Maoi's wta's and nsfw's

[alopezg1]

Hello

I am just writing this as a means of thinking out loud and hopefully it may be of some help to someone. Over the last year i have been trying pretty much constantly to stop smoking. I have folllowed a pattern of relapse which is failry uiform, getting to around two months, sometime more, sometimes less, then relapsing. I norally smoke a cigarette - the last time was half- then get myself back on the wagon again. This wouldn't be so bad but each time i relapse i have to start all over again and it is a very challenging two months . I relapse not because I want to smoke a cigarette but because i feel overwhelmed by the side effects of withdrawal. I have been using both an e-cigarette and snus during these times to curb the symptoms and have found them to be immensley helpful , but have found that i cannot use one exclusively over the other as each provide me with different tools to fight the symptoms of withdrawal. Now , i have been doing some research to see why it is I may be experiencing these symtptoms, which apparently are not typical for a lot of people . Apparently cigarette smoke has been shown to conatain a very potent MAOI . An MAOI has a lot to do with dopamne release in the brain, which in turn has a great deal to do with anxiety and depression. I believe now that over the years i have been self medicating with the naturally occuring anti- depressant qualities of tobacco , and that is infact what i am withdrawing from . It makes a lot of sense to me and i feel a lot better at least now knowing what is happening to me. I very rarel actually have cigarette cravings as such , maybe in the first couple of weeks i will have the odd one but the problem for me has always been a list f other much more disturbing symptoms which include: panic attacks, chronic depression, chronic emotional pain, feelings of paralysis- not literal but a sense of being entirely disconnected from my body and unable to focus on anything- decline in memory function and all round cognitive function, suicidal thoughts and ideation and just a general sinking feeling . Now , in the last few days i have been using snus pretty much exclusively and i have found that i feel a great deal clamer o the whole and that mys symptoms have lessened . This prompts me to thinking that the tobacco plant itself may contain the MAOI in its natural form prior to combustion. I think from here on out i will be sticking with snus . The problme with vaping for me , was that some times it worked - and it certainly helped with the behavioural aspect- but not for long , and i would get to the point where i was vaping constantly to try and clam myslef down, thinking it was nicotine withdrawal , when in fact nicotine i believe, has little do to with it ; it was the MAOI that i was in need of. In fact due to the stimulant properties of nicotine, i was actually feeling a lot worse constantly vaping , as i was trying to get a grip of myslef and calm down but ingesting large amounts of stimulants. Anyway , i am going to my doctor tomorrow as i now see that it is not a question just ' toughing it out' and waiting for the symptoms to go away. If anything they seem to get worse over time . Maybe one day they would correct themselves , that may take years however , and to go through a week of intense symptoms of the like i have described is enough to put most people i think in a position where they probably in danger of harming themselves , or someone else. So, i am going to continue with the snus, and i am going to talk with my doctor and maybe see if can go on bupropion as i am aware of it's capacity to act on the are of the brain that is receptive to tobacco. Alternatively there are MAOI anti depressants , which are quite old fashioned nowadays but can still be prescribed . I am not overly keen on resorting to psychotropic drugs as a solution but between the choice of going back to smoking , and staying like this indefinitley , i think it is the lesser of two ( or three?) evils. As i said i am not really asking for advice here , i jus have found it helpful writing this and if it may help anyone else who is experiencing similar symptoms then that can't be bad a thing either

[Ansel]

There is something in smoking ie. the smoke from combustion that gives us a good feeling. I call it the PAHs but it may be something else. Either way if you snus for a month or so you learn to live without it. That said snus is the best alternative i've found as like you point out there are more goodies in tobacco than just nicotine. Smoking every now and again is ok isn't it?

[tommybegley]

I don't know how similar this is but I have CFS, and when I have a large flair up cigarettes would always seem to help tremendously, I have tried this with snus to an extent, but it has never quite given me what cigarettes could, so when I have a really bad flair I will have a cigarette or two and, to be honest, I'm ok with that because with out it I would just feel worse and I know that I really don't need them at any other time. Much like opiate medication really, you shouldn't take them all the time, but when you really need them (like breaking your back or something) they are just to helpful not to use.

Well that's my penny's worth, hope it helps...

[Burnsey]

A cigarette or two every two months is not a return to cigarette smoking, but just an occasional cigarette, in my opinion.

[alopezg1]

A cigarette or two every two months is not a return to cigarette smoking, but just an occasional cigarette, in my opinion.

