Chemical Purge to Nic Free

[catilley1092]

Wow....I had no idea this would spur so much intuitive thought lol no offense. It's been stuck in my head for days now pouring over medical journals, figured if I put it to writing, it may be easier to understand. Understanding the basics of addiction, I find the anomaly strange to simple not want to smoke, or vape. Still vape? Yup. I enjoy it.

Perhaps someone who DIY mixes and has someone else in the house that vapes with nic would be willing to do a study? Replace a bottle of the other persons ejuice without their knowledge, with a non nicotine blend, and report the results???

The latter part of your post would be cruel to a fellow human being (w/out their knowledge) & if someone done that to me, just to perform a self study, I would have a severe issue with this.

That's because there's some people, who may have smoked in the beginning to self treat anxiety (this was the deal with me) & I would know fast if a switch was made. Though oftentimes I vape for the flavor, there's other times when it's for the physical need.

No one would be well served by monkeying around with my e-juices & I'll let it go at that.

Cat

 

[klynnn]

I used to control airplanes in high stress situations for many years, the room was smoke filled always. Back then most controllers smoked. Then smoking was not allowed and mistakes began happening of course all of a sudden we had to have buzzers and bells to tell us what we once had to remember. Thank god I'm retired.

 

[zmbgzus]

The latter part of your post would be cruel to a fellow human being (w/out their knowledge) & if someone done that to me, just to perform a self study, I would have a severe issue with this.

Cat

It is purely speculative on my part. As the psychology of the smoker us an integral part of becoming smoke free, knowledge itself, or the lack thereof, are often the largest contributing factors. Because of this, the lack of knowledge would be integral to the experiment. Yes, the increase in dopamine triggered by nicotine keeps us in the fight or flight mode, reducing anxiety and stress chemically. Can these also not be controlled by psychological methods as well? I too deal with anxiety attacks. Have for years. However, with a greater desire to gain control over my body, an understanding of how the afflictions affect me, the more I can eliminate the need for chemical correction. Again, psychological, not so much chemical need.

 

[zmbgzus]

I used to control airplanes in high stress situations for many years, the room was smoke filled always. Back then most controllers smoked. Then smoking was not allowed and mistakes began happening of course all of a sudden we had to have buzzers and bells to tell us what we once had to remember. Thank god I'm retired.

Again, nicotine, or dopamine being the controlling factor? Nic is only the trigger. But, is it the nic that is actually what we're chasing? Or is it truly the scapegoat for a dopamine addiction?

 

[NC_Fog]

First of all...Great Thread!!! I started vaping just over 3yrs ago with 24mg. Within a couple of weeks i was down to 18mg. After a few attempts to lower it further I decided that 18mg was probably the sweet spot for me.

Fast forward to a couple a weeks ago something strange started happening. I started getting nauseous and headaches from vaping. At first I thought maybe that I miscalculated my ratios in my unflavored e-liquid. I tested and it was dead on 18mg. For the next few days the symptoms persisted with every use. I then tried some of the wife's 18mg Spearmint with the same results. For kicks and giggles I cut some of my e-liquid in half(9mg)and BAM!...I was happily vaping again with no symptoms. Now how this came to be still puzzles me. My body was telling me that I was getting too much nicotine. The was no change in equipment during this transition. I just thought that this was just weird to happen like this. I have been happily vaping the 9mg since then with the occasional hit of the 18mg. Has anyone else have this to happen?

 

[zmbgzus]

Yes!!!! That's exactly why I started this thread!!! Once the chemical purge is complete, the body no longer requires nicotine, returns to regulating itself, leaving us with only breaking the psychological dependence of "needing" nic! I started @ 18 mg, staged down to 4 mg, now beginning to mildly feel the onset of the "no nic needed" reaction from my body again.

 

[klynnn]

The nic to me has a calming effect, I noticed when I was unable to smoke I was a bit more hyper not quite able to think as clearly or as quickly as I had to in many situations... which in turn tended to make me more nervous/shaky. I am not sure which it is but they go hand in hand. In my world we were never allowed any medications as it could affect judgement, not even robitussin cough syrup so it's amazing we were smoking and that was okay by today's standards. One thing to note was the aviation safety of the US is the highest in the world for all of those years. We will see what happens in the future.

 

[NC_Fog]

If some day I do ever get down to 0mg, I will still hang on the the 100mg nic base in the freezer just in case. I'm not going to rush anything though. I'll just let it happen sorta like it did two weeks ago. Smoking is not an option!

 

[Gato del Jugo]

I'm down to 0.5mg (yes, half a mg/ml -- less than 1mg).. And believe it or not, I can still feel the buzz..

Just getting rid of the last of my nic.. Looking like I'll be at full-time zero-nic by the end of the week...


I don't think nicotine in e-liquid is as addictive as some people think or like to claim it is -- especially the further you get away from combustible tobacco..

I think the brain needs time to gradually re-pattern itself.. and as it does, you simply need less & less nicotine..

That's been my experience, anyway.. Sounds like it happens to others, as well...


As for quitting vaping? That's a different story..

It won't be happening anytime soon, considering I have like 600ml of zero-nic in 13 flavors on their way..


I'll continue to vape zero-nic for as long as I continue to enjoy it..

I do most likely see myself tapering down at some point to part-time vaping.. Could be months from now, could be years from now..

There's still other things to contend with, like the hand-to-mouth habit, the inhale/exhale thing, watching the vapor swirling & floating about, the relaxation of it all, the flavors, the fun/hobby part of it, the time & boredom killer, the social aspect, etc...

