Techniques for dealing with the eventual OD

[Bellinghamster]

With the super-strength liquids, inexperienced users, and lack of precise dosing equipment, we as e-smokers run a risk of nicotine overdose not typically faced by the average smoker.

Obviously, severe overdose must be addressed immediately and professionally. But for those who just have the shakes, jitters, palpitations, etc from going "just over the line", are there any effective at-home treatments? 7-up for nausea? TUMS for heartburn? Does anything stop my heart from feeling like it's going to jump outta my chest? Or is the only effective treatment to suffer through the [reportedly] 2 hour half-life of nicotine?

I know I'm probably inviting some criticism about personal responsibility here, but I think many of us have gone a little too far even while trying to be responsible...

 

[Bertrand]

Half-life of nicotine in the body is 2 hours. You just need to wait it out.

I honestly don't understand how you would overdose (assuming you are already a smoker.) It gets into your system so quickly that you would notice symptoms early on. Unless you ignore these, and keep on puffing away.

 

[Monroe]

As long as you dont drink it, or spill large quantities on your skin, you should be okay.
The splitting headache from vaping too much nicotine will let you know when you're at the OD point.

If you do drink it somehow, contact poison control ASAP.

If you spill it on your skin, wash off with soap and water ASAP

 

[Bellinghamster]

OD has a lotsa levels for me... starting with "I feel weird" ranging to "burst into flame". I'm not suggesting that severe OD not be treated by a hospital, or that only an idiot might get too much liquid. An overfilled cart can lead to a mouthful of liquid, which can lead to "discomfort"... A purchase of high power liquid for a low power smoker can lead to much the same... Overuse of an extremely "cool" device can lead to ingestion of more nicotine than strictly required to keep withdrawal at bay... Just trying to see if anyone has found ways to cope with that very personal [if short-lived] tribulation.

 

[Bellinghamster]

...and it's quite possible I'm confusing the effects of PG/VG (over-)ingestion with nicotine OD... Seems I can vape 6mg all day long and get palpitations or 6 drops of 36mg during a 10 hour shift and get palpitations... Maybe yours truly has a weak heart or something, but as much as I love [most of] my e-cigs, I still seem to find a way to feel yukkier than I did with analog smoking quite a few days recently [though I smell better!]

I think I'm just dialing in my appropriate doses, but back to topic, what to do when I miss?

 

[Bellinghamster]

My apologies for the "tri-post", but a 2-hour half-life of nicotine seems somewhat unlikely as when I get these "OD"-type symptoms they can last 6-8 hours easily. I can clearly correlate them to e-cig overusage, so I don't suspect some other health issue...

Though the 2-hour half-life does explain the compulsion to smoke [at least!] every 1-2 hours...

...And every time I argue with Science I seem to lose...

Chances are I confusing one thing with another, but the advice of this forum is always valued...

 

[Bertrand]

Yeah, I doubt you were 8 or 16 times past the threshold of overdose. It may take some time for you to feel better even once the nicotine has subsided. Or as you say, it may be something else in the eliquid that's doing it.

 

[Kate]

There isn't a lot you can do after taking a nic overdose apart from stay off nic and wait it out. If you get serious symptoms seek professional medical attention, preventing heart and respiratory failure is the main aim.

Overdose can cause symptoms for a day or two, nicotine metabolises and causes chemical reactions in your body which last longer than blood nicotine levels suggest.

Here are some personal experiences from forum members who ended up in hospital -

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/general-e-smoking-discussion/3579-worst-headache-my-life.html

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/new-members-forum/4115-newb-questions.html

I noticed you've posted on this thread but I'll link it anyway - http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/health-safety-e-smoking/3598-nicotine-safety.html

 

[dc2k08]

would popping a couple of aspirin help in widening your arteries and letting that blood flow ?

 

[Bertrand]

Yeah (but won't help get rid of the nicotine).

 

[ZStyle81]

You should try some no nicotine carts and see if you still gets this reaction. That way you'll at least know if it's the nicotine or the pg/vg...

