I have heard people saying that smoking cigarettes can affect your transition, by stunting your development.

I don't think it effected me... I have being smoking for about 5 years now, 3 as a regular smoker. I smoke a light menthol brand.  I am addicted to them as I do get cravings and do enjoy smoking. I don't want to be a lifetime smoker.. but I am not ready to quit yet, I know I will quit one day.

I have being looking into getting a e-cig, as I do worry about some of chemicals inside a cigarette. Do you get the same sensation with an e-cig?

Quote from: noleen111 on February 08, 2014, 12:12:36 AM
I have heard people saying that smoking cigarettes can affect your transition, by stunting your development.

I don't think it effected me... I have being smoking for about 5 years now, 3 as a regular smoker. I smoke a light menthol brand.  I am addicted to them as I do get cravings and do enjoy smoking. I don't want to be a lifetime smoker.. but I am not ready to quit yet, I know I will quit one day.

I have being looking into getting a e-cig, as I do worry about some of chemicals inside a cigarette. Do you get the same sensation with an e-cig?

I think so. They don't taste the same but with the right e cig you get a good throat hit just like a regular one. I use Halo Cigs just Google that and check them out. I got the G6 first but then bought the Triton. Most people end up with the triton in the end. Cause the batteries last longer.

My vaporizer has been incredibly useful to me in my quest to quit smoking. Perhaps this is due to the fact that I'm primarily a social smoker. I was down to 1-2 cigarettes a day; unless there is a great conversation - then half a pack would be gone by the end of the night.

My vaporizer has no nicotine in it anymore. It just enables me to deal with my oral fixation (no snickering please ) during deep conversation. I can discuss politics, economics, and philosophy all night now without the need for a cigarette.

All I know is my e-cigs have been a Godsend in helping me quit the real ones. Right now I'm using the Blu with the pack that will charge one battery, store my other along with three full flavor atomizers.

Quote from: Allyda on February 08, 2014, 01:17:25 PM
All I know is my e-cigs have been a Godsend in helping me quit the real ones. Right now I'm using the Blu with the pack that will charge one battery, store my other along with three full flavor atomizers.

You should try the tank style (aka clearomizer). One click of the button and you will be converted instantly. The Halo starter kit comes with two batteries, two tanks, a wall charger and a USB charger in a carrying case. You can also earn rewards points towards free juice, 250 for the starter kit and 100 for every 1, $20 spent on juice, or 2 every big bottle of juice you buy. If anyone is interested in buying one, PM me with your email address and ill send you a link that will get you bonus points.

E-cigs pretty much did the opposite for me as many of you.

Before I started using e-cigs, I smoked maybe 1-3 cigarettes a day. Mostly at the university. Heavier smoking happened during finals week. Then for a little while I started just using nasal snuff tobacco - you pretty much just snort it, although very gently so as to make sure it stays in your nose and doesn't go back into your throat. I find it less disgusting than dipping, and it was stealthy, so I could do it at the university without going outside. It also has pretty much the lowest instance of cancer of any way to ingest tobacco (not meaning nicotine, just tobacco plant matter itself).

I didn't smoke or use snuff much, and ended up having long unintended breaks from both forms, other than at parties and such.

Then, I tried out e-cigs.

I loved the method so much, and the fact you could do it anywhere pretty much, that I would just vape all day long. I boosted my nicotine tolerance to turbo-levels. At one point I power smoked an unfiltered lucky strike at a gig and not feel a nicotine buzz. Before e-cigs, I would have had to smoke lucky strikes slowly, and would feel a massive buzz.

I'm done using nicotine except for rare occasions - pretty much just at parties, or when out drinking. 0-3 cigarettes per month. I managed to quit habitual nicotine use a year ago or so.

I used cigarettes to quit using nicotine. With the e-cigs, I had a much harder time controlling myself, both from knowing that it's less harmful than tobacco, and from how easy it was to use them - and how clean it feels compared to smoking. It was super hard trying to quit e-cigs for me. I did not want to be a slave to nicotine, and suffer long term consequences of sustained heavy nicotine use.

My e-cig died, and I just didn't buy a new one. My girlfriend smokes, so I just bummed smokes from her for a little while. Then, I'd just share a half one with her when I smoked. Eventually I just stopped smoking because I didn't like how it made my lungs and body feel. An occasional cig is ok, but I refuse to buy any form of nicotine anymore.

I like having smoking as a super-rare treat. Now, I actually feel something from the nicotine. When my nicotine tolerance was really high, I felt nothing really. It just made me feel like crap if I wasn't using it enough.

