Talk to me about cutting down on nicotine

[Darkginger]

A bit of a weird one this (maybe, maybe it's common!) - but I've now been vaping exclusively for almost 9 weeks - from a 30 Superkings a day habit. I started on 18mg juices, then went down to 10 or 12 after a couple of weeks, then 6, and am now happily vaping on 3mg, with no cravings. However, I'm sub ohming, and therefore I think I'm probably still consuming a significant amount of nicotine - or am I? I'm considering trying 0mg juices, but a bit worried in case it brings on cravings again - so if anyone else has done this, I'd appreciate hearing about your experience. I don't really know why I want to kick the nicotine addiction - other than that it is an addiction, and I'd rather like the freedom of not having to make sure I've always got my device(s) to hand, and being confident of being able to get through something like a 3 hour theatre performance, or a 10 hour flight, without twitching - I dunno - just to be comfortable in places where I can't vape. When I was a smoker, I'd avoid situations where I couldn't escape for a fag - I was the addict to end all addicts, and a lot of my life revolved around smoking, so I'm a bit wary of 'overdoing' the quit, and putting myself back in that situation, if you see what I mean? Anyway, your thoughts/experiences?

[Postmodern Smoking]

That's a quick reduction Darkginger, unless it was accompanied with change in vaping gear.... but I guess each of us is different.

Clean nicotine isn't the big villain, but I understand your desire to reduce, as explained in your post. I'd say take the reducing one step at a time and slowly, to observe how you react, and how your juice consumption is also affected. I'd also recommend having some stronger 'back-up' juice, in case you do reduce too fast and get cravings. (In which case better to go up in nic rather than be tempted by going back on the stinkies again).

[Darkginger]

I can't quite believe how quick the reduction has been, honestly. I vaped for about a year a few years back, but never managed to come down from 18mg, and never managed to go more than a few days without the occasional stinky, either. This time, it's like a switch has flipped in my head - and I decided I was never touching tobacco again. Since that decision, it's been pretty easy - and I've surprised myself, which is why I was wondering if I'm still taking in quite a bit of nicotine, given the sub ohming - didn't expect it to be this easy!

[car147]

You seem to have been in a bit of a hurry to get down to 0 Nic, but i guess it all depends on your main reason for vaping. If it's to quit both Smoking and now vaping i would beware, it may be just some problem one day and you reach for the fags. My wife and i both quit 2 yrs ago, like you we started on 18mg, and over a year had dropped to 3mg, but we did it in smaller amounts, 18mg-16 mg-12mg-6mg (Sub Ohm) 3mg-and now 1mg. We have no plans to drop the 1mg of Nic. I had tried 0 nic juice on a couple of occasions, but it always felt like something was missing (well it was, the nicotine lol) It could be just in the mind, and i'd wonder would it be the same case if i did not know.

For us were not concerned with such a tiny amount of nicotine, after all resent studies have found that it is actually no worse than coffee, despite all the bad publicity it got for decades.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Darkginger]

Thanks Carl - and no, I'm not intending to stop vaping, because I enjoy it - the flavours, the 'something to do with my hands' etc. etc. I'd just like to get rid of the addiction to nicotine I still have shedloads of 18mg juice here - most of which will be donated to my husband (also called Carl, strangely enough), who is still dual fuelling, but trying hard - but I'll always have it available, just in case

[Pepperty]

Your post felt like what I would have written about myself! I was so hard core, ditto ditto and additional ditto!

I've lowered too, but over almost 3 years I could probably stop, but I'm not sure I want to yet? I have accidentally vaped almost zero nicotine and not realised at the time so I'm sure I don't need nicotine like I HAD TO smoke but I do like the hand to mouth habit and its that I would miss..

When I'm busy I don't think to vape - whereas I'd stop and smoke without fail before! I think vaping is probably fairly harmless so I want to continue as I enjoy it, same with occasional drinking - you have to have some pleasures in life!

As for cutting down/quitting, that's what most people who vape wish to do, escape smoking and use vaping as a cessation aid. Its a means to an end.

[Postmodern Smoking]

Most people find that with sub-ohming that they prefer lower nicotine eliquid, as the setup produces more vapour, but they also tend to consume more e-liquid.... so at present you'll still be getting your nic. (i.e. 0mg/ml may be a big step, and don't be too hasty to get there AND as said previously, keep some nic liquid on standby to reach for if cravings develop rather than be tempted to have a smoke).

