Scary anxeity and I don't know why...

[510guy]

It's been a long while since I posted with the anxiety issues with vaping. About two weeks ago I went to the ER again because I was having a non-stop feeling of being sucked into another reality (Vertigo, I guess). When going in the ER I had the shakes so bad that I felt helpless and was crying because I wanted to know what the hell this was from. My wife helped me go in the hospital and they put me in the wheel chair. I was situated and they took blood to see if anything was out of the ordinary,Ekg was fine. Couldn't stop shaking for the life of me, I was terrified that I was passing away. blood work came back perfect,nothing to worry about there according to the doctor. Finally he came to the conclusion that it was anxiety BUT it was brought on by "Atypical Migraine" which he gave me a list of symptoms that "Atypical Migraine" has and sure enough all those symptoms I was having matched up rather well. After that statement I was injected with liquid ativan (amazing stuff) and was sent home in which I passed out before my head hit the pillow.

I thought I would update on my situation for those who had concerns. My next step is trying to get on some sort of government assistance and see a doctor and get on something for the Atypical migraine and possibly see if it's best that I get put on a benzo to keep the symptoms of anxiety at bay though.

Finally I have to state something when it comes to vaping. The juices in the Oklahoma city are poison (namely Creative vapor and vapor Express). The reason I state this is I've tried PG dominant juices and I get those nasty feelings of anxiety,Vg dominant juices give me the feeling of "oil Pneumonia". The only juice I NEVER had a problem with was [edited] but right now I am completely broke and going through withdrawl. I hope to get some juice from there after the 3rd of the month so that I may satisfy my nicotine craving. Which is what could be bringing on atypical migraine as I couldn't vape when feelings of anxiety with the migraine were running rampant.

 

[Frenchfry1942]

My first thought was stress. Just my first thought and I am not a doctor. I wouldn't stop vaping because that would probably exasperate it. I know it messes with me if someone takes my security blanket away...

 

[pianoguy]

Best of luck to you! My wife went through something similar last year - she seemed to develop some kind of intolerance to the liquid she was using (after nearly 3 years of using it). We're not sure if it was a change in the flavoring, the PG/VG ratio or what, but she had anxiety attacks similar to what you describe. She wound up switching to 6mg White Cloud Fling Mini disposables and hasn't had a problem since.

 

[Racehorse]

Next month when going to the vape juice vendor I will get it knocked down to 6 mg to see if that brings any change. Now if that doesn't work I guess I'll just have to quit .

Does this only happen when you vape? Does it only happen when you use nicotine (you mentioned having to give up smoking due to a similar feeling).

you can "knock down" your nic by just buying some VG at walmart or other store, just cut it 1/2 and 1/2.....yes it will deplete the flavor but it will work for you experiment to 6mg.

nicotine is a vasoconstrictor, so you should probably have this checked out.

Believe it or not vaping doesn't deliver nic the same way as a cig, you actually are getting less, it may be perfectly "comfortable" to just move to very low nic or even ZERO nic. You can certainly try vaping some of the VG you buy, by itself, and see it you get the same head rushes that are making you weirded out. That would be another experiment ot try while you are looking into finding a doctor

One more thing: did you happen to change flavorings at all? A lot of people are allergic to certain flavorings!

 

[510guy]

Does this only happen when you vape? Does it only happen when you use nicotine (you mentioned having to give up smoking due to a similar feeling).

you can "knock down" your nic by just buying some VG at walmart or other store, just cut it 1/2 and 1/2.....yes it will deplete the flavor but it will work for you experiment to 6mg.

nicotine is a vasoconstrictor, so you should probably have this checked out.

Believe it or not vaping doesn't deliver nic the same way as a cig, you actually are getting less, it may be perfectly "comfortable" to just move to very low nic or even ZERO nic. You can certainly try vaping some of the VG you buy, by itself, and see it you get the same head rushes that are making you weirded out. That would be another experiment ot try while you are looking into finding a doctor

One more thing: did you happen to change flavorings at all? A lot of people are allergic to certain flavorings!

