Anyone notice mood/mental health changes since switching?

[Faylool]

I did not see this. I wasn't ignoring it. I think the antidepressants should be the last resort. I think I should never have taken them. I think the fact I did for so long caused me more problems but I will never really know. I've sworn this time when I get free from them completely and if t proves I go in to a depression I'll choose electro stimulation therapy. Sounds bad but I believe the pills to be worse. I'm planning on it working out ths time around. It's my turn. I'm due. (. :

Did taking anti-depressants help you get back to 'normal' you think?

 

[Rusty S.]

NOTE: I'm not a doctor. You may want to speak with one if you're looking for sound medical advice. There are some on this board, and you may want to reach out to them.

That said, I'm going to say something that may not sit right with people who advocate quitting smoking. Inhaled tobacco smoke DOES contain psychotropic drugs that are beneficial to people who suffer from depression and a wide range of mental ailments. Some are not replicated by the pharmaceutical industry, so you can't get them anywhere else.

I get this information from here:
NIDA NOTES - Tobacco Smoke May Contain a Psychoactive Ingredient Other Than Nicotine

I have a friend who's been watching me merrily vaping away, yet isn't inclined to switch from analogs. He's a very self-aware individual who suffers from depression, and smoking gives him the needed chemicals that work better than any anti-depressant he's ever tried (and he's tried a lot of them).

Here's some information on MAOIs:
Monoamine oxidase inhibitor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

My friend's conclusion was that it would be better to cut back his smoking to a level that is less harmful to his general health, yet provides him with the MAOIs that he needs, and I fully support that. Everyone gets something different from smoking, and vaping too, for that matter. While I agree that vaping reduces harm, it isn't worth a person's mental health. As it turns out, I didn't smoke because I needed the MAOIs - I needed the nicotine. But we're all individuals, so you need to look within and figure out what exactly you need. Maybe a hybrid solution would suit you best.

And you need to be peaceful with yourself about it. It isn't a pass-or-fail proposition. I use myself as a lab rat for life-change experiments and vaping's been one of them, but I always check myself when I see a negative impact. I'm not going to wreck my well-being for anything, no matter how loudly others may tout its benefits. As much as I enjoy vaping, if I ever feel a bout of depression coming on, I'll have a cigarette, no questions asked.

Any reduction in smoking is harm reduction. My friend has gone from almost a pack a day (from smoking with ME, because I'm a bad influence), to about 14 a day, and he seems comfy.

If you're looking to reduce the amount of smoking you've been doing, then maybe you should find your minimum on cigarettes and vape the rest of the time for nicotine. I don't know anything about WTAs, so I'm sorry, I can't give you any input on them.

My conclusion is: find your happy place, not someone else's.

 

[alex8039]

NOTE: I'm not a doctor. You may want to speak with one if you're looking for sound medical advice. There are some on this board, and you may want to reach out to them.

That said, I'm going to say something that may not sit right with people who advocate quitting smoking. Inhaled tobacco smoke DOES contain psychotropic drugs that are beneficial to people who suffer from depression and a wide range of mental ailments. Some are not replicated by the pharmaceutical industry, so you can't get them anywhere else.

I get this information from here:
NIDA NOTES - Tobacco Smoke May Contain a Psychoactive Ingredient Other Than Nicotine

I have a friend who's been watching me merrily vaping away, yet isn't inclined to switch from analogs. He's a very self-aware individual who suffers from depression, and smoking gives him the needed chemicals that work better than any anti-depressant he's ever tried (and he's tried a lot of them).

Here's some information on MAOIs:
Monoamine oxidase inhibitor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

My friend's conclusion was that it would be better to cut back his smoking to a level that is less harmful to his general health, yet provides him with the MAOIs that he needs, and I fully support that. Everyone gets something different from smoking, and vaping too, for that matter. While I agree that vaping reduces harm, it isn't worth a person's mental health. As it turns out, I didn't smoke because I needed the MAOIs - I needed the nicotine. But we're all individuals, so you need to look within and figure out what exactly you need. Maybe a hybrid solution would suit you best.

And you need to be peaceful with yourself about it. It isn't a pass-or-fail proposition. I use myself as a lab rat for life-change experiments and vaping's been one of them, but I always check myself when I see a negative impact. I'm not going to wreck my well-being for anything, no matter how loudly others may tout its benefits. As much as I enjoy vaping, if I ever feel a bout of depression coming on, I'll have a cigarette, no questions asked.

Any reduction in smoking is harm reduction. My friend has gone from almost a pack a day (from smoking with ME, because I'm a bad influence), to about 14 a day, and he seems comfy.

If you're looking to reduce the amount of smoking you've been doing, then maybe you should find your minimum on cigarettes and vape the rest of the time for nicotine. I don't know anything about WTAs, so I'm sorry, I can't give you any input on them.

