Vaping for nicotine advantages?

[UnclePsyko]

Here's an anecdotal story: I started vaping and quit smoking nearly a year ago. I used 12mg nicotine for quite a while, then tapered off to 6mg, then 3mg, then 0. I vaped nicotine-free juice for about 2 months. I really can't put my finger on it, but I just didn't seem like the same person. The way I felt was akin to what I imagine a mild case of depression would be like. I didn't miss the nicotine, but that was the only thing in my life that had changed. Recently, I went back to vaping 6mg nicotine liquid. I feel like an entirely new person. I feel like myself again. I don't know if it's bad for me or not, but I see myself using nicotine for the rest of my life. If it is relevant, I'm 48 years old, and smoked cigarettes for 32 years before quitting.

Wow! Reading your post was like "Looking in a mirror"!
46, Smoked for 32 years... I've been vaping exclusively for two years now, 0mg since mid summer and never really missed it. I certainly don't "crave" it anymore.
But... I noticed as well that I just haven't been myself either. There are days at work where I would find myself sitting in the editing bay just staring at the video clips and re-reading the script over and over again but I just couldn't put them together fluidly, it was hard to stay focused on what I was doing.
Recently (Late September maybe?) I stumbled on an old bottle of 12mg Perique juice in my desk. I loved the stuff back in the day so I dripped a few drops on top of my juice in the RDA and just took a nice long vape on it. It was like the old days of heading outside to have a quick smoke and clear my mind. A few more drops, vape away and I felt refreshed and sharp again.

So I still vape 0mg for the most part, but I always have a dripper can of nic for those times that I need to just pause and clear my mind. It's not every day, but 2 or 3 times a week I find myself bumping up the nic briefly to stay focused on the job at hand.

 

[klynnn]

I have had a bit of a different story. I found ecigs and it changed my life. I was trying to wean myself off 15mg nic juices I loved. In the meantime I put on 25 pounds because all of a sudden my lowly tastebuds starting liking real food and candy. I was having times all day where I was eating everything in sight. First I wanted something salty then I needed something sweet....back and forth all day then I had a beer. At my age this is like ...helloooo what the hell is wrong with me. So here lately after reading this thread I said oh hell I am going to increase my nic.. so I made a batch of 18mg unflavored and have been vaping that. Bit of a throat hit for me but seems to quell some of my salty/sweet cravings. I smoked all my life some of these things are freaking me out. I used to be skinny.

 

[mosspa]

I have had a bit of a different story. I found ecigs and it changed my life. I was trying to wean myself off 15mg nic juices I loved. In the meantime I put on 25 pounds because all of a sudden my lowly tastebuds starting liking real food and candy. I was having times all day where I was eating everything in sight. First I wanted something salty then I needed something sweet....back and forth all day then I had a beer. At my age this is like ...helloooo what the hell is wrong with me. So here lately after reading this thread I said oh hell I am going to increase my nic.. so I made a batch of 18mg unflavored and have been vaping that. Bit of a throat hit for me but seems to quell some of my salty/sweet cravings. I smoked all my life some of these things are freaking me out. I used to be skinny.

Interesting. I was smoke free before I started vaping in Dec. I've been starting to notice that I'm shedding a few of the 10, or so, pounds I should really be getting rid of.

 

[sofarsogood]

I never had a weight problem and don't today. I'm sure that smoking influenced my eating behavior and I'm confident that vaping does also. If I'm right is the influence the nic or the behavior or both? If e-cigs were determined to be effective for controling weight the number of stake holders would increase tremdously and that would be helpful for us politically outcast vapers.

 

[AndriaD]

I never had a weight problem and don't today. I'm sure that smoking influenced my eating behavior and I'm confident that vaping does also. If I'm right is the influence the nic or the behavior or both? If e-cigs were determined to be effective for controling weight the number of stake holders would increase tremdously and that would be helpful for us politically outcast vapers.

Nicotine apparently gives the metabolism a slight boost. No idea of the chemistry behind that, other than just the general coordinating effect nicotine has on brain chemistry, and the brain does control everything in the whole body.

Nicotine really may be a godsend to treat any number of problems/conditions. We just have to shove a rag in the ANTZ' mouths and get the word out there.