[Deleted]

I was a 60 plus a day man (rollups) for near on 40 yrs, i started vaping on 6mg i dived straight in full on.
Have since worked my way down to 2mg but i can not get lower have tried 1mg and zero nic but i then i do start to miss it,
probably all in my head i know but it seem weird i can drop/start on such a low nic level and not miss smoking.
So quite happy where i am and not really bothered if i stick at 2mg for the rest of my life its still a lot better than the rollups.

[ghostrider1971]

It's definitely an "in the hand" habit for me.

I started, 4 months ago, on 18mg nicotine (I used to smoke Old Holborn rollies) and just found that horrifically strong.

Almost immediately changed down to a 6mg and am now on 3mg if I buy from a shop. I mix my own at 4.5mg-ish.

I have found I am vaping far more though recently......

[car147]

Sept 3, 2016 10:32:45 GMT Darkginger said:

Thanks Carl - and no, I'm not intending to stop vaping, because I enjoy it - the flavours, the 'something to do with my hands' etc. etc. I'd just like to get rid of the addiction to nicotine I still have shedloads of 18mg juice here - most of which will be donated to my husband (also called Carl, strangely enough), who is still dual fuelling, but trying hard - but I'll always have it available, just in case

It's Car m8,

Ah, having read your reply you will be fine, i didn't realise you still had stock. By all means give it ago many on here have managed the switch to 0 nic with no problems at all Arcturion being the most recent i recall.


Good luck

[Greg]

I cut the nicotine altogether, once I got down to 6mg I reduced by 1mg every month or so until I was at zero. I never noticed any adverse effects or cravings whatsoever.

After about 6 months of nic free I quit vaping altogether and that's coming up 4 months ago now

[Perpetua]

Well it's taken me over 6 years to get down to 12mg ( 6mg if I'm subohming ) Darkginger . . . . not due to any conscious effort or plan on my part, I found that higher strengths where making me a bit light headed and headachey - so my own system rather made the decision for me!

I can and do use lower strengths without issues, if I didn't have the stresses of work - reducing further and permanently would be more doable.

It's not something on my immediate ' to do ' list - I'm happy enough to not be smoking 40/50 cigarettes a day and being able to go for a few hours without vaping, not climbing the walls as I would have if I still smoked.

You know your own tolerances, reducing gradually seems the most successful way to go if that's your aim.

[Deleted]

I don't know what strength I vape - somewhere around 0.4mg/ml but I use a lot of liquid every day

No intention of quitting that....like I've no intention of quitting my new friend when I went from 1mg/ml to 0.5mg/ml - TEA!

Reality check needed - there's worse things in life than nicotine

My go tos when I can't vape are nic plastic things and strong mints - might be worth a try?

Tis up to you!

[TJ]

I was a 30 a day roll up smoker. Like most on here I started with high nic, I actually used 36 & 24 for ages then 18, 16, and so on and then started mixing my own around Apr15 and have gradually come down to 6/7 on daily work liquids/tanks and 3/4 on DTL tanks. To be honest I haven't really noticed a difference in my style of vaping as I've always chain vaped in the car and at home and limited to breaks at work so it's been quite easy. I was getting headaches and nic rushes and occasionally feeling sick so realised that I needed to come down.

I have no intention of quitting vaping unless it happens naturally along the line as I need the hand to mouth & inhaling/exhaling of something!

And even now in moments of high stress I could still murder a roll up, sitting in the car last night in the middle of nowhere after a particulary rough evening I reached in the glove box and found my little tin of baccy and thought to myself one won't hurt will it but then I realised that it would stink and make the car stink etc etc so just picked my custard back up and hammered it until the battery went flat

[chykensa]

I had smoked since the age of 14, and after 38 years of hammering my body, 4 years ago on September 13th I decided to give vaping a try. I bought some 18mg juice, but needed something stronger so started on 24mg. After about 6 months I dropped to 18mg, and then about a year after that down to 12mg.
I then started sub-ohming and Direct Lung Inhaling, at which point I dropped to 6mg. After a further 9 months or so I mixed at 3mg, and in the last 3 months I am only mixing at 2mg, although I have considerable stocks of 3mg juice to use up.
I notice no difference either in 'hit' or frequency of my vaping habit between 3 and 2mg juice, and I have tried some zero nic juice but, like car147 I felt there was something missing.
I have 500ml of PG nic base un-opened in my freezer, and once this has been used up I will hopefully be down to 0mg but if I need to stock up a bit more on the nic base in the next few weeks, I will do, just to be on the safe side.
I smoked precisely 3 cigarettes after converting to vaping, and all within 9 months of quitting. They were all universally so horrible that I have now no desire whatsoever to smoke another!

Best of luck but I would exercise a degree of caution getting down to 0mg too quickly