My conclusion is: find your happy place, not someone else's.

This is what I've come to realize. My doctor told me to not suddenly stop smoking if it gives me pleasure, especially if I'm depressed. Luckily I've only been depressed for a year so I can probably get out of it, started a antidepressant treatment a week ago and will allow myself to smoke 1-3 cigarettes a day to feel fine, relying on vaping the rest of the time. Hopefully in time my brain will lose its need for whatever is in cigarettes

 

[Rusty S.]

I wish the medical community would reach out to others who suffer. I'm willing to bet it feels even worse, when the folks who only need the nicotine are handing out inappropriate advice.

Best of luck!

Rusty

 

[Exylis]

This is what I've come to realize. My doctor told me to not suddenly stop smoking if it gives me pleasure, especially if I'm depressed. Luckily I've only been depressed for a year so I can probably get out of it, started a antidepressant treatment a week ago and will allow myself to smoke 1-3 cigarettes a day to feel fine, relying on vaping the rest of the time. Hopefully in time my brain will lose its need for whatever is in cigarettes

Same here, bro. Just not with the guidance of a doctor. I was smoking for the MAOIs, not the nicotine. Figured that out today on my own.

Good luck to you, alex8039! To the rest of you - Happy Vaping!

 

[Rusty S.]

Here's a really good post on carbolines and alkaloids. Pull up a cuppa and your PV, because there's a lot in it.

This explains why I've had a couple of ciggies a day since last Saturday. The weather changed and my brain was suddenly really, really hungry for the goodies it gets out of analogs.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...ne-maois-towards-more-effective-e-liquid.html

BTW: having a couple of analogs a day isn't anywhere close to being as harmful as a PAD. Absolutely no one should be ashamed of having a couple to feed their brain, because having a healthier body isn't worth the pain of depression.

 

[propagandax]

My wife tells me I am generally calmer, more relaxed, and less moody since I switched to ecigs. I tend to agree with her.

 

[Rusty S.]

My wife tells me I am generally calmer, more relaxed, and less moody since I switched to ecigs. I tend to agree with her.

You know, you might be on to something there. What happens if you take MAOIs and you don't need them? I wonder if they have the opposite affect, or agitate the person who's getting them unnecessarily?

I wish I knew, but I'm afraid I have no clue on that one. Something to ponder, though.

 

[The Rebel]

I was big into vaping about a year and a half ago and after spending way too much money chasing the ultimate vape I finally realized that it just wasn't giving me what my body wanted. I could never get away from the morning or before bed smokes with vaping. If I drank, it was worse and I smoked more. I read ton of material regarding MAOIs and alkaloids and figure out that was what I was missing with vaping. I tried the WTA juice without much success. So I went back to smoking full time and kept reading. I ran across a few interesting reads on Swedish snus, alkaloids, and MAOIs which got my curiosity up. As I was doing this research I developed a nasty bout of bronchitis and went to see my doctor. After sitting there listening to him mention things like "borderline asthmatic", "permanent scarring", and "possible tearing of the diaphragm from excessive coughing" I decided I needed to quit once and for all. So he wrote me a script for some Welbutrin and some nicotine gum. I set my quit date and looked forward to ditching the analogs. But I also decided to get some snus just in case. I found a local tobacco shop that sells General brand Swedish snus and bought a few cans. I'm glad I did. Two days into my quit I was ready to kill someone. My wife was annoying me, the kids were under my skin, I wanted to kick the dog every time I saw her. I had headaches and felt like I was in a fog. So I figured I might as well try the snus....

It was like someone turned on the light in a dark room. Within five minutes of popping in my first portion I started to get that old feeling I got when I smoked. I calmed down, felt the craving dissipate, and the fog lift. I had found it. I found what was missing with vaping and it was the same thing that was missing with the nicotine gum. It was the alkaloids in the tobacco that my body had gotten so used to with 30 years of smoking. Except I was getting them in a different way, a better way, a clinically, study proven, egg head reported, safer way than smoking. That was three months ago and I don't even think about smoking anymore. I still get cravings but the snus and gum kill them pretty effectively. I still take the Welbutrin because it seems to help with my mood but I doubt I'll be using it much longer.

Damn, this turned into a novel. I'll wrap it up by saying this, I'm not advertising for snus or anything else. I'm preaching that everyone is different. What works for someone won't work for someone else. Point is to keep trying until you do find your happy place. If you haven't tried it, maybe Swedish snus will give you what you're missing. Below is a couple of links of good reading material on snus. Check them out if you want. Whatever you do, never stop trying.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/smokeless-tobacco/12536-snus-maoi.html

http://www.swedishmatch.com/Documen...the Scientific Literature on Snus 3-31-10.pdf