Andria

 

[The Dog Guy]

Mosspa, I have a question for you. Is there any evidence that smoking longevity effects the frequency or the depth of "CRS syndrome"? I was a smoker for 30+ yrs at 1.5 or so PAD. It seems that since I started vaping (about 12mgs nicotine generally) the frequency of, and the depth of my "senior moments" is really pretty significant.
In your situation it seemed as if it was a minor thing. I'm starting to feel that maybe the effects on me are more poignant. I really don;t want to buy 2ltrs of nic, but I am planning on upping my nic to see if there is a difference. Any opinions?

 

[AccidentAnnie]

I vape to stay quit off smokes. Down to 3mg of Nicotine now soon after I'm done with these e-juices, I'll switch to 0 Nicotine.

 

[The Dog Guy]

I vape to stay quit off smokes. Down to 3mg of Nicotine now soon after I'm done with these e-juices, I'll switch to 0 Nicotine.

That' fine if that is what you choose to do Annie! The goal was to quit analogs after all...
Personally I don't see the point of getting rid of nicotine if it can help me...just my opinion and my choice

 

[choochoogranny]

Started at the 6-9 level. Staying at 6-9 level. At my age, I don't need any more "senior moments"! May even slip hubby a "micky" and see if his gets better. Smokers may have a higher rate of dying from everything else, but amazingly lower in Alzheimers.

 

[mosspa]

Mosspa, I have a question for you. Is there any evidence that smoking longevity effects the frequency or the depth of "CRS syndrome"? I was a smoker for 30+ yrs at 1.5 or so PAD. It seems that since I started vaping (about 12mgs nicotine generally) the frequency of, and the depth of my "senior moments" is really pretty significant.
In your situation it seemed as if it was a minor thing. I'm starting to feel that maybe the effects on me are more poignant. I really don;t want to buy 2ltrs of nic, but I am planning on upping my nic to see if there is a difference. Any opinions?

What? Me.. Opinions?

I don't think that smoking longevity should have any direct effect on the establishment of a forgetting syndrome. However, it is entirely possible that the nicotine in the cancer sticks was masking the forgetting, by providing cognitive enhancement. That is, we are all getting older, and some cognitive decline is to be expected. I think, based on research with nicotine and Alzheimer's, that in those of us who are not really Alzheimer's candidates but just aren't quite as sharp as we used to be can benefit from nicotine.

I got into this last night in another thread. There's an article from "Nature" that provides some real comparative analysis of what inhaled device gets what amount of nicotine into the blood. One of the conclusions of the article was that you really need to vape around 50mg to actually simulate the nicotine hit you are getting from smoking. For me, it was serendipity. I started vaping at 45mg, and now that I have found a 48mg unflavored juice I like, that's where I'm intending to stay. My stumbling across 45-48mg was just by accident, I didn't see the paper I'm linking to until the other day. As I have previously said, except for the cost of the juice, there is little to risk and a lot to potentially gain. If you do try this, hit on the cart easy at first. I assume that like many of us, you remember that first cigarette and still remember the speckled patterns etched into the porcelain you were staring at for what seemed like eternity That is entirely possible making such a steep change. Just hit it slow at first.

Nicotine absorption from electronic cigarette use: comparison between first and new-generation devices : Scientific Reports : Nature Publishing Group

 

[AndriaD]

That' fine if that is what you choose to do Annie! The goal was to quit analogs after all...
Personally I don't see the point of getting rid of nicotine if it can help me...just my opinion and my choice

Started at the 6-9 level. Staying at 6-9 level. At my age, I don't need any more "senior moments"! May even slip hubby a "micky" and see if his gets better. Smokers may have a higher rate of dying from everything else, but amazingly lower in Alzheimers.

I completely agree; I've got alzheimers in my "pool" from one grandmother, and geriatric dementia from the other, so I really need all the help I can get, if I want to hang on to my marbles throughout the longer life-span that quitting smoking offers me -- what's the point of living longer if you don't even know who you are or how old you are?

But I may eventually arrive at a point where I can decrease my nic level in the wintertime, to help with this damn "popsicle paws" problem. Other than that annoyance, I really see no reason and no need to dispense with or even lower nicotine levels. God knows I'm "dinghy" enough even WITH nicotine!

Andria

 

[The Dog Guy]

What? Me.. Opinions?

I don't think that smoking longevity should have any direct effect on the establishment of a forgetting syndrome. However, it is entirely possible that the nicotine in the cancer sticks was masking the forgetting, by providing cognitive enhancement. That is, we are all getting older, and some cognitive decline is to be expected. I think, based on research with nicotine and Alzheimer's, that in those of us who are not really Alzheimer's candidates but just aren't quite as sharp as we used to be can benefit from nicotine.

