have.

For me the physical side of addiction is the least problematic. I genuinely haven't noticed any withdrawal symptoms when I've dropped levels (I don't know why I worry about what nic level I should be at so much). The obstacle for me was that I enjoyed smoking so I needed to replace that, which luckily I can by vaping.

I'm much the same, most of my cigarette addiction wasn't so much chemical as behavioral -- but, during the month of my transition, I was able to get down to just 1 cigarette a day, but that one, the morning smoke, was harder -- I had to learn the slower inhalation technique for vaping, and make myself sit and vape that way for a half hour, allowing my body to absorb as much nicotine as it could, before I was finally able to dispense with the morning cigarette. Once I did that, and finally "took the plunge", it became much easier. Early on, I used a higher nic level in the mornings, though that became less necessary, as time went by.

But then, after an appendectomy and difficult recovery from it, I suffered a smoking relapse because of very strong cravings, which I'm pretty sure were physical in nature, related to the mayhem in my digestive system. After a month of returning to dual-use, I finally got smoke-free again, seemingly with the same relative ease I did it the first time -- but 10 days later, those strong, terrible cravings returned; instead of succumbing to smoking again, I tried WTA -- and the cravings vanished as if by magic. So there *is* a small physical/chemical component, which some circumstances can exacerbate; some people can address it simply by vaping higher nic, or with a device that delivers more vapor, while others need those other alkaloids to really address the problem.

Andria

 

[sofarsogood]

I read a post that detailed the same thing except it stated that only 50% of nicotine is absorbed and that therefore if you vape 2ml at 12mg you are actually absorbing 12mg. The poster also referenced and linked a study so I've been using this formula to work out what nicotine level to use. If I am absorbing 96% then I maybe started out on a nicotine strength that was too high.

I wish I could find the study he mentioned so I could look it over myself.

Have you seen any reliable info regarding how much nic vapers actually absorb?

WHen I smoke a cigarette I'm exposed to 1 mg of nic. Most of the nic in the tobacco is consumed by combustion. When I vape there is no combustion so I'm exposed to 100% of that nic. My daily 7 ml's expose me to about 3 times the mg's that my cigarettes did and I'm certain there's more nic in my system than when I smoked. My brother smoked about the same as me and he's getting along on 25 mg of nic in his daily vape so it can be done.

 

[subversive]

I smoked 2+ packs per day and started dripping on a cigalike with 36mg liquid. I dunno how much liquid I went through at that time. I was very convinced that I would never be able to lower my nicotine beyond 24mg. It took 3 years before I felt ready to step down. Throat hit was a huge factor.

I now vape 6mg and go through 4ml per day. 100% PG and menthol take care of the throat hit. The things that I scoffed at are becoming true for me. I'm not sure I will ever give up vaping or that I would ever stay off cigarettes if vaping were taken away, but it's much more realistic than it was a few years ago.

 

[DaveP]

I've dropped to 3mg in the last month or so in the transition from 24mg over the last year. I've vaped 0mg for days while waiting for an order to come in. There's really no difference once you get to the low levels.

I'd really like to stick with 3mg just for the nic. A little is supposed to be good for the mental faculties. Uh, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, Nic Levels. I think I'll have a vape right now ...

 

[DaveP]

WHen I smoke a cigarette I'm exposed to 1 mg of nic. Most of the nic in the tobacco is consumed by combustion. When I vape there is no combustion so I'm exposed to 100% of that nic. My daily 7 ml's expose me to about 3 times the mg's that my cigarettes did and I'm certain there's more nic in my system than when I smoked. My brother smoked about the same as me and he's getting along on 25 mg of nic in his daily vape so it can be done.

When you vape 24mg it's 24mg per milliliter. So a 4ml tank is going to give you the heated version of that amount of nic in the juice, some of which is actually absorbed through the mucous membranes and the lungs and the rest is exhaled.

It's not a direct correlation to the amount of nic in the juice. Smoking a cigarette containing the same nicotine level is going to deliver blood levels much higher than the vapor.

Nic is transported into the lungs on ash particles that make up the smoke. Those ash particles stick to the lining in the lungs and are absorbed through the alveoli (the air sacs in the lungs), and to some extent by the mucous membranes in the mouth and throat.

Studies have shown that we get 1/3 to 1/4 the nic from vaping that we get from tobacco cigarettes. The good part is that we get enough nic to satisfy the urges and allow us to transition from smoking to vaping with much less trouble than most other nic delivery methods.