 

[Kate]

I found this:

* TIME COURSE: Nicotine poisoning typically (but not always) produces toxicity in two phases: stimulation/excitation (early) followed quickly by inhibition/depression (late). Some patient/victims may only exhibit late phase effects. Onset of physical effects is dependent on route of exposure. Early phase findings occur within 15 minutes to 1 hour. Vomiting is the most common symptom of nicotine poisoning. Late phase findings occur within 30 minutes to 4 hours. The duration of symptoms is about 1 to 2 hours following mild exposure, and up to 18 to 24 hours following severe exposure. Death may occur within 1 hour after severe exposure.

* EFFECTS OF SHORT-TERM (LESS THAN 8-HOURS) EXPOSURE: At low concentrations, nicotine causes tremor and increases in heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and level of alertness. More severe exposures cause muscle fasciculations (involuntary twitching), seizures, and abnormal heart rhythms; these effects are followed by multi-system organ depression including slow heart rate (bradycardia), low blood pressure (hypotension), and paralysis of the muscles that control breathing. Vomiting occurs in more then 50% of symptomatic patient/victims. Death may occur, and is typically due to paralysis of the muscles that control breathing, a build-up of fluid in the airways (bronchorrhea), and failure of the heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular collapse).

The Emergency Response Safety and Health Database: Systemic Agent: NICOTINE

 

[TropicalBob]

Back to the original question - what to do? I've OD'd twice by combining a heavy nicotine snus with either pipe smoking (once) or e-smoking. Once you reach the point of no return, there is nothing you can take or do. You won't feel like it. You WILL throw up. That's good; it's one way your body gets rid of poison. But it's worse than just unchucking.

You'll lie on the bathroom floor for at least a half hour. You won't get up to chew a TUMS, swallow a niacin tablet, or dab your forehead with a damp rag. You won't even move. You'll be sweating, then shaking, coughing, then blowing your nose with nearby toilet paper. Then you'll throw up again.

After the second experience, I learned not to combine two heavy-nic substitutes for cigarettes. Cigs never OD'd me. Ever. E-smoking has never OD'd me. But we are each different in nicotine tolerance, so you might OD on just e-smoking. The answer is to keep your blood nicotine at a level where you escape cravings, but don't cross over to an overdose. Only experience will help each puffer find that point.

First clues that OD is starting? Disorientation and sweating. Get up and go visit your bathroom. Fluff up the rugs there. Get comfortable. It's home for the next half hour.

Do be careful with how much you ask your body to handle.

 

[mitzasuro]

I am new to the ecigs (I would smoke a pack of regular cigs a day) I tried the high nic cart and one puff did it for me. I like the feeling of smoke coming out so i switched to medium and i averaged around 4 puffs every hour or 2 then i went to lows and my chest is starting to hurt and my heart would race to i did an experiment and waited 2 hours and tried a no nic cart and no chest pain or racing heart. So now i would only do 2 puffs on a low nic cart and the rest on a no nic cart and that seems to help.

 

[Bellinghamster]

TropicalBob, I'm sure you've been places with nicotine I never want to go. I'm still having weird reactions when I vape [even 0nic], so I've ordered the JC juice [Non-PG] to see if that helps at all. I'm also loading up on the vitamins to get over this stupid cold so that will get out of the mix. Thanks everyone for their ideas and stories of their unfortunate experiences!

 

[Bertrand]

It's a lot easier to overdose if you're ingesting something. It takes a lot longer (15 mins+ as opposed to 10 seconds) to feel the effect so that you can take quite a bit before you realize you've had too much. Smoking is safer in this regard. I don't know how long it takes to absorb through the mouth, though from personal experience it's still quite a while.

 

[lung shui]

I'm suckin on 36mg on my roughstack with an LR if I'm awake. I feel nausea and I don't care. I can't put this thing down. It's better than sliced bread! I try to smoke analogs but they are gross now. I have to be drunk to smoke one. I was always worried I was gonna burn my house down before, now I don't even get it dirty or stinky. I better get some low nic before somebody takes it away. Careful, PVs are too wonderful.

 

[AngusATAT]

Perhaps it's a better idea to either look for threads that aren't two years old to reply in, or even starting a new thread if something more recent can't be found.