Vaping for anxiety?

[Keili]

Dealing with a particularly hard year last year, I did a lot of research into how to reduce stress, anxiety and depression. I read a couple studies that showed using a nicotine patch often increased your body's resilience to the hormone that it releases, which also causes you to feel anxious (hence why you get anxious without a nicotine hit every so often). My boyfriend, an ex-smoking has been vaping for a while and I decided to use that instead of patches because they are EXPENSIVE! Anyways I find that since I've started vaping, I'm still able to do cardio and aerobic exercises (I love running!) and I can manage my anxiety and depression without being tempted into anything stronger. This is my introductory/newbie post, haha.

Yay vaping!

 

[bacc.vap]

Hello and welcome. If it works, it works.

 

[BigFatDan]

Dealing with a particularly hard year last year, I did a lot of research into how to reduce stress, anxiety and depression. I read a couple studies that showed using a nicotine patch often increased your body's resilience to the hormone that it releases, which also causes you to feel anxious (hence why you get anxious without a nicotine hit every so often). My boyfriend, an ex-smoking has been vaping for a while and I decided to use that instead of patches because they are EXPENSIVE! Anyways I find that since I've started vaping, I'm still able to do cardio and aerobic exercises (I love running!) and I can manage my anxiety and depression without being tempted into anything stronger. This is my introductory/newbie post, haha.

Yay vaping!

That's the same reason I started smoking and eventually switched to vaping.

Welcome to ECF, Keili!

 

[sawtoothscream]

Helps with mine a little.

 

[Tom Servo]

I tried patches. And gum. And patches again. They never worked.

I think the problem is the way cigarettes deliver nicotine. A smoke is instant gratification, while the other options are a timed-release low dosage.

Vaping allows me to nip the cravings when they happen. In a way, it replicates the instant gratification of smoking.

 

[Butters80]

Nicotine stimulates the release of many chemical messengers such as acetylcholine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, arginine vasopressin, serotonin, dopamine, and beta-endorphin......make you feel good and promotes relaxation. Yes. Keep up your gym routine/cardio but vape when your trying to relax at home.

 

[glointhedark]

My adult daughter and I had quit smoking due to high prices where we lived about 8 years ago. The desire to smoke never left, at least for me, but we were both proud that we were able to quit and stay away from tobacco. About 4 years ago, well after we had quit, there was a lot of stress and anxiety that started building up, and we both wound up getting prescriptions to reduce anxiety. About 3 years ago, the urge to start smoking again was really strong for both of us. Daughter had heard somewhere about ecigarettes. We decided to try them in order not to start smoking again. Boy, did they work. They still do. Daughter and I both experienced reduced needs for the anxiety meds since starting vaping - only need them once in a while instead of almost daily, and we are the happier for it. No cigarette cravings, greatly reduced need for anxiety meds - a win-win situation for us.

 

[Katya]

We do have nicotinic receptors in our brains, don't we?

Welcome to ECF!

 

[Aviz]

You are almost correct.
Nicotine is a dual acting drug - in small doses it stimulates (patch...) and in larger (lets say a cigarette) it relaxes you. it is EXTREMELY effective IMO based on my observations for anxiety.
From Wikipedia :Nicotine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Psychoactive effects[edit]

Further information: Psychoactive drug
Nicotine's mood-altering effects are different by report: in particular it is both a stimulant and a relaxant.[10] First causing a release of glucose from the liver and epinephrine(adrenaline) from the adrenal medulla, it causes stimulation. Users report feelings of relaxation, sharpness, calmness, and alertness.[11] Like any stimulant, it may very rarely cause the often ...

What is a high dose? I have no idea. I assume it is individual.

Regarding the price of patches - The BEST and Cheapest place to buy them is Walmart: their Equate brand is half the price of brand names, and if you look at the patch inside it is made by NOVARTIS which is a very reputable pharmaceutical company. I have used them for years and they work great, although I personally did not use them for anxiety.

And anyway, why waste money on patches when you can enjoy a vape? if you are not a smoker, skip the throat hit and geta 20/80 (80% VG), I found it works well for those (such as myself) who were on patches and do not crave the "throat hit".

 

[Keili]

That is fabulous information! Thanks so much! Some people never believed me, others (usually ex-smokings or vapers) totally get it. My anxiety makes me feel helpless and restless and going out for a vape makes me feel like I am being constructive and have control over it! I thought it might just be a palcebo affect for a while but I'm glad to know there's more credible evidence towards it than that.

 

[Johnnie Price]

I've been using nicotine to self-medicate for over 16 years now for stress/anxiety and bi-polar issues. Vaping just tastes better.

 

[stylemaster2001]

My adult daughter and I had quit smoking due to high prices where we lived about 8 years ago. The desire to smoke never left, at least for me, but we were both proud that we were able to quit and stay away from tobacco. About 4 years ago, well after we had quit, there was a lot of stress and anxiety that started building up, and we both wound up getting prescriptions to reduce anxiety. About 3 years ago, the urge to start smoking again was really strong for both of us. Daughter had heard somewhere about ecigarettes. We decided to try them in order not to start smoking again. Boy, did they work. They still do. Daughter and I both experienced reduced needs for the anxiety meds since starting vaping - only need them once in a while instead of almost daily, and we are the happier for it. No cigarette cravings, greatly reduced need for anxiety meds - a win-win situation for us.