 

[NC_Fog]

The nic to me has a calming effect, I noticed when I was unable to smoke I was a bit more hyper not quite able to think as clearly or as quickly as I had to in many situations... which in turn tended to make me more nervous/shaky. I am not sure which it is but they go hand in hand. In my world we were never allowed any medications as it could affect judgement, not even robitussin cough syrup so it's amazing we were smoking and that was okay by today's standards. One thing to note was the aviation safety of the US is the highest in the world for all of those years. We will see what happens in the future.

This got me to thinking...When I was in school(52yrs old now)I had trouble concentrating and sitting still. There was no testing for any of the ADD or ADHD disorders at that time. The symptoms subsided about the time I was in high school and started smoking. My grades improved dramatically and I was no longer fidgety. The very short temper I had also subsided. Didn't really think about it at the time, however later in life I came to realize that I was self medicating something with the use of nicotine.

 

[zmbgzus]

If my theory is accurate, .5 mg nic still effecting the brain is not surprising. I also have stock in ejuice, mostly supplies. I think that my final step will be selling all of my equipment. New mods coming in 2 days lol

 

[NC_Fog]

If I happen to quit vaping, I'll still hang on to my equipment. I don't want to have a bad day and be caught with my pants down...lol. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy vaping.

Vaping 0mg will satisfy the hand to mouth urge as mentioned above. Once long before vaping I had actually quit smoking for about 2 months with no craving for nicotine. That darn hand to mouth thing drove me right back to smoking. It was as bad as the nicotine dependence itself.

 

[zmbgzus]

That darn hand to mouth thing drove me right back to smoking. It was as bad as the nicotine dependence itself.

Lol agreed! That's why ex smokers in the traditional manner eat so much! I'm not too concerned about picking up new equipment if needed, I buy at really low cost now as it is.

 

[NC_Fog]

Lol agreed! That's why ex smokers in the traditional manner eat so much! I'm not too concerned about picking up new equipment if needed, I buy at really low cost now as it is.

LOL...you must be reading my mind. When I started vaping my appetite went full bore. It was on then. I was eating anything and everything at anytime. I quickly put on about 40lbs. There is definitely something in cigarettes that suppresses the appetite. Last November I started watching my carbs kinda inline with the Carb Cycling Diet. I've lost 51lbs so far without much effort. Mainly just watching what and when I eat. I have about 20lbs more to go.

 

[zmbgzus]

I've just done an immense amount of research is all. The path to understanding is through knowledge. We can not overcome what we don't understand.

With so little actually understood about vaping, one day I'll be happy being able to look back and go "It took y'all 30 years of research to determine the same results that we did in 3 days!"

 

[NC_Fog]

I've just done an immense amount of research is all. The path to understanding is through knowledge. We can not overcome what we don't understand.

With so little actually understood about vaping, one day I'll be happy being able to look back and go "It took y'all 30 years of research to determine the same results that we did in 3 days!"

Very Well Said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[zmbgzus]

I stand firm in my analysis though, that it is in fact dopamine, not nicotine, that people are actually addicted to. Nicotine is the trigger and scapegoat.

 

[NC_Fog]

Results like this are what I'm looking for. I believe that smoking cessation is primarily psychological, less physical need. If so many can break the smoking habit, after near lifetimes of continuance, in a matter of hours, days, etc, with little to no draw backs, would that not indeed further stabilize the theory that becoming nic free after purging the body is almost literally just in your head? I understand that some feel the physical requirement to maintain nic levels long term, but how far does that "need" actually go? Are the commonly recalled symptoms triggered by the knowledge of the absence of nic? How long would it take for low nic vapers to realize that their ejuice actually contained 0 nic without being told? Upon discovery, would they THEN start to show symptoms of nic withdrawal?

Reading back through this thread I thought I might touch on something here. When myself, the wife, and the oldest daughter started vaping(at the same time)there was a slight mishap about 6mos in. I ordered my daughters Camel 18mg as I always did for her. When it arrived I took it over to her without opening the package. About a week later I got a call from her at 1am. She was almost in tears getting ready to go buy a pack of cigarettes. I immediately took some of my 24mg e-liquid over to her house to get her past her little hump. Upon arriving I checked her e-liquid and it was 11mg(very small print)instead of 18mg. So her body did notice the reduction in nicotine. I fixed it for her the next morning.

She like myself began tiring of flavors very fast. We both started vaping unflavored about 18mos. ago and couldn't be happier. She also likes the fact that I'm very careful in making sure that it's done right.

 

[DC2]

Wow....I had no idea this would spur so much intuitive thought lol no offense. It's been stuck in my head for days now pouring over medical journals, figured if I put it to writing, it may be easier to understand. Understanding the basics of addiction, I find the anomaly strange to simple not want to smoke, or vape. Still vape? Yup. I enjoy it.

Perhaps someone who DIY mixes and has someone else in the house that vapes with nic would be willing to do a study? Replace a bottle of the other persons ejuice without their knowledge, with a non nicotine blend, and report the results???

There have been reports of people who forgot to add nicotine to their DIY and didn't even notice.

 

[NC_Fog]

There have been reports of people who forgot to add nicotine to their DIY and didn't even notice.

I wish I could do this for myself just one time and not notice until I was almost finished the whole 500ml. I would be on easy street...lol. It would be kinda hard to forget though with unflavored e-liquid.