Antidepressant warnings on E-Cigs
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To me it would make sense that a medicine such as Chantix, which is supposed to block the neurons in the brain that create the craving for nicotine would interfere with anything containing nicotine. When I tried Chantix, the doctor told me that I could smoke when starting the medicine, which is why I tried it, and probably a reason others do as well, since it sounds like an "easy" way to wean off of cigarettes. I did fine when I first started taking Chantix, until I got to the point where I was taking two pills, one in the morning and one at night. At that point, I couldn't sleep well, and when I did, I had nightmares and started feeling depressed. I was still smoking cigarettes at the time, though I was starting to cut back on the cravings. I was feeling miserable and paying $110 for one month's supply of Chantix, plus still buying cigarettes. I quit taking the Chantix, went back to the doctor and was given a prescription for Wellbutrin, which made me feel even worse, almost to the point of suicidal. As I understand it, Wellbutrin is prescribed primarily as an anti-depressant, which later turned out to have a side effect of helping to curb nicotine cravings in some people. I went back to the doctor feeling worse than I have ever felt in my life, and after a long discussion with her, I was placed on a "suicide watch". I went back to smoking analogs and just abandoned the whole quitting smoking idea. I had been smoking for 35 years, had tried the patch, which irritated my skin and caused my heartbeat to race, tried the gum, which pulled out two fillings and gave me mouth sores, and after my episodes with Chantix and Wellbutrin, I decided that I was just going to keep smoking analogs. I take Klonopin for anxiety, and have for several years.
When I tried my first e-cig, I put the analogs down and haven't had one for 183 days, with one exception. I was driving my car, puffing on my e-cig, and had 3 people in the car with me. All of them were smoking analogs, and it felt like I was inhaling more second hand smoke than what I was getting from my e-cig. This was after about 90 days of e-cigs. I gave in and bought a pack of Camel Lights, which I smoked 2 packs a day of before the e-cig. I smoked 3 of them that night, then woke up in the middle of the night and headed for the bathroom, sick to my stomach. I had the pack with 17 cigarettes in it laying in front of me, and instead of lighting up another one in the morning, I went back to my e-cig. The taste was much cleaner, and I realized that the analogs caused me to get sick. That night sticks in my mind as my true turning point to stay with e-cigs and the thought of how the analogs made me feel is a constant reminder that analogs really messed me up bad, considering a 2 pack a day habit that never made me feel that way when I smoked them on a daily basis. I know that I did go through a withdrawal when I first started smoking e-cigs, which I believe to be a withdrawal from all of the added chemicals that helped sustain my addiction to nicotine. That withdrawal lasted a little over a week, and I slept as much as possible during that time. I would take a few puffs from the e-cig when the cravings would hit, and then I felt better and then went back to sleep.
I had a stroke in 2008, due to a combination of smoking, stress, and lack of proper rest, and my doctor had been on me to quit since then, which is why i tried the NRT's which caused more stress....a vicious circle! The last time I visited my doctor, I told her that I had switched to e-cigs, which she hadn't heard of at that time. I took it out in her office and took a puff to demonstrate it to her and she was suprised that there was no odor and the vapor dissapated in seconds. At that time, I had only been using my first e-cig for about one week and my lungs were still gunked up from the analogs. Since then, I have tried about 5 different types of e-cigs, until I found the one that worked the best for me and my lifestyle, and have been using it for about 3 months, and am totally satisfied with it. She was interested in the technology of the one I was using, and I explained to her how it worked. My next visit is later this month, and it will be interesting to see how my lungs sound to her after 6 months of e-cigs.
None of the e-cigs I have used carried a warning about using it with anti-depressents, though all anti-depressents have a side effect list a mile long (about as long as this post is turning out to be!) so I can see where a warning could be used on e-cigs, since there is always a slight chance that there could be a negative interaction with them, and could cause a warning such as that to be included to cover their "assets" just in case.