The "weirded out" feeling is usually when I vape then when I'm not. Sometimes Just ONE drag of PG dominant juice will send my heart into racing mode and other times it doesn't. As stated I did buy VG dominant juice (60 vg\40 pg) and got this ridiculous feeling in my lungs,the first night it felt like I wasn't getting any air at all and after that felt like I was getting pneumonia so I scrapped it. My wife can vape any flavor,any strength any vendor and be totally fine. With me it's hell! I get either chest cold symptoms OR feeling next to death anxiety. I never changed flavors but I have changed vendors. I used to get my juices from an online vendor and never had a problem with juices at 18 mg but the local stuff has been scaring the $*%* out of me in terms of sensations.

My goal is get some low nic juice from the online vendor I bought from and hope that I can vape again otherwise...My life is going to be a rough ride.I know I don't need nicotine to survive but it helps curb those feeling of popping off at people that are either stupid or are willingly ignorant.

 

[Racehorse]

The "weirded out" feeling is usually when I vape then when I'm not. Sometimes Just ONE drag of PG dominant juice will send my heart into racing mode and other times it doesn't. As stated I did buy VG dominant juice (60 vg\40 pg) and got this ridiculous feeling in my lungs,the first night it felt like I wasn't getting any air at all and after that felt like I was getting pneumonia so I scrapped it. My wife can vape any flavor,any strength any vendor and be totally fine. With me it's hell! I get either chest cold symptoms OR feeling next to death anxiety. I never changed flavors but I have changed vendors. I used to get my juices from an online vendor and never had a problem with juices at 18 mg but the local stuff has been scaring the $*%* out of me in terms of sensations.

My goal is get some low nic juice from the online vendor I bought from and hope that I can vape again otherwise...My life is going to be a rough ride.I know I don't need nicotine to survive but it helps curb those feeling of popping off at people that are either stupid or are willingly ignorant.

Well first, you are going to have to figure out if the problem is:
PG
VG
flavorings
nic level

But since you say you also had problems w/smoking, you may be a candidate for a different harm reduction method, depending on which of the above-listed things is giving you problems.

The other possibility is to vape and NOT INHALE. A lot of people don't. Most of the time I don't anymore. The tissues in your mouth/nose (if you blow it out your nose) will absorb a decent amount of nic you know.

 

[BigEgo]

I been vaping since 2009 because I would be an off and on smoker due to all the stresses life can bring us. Vaping has changed my life for the better and allow me to enjoy life and keep nicotine a part of it (Much like coffee drinkers enjoying their caffeine). Recently however something has reared that's been affecting my life so badly that I can't help but think I am dying or close to death that any day I will pass away and the cause will be unknown. Of course I'm talking about Anxiety. Now it's strange. Mainly people who have anxiety claim their heart beat is what causes them to panic. My situation is far different it's more of a "head" sensation. See what happens when I vape I get a burning sensation on the sides of my head to the dome of it. These issues would happen when I smoked Tobacco cigarettes back when I was 16...it was so bad I had to quit.

I had my heart checked and it appears fine but I haven't had blood test or an MRI done in sometime because don't have the insurance,doctor or money to get those checked out. When having these sensations I feel like I am being sucked out of reality or I am at the brink of oblivion and it's a SCARY sensation. I NEVER had these feelings with E-cigs before. Was at 18 mg and I usually vape about 5 puffs every 20-40 mins Now vaping 12 mg and STILL getting those nasty feelings. I would hate to give up vaping but it looks like it's something I may have to do. what do you guys think...Should I give up nicotine altogether? Withdrawl makes it worse (having quit cigarettes I know all too well about that). As I stated I vaped for years with no problem or issues but now it's affecting me in a way that I can't enjoy E-cigs,life or anything and it's frustrating to feel like this everyday, It's not the attack that's troublesome but the symptoms. Thoughts?

I am not a doctor, but I am someone who has dealt with anxiety attacks for about 10 years now. What you are experiencing seems to be what they call derealization. I have experienced it too and it is the scariest thing you can imagine. I have had spells where I had to go to the ER because I thought for sure I was having a heart attack or some other dreadful disease that was killing me. The ER staff thought I was on psychadelic drugs because of the way I was acting (shaking, moving around, breathing really fast, etc.). They were surprised when my urine showed no signs of any drug use. They told me that I was suffering from panic attacks. Panic attacks are not dangerous at all, but they are pretty darn frightening.

