New with anxiety disorder and worried with lots of questions, sorry!

[Bageywagey]

Hi all - taking me long enough to find out how to post lol. I'm quite a heavy smoker and have been for 30+ years unfortunately. Lots of friends are now using ecigs and I desperately want to give up my roll-ups BUT:

Have pretty bad anxiety disorder which makes me worry about most things and now ecigs are my new worry! I have high blood pressure and been on meds for quite a few years which bring it to a reasonable level - have read (whilst extensively - too extensively I think - researching all the worrying bits and bobs about ecigs) that people have been known to have big increase in blood pressure when using ecigs. I assume from what I've read that these people are using high levels of nicotine and I only intend to use low or zero cartridges to begin with, so should I be okay? Also read that some people on meds have reduced blood pressure which would be okay as long as it doesn't go too low

Have had a puff on a friend's ecig once or twice which resulted in me feeling jittery - now can't decide if it's the panic which I'm so good at which has caused this or the blood pressure or the ecig itself. I'm annoying myself reading this back so I'm sorry to have to annoy whoever is kind enough to read this but it's so aggravating to know that I'm so scared of smoking now but more scared of the unknown

I have purchased Halo ecigarettes with cartridges btw - are these good as a first step coz I really don't fancy messing with juices and other paraphernalia really.

Thank you and sorry for being a wus

 

[D4rk50ul]

I think you will be fine if you make it past the withdrawal stage. I don't get huge BP spikes unless I chain vape or combine it with tons of caffeine. I was placed on anti anxiety meds due to a work injury and the panic attacks i started having. I had to better control myself when I vape and keep sessions shorter. Now a few weeks later and I'm stable and back to playing the "fill the house with vapor game"

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Bageywagey]

Hi - thank you - I gave up caffeine a few years ago when this first started so that bit's under control. Am I on the uk forum by the way - noticed how many dollars you have saved - well done.

If I ever get brave enough, how do you post a box underneath saying how many days you gave up for pls?

 

[Northmankato]

Hi Bageywagey welcome to Ecf, you will find a lot of support and good information here. Ecigs are not a medical device and you will not find sustained claims that they treat any alignments such as high blood pressure or anxiety. With that said, results will vary as to what each individual finds beneficial about their own experience. As I see it Vaping is just another /newer cracker to deliver my Cheese . I do it to give me the nicotine I crave and avoid all the nasty things that are my smoking habit. If you are so inclined I would say give Vaping a chance, move it into your rotation and see if it works for you. You might just find the smoke and ash no longer a part of your life. It seems you already have a small local support group that you can relate to so that is very good news, you are not alone in the dark on this. As for the low to zero Nicotine comment; I don’t get it? If you really just want to see your breath…Move to Minnnesota, as for me I want to my nicotine.

 

[Bageywagey]

lol, thank you - I know how it sounds and it sounds ridiculous but from what I can gather it's the nicotine which affects the blood pressure and I thought if I could get brave enough to play around with zero and then low, I may be able to advance to a 'proper' smoking experience one of these fine days .... if they sold courage in a bottle or cartridge I'd be well away

 

[Prism]

Welcome Bageywagey . I think you will like vaping and if you start with some nic you might have less withdrawals and thus less anxiety. Maby start with low 12-18mg then cut it down to 8-6 then 2-4. I vape lower mg first thing in the morning and at night because that is when I chain vape. I go higher 12-18 during the day. I was worried when I first started because I smoked 2 1/2 packs a day but as long as I got some nic I was ok.

 

[Robino1]

I wouldn't start at zero to begin with. That WILL make your anxiety spike. Since you are a heavy smoker, I wouldn't even start at low. Try 18-24 mg nic. Even 12mg. When I first started vaping, I purchased several different levels because no one is certain which will be a good fit until you actually try them out.

 

[ginnymoncrief]

Hi Bageywagey,

I too suffer from anxiety disorder. I have a very good friend that also suffers from this disorder. we both have very successfully stopped smoking with the e-cig. For me it was a bit easier and for my friend she still suffers from attacks every now and then. I am not sure about the blood pressure thing though. I know that if you start with a low enough nic juice you should be fine.

What I mean is that if your juice is just the right milligram strength that it should not affect you in any kind of way. If it is too high then I would think that yes it can raise your blood pressure, because nicotine makes your body react the same way that caffeine does.

Just know that you can succeed with an ecig and it may at times be harder for a person with anxiety, but it can be done. It does help to have a support system someone that you can talk with when anxiety is high

 

[suzrus]

I feel like saying "DUH!" I had a problem Saturday night, my first day of ecigs, and I think I overdosed on nicotine; had palpitations and a headache. Now I realize it was from vaping on a 24 mg cartomizer. So, the answer is, get a lower mg for the nights! Yay! Thanks for the suggestion guys.

 

[Steeler Girl]

Welcome Bageywagey! I second the thought of not starting on 0mg. If you have smoked heavily for 30 years you will have a nic fit if you go with 0mg. I woul order 18mg and 12mg. Try both see what works. I find 18 almost too strong but 12 too weak so I mix equal parts and vape 15mg mostly. I wouldn't worry too awful much about the bp because I can't imagine it would raise more from ecigs than tobacco cigarettes. Of course I am not a dr. Good Luck and keep us posed.

 

[Bageywagey]

Thank you everyone for your kind replies - suppose it will be a bit hit and miss to begin with, just don't fancy a session of the jitters but I think I already knew I wasn't doing myself any favours in trying low stuff - all this mixing and whatever is completely beyond me so I suppose I'll need to start with 12mg which is the next one up with the cartridge ecigs - a couple of friends are using an ego c4 and the juice they bought is 11mg (lowest the firm they use sells) .... may try that piece of kit when I can afford it.

Do you think using a cartridge type which looks like a real cigarette is okay for beginners or are they not as good?

By the way, ginnymoncrief I appreciate your comments especially from a fellow sufferer - it's hard enough to deal with without having all this to think about but I'm glad it works for you and your friend.