Glointhedark, my story is pretty similar to yours. I had quit cause my heart was racing once on a walkaround in D.C. and I promised myself "if I just make it back to the car without stroking out, I'll quit tomorrow", well as luck would have it, I made it back so....I quit th next day--from 2.5 pad to quit. I also bought the WalMart brand, only needing the stage1 so the cost was ok and I had been quit for 5 years.

Well, then the stress/anxiety phase kicked in...family troubles, mom sick, etc....(AND I had gained the dreaded 25lbs from stopping smoking slowing down my metabo.) I wanted to take up e-cigs, asked my daughter, an RN, if she thought they were bad and she said she couldn't see anything wrong vs. starting back with all that tar, etc...., my mom said "no, you've done so well on your quitting, I don't want you to be "tempted" to start back smoking"...(ha, if only everyone knew, just cause I love my banana cream pie vape it would NEVER lead me to want a cig.) Well, my mom died unexpectedly in Dec of 2013, I was/am executor, my sister does smoke and I still didn't want a cig, but I damn sure went and bought a blu starter kit (it broke which led me here and voila...my mvp2 is truckin' right along and now my sister wants to quit) It has helped calm me down, anxiety wise, and I feel more "alive" which I attribute to the boost to my metabolism. My appetite has gone down too, already dropped a few lbs. in two months. My friends and family want to start vaping now (NOT the non-smokers, but the current smokers) so I hope this will be a success for them as well.

 

[Fisheeboy]

We do have nicotinic receptors in our brains, don't we?

Welcome to ECF!

I sure know my brain does.

 

[Waterman]

Thanks for sharing people and great opener Keili, also had a very rough 2013 and was experiencing anxiety for the first time in my life, loss of sleep and appetite. Had been vaping for years but still had my cheat times but a pack was lasting a week or more instead of half a day. I slowed down vaping thinking it was making me more anxious and the cigs came back with a vengeance because they kept me doing something. I have never gave up I carry my e cig every day and vape on my good days. Reading your stories makes me want to give vaping a better shot. Sometimes we get an idea in our head that may not be totally true so giving it more effort, lowered down to 6 mg. I don't want to be dragging an O2 tank around when i'm older and want to see my family grow up. This thread may make a difference for me.

 

[LEDBETTER122]

I'm pretty sure nicotine would help for anxiety, I know for a fact it helps with stress, everytime I get stressed my RDA gets hot enough to cook an egg on.

 

[John1016]

I also vape to help with anxiousness that stress causes. I am bipolar and have adhd so by nature is seems I am a very anxious person. Vaping helps my ALOT. More than I ever thought anything could. When I smoked I was always watching the clock, counting down the minutes till I could have another one and always worrying about if the carton would last. Since I started vaping I find that I am much more relaxed and find it much easier to focus on things I need to deal with whether it be work, family or just life instead of putting those things off for as long as possible.

I feel that vaping is helping me take control of my life instead of being controlled by it. So nice to see that it helps other in the same way. Also by vaping we all get to live a longer healthier life

 

[snarlin]

Vaping helps me cope with stress. And it definitely has helped my lung capacity, play sports at lunch every day and I started vaping just so I could not have a real cig before lunch and then would smoke in the evenings. After a while cigarettes started to taste like crap and I started to hate all the non-nicotine parts of the cig. I'm curious if anyone has tried a liquid that is just nicotine and PG or VG with no flavorings? I'm not sure of the negative effects of the flavoring being vaporized.

 

[LEDBETTER122]

Vaping helps me cope with stress. And it definitely has helped my lung capacity, play sports at lunch every day and I started vaping just so I could not have a real cig before lunch and then would smoke in the evenings. After a while cigarettes started to taste like crap and I started to hate all the non-nicotine parts of the cig. I'm curious if anyone has tried a liquid that is just nicotine and PG or VG with no flavorings? I'm not sure of the negative effects of the flavoring being vaporized.

I have, its better with a high % of VG, since VG is a little sweet. I almost taste like very toned down plain sugar.

 

[dash]

Most of the time I can't taste anything. I am sure this is due to my PAD habit for 40 years,
When it is at it's worst I just vape unflavored. Some highly flavored juices burn me out too fast so I love to keep a tank of just plian juice handy.

Vaping helps me cope with stress. And it definitely has helped my lung capacity, play sports at lunch every day and I started vaping just so I could not have a real cig before lunch and then would smoke in the evenings. After a while cigarettes started to taste like crap and I started to hate all the non-nicotine parts of the cig. I'm curious if anyone has tried a liquid that is just nicotine and PG or VG with no flavorings? I'm not sure of the negative effects of the flavoring being vaporized.

 

[dash]

Hello fellow CO vaper!
Just sticking with it helps. Every time you vape it is one less smoke.
Was 2013 a good year for anyone? I know it wasn't for me! Downright awful for sure.

Thanks for sharing people and great opener Keili, also had a very rough 2013 and was experiencing anxiety for the first time in my life, loss of sleep and appetite. Had been vaping for years but still had my cheat times but a pack was lasting a week or more instead of half a day. I slowed down vaping thinking it was making me more anxious and the cigs came back with a vengeance because they kept me doing something. I have never gave up I carry my e cig every day and vape on my good days. Reading your stories makes me want to give vaping a better shot. Sometimes we get an idea in our head that may not be totally true so giving it more effort, lowered down to 6 mg. I don't want to be dragging an O2 tank around when i'm older and want to see my family grow up. This thread may make a difference for me.