Interesting vaping developments...

[FloridaGeorge]

So... I've been vaping for a little while, around 2-3 months. I've managed to come down with walking pneumonia, which I first noticed when my sputum changed from clear with tiny flecks of brown (all but gone now) to heavy, viscous yellow and neon green globs. At first I thought it was because of how heavy I vaped as it came with a sore throat; though as I became feverish and developed further symptoms I realized it wasn't my PV. vaping proved to irritate my lungs- much as it aids in expelling the brown tar, and so I decided to move to the patch.

This is where it gets weird. Normally I vape 24mg/ml fluid from a variety of sources (Thanks Deena!) and usually do so heavily. To put things in perspective, I'm a former 1.5-2 pack/day Camel Non-Filtered smoker. I have never been able to get past Step 2 (14 mg/day) patches, though even then I'd crave a smoke and cheat. Well, I had a ton of Step 3(7mg/day) patches lying around and so I slapped one on and went about my day. It's been 5 days since I vaped, with no cravings even on the first day. This might seem trivial to many of you here, but I'm shocked. Anyone else experience this or something similar?


Any ideas why?

I should be ripping out my hair and screaming for a smoke, but I'm not. The last time I had pneumonia I made a makeshift .... out of a coke bottle and a straw, placed boiling water with Vicks vapor rub in it and alternated between drags of smoke and the vicks. I'm almost afraid I might be able to kick nicotine altogether.

Any thoughts people?

 

[quasimod]

Quite a few members have mentioned that once they switched to vaping, they could go without nicotine for a much longer period of time than when they were smoking. I've also read that it is much easier to stop vaping.

Maybe you've beaten the game! If so, that's awesome... but keep your kit around in case of emergencies: You don't want a bad day or a weak moment to cause you to pick up those cigarettes again.

Congratulations!

 

[Col. Gaunt]

It might be your liquid also. Many people have gotten allergic reactions etc from vaping PG e-liquid, have you tried vaping VG?

 

[Rosa]

I've been wondering about this myself. I've noticed that I don't vape with the same urgency that I was smoking with. I sort of vape when I want and don't vape when I don't want. If I find myself wanting to vape, I'm not "panicking" about it - but when I smoked, smoking was really an emergency situation and there would be no mental focus on anything else until the smoking occurred! So I wondered if it would be easier to quit vaping than it was to quit smoking (quit without vaping I mean). I bet it would be - I don't want to do it, I'm just theorizing... does this make any sense or am I rambling?

 

[quasimod]

Yes, it makes sense, and Yes, you are rambling.

 

[scheherezade]

I suspect that quitting vaping will be much easier than quitting smoking. I know that I smoked ananlogs daily even with asthma, including through bronchitis and pnemounia. A couple of weeks ago I started coming down with a bug, I'd only been vaping 2-3 weeks at that point. I spent all day in bed and didn't vape until I started feeling better around 9:00 that night. I suspect that their are many other somethings in cigs that keep you addicted as opposed to vaping with just its nicotine. Just my personal theory.

 

[the86d]

I think you might be getting rid of the TAR now that you are not putting any more in. You were a non-filter smoker, so you have been putting MG of tar directly in your lungs for years right? (I was an ultra-light smoker, with filters so I had less MG of tar.)

I hope it's nothing like TB starting(, or something worse). I'd talk to the Doc.

My lungs BURNED for a few days after 2 weeks of vaping and not smoking, I even went to the ER concerned. Like I was shedding the tar layers built up, but I never coughed anything all the way up.

Talk to the doc about the black stuff, man.

 

[philster]

I don't think nicotine is as addictive as all the other stuff they put in cigarettes.
I have friends that quit smoking and went though what they thought were colds, hacking coughs, flu like stuff ....
I truly believe its all the nasty stuff making its way out.
It's a shame they went thru that and then started smoking again.
Hang in there!!!!

 

[harleyrider]

Nicotine is 10 times as addictive as herion! I don't know about all the other stuf in analogs, but I do know one of them, the cowboy brand, put ammonia in the product which had the effect of making it more addictive.

 

[Darkvapor]

I have only been Vaping for around a wk and a half, But i have started to feel alot better already. I have also noticed that i go longer between vapes than i did the analogs. (quit those guys the evening i got my 510). What i have noticed is when i do, i Vape alot! like the atty gets pretty hot! it sucks that you got Pneumonia! I hope i don't get sick or anything but at this point in my life with Vaping now, i want to quit it too before summer starts. and i really feel its possible at this point in the game!

 

[Elapid]

Out of the 4,000 chemicals in an analog, some of them must be addicting on their own. I've heard this too many times for it to be coincidence, almost all of us feel that nicotine isn't the only addictive substance in a cigarette.

 

[quasimod]

[...] i Vape alot! like the atty gets pretty hot! [...]

If you push those attys too hard, they die young. You can alternate between 2 eCigs when you're chain-vaping, so they have more time to cool down.