Anxiety can mimic all sorts of physical disorders. Lots of people get a racing, pounding heart, feel feint, get nauseous, have pounding headaches, get sweaty, get chills (shakes), hyperventilate, shortness of breath etc. You can also have pains (I get neck and chest pains, which again are symptoms of heart attacks), but you can also have pains just about anywhere. Just about any physical symptom you can imagine can be caused by anxiety.

The pernicious thing about anxiety is we are never satisfied. We always feel like the doctor has "missed something" and we feel that we really do have some sort of grave physical illness. I am that way and have talked to many other people who tell me the same thing. We have a tendency to become hypochondriacs and go visit all sorts of doctors and specialists. I have talked to people who have had every test known to medical science, and multiple times.

Panic attacks cannot be diagnosed until they have ruled other stuff out (EKG for heart, blood tests, etc). So I would consider going to a doctor and letting him know what's going on. If you have no insurance, you can probably find clinics for people with no money who will take patients. Also, it is against the law for an ER to refuse treatment because of a lack of insurance. If you feel really bad, I would recommend going to the local ER. They will usually work with you on setting up reasonable payment plans (my hospital has a charity program where rich people donate for the needy).

Nicotine can facilitate panic attacks. When I stopped smoking I noticed quite a bit of relief (I also began exercising which helped even more). It may be that you will have to give up nicotine all together. Same for caffeine. I have replaced all of my sodas with caffeine free variants and if I drink tea, I always drink decaffeinated. Same with coffee. Basically any "stimulant" is a bad idea, as anything that can increase your heart rate is a no-no. Not because it is dangerous, but because when my pulse increases, I start getting nervous, which then leads into a terrible state of worry and then full blown anxiety. A lot of people have told me the same thing. It's all a mental thing.

SSRI's help long-term with panic and anxiety, but they can take 4-8 weeks to start working. Benzodiazepines (Valium, Xanax, ativan, klonopin) help short-term, but they are addictive and have side-effects. Most doctors are very, very hesitant to prescribe them (not to mention they are a highly controlled substance by the government due to the fact they are so popular on the "street." But they can be very effective in a pinch.

As for vaping, I also have weird side-effects as well. Mine tends to be red eyes. If I vape in a closed room, my eyes get blood-shot. I have noticed my right eye is always worse. I then figured out that I usually use the PV on the ride side of my mouth, which means the vapor is more likely to hit my right eye. I am not sure if it's the PG, VG or flavoring, but I am definitely sensitive to something in the vapor. I also get a tight chest and shortness of breath with some juices. Again, I am not sure if I am getting too much nic or if the juice itself is causing it. But, then again, I have bad anxiety and it is always hard for me to differentiate what is anxiety and what is "real."

But it's impossible for anyone to diagnose over the internet (especially considering none of us are doctors). Your best option is to find a way to see a doctor and tell him/her what's going on. Good luck to you.

(And, yes, ativan is amazing stuff, especially when injected. Problem is, it is highly addictive and the withdrawal symptoms are as bad as ....... You will find that a lot of doctors won't give it to you, no matter how bad your anxiety is. I have encountered doctors like this, mainly because a lot of people will fake symptoms just to get a fix).

 

[510guy]

I am not a doctor, but I am someone who has dealt with anxiety attacks for about 10 years now. What you are experiencing seems to be what they call derealization. I have experienced it too and it is the scariest thing you can imagine. I have had spells where I had to go to the ER because I thought for sure I was having a heart attack or some other dreadful disease that was killing me. The ER staff thought I was on psychadelic drugs because of the way I was acting (shaking, moving around, breathing really fast, etc.). They were surprised when my urine showed no signs of any drug use. They told me that I was suffering from panic attacks. Panic attacks are not dangerous at all, but they are pretty darn frightening.