I agree that the best thing to do is talk to your doctor about it, since they know about interactions of different medications. When I took Chantix and Wellbutrin, my doctor told me that they were ok to use along with the Klonopin and the cholesterol medicine I take. Risk assessment is important when combining different drugs, and since I have been seeing the same doctor for several years, she knows me very well. One thing my system can not take is antihistamines, which cause sleeplessness and make me jittery, and that includes Nyquil, which keeps me up all night. So I have to deal with allergies since I can't take anything to relieve the symptoms and just have to suffer through them due to being very sensitive to medications.
So to make a long story even longer, I would say to definitely check with your doctor. Mine gave me the green light to use the e-cig since after understanding how it worked, she saw it as a possibly safer alternative to a known killer. I will know more when I go back this month and see how my examination goes. I know my lungs feel better, the headaches and coughing are gone, and I have much more energy. I have been able to return to my voice lessons and sing without going into a coughing fit, having cotton mouth, or having a raspy singing voice. We each have our own body chemistry and results can vary from person to person. Professional guidance can help a lot by a good doctor, and one that is truly looking out for your best interest and health. Mine is very well aware of the many attempts I've made to try to quit, and I know her well enough to know that after my visit and demonstration of the e-cig, she studied up on it. I look forward to talking more about it with her and seeing what she says.
As a side note, and I promise this is the end of my post lol, my father in law has COPD and went to the doctor the other day. His doctor recommended that he switch to e-cigs since he can't quit smoking, even with his health in advanced stages of the disease. The Attorney General in Virginia even declared that e-cigs were not a part of the recent smoking ban in restaurants and bars, so with all of the negative things like the FDA and the many groups that are trying to ban e-cigs, they are still being recommended and have approval of the AG to use where analogs are not. With Virginia being one of the main tobacco states, that is something to take note of!
Talk to your doctor and best of luck! It helps to feel confident in your choice to switch to something that can potentially save your life!!!!!!!!
When I tried my first e-cig, I put the analogs down and haven't had one for 183 days, with one exception. I was driving my car, puffing on my e-cig, and had 3 people in the car with me. All of them were smoking analogs, and it felt like I was inhaling more second hand smoke than what I was getting from my e-cig. This was after about 90 days of e-cigs. I gave in and bought a pack of Camel Lights, which I smoked 2 packs a day of before the e-cig. I smoked 3 of them that night, then woke up in the middle of the night and headed for the bathroom, sick to my stomach. I had the pack with 17 cigarettes in it laying in front of me, and instead of lighting up another one in the morning, I went back to my e-cig. The taste was much cleaner, and I realized that the analogs caused me to get sick. That night sticks in my mind as my true turning point to stay with e-cigs and the thought of how the analogs made me feel is a constant reminder that analogs really messed me up bad, considering a 2 pack a day habit that never made me feel that way when I smoked them on a daily basis. I know that I did go through a withdrawal when I first started smoking e-cigs, which I believe to be a withdrawal from all of the added chemicals that helped sustain my addiction to nicotine. That withdrawal lasted a little over a week, and I slept as much as possible during that time. I would take a few puffs from the e-cig when the cravings would hit, and then I felt better and then went back to sleep.
I had a stroke in 2008, due to a combination of smoking, stress, and lack of proper rest, and my doctor had been on me to quit since then, which is why i tried the NRT's which caused more stress....a vicious circle! The last time I visited my doctor, I told her that I had switched to e-cigs, which she hadn't heard of at that time. I took it out in her office and took a puff to demonstrate it to her and she was suprised that there was no odor and the vapor dissapated in seconds. At that time, I had only been using my first e-cig for about one week and my lungs were still gunked up from the analogs. Since then, I have tried about 5 different types of e-cigs, until I found the one that worked the best for me and my lifestyle, and have been using it for about 3 months, and am totally satisfied with it. She was interested in the technology of the one I was using, and I explained to her how it worked. My next visit is later this month, and it will be interesting to see how my lungs sound to her after 6 months of e-cigs.