What about weed?

Quote from: emilyking on February 09, 2014, 04:08:20 AM
What about weed?

Lets see, its illegal in the US and should stay that way, it has MORE carcinogens then tobacco, and it blocks your body from processing estrogen at normal levels. Also even if you live in a state that has medicinal laws, or legalized personal use, you can still be fired by a company for failing a UA or hair test. Also a workers comp claim will be denied, even in states with medicinal or personal use laws if you fail a post injury drug test....and once again you will be fired.

Totally not worth it imho.

Quote from: kariann330 on February 09, 2014, 01:08:12 PM
Lets see, its illegal in the US and should stay that way, it has MORE carcinogens then tobacco, and it blocks your body from processing estrogen at normal levels. Also even if you live in a state that has medicinal laws, or legalized personal use, you can still be fired by a company for failing a UA or hair test. Also a workers comp claim will be denied, even in states with medicinal or personal use laws if you fail a post injury drug test....and once again you will be fired.

Totally not worth it imho.

Can you show us any scientific evidence (empirical studies) which support your claims?

Also, Emily, I think there are better places to be asking these types of questions (one of them even has a board for transgender discussion). Here, I don't know if the mods are OK with this type of talk or not. Sometimes people can be uninformed or misinformed about cannabis, which is OK because this is not a place where people come to talk about weed.

I don't smoke it myself, but I'm not against people using it at all, and in the coming years when it starts becoming more and more legal throughout the world, perhaps this cloud of misinformation will lift.

Edit: I want to add that I think it's unhealthy to smoke -anything-.

Quote from: emilyking on February 09, 2014, 04:08:20 AM
What about weed?

When it comes to transition? The jury is still out.

As it becomes more and more legal, I imagine it will also be researched more than ever and there is already a lot of research to sift through.

If you live somewhere where it is legal, some may consider you lucky.

I have a medical card, and I have found it useful in coping with my dysphoria and far less destructive than alcohol. Now that I am on HRT, my need to use it has evaporated, and I find it more of a social thing... and a legal issue.

Does it help or hinder transition though? That is something I would love to find out.

Quote from: kariann330 on February 09, 2014, 01:08:12 PM
Lets see, its illegal in the US and should stay that way, it has MORE carcinogens then tobacco, and it blocks your body from processing estrogen at normal levels. Also even if you live in a state that has medicinal laws, or legalized personal use, you can still be fired by a company for failing a UA or hair test. Also a workers comp claim will be denied, even in states with medicinal or personal use laws if you fail a post injury drug test....and once again you will be fired.

Totally not worth it imho.

Really?  I've never heard that from any scientific study.  They used to tell you that guys would grow boobs because of how similar THC was to estrogen.   I didn't buy that either, otherwise Snoop Dogg would have like DD cups by now.   Conversely, how many stoner chicks out there have large breasts?

I DO, however, remember reading a study on THC and testosterone levels in rhesus monkeys where the T levels dropped by 68% for about one hour after being administered a nominal amount of THC.  I'm guessing that's why I used to smoke a lot of herb.   I also used to love drinking the hoppiest beers I could find.  I later found out that hops have compounds similar to estrogen.

And ever since I've gone on HRT, I no longer need drugs or booze to function. 

Quote from: Jill F on February 09, 2014, 04:04:02 PM
They used to tell you that guys would grow boobs because of how similar THC was to estrogen.

THC does not cause moobs... Doritos consumed while imbibing in THC causes moobs.

Quote from: The Post-Trans-Rebel. on February 07, 2014, 12:40:45 AM
When considering the risk of DVT from smoking/nicotne, you also need to factor in the effects of HRT..

A study on rats showed that nicotine exposure abolishes the beneficial and protective effects of estrogen on the hippocampus, an estrogen-sensitive region of the brain involved in memory formation and retention. And that seems like a good enough reason to me to stop.

No offense to anyone but why would anyone want to go off of results from animals? They are not humans and won't produce the same results. Not to mention is even different from person to person. One person can have completely different results from another and so forth. I've been on 4-5 different depression meds and 3 different sleeping pills and none of them have worked for me. Not everyone reacts the same to everything.

I'm lucky to be alive right now cuz I wanted to end my life and if it wasn't for smoking it probably would've happened. I haven't started hrt yet due to being in the military but I don't plan on quitting when I do start.