 

[Darkvapor]

If you push those attys too hard, they die young. You can alternate between 2 eCigs when you're chain-vaping, so they have more time to cool down.

Awesome Tip! i should have thought of that. Thanks!

 

[CaptJay]

Out of the 4,000 chemicals in an analog, some of them must be addicting on their own. I've heard this too many times for it to be coincidence, almost all of us feel that nicotine isn't the only addictive substance in a cigarette.

^^^^ This this this!!
I can vape on zero nic quite happily for a few hours and not get nic cravings. I totally beleive cigs are more addictive due to the other chemicals and that nicotine whilst it IS addictive is much shorter addictive subsatnce - like a radiation half life if you will - than we've been led to believe over the years (Big tobacco lying to us, who woulda thought...)
I'm sure Im more addicted to the ACTION of smoking than the chemicals anyways but sounds like youve kicked that part successfully.

 

[OaklandCA]

as a longtime user of nicotine replacement therapies from the big pharma world i can definitely state that vaping is the best delivery system yet invented for nicotine.

and yes there is something else in cigarettes that is also--if not addictive--pharmacologically active--and which affects mood and brain functioning.

in harm reduction terms my guess is that vaping gives the user a good 75-80% of the experience/habit/zip that analogs do with perhaps 1-10% of the harm.

once the nicotine addiction is isolated from the other elements (by gum lozeng patch inhaler nasal spray or now e-cigs) the user has to compensate for the missing ingredients.

depending on your own personal make-up that might be the oral satisfaction (food works for this), the social ritual, the time alone, the self soothing knowledge that you are giving yourself something you desire etc.

very complex and the tarballs of cigarettes have all kinds of other crap in them--out of the approx 4000 substances that have been catalogued it's without a doubt some have a neuro-physical impact and we can likely get addicted to them.

so IMHO the ecig is the first Nicotine delivery system that also can provide the social, ritual and self caring element in the smoking experience WITHOUT the other active ingredients.

once one has made that transition (which isn't easy for all) then you can take them on one by one. the nicotine delivered in the studies so far has been remarkably (and unrealistically) low. Clearly this delivers nicotine but again IMHO even at 26mg. i am getting far less nicotine than from a pack of newports.

 

[Chief_White_Cloud]

I think this may offer some insight:

"....... the super addictive properties of cigarette smoking come from the addition of MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors). Nicotine raises dopamine levels and MAOIs hinder your ability to clean out excess dopamine levels creating a sort of 'perfect storm' of addiction."

To clarify, "Dopamine is commonly associated with the pleasure system of the brain, providing feelings of enjoyment and reinforcement to motivate a person proactively to perform certain activities. Dopamine is released (particularly in areas such as the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex) by naturally rewarding experiences such as food, sex, drugs, and neutral stimuli that become associated with them."

Now, with e-liquid, all you get is the base fluid (VG or PG), Nicotine and a flavour agent, but no MAOI's like in tobacco. Just to theorise and using common logic, with no MAOI's and just Nicotine the "addictive potential" (from a chemical standpoint) should be less.

With a PV, you still get the Nicotine you crave, you still have the "hand to mouth ritual", but without chemicals causing this "perfect storm of addiction". Sort of seems logical that it *may* be a little easier to give up.

If so.....then maybe the PV IS the perfect tool for the job and banning it's sale is a criminally inept thing to do.

Any Brainiacs out there able to expand on this thread??

 

[G-MAN]

anyone out there got advise for me, my kit is scheduled to arrive today. don't know the first thing about how often i should or should not vap. should i keep some emergency cigs on hand just in case? whats the best approach?

 

[CES]

Hi G-Man,

Welcome! There is a bit of a learning curve that goes with using e-cigs. Some people switch away from combustible cigs with the very first vape. For others it takes awhile - anywhere from days to weeks. As you get used to vaping and find your levels you'll naturally start moving away from cigs- it turns out they taste foul. My advice is to not worry about "quitting" and the stress that comes with it. You'll very likely naturally cut down easily- that's the wonder of these things. I'd also suggest reading the stickies in the new members forum, it'll give you some very good information, and something to do while you wait for the mailman. If you post this question in a new thread along with what you've ordered- you'll likely get all specific advice related to the model that you're getting.

 

[Charmed]

Bless him...lol. He sounds as lost and panic stricken as I did a couple of months ago. This forum holds a wealth of knowledge and experiences, and I have yet to run across anyone who isn't willing to help you with any questions you may have. The advice I have received and the kindness shown to me so far has been incredible. I was prepared and educated so well by the wonderful people of this forum that I was actually able to walk away from analogs cold turkey after 20+ years of two packs a day. I feel better, I certainly can breathe better, I smell better, taste better (see a pattern here?) I have a little extra money in my pocket. Life is good! I may die tomorrow, but it won't be from smoking that's for sure.