Please Respond - Questions For My Mom

[Joy2all]

Hello Everyone,
I am here to research for my Mom. She has COPD/emphysema and is on oxygen. She has been smoking for 40++ years and has attempted to quit several times. She is very much a hermit and smoking has always been her "best friend". She just got out of the ICU and was on a (sp?) ventilator/life support. We feel VERY blessed that she is still here! The docs have told her that her lungs just cannot handle smoking any longer. She has not smoked since the hospital, but this has happened before and I am afraid it is just a matter of time (minutes/days) before she starts smoking again. She asked me to find her some herbal cigarettes or ANYTHING. This is how I ran across yall. This forum seems so very helpful and concerned about others. There is so much information here though, I am somewhat confused, overwhelmed and nervous in making the right choice ASAP. If you could please recommend a electronic cigarette that is most like a cigarette as far as size and tobacco flavor. She is on the nicotine patches/gum. I would also like to know about which ones that are less complicated because I or my brother will have to do this for her. She has a touch of dementia and forgets easily. I have also been reading on the COPD forums and pretty much have gathered that if you dont WANT to quit you won't. She states it very plainly that she enjoys smoking and she does NOT want to quit. So if you could please give me your advice/opinions I would sooo much appreciate it. Thanks for reading my post. (Sorry so long)
Joy

[brandeeashlynn]

Hey welcome to the forum. I am the same way as your mother, I dont want to give up smoking it is a part of me in some weird way. I know how she feels. But i also know how it feels to lose someone from a smoking related illness. My grandmother had emphysema before she died she had smoked for many years and had the same problem that many smokers have( that I just dont want to quit attitude). Anyway when i heard about ecigs and did about 3 weeks of research and constanlty was on this forum to find all the links and discussions about ecigs i figured i had nothing to lose. The one that was most recommned to me was the M401. It feels the closest to a real cig and it has good vapor and a nice throat hit. Also i heard good things about the dse 901, but the battery life isnt as good as the m 401. I am new to ecigs too and i hope that my info was of use to you. By the way i am completely tobacco free now. I wish you well in helping your mom with her addiction. God bless. You can also go to the suppliers page and find out more about their products and prices.

[robw]

Suggesting a e-cig that someone will prefer is impossible.
For flavor
DSE-901 or DSE-801

For heavy vapor
DSE-801 or LT-v9

For realistic appearance or real cig feel
LT-v9

For real cig flavor
Sorry none have matched real cig flavor yet

DSE-801 (pen style) is my favorite. The one I use is the ecigmall.com USB pen with a bestecig.com pen atomizer.

[SannerSays]

The only fear that I have in your case is this. The doctor told her that her lungs can't handle smoking any more. In this case e-cigarettes might be something you would want to bring up to your doctor before she starts using them. Because, if her lungs are too weak to take a cigarette, are they also too weak to take an e-cig? I have absolutely no professional knowledge about the subject, just was something that concerned me. Is the introduction of a new foreign substance to her lungs going to be any better than a cigarette with the shape that her lungs are in? I have absolute faith that an e-cig would get her off of cigarettes, but can her lungs handle it? Just a thought of mine.

[Duncan]

I have mild COPD. My lung volume was 54% when I was diagnosed. I was ORDERED to stop smoking and my Doc told me that if I stopped, the COPD would not get any worse, but it wouldn't get any better either.
So, I went on to e-cigs and within a month my lung volume had RISEN to 61%. My doc doesn't believe it and thinks the clinic must have made a mistake. I'm sure they didn't because I KNOW my lung volume has increased.

[Spikey]

I would be concerned that having an atomizer around that heats up to "orange color" while she is on oxygen is not a great idea. Anyone else on here vape while using oxygen? I know 2 people said they vaped in the hospital. Any open oxygen around you when the nurses said it was ok? E-cig=good.. oxygen tank explosion=bad!

[Houdini]

I would be concerned that having an atomizer around that heats up to "orange color" while she is on oxygen is not a great idea. Anyone else on here vape while using oxygen? I know 2 people said they vaped in the hospital. Any open oxygen around you when the nurses said it was ok? E-cig=good.. oxygen tank explosion=bad!

You're right. Probably not the best idea but a lot safer than if she decides to start smoking analog again and holds a lighter up to her face with an oxygen tube close by. Either way it's a tough call.

[Kate]

Yes, it's tough.

Let's think about harm reduction. If the choices are 1/ being miserable with nothing to inhale. 2/ smoking and having the addiction fed but not helping a bad medical condition. 3/ vaping which might be good or bad for health but will satisfy the addiction and reduce the misery of quitting.

I'd bet that there's a 90% chance that vaping is harmless and may even be beneficial. Dr Loi presented a theory that the propylene glycol might act as a lung cleaner enabling crud to be coughed up. TBob found scientific evidence that propylene glycol has some germ killing properties. Nicotine is thought to help with Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, depression, psychosis, and various other health problems. Forum members with COPD have reported improvement in lung capacity when vaping. We don't know for sure that it's harmless but if the alternatives are the killer smoke or misery I know what I'd try.

Spikey is right about being careful with oxygen, an exposed atomiser might be a problem. Someone was saying recently about having trouble removing tight cartridges from a DSE901 that was intended for an elderly friend and worrying that she wouldn't be able to manage.

Would a disposable atomiser device like Red Dragon or Bloog solve those problems? The heating element is not exposed with those. There would also be no need to refill cartridges if that would be too tricky. This might cost a bit more but a new atomiser each time, no refilling and only batteries to maintain might be a good device for less able folk?

The Ruyan Jazz might be worth looking into also.

[surbitonPete]

I have mild COPD. My lung volume was 54% when I was diagnosed. I was ORDERED to stop smoking and my Doc told me that if I stopped, the COPD would not get any worse, but it wouldn't get any better either.
So, I went on to e-cigs and within a month my lung volume had RISEN to 61%. My doc doesn't believe it and thinks the clinic must have made a mistake. I'm sure they didn't because I KNOW my lung volume has increased.

I wish there 'was' someone monitoring some vapourors lung functions because I cycle every day...and although it's something I can't possibly explain...I 'feel' as if the more I have been vaping before I go out and cycle the better my lungs seem to function, it's as if vaping is actually doing something good for my lungs, but of course it could all just be in my imagination but it's very interesting to read that your lung funtion has measurably improved.

[Smo]

Just wanted to wish the very best to your mom, and to you and your brother for the great love that you surely have for her and that leaks out from your post. It was very touching to me. There are tons of other people here that can help you better than me with hints on what to choose, since i've tried only 1 model of e-cig, and sticked with that, but i'll post a brief review hoping it will help you decide.

Mine is the EVO from intellicig, a remade M401, that kinda looks and feels like a real cig, more so with an atom battery. Slightly heavier than a real cig, it performs well for vapour/throat hit and it's really reliable when it comes to battery duration. My atomizer has just passed the 3rd week mark and still going strong.

I think any e-cig using cartridges will be easy to use enough for your mom, since it's really easy to swap em.

Many users in here says that french pipe from wickedliquid is the closest to real tobacco, i have not tryed it myself, and it is really down to personal preference which liquid a person will choose. As far as tobacco flavours go, i tried the evo one and the marlboro form wickedliquid, but even if they have that hint, subtle scent of tobacco... they're not the same thing. No ecig and no juice will ever replicate a real cig taste, don't let anyone fool you into that.

Again, wish you and your loved ones the best. Keep us updated =)