None of the e-cigs I have used carried a warning about using it with anti-depressents, though all anti-depressents have a side effect list a mile long (about as long as this post is turning out to be!) so I can see where a warning could be used on e-cigs, since there is always a slight chance that there could be a negative interaction with them, and could cause a warning such as that to be included to cover their "assets" just in case.
I agree that the best thing to do is talk to your doctor about it, since they know about interactions of different medications. When I took Chantix and Wellbutrin, my doctor told me that they were ok to use along with the Klonopin and the cholesterol medicine I take. Risk assessment is important when combining different drugs, and since I have been seeing the same doctor for several years, she knows me very well. One thing my system can not take is antihistamines, which cause sleeplessness and make me jittery, and that includes Nyquil, which keeps me up all night. So I have to deal with allergies since I can't take anything to relieve the symptoms and just have to suffer through them due to being very sensitive to medications.
So to make a long story even longer, I would say to definitely check with your doctor. Mine gave me the green light to use the e-cig since after understanding how it worked, she saw it as a possibly safer alternative to a known killer. I will know more when I go back this month and see how my examination goes. I know my lungs feel better, the headaches and coughing are gone, and I have much more energy. I have been able to return to my voice lessons and sing without going into a coughing fit, having cotton mouth, or having a raspy singing voice. We each have our own body chemistry and results can vary from person to person. Professional guidance can help a lot by a good doctor, and one that is truly looking out for your best interest and health. Mine is very well aware of the many attempts I've made to try to quit, and I know her well enough to know that after my visit and demonstration of the e-cig, she studied up on it. I look forward to talking more about it with her and seeing what she says.
As a side note, and I promise this is the end of my post lol, my father in law has COPD and went to the doctor the other day. His doctor recommended that he switch to e-cigs since he can't quit smoking, even with his health in advanced stages of the disease. The Attorney General in Virginia even declared that e-cigs were not a part of the recent smoking ban in restaurants and bars, so with all of the negative things like the FDA and the many groups that are trying to ban e-cigs, they are still being recommended and have approval of the AG to use where analogs are not. With Virginia being one of the main tobacco states, that is something to take note of!
Talk to your doctor and best of luck! It helps to feel confident in your choice to switch to something that can potentially save your life!!!!!!!!
Thanks for sharing this great story. E-cigs are a awesome healthier alternative to smoking for sure!
I guess I misunderstood the warnings on mine.
I was under the impression that my blu would perform so badly that I would end up being severely depressed.
I was under the impression that my blu would perform so badly that I would end up being severely depressed.
Welcome to the ECF forum, to all the recent posters, and congratulations on whatever length of time you've avoided the monoxide cigarettes.
P.S. Please defend your right to vape, and increase awareness pertaining to banning the ecigs. Currently, the link to an important petition appears below in my signature; the link takes you to the post here at ECF for further info about the petition. And pass it along to supporting friends, relatives, neighbors, etc.:
I take anti-depressants and was on them long before the e-cigs. I did notice I had a really bad experiance with PG and ended up going to all VG and the little PG in flavoring doesn't bother me. I don't know if this is the anti-depressants but when I told my doctor I wanted to quite smoking he was more than willing to get me the patch or gum so I don't think E-cigs plays any part.
I take Zoloft for anxiety. I am very sensitive to things that make my heart race, like sugar, antihistamines, caffeine, alcohol, etc... I actually have felt much better since switching to ecigs, except I do forget to dial down my nic mg at night, and have trouble falling asleep if I don't smoke something lower.
I wake up every day with a nasty headache because of antidepressants, but it does seem to be getting better after going off analogs.
I wake up every day with a nasty headache because of antidepressants, but it does seem to be getting better after going off analogs.