More carcinogens then tobacco:

http://adai.uw.edu/marijuana/factsheets/respiratoryeffects.htm

Blocks estrogen receptors:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/19912874/

To the points of loosing your job, if i wouldn't get fired i would post a memo released by my companies HR department stating that a positive UA will still result in immediate termination if medicinal or personal use laws were passed in Ohio. An attachment to that memo for our plants in Colorado, Washington and Michigan states that since they have those laws mentioned, a positive UA will result in IMMEDIATE termination and goes on to say that a workers comp claim will be deniedupon producing a positive UA. Several other companies have released similar memos to what my plant had released.

Why it should remain illegal:

It is a Schedule 1 substance in the USA, meaning 1 it has NO medical benefits or 2 the health risks of said substance outweigh any positive medical benefits. Same as Mescaline, Cocaine and psychedelic mushrooms. Hell Acid was originally developed as a mental health medication until it received it's Schedule 1 classification.

The schedule 1 thing is a mosaic of political hackery. Rather fascinating to learn about how and why certain things were scheduled the way they were.

And actually, cocaine is not schedule 1. It is used as a localized numbing agent for certain types of eye procedures.

Moderation

Do be aware that mentioning or rather advocating the use of illegal drugs is contrary to site policy.

I do understand the comments and I am very willing for the thread to continue with this being adhered to.

As a former drug addict, smoker, alcoholic and a person who has suffered severe depression I do understand BTW.

I did take the personal attitude that I was not going to abuse my beautiful new body. I would be proud of it and of myself, when I took that attitude the desire for putting poisons into myself was quite easy to stop.

But I can assure you, I do know what it feels like to stop 

D'oh!

I took it off trans-topic with that last post. So sorry. Up until then, we'd kept it about transition's relation to the substance. Totally my bad.

I do hope for a little more clarification though, because this subject will keep popping up.

If it is legal now recreationally, in two states, and medically in many others, and the federal government has made it their current policy to not interfere with state laws on this issue, can't it be discussed within the context of this website, as long as the discussion remains about legal rather than illegal usage?

Supporting trans and homosexual rights is illegal in Russia, but we'd never ban a Russian for the law loophole over there, would we? Granted, that hypothetical Russian would likely fit better within the context of this forum, than marijuana.

Quote from: Tori on February 10, 2014, 12:50:55 AM
D'oh!

I took it off topic with that last post. So sorry. Up until then, we'd kept it about transition's relation to the substance.

I do hope for a little more clarification though, because this subject will keep popping up.

If it is legal now recreationally, in two states, and medically in many others, and the federal government has made it their policy to not interfere with state laws on this issue, can't it be discussed within the context of this website, as long as the discussion remains about legal rather than illegal usage?

Supporting trans and homosexual rights is illegal in Russia, but we'd never ban a Russian for the law loophole over there, would we? Granted, that hypothetical Russian would likely fit better within the context of this forum, than marijuana.

"advocating the use of illegal drugs is contrary to site policy.

I do understand the comments and I am very willing for the thread to continue with this being adhered to"

If it is legal it is fine. Discussion is fine. Just keep discussion within the boundaries.

That is all I said.

That is precisely the type of clarification I was asking for.

Thank you.

Sometimes a little bold print makes all the difference.

Quote from: kariann330 on February 10, 2014, 12:07:55 AM
Blocks estrogen receptors:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/19912874/

" In summary, our results support the existence of a certain estogenic modulation of the actions of THC on nigrostriatal dopaminergic activity. Thus, certain effects of THC on dopaminergic parameters in ovariectomized rats were abolished by either TMX-induced blockade of estrogenic cytosolic receptors or, acutely, by the coadministration of estradiol."

Care to explain what that quote from the article means precisely. You know, since you are making conclusive statements. I read the whole paper. It did not mention any estrogen agonists/antagonists. It only mentions modulation. Modulation I believe refers to a very different concept than agonist/antagonist. Specifically in that a modulator as far as I am aware only affects the levels to a certain degree of a chemical within a specific kind of tissue.

More to the point it says in that last sentence there that the effects of THC were stopped by  the blockade of receptors or administration of estradiol. Plus they are rats not humans.

---

Let us also not forget that a like for like comparison of the quantity of carcinogens in tobacco versus cannabis is simply not valid. Ignoring all differences in quality or strength required for a dose there is the simple fact that it is not consumed in the same way as tobacco. For a smoker the first thing you do in the morning is have a cigarette. Then this continues with more smoking all day. Smoking cannabis follows that pattern relatively rarely except in a minority of extremely heavy users.