Drained and Irritable?

[maureengill]

Lately since i starting mainly vaping I have found that I am so tired and irritable lately. I find it harder than usual to get up in the morning and get motivated to go to work as usual. I also feel like my antidepressants aren't working as well as they used to...anybody else?

Maureen

 

[wiscguy]

Well I cant relate to the anti-depressants stuff, but I definitely am more worn down since I started vaping. Dont really know why. Ive tried different milligrams or VG instead of PG, but with the same results. Im starting to think its my living and not my vaping (I work 2 jobs and go to school full time)

Start by changing one thing at a time. First the amount of nicotine. If you see no changes, move on to the next. Changing everything at once wont be good since you cant pinpoint why the change occured. Kinda like a doctor changing your pills one at a time to find the right remedy...........A little long winded I know, but I just had my first class in Research Methods last night so I thought it was fitting lol.

 

[VaporPhreak]

M,

While I actually experienced the opposite, I can explain this. In tobacco there are MAOI's which were likely aiding you anti-depressants. You may want to speak with your doc about this. Let him/her know that you are quitting smoking and are concerned that the anti-depressants you are on currently are not funtioning as well without the MAOI's from the tobacco. He/She may very well up your dosage, or otherwise put you on a new one that will function better in a tobacco free you. Most of all, no matter how bleak the world looks, always remember you have friends here who will be more than happy to listen and help you out! Peace!

 

[BanjoMan]

My wife and I have noticed it's harder to get started in the morning. We both smoked for a looong time, so I'm sure it's going to take some time for our bodies to adjust to the new normal. There's no telling what mixture of chemicals we were inhaling all those years and what affect they were having on us. On the flip-side though, smoking cigarettes also made us feel like crap (it's why we started vaping).

Don't discount seasonal depression. The short dark cold days of winter don't help my mood at all. Try to keep yourself busy... get some exercise, spend some time here reading the forum and keep reminding yourself that things will get better with time.

Shopping for e-cig supplies and new Mods help, too.

 

[Shortstuff116]

M,

While I actually experienced the opposite, I can explain this. In tobacco there are MAOI's which were likely aiding you anti-depressants. You may want to speak with your doc about this. Let him/her know that you are quitting smoking and are concerned that the anti-depressants you are on currently are not funtioning as well without the MAOI's from the tobacco. He/She may very well up your dosage, or otherwise put you on a new one that will function better in a tobacco free you. Most of all, no matter how bleak the world looks, always remember you have friends here who will be more than happy to listen and help you out! Peace!

I could not have said that better myself.

I am on such meds as well and have found that quitting for me gave me more energy both mentally and physically and it almost seems as if I am a "happier" person too. Perhaps internally overjoyed knowing that I've accomplished something (quitting smoking) after 36+ years of a nasty habit and knowing that my future health is definately for the better.

Definately talk with your doc about your vaping. Many doctors only know what they read and hear but from what I've heard, almost every doctor is very supportive of vaping as a method to quit.

I know it's not easy, but I always tell people to "think positive". It works for me.

 

[BlueBloodedCatFan]

I have found myself ready to go to bed much earlier and it harder to get up in the mornings. I am not on any anti depressants or anything, so I can't relate there, and the only thing that has changed is no more analogs. My routine has stayed the exact same, and I think that is why I am going to bed earlier. I have recently noticed that if I go outside for a quick little walk around the parking lot, or something like that at work and breathing in the fresh air, has helped wonders. Anything to change up your normal routine might help.

 

[Madame Psychosis]

I'm sorry to hear it's been harder for you. I experienced slightly different symptoms, but had to change strategies somewhat too.

You may be more sensitive than most to loss of the additional non-nicotine alkaloids in tobacco. I think people like you and I are more liable to have used tobacco as an antidepressant, for which nicotine alone is not a perfect substitute. Without the other alkaloids in tobacco, including the mild (i.e. reversible, unlike pharmaceutical) MAOIs, nicotine can feel unbalanced -- causing anxiety or irritability among other issues.

Talk to your doc(s) about adjustments you can make. Unfortunately some doctors are more enlightened than others. You might just hear "well of course, you're experiencing tobacco withdrawal, it'll pass" in which case I recommend suppressing the counterproductive urge to beat them with a stack of medical journals.

In any case, check out the Other Alternatives To Smoking/Smokeless Tobacco subforum for ideas on ways to get the alkaloids your body is probably missing. (This massive thread involves a lot of discussion among those of us seeking the alkaloids and finding out how to get them.)
Snus for me has lately been a revelation (the mini portions are not too big for a lady ); some people find dissolvables like Stonewall/Ariva work better and more conveniently; others like snuff.

Also, side note: Get your thyroid checked in a full panel if at all possible -- even if you've had that done before. A very small but notable number of people, mostly women, find that hypothyroidism (which can cause fatigue and depression among many other symptoms) reveals itself after they quit smoking, because smoked tobacco is thyrotoxic but actually suppresses TSH (masking hypothyroidism).