Add to that the fact that we still retain the hand to mouth actions of vaping and our urges are satisfied, even as we transition from high nic to low nic or even no nic. Part of the addiction is the action of smoking that gives us something to do with our hands and vaping replicates that action.

Most of us don't realize that vaping has lowered our nic needs to a level where we can drop the nic concentration to low levels with little or no cravings. I found that out when I started dropping my nic in steps until I was down from 24mg to 3mg. I went from 24 to 18 to 12 to 6 in about 6 weeks. It was really easy and I went through almost no cravings at all.

3mg is all I need and I can deal with zero, but I miss the throat hit at 0, so I vape 3mg to get a little of that bitter flavor.

Nicotine Absorption when Vaping - Mt Baker Vapor

First, do electronic cigarettes deliver the same amount of nicotine to the bloodstream as a traditional cigarette? Answer – No. The Ecigarette Research Advocates Group3 conducted a study Nicotine Absorption from Electronic Cigarette Use where they found “Nicotine absorption from e-cigarettes was significantly lower compared to tobacco cigarettes. In reality, 5 minutes of use led to ⅓ to ¼ of the plasma nicotine levels with smoking one tobacco cigarette. Even after 1 hour of use, users could not obtain plasma nicotine levels similar to smoking one cigarette in 5 minutes. The new-generation device was more efficient in nicotine delivery, with nicotine levels being 35-72% higher than those observed by using the first-generation device.” These results are nearly identical to a study by Scientific Reports4 Nicotine Absorption from Electronic Cigarette Use. It concluded: “Compared to smoking one tobacco cigarette, the electronic cigarette device and liquid used in this study delivered ⅓ to ¼ the amount of nicotine after 5 minutes of use. New-generation devices were more efficient in nicotine delivery but still delivered nicotine much slower compared to tobacco cigarettes.” Based on these studies, it appears that vaping offers a significantly lower nicotine level than smoking a traditional cigarette. It is interesting to note that both studies showed that the newer generation e-cig delivered more nicotine than the original cigalike versions, leading us to our next question. - See more at: Nicotine Absorption when Vaping - Mt Baker Vapor

 

[seahawkin]

Started at 24 now around 6? Stick to about 70 VG. Like to be down around 3 but we shall see. Always need a little nic for health reasons.

 

[sofarsogood]

When you vape 24mg it's 24mg per milliliter. So a 4ml tank is going to give you the heated version of that amount of nic in the juice, some of which is actually absorbed through the mucous membranes and the lungs and the rest is exhaled.

It's not a direct correlation to the amount of nic in the juice. Smoking a cigarette containing the same nicotine level is going to deliver blood levels much higher than the vapor.

Nic is transported into the lungs on ash particles that make up the smoke. Those ash particles stick to the lining in the lungs and are absorbed through the alveoli (the air sacs in the lungs), and to some extent by the mucous membranes in the mouth and throat.

Studies have shown that we get 1/3 to 1/4 the nic from vaping that we get from tobacco cigarettes. The good part is that we get enough nic to satisfy the urges and allow us to transition from smoking to vaping with much less trouble than most other nic delivery methods.

Add to that the fact that we still retain the hand to mouth actions of vaping and our urges are satisfied, even as we transition from high nic to low nic or even no nic. Part of the addiction is the action of smoking that gives us something to do with our hands and vaping replicates that action.

Most of us don't realize that vaping has lowered our nic needs to a level where we can drop the nic concentration to low levels with little or no cravings. I found that out when I started dropping my nic in steps until I was down from 24mg to 3mg. I went from 24 to 18 to 12 to 6 in about 6 weeks. It was really easy and I went through almost no cravings at all.

3mg is all I need and I can deal with zero, but I miss the throat hit at 0, so I vape 3mg to get a little of that bitter flavor.

Nicotine Absorption when Vaping - Mt Baker Vapor

I used to smoke 25 cigarettes a day so I was exposed to 25mg of nic in the smoke. These days I vape 7 ml of liquid with 12mg per ml of nic. So 25 mg then, 7 x 12mg = 72 mg exposure today. What I know is there is way more nic in my system than when I was smoking. I can also feel the absense of those other things although it's easier to perceive what's there than what's not.
May be others could chime in. What is your daily nic? How does it compare with your smoking days and do you perceive more or less nic in your system?

 

[sincerelysasquatch]

I'm at 12 mg in my subvod/toptank 0.5 ohm. I think I will keep it there because I am nervous that if I lower the nic I will just vape more, run through more juice, and be essentially getting the same nicotine anyway. I go through probably about 2 ml/day right now.