Interesting to hear everyone's experiences here. You got will power Morty!
I have been medicating for most of my life and stopped over a decade ago. But now my medical issues are getting worse and I do not want to be addicted to pain meds. So after starting using again back almost 3 years ago....after a year and a half....my throat just could not handle combusting.....then last year July I started vaping 100%.
I took a 30 break to do a wee test. Then 6 months later I did a week break. Now it is 6 months later and I have had the worst time just going 1 day without. Every time I tried I would break down and grab my vapes.....I just could not handle the non sleep and pain/irritations of spinal problems.
After several medication changes from my doc......I found some of the stuff I had to take make me totally un able to drive or work. Gabapentin is like a evil pill for me....made me depressed and feeling like i was living in a bad dizzy dream.....but it worked....but I could not use it.
So....I am left with either getting an expensive surgery which my insurance wont cover and I do not have the money to do it. So, I go to a pain clinic and they just shot some stuff into my lower spin around 3 disks to help with my massive sciatica issues. So far it is nice with the temp stuff...but will wear off soon and it takes 2-3 weeks for the longer acting steroid to kick in. It temporary and I do not know how long it will last after a month or so. So I have decided to try CDB oil for relief soon. Up to this point I have only done flowers/kief.
Anyway....now on my 3rd day of my break after getting the shots.....I am jones'in for my vape lol
I don't expect I will get the CDB oil before another 3 weeks......it is super hard for me to go that long now. I still have nerve irritation and massive muscle cramps in my legs still making it hard to sleep, though better now with the shots.
My throat needed a break as well....and that is my main break issue that I want to fix.
Funny what fernand said as I do the same...still sort of play with my vape and parts....but not using them...smelling checking on my flowers....and visiting the forums. I can hold off from starting up my vapes....but wonder if it would be as hard if I took a total hard line and eliminated anything about flower/vaping in my day to day doings?
I will be taking my first vacation in about 10 years after working my butt off.....I do not expect to be able to refrain from using.....my friend that I will be visiting has back issues that makes me look like a sissy man lol He has lots of screws and rods in his back and he is addicted to oxy now for pain. But he also grows and loves making kief pucks ...as well as combusting daily. I will try to convert him to more vaping as he actually has one...but I think he does not understand how to use it......and funny cause I think it is a cloud evo. One vape I have always wanted to try!
I feel jealous of you all that don't have serious health issues and it seems easier to take breaks....but it is half mental too...but my physical issues keep holding my brain back from that temptation.
Anyway.....T breaks are needed and just keep at them even if you fail after one day....just do not give up and do as much as you can do. Good Luck All
Firstly, wow
@Morty Im amazed at how you keep digging this motivation and conviction up out of nowhere. And talk about extremes! From the hardest, most excessive vape/body-abuse-porn to prolongued voluntary abstinence.
I just couldnt do it myself, but you always SEEM to be quite happy in yourself without much of a tussle in yourself if any. Not sure what to think or to say but best wishes for your health and happiness whatever you are doing in life.
And to all the others- I see it ain't easy for anyone, some struggle more and we all suffer to varying degrees whether we vape or break, only it is when breaking that this can be just too difficult for some, even if they get through it. Well done to all of you though for giving it the best shot wishing you all the best.
@LabPong have you ever tried ascorbic acid powder for throat irritation? It is one of my essential remedies to manage respiratory symptoms. It is amazing at instantly and rapidly dissolving and thinning mucus in the upper respiratiry tract, mouth and throat.
It is the first thing I do every time immediately after a meal to begin treating my excessive mucus symptoms and it works brilliantly I stand over the toilet after dropping the vitamin C powder just behind my tongue with a teaspoon and suck it to the back of my mouth to keep it off my palate because it is pretty sour.
Depending on my symptoms and how much mucus there is it can take up to 2 minutes before I can swallow the ascorbic acid as it dissolves thick mucus. Once the mucus has dissolved I swallow the ascorbic acid and lean over the lavatory allowing mucus to pull out of my mouth and throat for up to 90 seconds.
At other times when there is less mucus and symptoms are better I can swallow the ascorbic acid almost immediately.
It is simply amazing at soothing and rejuvenating the rawness one can feel in the throat from whatever cause. Be it allergy, infection or just plain hard core vaping!
Vitamin C is directly wound healing as well, so it instantly gets to work on sore, irritated areas of the throat. Of course it is necessary to get the powder for this use not capsules. But I honestly could not live without ascorbic acid powder and I dread to think what my throat would feel like let alone my lungs. I would not survive for long seriously, I would be choking and suffocating on mucus if unable to keep very strictly managing things the way I do evert single day.
Also have you ever tried Oregano Oil? This is another vital remedy I just could not live without and I mean that literally again I would be dead without this I take it every single day many times a day as a vital management for my respiratory symptoms.
I use it multiple times always after meals and always after vapor and at other specific times during the day. But for my allergy to vaporized cannabis if I did not have oil of oregano to take I will simply would not be able to vaporize I would not even be able to think about it because without that amazing remedy to reduce irritation, open airways, expectorate (is that a word?) mucus and just generally miraculously soothe those inflamed, irritated passages I wouldnt be able to tolerate and manage my allergies.
Oil of oregano is also a proven pain killer, as is peppermint. Inhaling peppermint essential oil can actually make a noticeable difference in how much you perceive and are bothered by pain. Which is handy because I use the peppermint oil in my steam inhalations every day and boy oh heck is that the most painful thing I've ever known when those lungs are really full of mucus?!
It takes a while for the peppermint to kick in in that circumstance, but I always notice that if I take my shower immediately following the steam inhalation I can handle the hot water on my skin at max temp without it bothering me at all due to the peppermint having dimmed pain sensations down quite effectively.
But I know that you are dealing with very severe pain issues which will need serious remedies to make any worthwhile difference. But that doesn't mean that something like peppermint or oregano oil would not help in addition.
I mentioned this primarily though because I do seriously think that if you were to give either or both of these remedies ago you would find substantially more relief from your throat irritation and be able to keep things much more comfortable around the clock and tolerate your vaporizers much better.
If you want to try the oregano, its cheap nowadays. Get Zane Hellas one off of ebay. It must be at least 50/50 with olive oil to take internally but 60/40 or 55/45 will make it noticeably less fiery it can be a little hot when you first start taking it because it is reacting with all of the oxidants which have built up oregano oil has one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants of anything in the world.
You can buy the oil pre diluted at various concentrations or you can buy it neat as I do and mix it up yourself once you have an empty bottle. It is completely safe and the only potential side effect that im aware of (apart from possibly interfering with iron absorption) is that there is the possibility that it can harm healthy intestinal flora as well as bad bacteria in which case one would benefit from a probiotic regime. But I am not sure about this and I've never been able to get a definitive answer on this it has been postulated that oregano oil will kill beneficial gut microbes but has not been confirmed and has been disputed as well.
Anyway there is the idea just something for you to consider. Sorry you have such pain I feel for you man and commendations to another great member who puts out only positivity optimism and high spirit despite high level of physical suffering. Good luck with this break I hope you get some unexpected and helpful benefits and find ways to handle and minimise the pain levels. Hang in there man.