How much can i smoke before I am addicted and my base level of dopamine drops?

[Ryedan]

Well guys i've been doing this (vaping about 2-3 days per week at work) for 2 months now. Two weeks ago i took a whole week off...I just didn't feel a need for it that week for whatever reason. And there were no big urges for it.

I'm being pretty careful. Even the days that i do it, i do it from 11 AM to 3:30 PM only (I wont do it before 11 AM because a certain family member works with me until 11 AM, and I won't do it after 3:30 PM because i go home at 5 pm and so i wouldn't get to benefit fully from the effects from it before I go home at 5 pm).


Caffeine doesn't help me at work in the same way nicotine does. The only thing that does is adderall. And I don't have ADHD, so dabbling in that is worse for me in my opinion than nicotine.

Thanks for your concerns and warnings though, they will make me proceed with even more caution.

I also thought you were smoking, not vaping. Good to hear it is vaping.

I smoked for 37 years and then replaced it with vaping. It was tough for a few months but no where near as hard as if I had quit without vaping. In the next seven months I reduced my nicotine intake until I got it to zero. That was not hard for me.

There is no doubt the safest thing to do is to not use nicotine. However, for me, it was not hard to quit vaping nicotine. I have heard from others that they had the same experience and I have also heard from some people that if they could not get juice with nicotine in it they would for sure go back to smoking.

Do please be careful. Taking the occasional week off to gauge yourself is probably a great idea. Let us know how you are doing. Best of luck with it

 

[at0mix]

Try a non nicotine juice

 

[New2Smoking]

I also thought you were smoking, not vaping. Good to hear it is vaping.

I smoked for 37 years and then replaced it with vaping. It was tough for a few months but no where near as hard as if I had quit without vaping. In the next seven months I reduced my nicotine intake until I got it to zero. That was not hard for me.

There is no doubt the safest thing to do is to not use nicotine. However, for me, it was not hard to quit vaping nicotine. I have heard from others that they had the same experience and I have also heard from some people that if they could not get juice with nicotine in it they would for sure go back to smoking.

Do please be careful. Taking the occasional week off to gauge yourself is probably a great idea. Let us know how you are doing. Best of luck with it

Thanks!

And just an update...in October i did about 3 times per week (for a few hours each of these 3 days, at work). Last week i only did it twice.

I just got myself a coffee brewer at work to use as a substitute for the nicotine. I think it'll work. I'm going to try to take this week off from my e-cigs.

 

[Enoch777]

My first few forays into smoking were much the same. Head rush is one helluva ride. The stress relief? Words can't describe!

Let me just say, I'm a very careful person. Safety is #1 in all things. I also study herbalism, medicine, anatomy, biology. I'm quite familiar with the basic principles. My first year of being a smoker was child's play. One cigarette every other day, often longer. Just for the buzz. An after dinner treat, if you will.

But as others have stated, once you've gotten that far it already has its claws in you. Fast forward a year or two and I was already up to 3+ cigs a day. I stopped getting the buzz unless I took a long break, which I didn't do often. I found myself smoking just for the stress relief and ritual of it, and not much else.

I managed to stay under a quarter a pack a day for 8 years, though even as careful as I was, I'm quite addicted. If you're worried about getting addicted stop now and forget about it. Put it out of your mind and focus on healthier alternatives. Exercise. Meditation. Spending time with family & friends. All of these and much more beat becoming truly addicted where going several hours without means palpitations, anxiety, ornery-ness, etc

I truly take to heart the motto "All things in moderation." I believe it to be one of the few keys to finding balance and happiness in this life. When it comes to smoking, this rule does not apply. Trust me. Been there. Done that. Doesn't work.

Best luck to you friend, may your feet find the path they are mean't to travel...

 

[Evi|grin]

Most of us started for the "aaahhhhh" feeling and ended up doing it to feel normal. I would give anything to go back in time and stop myself from taking that first drag. Now i vape to keep from going back and it works.

I can not comment on starting vaping nicotine without smoking first. Nicotine is addictive but analogs have even more addictive attributes than just nicotine. I have no idea how addictive vaping nic will be for you or me. Since i do not know, all i can recommend is to avoid any addictive substance you "think" you need to feel "normal".