I got into this last night in another thread. There's an article from "Nature" that provides some real comparative analysis of what inhaled device gets what amount of nicotine into the blood. One of the conclusions of the article was that you really need to vape around 50mg to actually simulate the nicotine hit you are getting from smoking. For me, it was serendipity. I started vaping at 45mg, and now that I have found a 48mg unflavored juice I like, that's where I'm intending to stay. My stumbling across 45-48mg was just by accident, I didn't see the paper I'm linking to until the other day. As I have previously said, except for the cost of the juice, there is little to risk and a lot to potentially gain. If you do try this, hit on the cart easy at first. I assume that like many of us, you remember that first cigarette and still remember the speckled patterns etched into the porcelain you were staring at for what seemed like eternity That is entirely possible making such a steep change. Just hit it slow at first.

Nicotine absorption from electronic cigarette use: comparison between first and new-generation devices : Scientific Reports : Nature Publishing Group

TY Mosspa, Andria, ans ChooChoo!

 

[sofarsogood]

One of the conclusions of the article was that you really need to vape around 50mg to actually simulate the nicotine hit you are getting from smoking.

I vape 12mg nic at 8-12 watts. I tend to keep it up through the day, hitting it pretty regularly. My perception is there is more nic in my system than when I was smoking a pack a day.

 

[Robino1]

An excellent book regarding normal memory loss: Where Did I Leave My Glasses?: The What, When, and Why of Normal Memory Loss: Martha Weinman Lear: 9780446699358: Amazon.com: Books

As we age there is the normal memory lapse that happens. Figuring out if it is something more sinister.... that is the million dollar question. Nicotine does help with brain issues. I figure, I need all the help I can get

I hate when I am trying to think of a word and I KNOW I know the word I want to use. I think I will go as low as 5mg nic and see what that does. If I have worse memory issues, I will go back up in nic.

 

[The Dog Guy]

An excellent book regarding normal memory loss: Where Did I Leave My Glasses?: The What, When, and Why of Normal Memory Loss: Martha Weinman Lear: 9780446699358: Amazon.com: Books

As we age there is the normal memory lapse that happens. Figuring out if it is something more sinister.... that is the million dollar question. Nicotine does help with brain issues. I figure, I need all the help I can get

I hate when I am trying to think of a word and I KNOW I know the word I want to use. I think I will go as low as 5mg nic and see what that does. If I have worse memory issues, I will go back up in nic.

What did you say again??????

 

[BigEgo]

I'm a university professor (neuroscience), and in many of my classes I have extolled the virtues of nicotine when divorced from smoke. Having followed the vaping forums for several years, and watching various websites for adverse effects, I have finally decided to take my own advice and begin vaping to reap the benefits of nicotine. I am 59 years old and haven't smoked a cigarette since April 12, 1972 (after smoking from 7th grade and throughout high school). Many of my friends think I'm nuts, but they can't really dispute the science that strongly suggests that nicotine, especially in older individuals, improves cognitive performance, reduces the probability of Alzheimer's onset, improves memory (especially in reducing those 'senior moments' when you can't get the word out you are looking for), and reduces 'time to sleep' at bedtime. I'm in good shape, physically, and except for a small; increase in heart rate and blood pressure immediately after vaping, the effects are transient (last about 45 min - 1 hr), and don't seem to be detrimental. I vape 5-8 drags about 4 times a day, and I generally don't vape before noon, so I'm probably clearing most of the nicotine (assuming a 2-3 hr half life) daily.

5-8 puffs a day seems like such a minuscule amount that I can't help but assume you are experiencing the placebo effect. Of course, since you haven't smoked in 40 years, it is possible the nic does have some effect. Do you feel the nic "buzz" off that little usage?

I am no expert on nicotine, but I am aware of the research relating to its positive cognitive effects and its (possible) link to slowing the onset of Alzheimer's. Unfortunately, due to all the anti-tobacco zealots in the academic world, research on nicotine seems to be rather controversial.

I am in my 30's, so I do not vape for that reason. I vape because, frankly, I am a nicotine addict and because I enjoy it. I also suffer from Bi-polar disorder and past research on traditional cigarettes show that people with mental health issues have a much higher rate of smoking (lots of hypotheses about why -- the most popular relating to the MAOI effect). I have also had a bit of ADHD most of my life and I feel that nicotine, being a stimulant, probably helps in that area too. It's sort of like a natural Ritalin.