Hope you find what works for you!

 

[maureengill]

I'm sorry to hear it's been harder for you. I experienced slightly different symptoms, but had to change strategies somewhat too.

You may be more sensitive than most to loss of the additional non-nicotine alkaloids in tobacco. I think people like you and I are more liable to have used tobacco as an antidepressant, for which nicotine alone is not a perfect substitute. Without the other alkaloids in tobacco, including the mild (i.e. reversible, unlike pharmaceutical) MAOIs, nicotine can feel unbalanced -- causing anxiety or irritability among other issues.

Talk to your doc(s) about adjustments you can make. Unfortunately some doctors are more enlightened than others. You might just hear "well of course, you're experiencing tobacco withdrawal, it'll pass" in which case I recommend suppressing the counterproductive urge to beat them with a stack of medical journals.

In any case, check out the Other Alternatives To Smoking/Smokeless Tobacco subforum for ideas on ways to get the alkaloids your body is probably missing. (This massive thread involves a lot of discussion among those of us seeking the alkaloids and finding out how to get them.)
Snus for me has lately been a revelation (the mini portions are not too big for a lady ); some people find dissolvables like Stonewall/Ariva work better and more conveniently; others like snuff.

Also, side note: Get your thyroid checked in a full panel if at all possible -- even if you've had that done before. A very small but notable number of people, mostly women, find that hypothyroidism (which can cause fatigue and depression among many other symptoms) reveals itself after they quit smoking, because smoked tobacco is thyrotoxic but actually suppresses TSH (masking hypothyroidism).

Hope you find what works for you!

My only concern about trying a SNUS would be that I have problems with my gums...I just got them cleaned by the periodontist and don't want to worry about gum disease again....I can't imagine that snus would be a good option for me. Maybe I'll try one of the Ariva or stonewall tabs.

Thanks,
Maureen

 

[VaporPhreak]

My only concern about trying a SNUS would be that I have problems with my gums...I just got them cleaned by the periodontist and don't want to worry about gum disease again....I can't imagine that snus would be a good option for me. Maybe I'll try one of the Ariva or stonewall tabs.

Thanks,
Maureen

Camel, who make the SNUS most of us in the US see on shelves, also make disolvables in varying forms. The strips I found to be the quickest to disolve but also the nastiest as they cover the majority of the tongue. The tabs I was able to do under the tongue which provided a quicker hit (i can only assume due to the large nerve bundles in the area) but took a while disolve and I ended up having to rinse most of the tab out before it fully disolved. They also make 'sticks' which are basically the strips rolled into a tube. These I think could be easily broken into smaller sticks and used under tongue to solve the issue with tabs, but I quit using the disolvables before trying these. Either way, good M and make sure to talk to the Doc.

 

[Bogalu]

I've NEVER been depressed, and don't know if I am now. All I know is I'm a LOT more stressed then what I was and sometimes if feels like the world is crashing down on me. Constantly worried that I have to do something when I don't. Never felt this way when I was smoking hookah. Will this go away eventually or should I go back to hookah? Or at least enough hookah to get me what I'm missing. Like maybe hookah at night and vaping throughout the day kind of schedule? What do you guys think?

 

[Madame Psychosis]

I've NEVER been depressed, and don't know if I am now. All I know is I'm a LOT more stressed then what I was and sometimes if feels like the world is crashing down on me. Constantly worried that I have to do something when I don't. Never felt this way when I was smoking hookah. Will this go away eventually or should I go back to hookah? Or at least enough hookah to get me what I'm missing. Like maybe hookah at night and vaping throughout the day kind of schedule? What do you guys think?

The answer might be much the same: You're not getting the other stuff in tobacco. You're definitely far from alone in what you're experiencing. Nicotine alone is stimulating but it can be agitating for some people; anxiety and stress were the key early effects for me of quitting smoking and switching to vaping. A bit of snus now takes the edge off, and so far it keeps me from returning to cigarettes; I'm trying Ariva dissolvables next. If you'd like to stay off the hookah, check out the Smokeless subforum here; it might be the answer.

 

[guiltyspark]

Check out my post here: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...9716-off-analogs-3-months-my-experiences.html

Some of the same stuff is being talked about

Ethan

 

[johnny bobcat]

Talk to your doc(s) about adjustments you can make. Unfortunately some doctors are more enlightened than others. You might just hear "well of course, you're experiencing tobacco withdrawal, it'll pass" in which case I recommend suppressing the counterproductive urge to beat them with a stack of medical journals.

