Help Quitting - Tips For Hand To Mouth Addiction

[Mowgli]

It's true that caffeine triggers physical nicotine craving.
Caffeine & nicotine use different processes to get their jobs done though.

I copied this from a respected member's post at a public vaping forum.

"Caffeine and nicotine are different in their actions as stimulants. Caffeine is a non selective methyl xanthine phosphodiesterase inhibitor that serves to increase intracellular cAMP (a second messenger). When cAMP is elevated, cells become more excitable. There are two primary second messenger molecules, cAMP and cGMP. cAMP is more prevalent in neurons that lead to behavioral (and brain) excitation (dopamine, norepinepherine, epinephrine, etc), although it is also found in monoamine neurons that are associated with behavioral depression and sleep (e.g., serotonin). So, the stimulant action one sees from caffeine is largely due to hyper-excitation in the excitatory neurons neurons. The reason caffeine causes sleeplessness is because it is acting on the same systems affected by amphetamine and [blow], except with a much lesser overall effect.

Nicotine is a nicotinic acetylcholine agonist. That is, it acts directly on acetylcholine nicotinic receptors where it mimics the effects of acetylcholine. The preponderance of nicotinic receptors are contained in the peripheral nervous system. It is nicotinic stimulation that causes contraction of striate muscles that allow for body movement. The nicotinic receptors on the blood vessels cause constriction. In the brain, nicotinic cholinergic receptors are involved in learning and memory, concentration, and many other processes. The stimulant effects one sees from nicotine is largely due to its net effect on brain systems. It is not a behavioral stimulant the way caffeine is. In fact, nicotine has both activating and sedating properties, but the activation is much less behavioral in nature. The reason that it doesn't interfere with sleep is because of that.

I didn't intend to make this a pharmacology lesson."

 

[Plumes.91]

nice post @Mowgli

you can order AlphaGPC online (it's just choline in a form capable of crossing the blood brain barrier) and it should help with transitioning. Many use it as a nootropic regularly. Might be overkill, though.

I usually increase my caffeine intake to reduce fatigue when quitting. There's no doubt that this produces "wanting" across the board, (not just for a cigarette lol) any stimulant/dopaminergic is going to increase wanting... of course, if your mind is already set on not smoking/vaping, you need to resist indulging in your addiction.

the trick to quitting any drug is reason, mindfulness, harnessing your will, healthy coping mechanism substitution, and a taper structure that coincides with the drugs withdrawal length. one can utilize these 'tricks' for crawling out of depression & battling mental disorder as well.

 

[stols001]

I am not sure that well, all the supplement talk is.... IDK. If you are having major difficulties I'd probably suggest talking to a medical professional first.

Also, there is no magic "cure" for cravings (that I know of) it's also a matter of well, coping with the ones that come. I will say, I do not get the kind of cravings that I used to prior to vaping.

I would also note that prescribing "mindfulness and supplements and fairy dust," as a way to recover from a mental illness borders on negligence in my opinion. Because you don't know what kind of mental illness the person has, and some folks seem to respond better to those coping skills than others, and also if you take the wrong kind of supplement with the right kind of brain illness, well things can get dark fast.

Even if I were to get some sort of "verified" SamE supplement somewhere, and unknowingly took it, I'd be dead or in the hospital in under a week. IF I WAS LUCKY.

So.... yes, these things can be helpful--- in the right set of circumstances, dosages, purity levels under SOMEONE's CARE but not on the internet.

Anna

 

[Plumes.91]

yes I do agree. certainly, know what you're doing before you do it. and never take anything without micro dosing for allergy/ reaction sucsceptability. talking to multiple* professionals is imperative.

I am not a doctor. and when i spoke of "mental disorder" i was more so speaking on the (subjective) manageable end of the definition. if you experience issues bordering on psychosis, or violent-means ideologies, speaking with a medical professional is an imperative, first and foremost.