What some physicians say about nicotine

[Warren D. Lockaby]

First off, though I do tend to joke around a lot I think this is a very good topic, even for serious discussion. So from my (disclaimer: non-medical, non-legal, non-pharmaceutical, non-expert) point of view, nicotine is far more beneficial than fluoride (a common poison now put in almost all toothpaste), and *may* be less toxic,(or not) per mg, than iodine (a necessary trace nutrient/poison often added to table salt). Also, while it is true the amount of nicotine in a typical vape may be as harmful as the amount of caffeine in a typical cup of coffee, it has far fewer calories, carbs & mgs of fat than the additive pollutants many otherwise civilized folk put into their coffee, such as cream, sugar, etc.

I read an article somewhere (should have bookmarked it... NYT, I think) in which the author presented a remarkably unbiased take on vaping. He also - and this floored me - stated some actual, positive reasons why people smoke. He went into real changes our nic fix puts us through, like sharpening our thinking & such. Anyhow it was kind of funny because reading his explanation (and I don't remember if he'd ever been a smoker/vaper) I realized, I'd never consciously thought of most of these things before, but I recognized every one!

Bottom line though, nothing is harmless. Even beneficial things are hurtful when mis- or overused. The same hammer used to build the most magnificent cathedral can be used to smash a thousand skulls, and since it's a hammer it'd just as soon be doing one thing as the other. It doesn't know the difference, nor does it care... just like the nicotine. So if we're gonna use these things we need to learn to use them well.

Blessings....

 

[Beans]

I'm not terribly worried about the effect of nic in my system. I feel like it helps me concentrate and keeps me more even emotionally. I've also droped my nic to low levels and am quite happy with the results. There are so many more dangerious substances we ingest, (insectisaides and chemicals on fruits and veggies.) I just don't have the energy to worry about them all.

 

[BuGlen]

I have little to no concern about the long term affects of nicotine because I'm already addicted to it (and caffeine), and vaping is currently the best delivery method for me to not smoke cigarettes.

It will be interesting to see what the long term exposure to the flavoring and VG/PG within the respiratory system will be. All of the ingredients have been deemed food safe, but that safety study was done based on the consumption through eating, and your body handles substances in your digestive system (using acids to break down substance) differently than your respiratory system (absorbing substances almost directly). Am I so concerned that I wouldn't recommend vaping to friends? Absolutely not. I believe it's still MUCH better than all the chemicals in cigarettes, regardless of potential side affects. But it is something to consider as vaping evolves.

 

[mooreted]

The ANTZ always fall back to, "It's addictive" when backed into a corner. Lots of things are addictive, that doesn't necessarily make something bad. Nicotine is known to help with memory problems, Alzheimer's, neurological problems, mood problems. Many in the medical profession know that nicotine has health benefits, but they would be vilified if they got on the 6:00 news and stated that.

 

[tobarger]

She's looking good.
She wanted me to tell you thanks for the bacon.

I can't help it, thats just the kinda guy I am.

 

[tj99959]

I think nicotine is so harmful that I'm gonna lay off eating tomatoes, and all other veggies that contain nicotine (which is most of them). At least that is what I tell my wife when I want a steak for dinner.

 

[mooreted]

'Even funnier, in the actual scientific paper, the conclusion is "We conclude that nicotine replacement therapy by nasal spray is less harmful for the endothelium than cigarette smoking". '

The media use that tactic a lot and it really bothers me when they do it.

 

[DaveP]

Nicotine without the carcinogens from tobacco has to be better than smoking. Reduced risk is always a good move, whether it be seat belts, gun laws, or dumb human acts. People jump out of perfectly good airplanes with full knowledge that parachutes sometimes fail. They drive cars above the speed limit while sharing their awareness with a cell phone conversation.

We all are aware that nicotine is better left alone, but the alternative of addiction to tobacco carries a much higher risk of disease. So, we choose to lower our risk while maintaining the satisfaction derived from nicotine, thus averting the side effects of quitting cold turkey.

