Am I vaping more nicotine than smoking?

[Vapaneezer Scrooge]

Sounds a daft question and obviously vague as each case is different but.....
A bit long winded again sorry (I promise to keep future posts shorter!) but to understand my reasons I've included my journey from smoke to vape

I HAD to quit smoking due to narrowing of the arteries and had an operation (angioplasty) due to this.

I had smoked for 30+ years (mostly roll ups but tailor mades now and then) and struggled to quit as I enjoyed it too much, I tried everything but Vaping was my answer, I started at 10mg strength and soon weened down to my current 3mg.

Before my op I was smoking way too much, 30+ rollups (with filters) a day, Vaping has become quite an obsession and a hobby, I enjoy all the building, trialling juices, shiny new gear etc. But the main drawback is the amount I am vaping, because I have so many different tanks and juices on the go it's hard to estimate but I figure I am getting through around 30ml of juice a day (maybe less) at 3mg strength.

My local B&M said 3mg is next to nothing and as good as not smoking, I have zero faith in this shop as they sold me nothing but crap overpriced products and blamed the way I vaped for a faulty leaking tank.

I definitely enjoy vaping more than I did smoking but concerned about my nicotine intake, my habit is more leaning towards higher wattage vaping = more juice consumption but I much prefer the smoother warm flavour hit, I don't go too high wattage (between 50 - 60 average) but 115 watts on my iJoy (iLeak) Limitless XL due to the supplied atomisers.

I am going to try mixing zero nicotine flavours and 3mg flavours to try and cut back.

My son vapes and went to zero Nic but ended up smoking again on top of vaping, something I am keen to avoid.

Any information or advice welcome.

 

[Qwackers98]

Ok well from what ive read the average roll up contains between 1 and 1.4mg of nicotine (not to mention tar and god knows how many other nasty vicious chemicals).
30 a day at lets say 1.2 mg would be 36mg of nicotine.
If you toot on 3mg nic (per 10 ml) and do 30 ml a day they you would have built up a massive 9mg of nic (if my calculations, which are usually a bit off, are correct). Some days a bit more some days less...but no where near the content of the rollies. Youd need to do 2 x 10ml bottles at 18mg nic to even equal the 30 a day rollie habit (or 120ml/12 x 10ml of 3mg) . Hope that helps a bit?

 

[Vapaneezer Scrooge]

Nice one, makes a lot more sense when I see it like that thank you.

I already know the effects all the other chemicals had, gained my sense of smell back and a trip to the doctors shown in 1 week of vaping and not smoking my Carbon Monoxide levels dropped from 20 to 2 (I don't know what the measurements they use are but 2 is the normal non smokers level in built up areas).

I have also notice a big difference in my lung capacity, which is better but worse as I Vape like RIP Trippers!

 

[keepitgoin]

I get through 10ml++ of 12mgish liquid a day. I got through 100g++ of Rolling baccy a week when I was still Smoking.
For me the amount of Nicotine I consume while Vaping is nowhere near as important as the amount of nasties I did consume whilst inhaling burning tobacco products.
I, too, have narrowing arteries and firmly believe that if I had carried on Smoking then a Major (Femoral) Artery would be closed entirely.
I do not think Vaping will reverse the damage done to my arteries whilst smoking, but I do not think Vaping will make my sclerosis any worsr

 

[tootingyoda]

I think the nic measurement is per ml, not per bottle. So a 10 (3mg nic) bottle would give you 30mg of nic per bottle, X 3 bottles is 90mg of nic. I don't know how much of the nic is actually absorbed in to the blood though.

 

[Tubbyengineer]

OK, In theory and assuming 100% nicotine uptake the 30ml of 3mg/ml liquid per day would be supplying you with 90mg of nicotine, however most estimates of nicotine uptake for vaping put them at between 25% and 35% so an average of 30% seems about right - call it 1/3rd for easy working out.
so 30ml of 3mg/ml juice would supply 30mg of nicotine. However even this figure is misleading since nicotine really doesn't have much in the way of physical side effects at normal doses, there are some slight effects on blood pressure and arterial wall stifness but they are transitory and very mild - along the same lines as caffiene.
Most of the negative health effects come from the tobacco combustion byproducts which as you know are absent in vaping.
You really don't need to worry too much about Nic intake - but if it really worries you then try to find a less thirsty setup or learn to love Zero nic...

 

[Tubbyengineer]

I think the nic measurement is per ml, not per bottle. So a 10 (3mg nic) bottle would give you 30mg of nic per bottle, X 3 bottles is 90mg of nic. I don't know how much of the nic is actually absorbed in to the blood though.

It is indeed mg/ml so a 10ml bottle of £mg/ml juice contains 30mg of nic...

 

[Jeffo1960]

Hi i am also the same as you with the same symptoms might have to lose a leg also thinking the same

 

[Vapaneezer Scrooge]

Thank you all for the concise and plain English answers - all makes sense.
(and for taking the time to answer)

I do like this forum!

I wish I had asked questions from the start of my vaping, I would have saved so much money and time, up until now it's been a very frustrating journey.

 

[Vapaneezer Scrooge]

When they shown me the X-ray of my artery before and after the procedure was enough to make me want to quit (apart from the first thing I did after being discharged was spark up a roll-up outside the hospital doors!)