Not convinced nicotine is needed

[yzer]

I went from 2.5 ml per day of 15 mg nicotine juice to about the same amount of zero nicotine juice last fall after I had surgery for a broken leg. I didn't feel any withdrawal symptoms at all from the lack of nicotine. I must admit though I was taking a prescription for Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen for pain for two weeks after surgery and that may have taken the edge off withdrawal symptoms.

I stayed on zero nicotine vaping for a month. I lost interest in vaping fast and didn't see much reason to do it anymore. I was down to about .5 ml per day after a month.

I returned to vaping nicotine after passing the 30-day mark. After using nicotine for 36 years I didn't feel like my mind was working as sharply as it should without nicotine. I had the same problem a couple of times before when I quit smoking and returned to it.

From what I've heard from other ex-smokers the mind will return to working normally again without nicotine but it can take a lot of time. Like several months to a year or more. I'll probably cut my levels of vaped nicotine down gradually to achieve this goal.

 

[oxidus]

I wish I could favourite that post So where do you think our e-cig nicotine would lay in the addictive range? Freebase sounds nasty, I hope that can't be added to e-juice.

Also, pardon the lack of knowledge, but I thought amonia was a base? around 10 on the PH scale I thought.

 

[treehead]

I went from 2.5 ml per day of 15 mg nicotine juice to about the same amount of zero nicotine juice last fall after I had surgery for a broken leg. I didn't feel any withdrawal symptoms at all from the lack of nicotine. I must admit though I was taking a prescription for Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen for pain for two weeks after surgery and that may have taken the edge off withdrawal symptoms.

I stayed on zero nicotine vaping for a month. I lost interest in vaping fast and didn't see much reason to do it anymore. I was down to about .5 ml per day after a month.

I returned to vaping nicotine after passing the 30-day mark. After using nicotine for 36 years I didn't feel like my mind was working as sharply as it should without nicotine. I had the same problem a couple of times before when I quit smoking and returned to it.

From what I've heard from other ex-smokers the mind will return to working normally again without nicotine but it can take a lot of time. Like several months to a year or more. I'll probably cut my levels of vaped nicotine down gradually to achieve this goal.

This is completely true, my father actually first pointed this out to me, and then I experienced it. He said the exact same thing as you, he lost some mental sharpness and actually felt a little depressed after quitting cold turkey. Which totally makes since because nicotine is a great stimulant, and is very similar to the acetylcholine in it's effects and structure, and one of the reasons for alzheimers (or lack of focus/cognition) is not enough acetylcholine in your brain. Acetylcholine is actually used to "perk up" the brain if someones experiencing memory problems, cognition speed, and just overall function.

Nicotine is very similar to acetylcholine, which is pretty much a naturally-occurring compound that serves as a transmitter of nerve signals (a bridge that electical pulses cross over). Nicotine binds to those nerve receptors and makes nerve cells fire more frequently. Nicotine has a terribly dark, addicting side, but if you use it in moderation (like us vapers usually do ) it can really improve your brain (just like caffeine can).

It's used to help: Alzheimers, depression, increase circulation & blood vessel growth even (it just "pressurizes" your bloodstream, nothing fancy), and even prevent stomach ulcer flare-ups lol. But the biggest thing it does is promote the neurotransmitters that accept dopamine, and serotonin, which really improves quality of life for most people, they are pretty much what makes life worth living (in moderation).

(It's funny you said that because I broke my femur and tib-fib rock climbing, and the painkillers made the cigarettes way more effective (they felt 10x stronger and nicer too go figure), so I took that chance to immediately try vaping and go as low as I could comfortably while on the oxy's, and it still felt good while I was "quitting". Just break your leg guys, it's the easiest way to quit. Just kididng, that's not right.)

 

[treehead]

I wish I could favourite that post So where do you think our e-cig nicotine would lay in the addictive range? Freebase sounds nasty, I hope that can't be added to e-juice.

Also, pardon the lack of knowledge, but I thought amonia was a base? around 10 on the PH scale I thought.

Your right, I mis-typed sorry (all that acid talk and my fingers just typed it lol), it is basic. But it still strips the protons off, to make it closer to your lungs acidity. I'd say our e-liquid is (definitely ALOT less addictive) somewhere around 1/4 as addictive, really if freebase nicotine was added to our e-liquid that would just be a way to lower the dose (because your body & brain can accept it better), that's how the FDA makes it ok as far as I know.

But freebase nicotine isn't too scary, I know it sounds terrible , reminds me and others I'm sure of someone burning a spoon with a lighter. It's just nicotine already de-protonated (yes that's a word lol) to increase it's bio-availability. Our vaping juice has good'ol natural nicotine extracted from tobacco in it's positive protony form that's relatively hard for the lungs to absorb. Freebase: nearly all gets absorbed by the lungs, Natural: It's kind of a gamble depending on how your lungs de-protonate the nicotine, some maybe easily accepted, some may never be absorbed, and it's usually the same with scientifically extracted nicotine, it's not like one bottle of juice will be extra strong or weak.

I'd like the idea of freebase nicotine in the e-liquid as long as the companies don't abuse it to get us hooked. In an ideal world, less nicotine would be put in the juice because it all get's absorbed evenly. Where the tobacco companies go wrong is they take the plant with nicotine already in it, throw ammonia to make the plants nicotine more bio-available, AND THEN the add the freebase nicotine. (That's alot of nicotine improving, too much as all smokers know.)

 

[patkin]

I don't inhale and am fine with what gets absorbed by my mouth and nose.