Yes i agree burnsey. But the point is i have struggle with these symptoms for two months , not really being functional and then i cave in and smoke , then start all over again . So it is not just allowing myself a cigarette or two, it's two months of hell , then a cigarette and then the cycle starts again. I have to work very hard not to smoke the cigarette and it's not something i have the energy to keep up

[alopezg1]

for two months at a time .

[Ansel]

You could try sourcing some good quality lobelia inflata plant dried in a grinder all ground up rolled up in a rolling paper. Or smoked in a pipe. It acts on the nicotine receptors (please do further research as i am starting to)

[piks101]

Everyone is different I suppose but that is the beauty of snus to me. I can have the occasional cigarette and with snus not fall back to a smoking only or often scenario. I seem to get all the MAOI's I need from snus, yes they are still in snus but I don't know the specific differences of the amount of MAOI's from cigarettes vs snus and the brand of snus/cigarettes would likely differ as well. I know most people that struggle with needing MAOI's often fail with e-cigs but are successful using snus. I wold recommend that you try going exclusively snus over e-cigs and see if that helps. Personally if I use e-cigs as a go to I feel too hyped up and anxious, not a good feeling.

Also, there are e-cig juices available that apparently contain the full spectrum MAOI's found in cigarettes but I have never tried them, so I can't attest to their value/benefit. Also, if you do smoke try an additive free cigarette like American Spirits.

[Snusdog]

I know a lot of x-smokers have found nasal snuff to be a good supplement to snus.....kind of a bump up as you need it.

That might be worth a try and is fairly inexpensive...........it takes a little getting used to but that would be a small price if it helps you.

Check out the Beginner's Guide to Snuff.........it may be of help....you can find it here

http://www.snuson.com/showthread.php...Guide-to-Snuff

[piks101]

I know a lot of x-smokers have found nasal snuff to be a good supplement to snus.....kind of a bump up as you need it.

That might be worth a try and is fairly inexpensive...........it takes a little getting used to but that would be a small price if it helps you.

Check out the Beginner's Guide to Snuff.........it may be of help....you can find it here

http://www.snuson.com/showthread.php...Guide-to-Snuff

I wouldn't mind a nic bump from time to time via snuff but my sinuses are very sensitive, so I am leery of snuff for my persoanl use. I got over my pollen/allergy issues by dropping dairy and gluten from my diet but even the occasional e-cig or cigarette seems to effect my sinuses the following morning/day not too bad but enough to make me conscious of it and to know to take a break from e-cigs or smokes for a period. I usually have to blow out a goop or two and I am good again. I just prefer to double up on the snus, if I need a better nic hit.

[Snusdog]

P,

Ironically I find snuff helps my allergies/hey-fever

It actually coats the nose, creating a barrier against the pollen. Now it is certainly not a cure all. But it does noticeably help. In fact, there are non-tobacco products on the market that work on this same coating/blocking principle.

Also, as you get a bit better at the technique of taking snuff........it should never be in your sinuses....at first....you will have a couple of eye watering, head ejectors.........but you will quickly learn to avoid those

[piks101]

P,

Ironically I find snuff helps my allergies/hey-fever

It actually coats the nose, creating a barrier against the pollen. Now it is certainly not a cure all. But it does noticeably help. In fact, there are non-tobacco products on the market that work on this same coating/blocking principle.

Also, as you get a bit better at the technique of taking snuff........it should never be in your sinuses....at first....you will have a couple of eye watering, head ejectors.........but you will quickly learn to avoid those

Yes, I know covering up the receptors in your nose can alleviate some of the symptoms. I have used a product in the past called NasalCrom to do the same. Fortunately, I seemed to have gotten to the root cause of the issue and have been allergy free going on 3 years now thru diet modifications (no or very limited gluten or dairy). I love a good jolt, so I see trying in the future. A lot of my buddies do some form of tobacco but no snuffers. Would be great just to try some first. I will ask at my local tobacco store. Thanks for the good info...

[oceter]

Piks, make your gluten free church... And stop eating its killing you.

[piks101]

Piks, make your gluten free church... And stop eating its killing you.

I have found that if I don't eat for a long period, I get weak and hungry, so your suggestion that eating is killing me doesn't resonate with me. Eating (healthy foods) has the opposite effect for me, it gives me plenty of get up and go.

Plus why build a gluten free church when many are already accommodating:

...And while there is still a bit of wrangling in the Catholic church in the US about the acceptable gluten-content of communion wafers, it looks like more traditional Catholic and Anglican churches...are now joining ranks in offering a gluten-free communion option for their parishioners http://www.celiac.com/articles/23171...ons/Page1.html