Depression, Bipolar and E-Cigs

[nesf]

So, I've been suffering a worsening depression since I went on e-cigs. I was in a depression prior to quitting smoking and going on e-cigs, so it's a worsening rather than a new depression.

I'm curious about other's experiences with this, especially with regard to the sudden withdrawal from the MAOIs received from tobacco. How long did it last, how bad did it get, if you're on medication for bipolar/schizophrenia/depression did these need a change after quitting smoking? Etc.

 

[Rusty]

I'm not sure nesf,,,,I've switched to vaping during a good point in my 'cycle' BUT it was still a couple of months before I was 'sorted'!!!

Stick in there - It is worth it

 

[nesf]

I'm not sure nesf,,,,I've switched to vaping during a good point in my 'cycle' BUT it was still a couple of months before I was 'sorted'!!!

Stick in there - It is worth it

Yeah I figure it worth it, to finally get off the cigarettes.

Not sure how my psychiatrist will react, he was already struggling to bring me out of the depression I was already in before I added fuel to the fire! Regardless, my wife is happy with the change, so there's plenty of positive stuff too.

 

[topaz_stone71]

My understanding (per the 50 gazillion drug reps I've talked to) is that smoking makes you more resistant to the medications. Therefore, you need higher doses than non-smokers.

 

[jamesam1243]

stonewall spitless tobacco helps me

i use Tropical Bob as my guru and his theory as to why ecigs might be depressing ( a lack of supporting alkaloids )

James

 

[Zelphie]

Definitely let your doctor know what you are doing because there is some concern that pg may make depression worse, or cause an interaction with psychiatric meds. Not all agree with this, as noone knows for sure but better to be safe.

 

[W Axl Rose]

Or you could try Swedish Snus. Many of us have felt something was missing when we used ecigs alone. Swedish Snus helps with the 'missing' alkoloids.

 

[Vocalek]

I've never heard of PG triggering depression. A more logical explanation for the problem is that the amount of nicotine you are taking in is greatly reduced now. Health New Zealand found that each puff of vapor from 16 mg. liquid contains only 1/10 the amount of nicotine as an average puff of smoke.

When I first switched I was on the edge for a while with both depression and anxiety. I had to increase my nicotine strength to 24 mg. to get comfortable. I feel it is safer for me to increase my nicotine intake than to risk triggering seizures from upping the dose of bupropion I take (300 mg. / day) and I prefer not to add an anti-anxiety drug into the mix.

NOTE: I also use nicotine gum -- about the same amount that I was using when I had worked my way down to 10 tobacco cigs per day.

 

[nesf]

Nah wasn't saying that PG triggered the depression but the switch to e-cigs and the resulting quitting of smoking had triggered the depression. All being more complicated by me being trialled on a new antidepressant at the moment.

I'm hoping the Lexapro will make up for the lack of MAOIs from the tobacco.

 

[nesf]

Or you could try Swedish Snus. Many of us have felt something was missing when we used ecigs alone. Swedish Snus helps with the 'missing' alkoloids.

Yeah, I bought some snus but am using it sparingly. I don't want to replace one addiction to tobacco with a different addiction to a different form of tobacco if possible (especially since snus is illegal to sell in Ireland so I have to order it from overseas).

 

[donnellyk]

I had very high anxiety in the first couple months, and I felt that I was experiencing a bit of depression...I, too, upped my nicotine level to 36 mg. at times but leveled out by month 3...I considered snus but decided to stick it out...glad I did, just passed the 10 month mark and I've been stable and Yay smoke and tobacco free!

 

[oso]

I've been vaping since February. I've been defining my self as bipolar for approx 12 years. My episodes haven't been as severe (actually I haven't had any real problems since moving down South three years ago, except for the occasional momentary lapse of reason) so I guess I'm not "as" bipolar as I was. But the vaping hasn't seemed to have triggered anything unusual.

If anything I have more energy, smell better and just feel like an overall healthier person having stopped smoking. I'm actually in the process of considering stopping vaping, but I'm in no rush.

Sometimes juggling all of the atomizers, batteries, carts, liquids, becomes somewhat of a hassle. Man can only serve one master... type thing

But yeah, every e-cig is different. Every liquid is different. Make sure your sources are sound.

 

[t9c]

Nah wasn't saying that PG triggered the depression but the switch to e-cigs and the resulting quitting of smoking had triggered the depression. All being more complicated by me being trialled on a new antidepressant at the moment.

I'm hoping the Lexapro will make up for the lack of MAOIs from the tobacco.

I used Lexapro after losing my job and a failing 2nd marriage and becoming depressed. It's a miracle drug, or was at least for me. I have a good friend who lost his son in an auto accident about a year ago and was prescribed Lexapro. It allowed him to go back to work. My father started using it several years ago for anger management, which he has always had problems with and he is now a lot better at controlling his emotions. He calls it the "don't give a s... drug"

btw, there is a much less expensive version (generic) of Lexapro called Citalopram. I asked the doctor specifically for this since it is only $4 at discount drugists here in the US. Lexapro is $75!! He looked it up and said, sure, no problem.

I wish the best for you. Depression is a bad mutha!!

 

[nesf]

btw, there is a much less expensive version (generic) of Lexapro called Citalopram. I asked the doctor specifically for this since it is only $4 at discount drugists here in the US. Lexapro is $75!! He looked it up and said, sure, no problem.

Fortunately, due to the way drug pricing works in Ireland I get my Lexapro for free, so it's not a problem for me. (In Ireland you only pay for the first €130 of drugs per month, the State picks up the tab for the rest)

I wish the best for you. Depression is a bad mutha!!

Cheers. At the moment it's the insomnia that's driving me a bit nuts.

 

[son et lumiere]

It's all mental. You get the same mental health benefits from an e cig that you get from an analog. Believe I was very conecrened about it and looked it up and talked to my doctor about it. The nicotine can help with mental illness but its only the nicotine nothing else.

 

[DemonCowboy]

i dunno, there's another thread that makes sense too - about the beta carbolines missing and suggesting that could act as an MAOI

 

[Hellen A. Handbasket]

You're right DemonCowboy. Check out this website:

This is your brain on nicotine

I use nasal snuff each day and a bit of snus here and there to replace the MAOI that is missing since there isn't any WTA in e-liquid. It really helps. I probably should try to up my nicotine again too (I'm back up to 18mg again now... it is better, but I'm thinking I should try going up to 24mg to see if I get an even better improvement).

There are several threads on this topic. Use the Search function at the top of the page (the Google one works great and runs within the forum) to find them all.

 

[DemonCowboy]

well adding snus or snuff seems like a chore and an expensive 1 as i'm not in a "helpful life situation" so far i've been ok-ish but i'm fluctuating between 36mg and 24mg and it's not leaving my hands for long. what i'd LOVE to find for my juice would be an inexpensive additive proven to offer the exact MOAI effect w/o resorting to all the other chemicals (don't like the idea of paying for chemicals i don't want) so i can continue to evade letting BP pump me full of their junk that the drug interaction data reads like it'll kill me even faster than smoking would.

and because i don't think there's a magic anything that automagically makes the world a better place (though that would be my first option if there was!!!)

 

[son et lumiere]

So am I wrong? Is it just the nicotine or other chemicals in a cigarette?

 

[nesf]

So am I wrong? Is it just the nicotine or other chemicals in a cigarette?

Yeah you're wrong, there's a chemical that acts as an antidepressant in tobacco smoke that isn't in vapour from an e-cig.