Most of us plan to eventually titrate downwards in nicotine content. That would leave us vaping a mist containing flavors. We really don't know that the long term effect of that will be. We do know that people who cook for a living are generally without medical risks unless they inhale the smoke from frying and broiling. Maybe we won't develop cake and candy flavor vapor related complications down the road. PG and VG are considered to the generally safe, but who knows what the long term effects are from concentrating the vapors and inhaling them?

How much safer would we be if there were no fossil fuel burning vehicles on the road? You have to consider the air was cleaner before gasoline, but people weren't so widely traveled and commerce couldn't get by vehicles for transportation.

Life is a tradeoff. We develop new things, find that some are harmful, and develop new ones. We can only test and hope the findings are accurate. I'd like to see some serious testing of electronic cigarettes so that we can weed out the harmful aspects, if there are any, and feel good about what's left. Vaping is a good activity for smokers, but it's probably not advisable for people aren't addicted to nicotine. I cringe when I see a new vaper posting that they don't smoke but have started to vape. It's ridiculous for someone without a habit to start a new one.

 

[DaveP]

I think nicotine is so harmful that I'm gonna lay off eating tomatoes, and all other veggies that contain nicotine (which is most of them). At least that is what I tell my wife when I want a steak for dinner.

That's funny! I remember reading that you would have to eat 10 pounds of tomatoes to get the same amount of nicotine from inhaling second hand smoke in a closed roomful of smokers for hours. They measure nicotine in tomatoes in micrograms and nanograms.

 

[tj99959]

That's funny! I remember reading that you would have to eat 10 pounds of tomatoes to get the same amount of nicotine from inhaling second hand smoke in a closed roomful of smokers for hours. They measure nicotine in tomatoes in micrograms and nanograms.

While that's true remember that we consume nicotine from that first bottle of Gerbers that mommy fed us, and pretty much every day of our lives. So I guess it's safe to say that us humans are all addicted to food.

 

[njgeek]

I can't believe the misinformation out there about nicotine. When I explain vaping to people I get "what about getting cancer from the nicotine" quite a bit.

 

[sailorman]

Nicotine is poison. Extremely deadly one too. Just like many other things we consume every day, and just like many other things, if you keep your daily dosage of poison in limits your body can safely handle, you'll be healthy as a horse.
Thats what I *think*. And it doesn't matter one bit. You should read a medical study about effects of nicotine if you're really interested in the subject. What couple of random internet guys *think* is largely irrelevant.

In a perfect world, that would be perfect advice. Unfortunately, studies on the effects of nicotine, in isolation from tobacco, are few and far between. The interwebs is full of articles screaming out the dangers of nicotine, but when you read further, you find that they are conflating nicotine and tobacco smoking and they build great mountains out of molehills with respect to the causes and results of elevated blood pressure. The latest serious study suggests that they may have found a mechanism by which nicotine might make arterial walls more receptive to the plaque that is responsible for cardiovascular disease. Note the qualifiers, suggest, may, might... Nonetheless, the anti's have glommed onto it as though it was conclusive, even though the researchers stated up front that their findings were preliminary and speculative.

Other rants, sometimes by doctors, will go into all the ill effects that can be caused by high blood pressure, and then work backwards to blame nicotine for high blood pressure. What they neglect to mention is that the elevated blood pressure caused by nicotine is largely transient and, in any case, is nowhere near as severe as the high blood pressure resulting from cardiovascular disease. To claim high BP causes stroke > nicotine causes high BP; therefore nicotine causes stroke, is illogical and ridiculous.

Other than that, the only real effects are related to vascular restriction and transient increases in blood pressure, which may cause problems with people who are already suffering from hardened or narrow arteries or other circulatory dysfunctions, like high blood pressure. Even those people report a lowering of blood pressure when switching from smoking to vaping. Ideally, people with circulatory problems would also not engage in anything that might increase their blood pressure without medical supervision. That would include exercise, caffeine, stress, over-excitement or sex.

Beyond that, the only ill effects I've ever seen reported are with respect to diabetics (who often have circulatory problems) and insulin resistance. So, if you are a diabetic, don't vape without consulting your doctor as you may need to adjust your insulin. Then again, if you're diabetic and you smoke, you're walking the hairy edge in the first place.