Anxiety can mimic all sorts of physical disorders. Lots of people get a racing, pounding heart, feel feint, get nauseous, have pounding headaches, get sweaty, get chills (shakes), hyperventilate, shortness of breath etc. You can also have pains (I get neck and chest pains, which again are symptoms of heart attacks), but you can also have pains just about anywhere. Just about any physical symptom you can imagine can be caused by anxiety.

The pernicious thing about anxiety is we are never satisfied. We always feel like the doctor has "missed something" and we feel that we really do have some sort of grave physical illness. I am that way and have talked to many other people who tell me the same thing. We have a tendency to become hypochondriacs and go visit all sorts of doctors and specialists. I have talked to people who have had every test known to medical science, and multiple times.

Panic attacks cannot be diagnosed until they have ruled other stuff out (EKG for heart, blood tests, etc). So I would consider going to a doctor and letting him know what's going on. If you have no insurance, you can probably find clinics for people with no money who will take patients. Also, it is against the law for an ER to refuse treatment because of a lack of insurance. If you feel really bad, I would recommend going to the local ER. They will usually work with you on setting up reasonable payment plans (my hospital has a charity program where rich people donate for the needy).

Nicotine can facilitate panic attacks. When I stopped smoking I noticed quite a bit of relief (I also began exercising which helped even more). It may be that you will have to give up nicotine all together. Same for caffeine. I have replaced all of my sodas with caffeine free variants and if I drink tea, I always drink decaffeinated. Same with coffee. Basically any "stimulant" is a bad idea, as anything that can increase your heart rate is a no-no. Not because it is dangerous, but because when my pulse increases, I start getting nervous, which then leads into a terrible state of worry and then full blown anxiety. A lot of people have told me the same thing. It's all a mental thing.

SSRI's help long-term with panic and anxiety, but they can take 4-8 weeks to start working. Benzodiazepines (Valium, Xanax, ativan, klonopin) help short-term, but they are addictive and have side-effects. Most doctors are very, very hesitant to prescribe them (not to mention they are a highly controlled substance by the government due to the fact they are so popular on the "street." But they can be very effective in a pinch.

As for vaping, I also have weird side-effects as well. Mine tends to be red eyes. If I vape in a closed room, my eyes get blood-shot. I have noticed my right eye is always worse. I then figured out that I usually use the PV on the ride side of my mouth, which means the vapor is more likely to hit my right eye. I am not sure if it's the PG, VG or flavoring, but I am definitely sensitive to something in the vapor. I also get a tight chest and shortness of breath with some juices. Again, I am not sure if I am getting too much nic or if the juice itself is causing it. But, then again, I have bad anxiety and it is always hard for me to differentiate what is anxiety and what is "real."

But it's impossible for anyone to diagnose over the internet (especially considering none of us are doctors). Your best option is to find a way to see a doctor and tell him/her what's going on. Good luck to you.

(And, yes, ativan is amazing stuff, especially when injected. Problem is, it is highly addictive and the withdrawal symptoms are as bad as ....... You will find that a lot of doctors won't give it to you, no matter how bad your anxiety is. I have encountered doctors like this, mainly because a lot of people will fake symptoms just to get a fix).

Thanks for all that you stated here. I quit vaping because of how bad it made me feel and I am back to feeling on edge all the time. I still get anxiety BUT the sensations aren't nearly as bad. I will truly miss vaping as I loved it. Now when I try to vape my lungs get irritated and can't just be blowing money on trying all these vendors and juices. I vaped since 2009 and was alright until I worked at walmart in 2013, the stress of the job and coming home to even more (I had no peace)stress just added more to my plate.Never in my life did I expect to feel this bad again but here it is and worse then the time I originally suffered from these. Vaping was nice but when my body disagrees with something then it's time to give it up.

 

[dangkhoa02106]

Congratulation! You are now live in a peace world, you need air, you need anything to live but nicotine. Smoking or alternative way of smoking, of course it is vaping, is just a habit. Just smile and open your heart, try to enjoy what you have and you will be happy. Just go on and be strong, young man.

 

[mel_vin]

As BigEgo, I myself have dealt with my fair share of Panic and Anxiety issues for about 15 years, a lot of which stem with some early child hood stuff. I have been on and off of smoking for the last 10 years or so most recently starting in August of '13 from almost a 4 year run without...sad, but 2013 was real crappy year. Anyway, happy to report that Im almost 3 weeks smoke free now with vaping.