Doctors that will tell you this are actually far more enlightened than ones who will give a complicated explanation for several reasons
1) they both amount to the same thing
2) this perpetuates the problem of people always thinking that there is something wrong with them, most people on anti-depressants do not in fact need them at all, they are merely PLACEBOS and the doctors who prescribe them willy nilly should be beaten with a stack of malpractice lawsuits

anyhow thats just my two cents

 

[maureengill]

Doctors that will tell you this are actually far more enlightened than ones who will give a complicated explanation for several reasons
1) they both amount to the same thing
2) this perpetuates the problem of people always thinking that there is something wrong with them, most people on anti-depressants do not in fact need them at all, they are merely PLACEBOS and the doctors who prescribe them willy nilly should be beaten with a stack of malpractice lawsuits

anyhow thats just my two cents

I totally disagree...without antidepressants I wouldn't have cared enough to switch to a pv. Nor would I have cared that cigarettes are killing me. No one can know how it feels to be depressed until you've been there. Does that mean that doctors are overprescribing? Maybe, but maybe they are just realizing that depression is a fact of life for some of us. As unfortunate as that is I am just glad to care about myself enough to try to quit smoking, even though it has been elevating my depression levels.
I'm done flaming now...

Maureen

 

[DaBrat]

For me, for about the first week of vaping, I ha to have my eye-opener ( as other holics call it) it took a minute to switch from cigs to vape first thing. Remeber, you have trained your brain to be dependant on those things and there is more in cigarettes than nicotine that is addictive. Some ingredients act like MAOI inhibitors when heated!

Depression is nothing to play with. Talk to your doctor about switching meds or adjusting your dosage, who knows you may be getting too much since your body can work on metabolizing those instead of all the junk from the cigs!

BTW the dpression and irritability is not odd when you first stop smoking. Remeber you are not getting that instant spike when you vape!

 

[Madame Psychosis]

Doctors that will tell you this are actually far more enlightened than ones who will give a complicated explanation for several reasons
1) they both amount to the same thing
2) this perpetuates the problem of people always thinking that there is something wrong with them, most people on anti-depressants do not in fact need them at all, they are merely PLACEBOS and the doctors who prescribe them willy nilly should be beaten with a stack of malpractice lawsuits

anyhow thats just my two cents

You misread my post and then made a completely incorrect blanket statement.

Tobacco alkaloids act in the brain in a similar way to some antidepressants, and therefore withdrawal should be treated with caution in someone who is legitimately, clinically depressed.

You seem to assume I was suggesting the OP and everybody else should get tobacco withdrawal medicated. No. For people who don't have such issues, medicating tobacco withdrawal may be a poor choice because the downsides/risks outweigh the chance of benefits.

Should we medicate everyday sadness? Of course not. Should people believe they're not responsible for working to improve their own mental well-being? Of course not. I'm sure we agree on those points.

But you made a very clear, very emotional, and very incorrect assertion about their performance.
They aren't placebos. Every antidepressant on the market has outperformed placebo in large, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials of people who were diagnosed with major depression, dysthymia, panic disorder, etc. Psychopharmacology works in those who genuinely need it. If you'd like some pointers on where and how to read the clinical literature on this, I'd be glad to help.

Antidepressants are overprescribed. They're also underprescribed to some who would benefit from them.
That kind of mismatch happens with a lot of chronic illnesses, but most of all with mental illness, where general practitioners throw powerful medication at issues that can't or shouldn't be medicated. So they may do nothing for somebody who just waltzes into their GP's office and gets a Zoloft script for a mood/stress complaint.
Misuse doesn't make pharmacotherapy for depression any less legitimate.

 

[Scottbee]

This is the wrong time of year for me to try and figure out if something else is causing my behavior to be erratic. I have terrible seasonal depression caused by the short term absence of G-string bikini sightings (electronic or print equivalents are a poor substitute and rarely will they cause the symptoms to subside).

My doctor recommended relocating to a warmer climate. My wife said that we're just fine right where we are...... ;-)

 

[heath]

This is the wrong time of year for me to try and figure out if something else is causing my behavior to be erratic. I have terrible seasonal depression caused by the short term absence of G-string bikini sightings (electronic or print equivalents are a poor substitute and rarely will they cause the symptoms to subside).

My doctor recommended relocating to a warmer climate. My wife said that we're just fine right where we are...... ;-)

as a fellow sufferer, I can only offer my support and the knowledge that you are not alone my friend.

 

[Madame Psychosis]

This is the wrong time of year for me to try and figure out if something else is causing my behavior to be erratic. I have terrible seasonal depression caused by the short term absence of G-string bikini sightings (electronic or print equivalents are a poor substitute and rarely will they cause the symptoms to subside).

My doctor recommended relocating to a warmer climate. My wife said that we're just fine right where we are...... ;-)

There are clinics in every city for that, you know. Sadly, they only take cash, no insurance.

 

[maureengill]

There are clinics in every city for that, you know. Sadly, they only take cash, no insurance.

Hey....too bad they don't have those for girls.... ...I don't do girl on girl action. (nothing personal to those who do...as I would consider watching)

Maureen