My husband has bi-polar. He does take several medications for it. The depression is his worst "monster" to fight. as he has aged manic doesn't happen very often. I keep a Very close watch on him. He is vaping about %50 of the time, at this point I dont know if he will ever make the switch completely. I do know I have not seen any negative affects of vaping with him up to now. Chantix etc are not an option for him due to the depression /suicidal issues. flat out we are hooked on what happens with the Dopamine and not a chance in hell I would have him try anything that would block that.
Yep. Research indicates that psychotropics (including antidepressants) are less effective in smokers. The dose is typically titrated up for smokers. This information is really being touted by our drug reps. I find it ironic that we are starting people on medications and forcing them to quit smoking while they are inpatient. The patient stabilizes and we send them home where they start smoking and then the meds don't work as well. I suppose that when you use the e-cig, it could cause issues with your medication dosing.
Hi guys, SSRI group of antidepressants (eg:citalopram, Zoloft, prozac, Luvox, lexapro etc) are contraindicated to use along with monoamine oxidase inhibitors (another group of antidepressants). The symptoms are hyperthermia, rigidity, myoclonus, mental status changes that include confusion, irritability and extreme agitation progressing to delirium and coma.
Since tobacco smoke contains monoamine oxidase inhibitors, I assumed those on SSRI should not smoke cigarettes.
E-liquids do not contains monoamine oxidase inhibitor, So, Should be OK.
Just my 2 cents
Since tobacco smoke contains monoamine oxidase inhibitors, I assumed those on SSRI should not smoke cigarettes.
E-liquids do not contains monoamine oxidase inhibitor, So, Should be OK.
Just my 2 cents
Thanks! I didn't know where I was going with that story, but the topic was one that hit me as something I could add my 2 cents in on, and I guess I just let it all out!
I found that vaping makes me so happy that i am not depressed anymore. Although i was self medicated with .... loads of alcohol. I really have slowed down on my drinking since i found the wonderful world or vaping.
I would bet money, if I had any left after buying PV stuff, that antidepressant warnings on e-cigs are just another bit of ... coverage.
There may not be any specific reason for the warning to include antidepressants, but the lawyer that wrote/proofread the warning page probably thought it couldn't hurt.
A quick (read: lazy) search shows me that some FDA approved smoking cessation devices (the two I looked up, patch and gum) have warnings about antidepressants too. That tells me that any warning on e-cigs is only there because it's a warning on "approved" quitting products as well. Back to the lawyer trying to make sure every that avenue towards being sued has a roadblock
There may not be any specific reason for the warning to include antidepressants, but the lawyer that wrote/proofread the warning page probably thought it couldn't hurt.
A quick (read: lazy) search shows me that some FDA approved smoking cessation devices (the two I looked up, patch and gum) have warnings about antidepressants too. That tells me that any warning on e-cigs is only there because it's a warning on "approved" quitting products as well. Back to the lawyer trying to make sure every that avenue towards being sued has a roadblock
I was wondering how many of you found a warning telling you that those taking antidepressants should not use the E-Cig.
I have found this warning on one my own E-cigs and heard of others, but its not on every brand. I would really like to get people ideas as to what ingredient in E-Cigs they think may interact with antidepressants.
I dont believe this warning is on other nicotine products, and my feeling is its another ingredient all together.
Any ideas?
I see that nobody has mentioned the other stuff found in e-liquids besides just the nicotine, i think Zelphie is trying to say that the warning is about the e-cig but not the device itself but the e-liquid, let's see..VG has what effect with antidepressants??...PG has what effect with antidepressants?? other named chemicals that are used for Flavoring or chemicals for just their base, as you know there's some e-liquid companies using Organic or Natural flavoring in their e-juices so maybe the Artificial flavoring that is a chemical mite have an interaction with antidepressants?? maybe someone has done those test and found out and made a warning statement and gave it to some e-cig companies since the e-cig is new it would take time for the warnings to go to every e-cig store in the world.
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