But Anxiety is still there, and Im convinced that vaping CAN contribute to it. Nic levels and flavorings and possibly PG/VG. While Ive been hitting the vape quite hard over the last 3 weeks as I think Ive found my nirvana in terms of Juice vendor and setup I do plan to try and cut it out complete. When I do vape, I try to stay to get as much info on how the liquid is produced, and where is comes from. (I use Rainbow Vapor in Canada, really like their juices). I stay away from exotic flavors and try to stick with natural stuff like spearmint, or apple or tobacco if nothing else. The never ending battle with getting the right throat hit, I use 11MG nic, but it does make me feel "stoned" for lack of a better word if I hit it to much (and have had a panic attach as as result)...The lowest Rainbow sells is 7mg, and it doesnt give the same kick as 11 does (to me anyway). We really dont know what this does to us, but if your predisposed to Anxiety, its a stimulant and can set you off the path (along with the caffeine, lack of sleep). But what I find funny is we all knew smoking was bad, and we continued to do it...Vaping is so unknown, and i know that always at the back of my mind which can set off a panic attack...why cigarettes dindt do this as well, I dont know...I guess because usually its a long term thing before anything bad could happen (although thats not case much anymore) Vaping seems to cause some immediate issues sometimes. I think a big problem with vaping is that people tend to over do it (being guilty of it myself). I mean its just so easy now. I know the claims are you dont get as much nic as you would a cigarette, but Ive also never felt a lot of things from a cigarette than I do from vaping. Im sure there was something in the other 3999 chemicals in cigarettes that would numb the over stimulation of nicotine. Alkaloids?

Here is what someone told me once about Anxiety: Your brain is like a cup. If you are already dealing with a lot of stuff (home life, personal life, professional life, whatever else life etc) your cup becomes full. Anxiety is your cup overflowing with all the BS you happen to be dealing with. I'm a hypochondriac...that plus anxiety, oh boy let me tell you...

I dont like taking drugs (pills from the doc that is and well other stuff too) as I had a bad experience once from taking something for Anxiety (think it was called Clorazapate) which I thought for sure was gonna send me to the nut house. I carry ativan around with me although I have never taken a dose....I guess it placebo, knowing its there in case I absolute need it...I do hear its great tho.

But there are somethings you can do to help keep anxiety in check:

Lots of water...I hate water, but I force myself to drink at LEAST 1 liter a day.

Try to get restful sleep....I have sleep apnea, and that aint always easy (seems my snoring is worse when I vape, more phlemg I guess
from the VG) I have a cpap machine, but rarely use it, cause ya know Im an idiot that way....

Take a multivitamin that has some of the B's in them (B6 or 12 specifically). I know there is lots of debate on the vitamins, but I dont think it can hurt, just dont buy the fancy expensive kind. I also try to use Vitamin D drops too daily.

Chamomile tea is good. I find 1 or 2 a day seems to help if I feel "anxious".

There is this stuff I found online called Natural Calm. its a magnesium supplement. Do some research on Magnesium and Anxiety, you'll be surprised how much you'll find. But be careful. Some people go all out with supplements or herbs, thinking it will fix everything, but there can be to much of something (like caffine or nicotine) that might do more harm than good. (this applies to the vitamins too) I dont take this everyday, but I take it a few times a week, before bed which helps me get to sleep.

Anxiety sucks. Hope this helps you a bit.

 

[Katmar]

Yes, anxiety is an ugly thing. Have been ill with it for over 4 years. The first 2 were horrendous, with constant nausea. Am doing better now, but still no appetite. I think vaping has played a part in my anxiety, yet, I can't imagine being without it. Even thinking about it causes my anxiety to increase. I have learned through the years that the way to recover from anxiety is to willingly accept it and allow it to be there, Don't fight it. This helps desensitize nerves by giving them a chance to rest and recover.

As far as NOT having anxiety while smoking, it was probably because cigarettes have some MAOIs in them which is a known anxiety reducer.

Good luck.