 

[Moedog]

Wow, I've tried to resist, but I just have to chime in on this. First, there are those of us who find nicotine to be beneficial. Though the research has been suppressed, it has been proven that it is helpful for ADD and ADHD individuals, without the use of more harmful drugs. It is an aid to concentration and clear thinking. Not all of us started smoking for the "cool factor" or due to peer pressure. Having said that, if you continue to use nicotine you probably will become addicted, though its a fairly long process. Only you can decide if the benefits are worthwhile. For myself, I enjoy vaping and have no reason to stop, therefore I'm good. My advice to many who have responded above is you should quit vaping immediately rather than continue something you obviously hate.

 

[PNW Rider]

i have been smoking for a little less than one year and i didnt have to smoke per se but if i did i would go to the reservation and pay 60 dollars for a carton of marlboro smooths that would last me only about 1 month or a little more. when i bought my first vape setup i had gone 7 days without a cig and REALLY wanted to go buy a pack while waiting for my package to come. i didnt tho and now im a happy vaper.

 

[swim]

dont smoke drugs are bad mmmmmkay

 

[Enoch777]

Wow, I've tried to resist, but I just have to chime in on this. First, there are those of us who find nicotine to be beneficial. Though the research has been suppressed, it has been proven that it is helpful for ADD and ADHD individuals, without the use of more harmful drugs. It is an aid to concentration and clear thinking. Not all of us started smoking for the "cool factor" or due to peer pressure. Having said that, if you continue to use nicotine you probably will become addicted, though its a fairly long process. Only you can decide if the benefits are worthwhile. For myself, I enjoy vaping and have no reason to stop, therefore I'm good. My advice to many who have responded above is you should quit vaping immediately rather than continue something you obviously hate.

As well as reduce alzheimer's risk.

The fact that other's have warned the OP about it's addictive nature is because he/she has claimed to be very new and using it as an a stimulant to stay focused/awake. But still it remains it is addictive and has a high rate of abuse among users. That red flag has nothing to do with how anyone came about their hobby in the first place. I assume many, if not most, of the vapers on ECF know quite well that A.) They like their nic, B.) They're okay with continuing to vape. Myself included.

Yes, nicotiana tabacum is a rather wonderful nightshade herb with some amazing properties... and yet there's a reason they don't sell it as a "study aid."

 

[Saltraker]

Stop smoking. No good can come from it...but there can be a lot of bad. Stop.

 

[blondeambition3]

I would suggest stopping completely and never smoking again but thats just my humble opinion.

Trust me I've been there your on a slippery slope get off before its too late.

This is EXCELLENT ADVICE! .....

The fact that you started this thread is already indicating a predisposition to addiction, so why flirt with disaster?

just don't smoke. period.

 

[New2Smoking]

Thanks for the warnings guys, but i am choosing to still stick with it for 2 times a week (for 4 hours each day) or so at work, and also about once every two weeks i go out to party and i'll bring my e-cig with me...it helps to keep the alcohol away.

I've never really had any urge for it besides at work (or like I said, when im partying with people and i don't want to drink a lot of alcohol).

 

[Bill Oso]

Going against the grain here, but what about it being the OP's body and the OP's choice to decide starting to use nicotine or not? I recall a recent thread here on the ECF about addiction; the conclusion being that it is a personal, moral and philosophical decision whether to continue the addiction or not. If you're comfortable with it, fine. If you're uncomfortable with it, then quit. If you're uncomfortable and can't quit, then keep trying - you can find solace in the fact that you are making an effort to do what you feel is right.

Interestingly, I have read that more than 1 in 10 people (31 million) in the US are taking antidepressants. Doctor prescribed so it's okay, nothing to feel bad about. But making a personal decision for your own body to use nicotine, a naturally occurring chemical found in the same family of plants as tomatoes, and most feel ashamed.

 

[Giant Squid]

Like you, I also use nicotine for work. I'll sometimes vape multiple days in a row but when I feel my tolerance increasing I'll take a few days off to bring it down again. I don't find nicotine to be addictive, and there's some scientific evidence that pure nicotine is much less addictive than whole tobacco, but remember that there's a large genetic component to addiction. Most people here are ex-smokers, and anybody who smoked heavily despite knowing the risks probably had higher susceptibility to addiction than normal. Maybe that's the case for you, maybe it's not. I fully support your right to use nicotine, but be aware of the risk you're taking.

 

[Moedog]

This is EXCELLENT ADVICE! .....

The fact that you started this thread is already indicating a predisposition to addiction, so why flirt with disaster?

just don't smoke. period.

Sorry, I've never considered vaping to be a "disaster." I enjoy vaping (with nicotine) and consider it to be beneficial with small risks.