So, as I said. All these studies that look for negative health effects from nicotine either, 1) conflate nicotine with tobacco, or 2) ignore the fact that most vapers had been smoking, so any ill effects of nicotine are more than compensated for by the absence of the toxins in cigarettes or 3) concentrate on the effects of nicotine on people with pre-existing medical issues.

 

[Sissylala]

The only doctors I've found who are against ecigs have TV cameras in their faces.

Best statement ever. My personal doctor was ecstatic for me to quit smoking and when I told him I was using an e-cig (at the time a Krave.. bleh) he was like "here's 5 dollars, get two". Of course he was joking around with me, but he made a point.

 

[Dreams2freedom]

I cringe when I see a new vaper posting that they don't smoke but have started to vape. It's ridiculous for someone without a habit to start a new one.

I am a non-smoker. I have not smoked for over four and half years. However, since I quit smoking I have been plagued with depression and have seen a relapse of the ADHD experienced in childhood.

I started vaping two weeks ago and have noticed a increase in attention and a decrease in depression.

So, please do not cringe for me. The effects of nicotine have been a lifesaver for me. Unfortunately, smoking was not an option. So, I resorted to nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)

 

[DaveP]

I am a non-smoker. I have not smoked for over four and half years. However, since I quit smoking I have been plagued with depression and have seen a relapse of the ADHD experienced in childhood.

I started vaping two weeks ago and have noticed a increase in attention and a decrease in depression.

So, please do not cringe for me. The effects of nicotine have been a lifesaver for me. Unfortunately, smoking was not an option. So, I resorted to nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)

Check out this link for a tutorial on MAOI in cigarette smoke. I would hope it's at least in some level in our vapes.
This is your brain on nicotine

 

[elfstone]

It's not. Unless you use "whole tobacco alkaloids" e-juice. I don't and I am happy I didn't feel the need for that. Some people swear that only that helped them fully switch from smoking, and it makes some sense.

 

[jenlepp]

I've read an awful lot of the studies to try and make a determination, but I'm pretty clear that while some preliminary studies look pretty good for it being "maybe not really bad", the fact that this has just really taken off means we just don't really know about the long term effects.

My personal experience with my doctors - dermatologist, GP, dentist, kid's pediatrician - have all been unrelentingly positive. While not a single one could assure me that I was totally safe, every single one could assure me that it was so many miles safer than cigarette smoking that by comparison it was practically not worth worrying about at this point.

I'm not motivated to quit vaping, and I'm not really motivated to even work at a walk-down of nicotine levels at this point. If more research comes out showing that I need to, I'm open to it, but the addiction to it is so ridiculously powerful that I'm terrified that without vaping there would be that one moment where I think "OH, just one cigarette. What's it going to hurt?" and I will wind up right back where I started.

The current maybes compared to that known risk just isn't worth it to me.

 

[DaveP]

After two years of vaping and still smoking those mandatory after dinner and with coffee cigarettes, I quit them completely four days ago. What I found out was that quitting the last few was a non-event. I found out that I didn't even need them. For many months now, I would light one up, take a few puffs, and put it out for later. Vaping allowed me to do that, even if I refused to give up the last 1/4 pack a day for a long time. I'm finally done with tobacco and not suffering the slightest consequence for having quit completely as long as I have my ecig.

On the positive side, vaping and smoking 6 or 8 a day was still better than the 40 to 50 I used to smoke. I'm glad to be rid of the habit completely and I credit vaping for allowing me to do that. The other times I tried to quit were pretty miserable.

My doctor is also on board with ecigs, also. He said pretty much the same things about ecigs after reading up on them when I showed him his first one. He even put a display in his waiting room with information about ecigs that I gave him links to when I was there.

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

After two years of vaping and still smoking those mandatory after dinner and with coffee cigarettes, I quit them completely four days ago.

Congrats Dave and well done. Very happy for you.

 

[MissCanadianVapr]

Everything causes cancer these days. As far as I'm concerned it boils down to the fact that I will be cutting all the other toxins contained in tobacco out. Katherine Heigl said it perfectly in an interview where she is using an e-cigarette. "It's about as bad for you as a cup of coffee, it's a stimulant like caffeine I'm choosing to believe that."