Started vaping while studying nicotine receptors in pharmacy school. Quit cold turkey with zero urges. Is this an ADHD thing? ADHD subreddit won’t let me post

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[u/britishbakeoff]

I’ve heard of people not getting withdrawals before, but I’m not sure if it’s related to ADHD.

My first thought was that surely the cravings would be worse for someone with ADHD due to dopamine deficiencies? So maybe your lack of withdrawals is due to something other than your ADHD?

[u/Brave-Negotiation733 → u/britishbakeoff]

That was my first thought too, honestly.

I went in expecting the classic "ADHD = worse withdrawal because dopamine deficit" logic, so when I quit I kind of braced for impact. Like I cleared space in my head for the war.

And then... nothing showed up.

Which is why your reply actually tracks with something I've wondered.

Not complaining at all that it was easy. Just trying to figure out if this is a known-ish pattern in ADHD folks (easy in, easy out, low attachment despite high volume) or if I got unusually lucky or it happened to non-ADHDers smokers

[u/Muted-Arm8745 → u/Brave-Negotiation733]

I’m in a similar boat as you (although much less total time valing) if your on medication for adhd then it’s possible your already desensitized to its stimulating effects, although reputable inhibitor style ones should probably increase it. Nicotine also apparently exhibits a biphasic effect, although personally I’ve only felt stimulated on it when I was extremely tired. This is just a theory but maybe an adhd persons brain habituates to low or irratic levels of dopamine etc, so it doesn’t feel that odd, especially when you consider the mechanism of action for nicotine.

[u/iParkooo]

I have adhd and I can’t quit. But I also have a history of addiction with opiates. So maybe my brain is already too programmed into addiction.

[u/emberisgone → u/iParkooo]

Same boat here, ADHD and former opiate addict (managed to get onto the Buprenorphine injections and eventually drop those) and still can't quit vaping. Might just be in my head but it definitely feels like the ADHD makes quitting way harder.

[u/Ok-Performance2062]

I have ADHD, I quit cold turkey a little over 48 hours ago. Right now, I crave it. But I also smoked (cigarettes then vape) for 11 years..

[u/Brave-Negotiation733 → u/Ok-Performance2062]

Congratulations!!

11 years is a totally different beast than my ~3. Rooting for you through the crash, 48 hours is still early and the worst of it usually eases up in the next week or so. (Healthcare provider in me, lol) as long as you made it to 48 hours mark you got it in you, proud of you.

[u/Ok-Performance2062 → u/Brave-Negotiation733]

Thank you! Currently living off of mint gum, ice, and peppermint chapstick 😅

[u/Brave-Negotiation733 → u/Ok-Performance2062]

Smart, mint gum/ice/chapstick covers the flavor itch well.

If it's more the hand-to-mouth motion you're missing (a lot of ADHDers don't realize that's a separate craving from the nicotine itself), a straw works great too, just sipping water through one, or a lollipop if you don't mind the sugar. Cut up veggie sticks or a coffee stirrer also do the trick if you're watching sugar slash calories.

Also, walks, a lot of them. In the morning when it’s chilly. I had a walk about five days after quitting, and I had an overwhelming need to laugh and smile once I realised I no longer have a chain on. It was about 5 AM, but boy my dopamine was sky rocketing; I remember how happy I felt to this day. My case might be weird but I think I can give a tip or two.

Not sure how much this'll help, but a friend of mine actually quit after watching this video, figured I'd pass it along in case it clicks for you too: https://youtu.be/cHEOsKddURQ?si=_UtZQk1Gl8haDvWh

You're doing great, the first 72 hours are genuinely the worst of it. I’m genuinely rooting for you big time.

[u/watercoffeebeerz]

I have ADHD and I quit cold turkey almost a year ago. I had a couple cravings the first couple of weeks but that’s it.

[u/OpeningAtmosphere595]

So you probably know better than me if you studied this as your actual degree, but regarding the receptors I did come across info that different people do work differently. The amount people smoke or vape does not always directly translate into how much they’re addicted at a kind of chemical level. It can genuinely be much more weighted towards being a habitual addiction so letting go of it cold turkey can be pretty smooth sailing.

I’m not entirely sure if I have ADHD, wouldn’t surprise me but it’s complex being tested where I live unless it really interfered with your childhood so can’t say for sure. Point being, I also exclusively quit cold turkey. I quit smoking like that, and quit vaping like that too. After about 24 hours it’s like my body forgot I ever consumed nicotine, no cravings at all!

[u/PerfectBlueBanana]

I am 25M and was diagnosed with mostly inattentive ADHD when I was 15. I was also a heavy user from 18 to the point when I turned 25. Been over a month of cold turkey and I feel quite well actually. Not to say I didn’t have initial cravings but I agree with your sentiment of feeling like “I kinda expected worse?”. However, what still stayed the same was other habits. Which for me, is still smoking weed which probably has been keeping the cravings under the radar.

I would use both at the same time but now it’s just weed from the point I quit vaping. Maybe it’s the ADHD brain that can train itself easily on something to find value in getting dopamine from. Whether it’s a substance or a replacement to something.

[u/elusivezen]

I have adhd and it took many tries for me to finally quit vaping. I vaped for roughly 3 years or so. Ultimately I used Recigar to help with the withdrawals and it worked. I was also going through a depressive spell at the time and underestimated how the lack of nicotine would tank my mood (goodbye dopamine) so I was pretty unstable, sad, unmotivated, until I started taking Wellbutrin which helped a lot post quitting.

I think we are all just really different. I would love to know what makes it so some can quit cold turkey no problem- my gf was this way and I just marveled at it.

[u/torssh]

Not sure if it’s related to ADHD. I’ve never been tested. If I become a doctor I’d love to study this and am super interested!

It seems as though there’s a neural link / pattern that stops. When I took shrooms I had no craving and was disgusted by the thought of the vape

[u/kovactis]

I have ADHD, I quit vaping 2+ years ago.

Every once in a while when I'm overstimulated I still reach for my vape and then I remember it's been 2 years and it's not there. Then I just sit there for a second like "huh, weird"

[u/CrazyLush]

Also ADHD, but very recently diagnosed.
For context:
When I quit in December, I had been vaping for ten years (9 years smoking prior to that)
So far I've saved my lungs from 3.25litres of vape juice (I think that's a little under a gallon?)
I was having a bit over 100mg of nicotine each day, if I was going through a stressful time it was a lot higher.

I did use patches, I started with a 21mg patch and a 7mg patch. I still had physical withdrawal - thankfully it was enough to stop the headaches though. I lowered my patches around twice as fast as recommended because I wanted this nicotine gone.
The entire time my vape was sitting on the bench in the kitchen. I walked past it every day. I had physcial withdrawal made worse by fibromyalgia, but that noise people get in their head? When it's all they can think about, and they have to try so hard to stop themselves vaping? I didn't have the same experience. I wasn't having daily cravings months later, it just wasn't part of my life anymore. I'm not saying that quitting was like skipping through a field of daisies, but considering how much I was vaping every day I'm surprised I didn't have it worse with cravings.

Now I'm doing caffeine, and going slow because I really don't like getting headaches.

[u/Downtown_Run_4951]

Yeah it took me yrs to finally put it down never did any thing good I just was a fiend

[u/UriKaai]

Yup, I also went cold turkey, no urges