I am all for e-cig research. I think we really need honest academics (not being paid by BT or BP) to conduct objective lab or clinical studies. The latest hack job from the New England Journal of Medicine just shows the ineptitude of many researchers. They literally have no clue how the devices work or how they are used by everyday people. No, we do not heat our CE4 clearos to 5 volts. No one could stand to vape that, yet these researchers publish their findings under such extreme conditions and then the media runs with their "formaldehyde in e-cigs" hysteria.

In any case, welcome to the forums.

 

[CardinalWinds]

I vape 12mg nic at 8-12 watts. I tend to keep it up through the day, hitting it pretty regularly. My perception is there is more nic in my system than when I was smoking a pack a day.

That's pretty much the deal with me as well. I don't vape with the same frequency and schedule that I smoked. When I smoked, my nicotine delivery was divided into concrete segments of time. One cigarette one segment. It would never occur to me to smoke one and immediately light another. My smoking "segments" were, on the average, 45 minutes apart (as long as nothing was keeping me from that self-imposed routine).

With vaping there are no "segments" as such anymore. At home, while I restricted myself to the outdoors (or the mud room or garage in winter) for smoking, I vape anywhere indoors. Naturally, this allowed me to develop a routine that is, well, more natural. Natural in the sense that I can maintain a more steady level of nicotine in my system instead of going up and down in 45 minute blocks. Additionally, there was no way I could ever "over do it" in regards to my nicotine level with my old smoking routine. I never put out a cigarette and said to myself "ok, you've had enough for awhile", which can happen to me now that I've switched to vaping. However this is a good thing. Vaping gives you much more fine control over the level of nicotine you maintain.

Now, the hand-to-mouth habit and the "comfort" that it provides? The sheer pleasure of vaping over smoking? Tough nut to crack!

 

[mosspa]

5-8 puffs a day seems like such a minuscule amount that I can't help but assume you are experiencing the placebo effect. Of course, since you haven't smoked in 40 years, it is possible the nic does have some effect. Do you feel the nic "buzz" off that little usage?

I am no expert on nicotine, but I am aware of the research relating to its positive cognitive effects and its (possible) link to slowing the onset of Alzheimer's. Unfortunately, due to all the anti-tobacco zealots in the academic world, research on nicotine seems to be rather controversial.

I am in my 30's, so I do not vape for that reason. I vape because, frankly, I am a nicotine addict and because I enjoy it. I also suffer from Bi-polar disorder and past research on traditional cigarettes show that people with mental health issues have a much higher rate of smoking (lots of hypotheses about why -- the most popular relating to the MAOI effect). I have also had a bit of ADHD most of my life and I feel that nicotine, being a stimulant, probably helps in that area too. It's sort of like a natural Ritalin.

I am all for e-cig research. I think we really need honest academics (not being paid by BT or BP) to conduct objective lab or clinical studies. The latest hack job from the New England Journal of Medicine just shows the ineptitude of many researchers. They literally have no clue how the devices work or how they are used by everyday people. No, we do not heat our CE4 clearos to 5 volts. No one could stand to vape that, yet these researchers publish their findings under such extreme conditions and then the media runs with their "formaldehyde in e-cigs" hysteria.

In any case, welcome to the forums.

Actually when I posted that I was vaping 5-8 drags, about 4 times a day (which is what it says in that post). Also, we are talking 45mg/ml nicotine. Now I'm vaping from an voltage adjustable EVOD clone. I vape 48mg/ml now, about 5 times a day, and with that device I draw about 8-10 light puffs per session. I still get a nicotine buzz, so the nicotine is there, but you are correct that my improvement in class may be a placebo effect. Anyway, I'll take it.

 

[mudram99]

Actually when I posted that I was vaping 5-8 drags, about 4 times a day (which is what it says in that post). Also, we are talking 45mg/ml nicotine. Now I'm vaping from an voltage adjustable EVOD clone. I vape 48mg/ml now, about 5 times a day, and with that device I draw about 8-10 light puffs per session. I still get a nicotine buzz, so the nicotine is there, but you are correct that my improvement in class may be a placebo effect. Anyway, I'll take it.

Placebo or whatever, if I can quit walking around looking for my car keys that are in my hand I will call it win!

 

[Rickb119]

Placebo or whatever, if I can quit walking around looking for my car keys that are in my hand I will call it win!

Or put something down, turn around, turn back around and it's gone. I swore I just put it there.