Worried vaping won't help me

[AndriaD]

Hey thanks for the heads up, I will stop posting about this in this thread but I think it is a childish rule. Being I'm so new I will just stay quite for now, considering I don't know much about inhaling other stuff via ejuice. I have done it with a few drops in a napkin cupped in the hand and inhaled that way and the eucalyptus does wonders for stuffy chest. ....but enough about this for now thanks for the info

Yeah, I don't really understand some of the rules, but I like the forum, so I figure, what the hey. I make the rules on my own websites, so I figure they can do that with theirs, you know?

Andria

 

[Arenz]

Just my 2 cents here but my wife has asthma, and she says my vaping irritates her lungs. She is an ex-smoker of 20 years. Smoking never bothered her asthma but if she takes one good drag of my vape, even 0mg nic, her lungs will hurt. I hate to say it, but vaping may not be your solution.

 

[sflaguy]

The looks my wife used to get hitting her inhaler while puffing away on her cigs ( including my own). She's been completely off the cigs for 5 months now happily vaping away & hasn't hit her inhaler with the exception of the seasonal weather changes!

 

[AndriaD]

It's true that vaping does have the potential to irritate in different ways, and those with any existing lung or breathing problem have to be particularly careful -- I can't ever be a cloud chaser, because i can't take the heat or the high VG or even the thick vapor itself, but that's ok; I make enough vapor to satisfy my "need" to breath something in and then exhale it. I can't really deal with dripping attys either, not very well; I have a really small Igo-S that I use for taste testing, but I build coils for it just like the ones I build for my kayfuns, 1.8 ohms, a warm vape but not hot at all. And though I enjoy throat hit, I have to be kinda careful with that too, which is one reason that most drippers don't suit me at all. Back when I was vaping the Virginia, which has a pretty strong TH, when I first started vaping in the morning I had to turn my wattage WAYYYYYYYYYY down, or that big TH would give me a coughing fit -- always easy, when first waking up, if you have asthma. Now my blueberry muffin doesn't have such intense TH, but i still might turn it down just a little, first thing in the morning.

The point is, there are many, many options for atty and mod and coil and juice, and if you really want to make vaping work to get you or keep you off cigarettes, try everything. If someone just goes "oh well, I guess it won't work for me," it seems to me that they just don't want it to; they'd rather keep smoking -- and maybe they don't even realize that that's the case, because addicted brains are really good at making you think untrue things. There may be those who actually do try every possible thing, but it still doesn't work, I'm not disputing that -- but the potential benefit, the wonderful potential outcome -- being *happily* free of cigarettes -- is so worth it, how can you *not* try every possible thing? Even new asthma medication, if necessary -- I've been refusing maintenance drugs for mine for many years, but now, in order to keep vaping *and* breathing, I have to use the maintenance drugs, and it's worth it to me, because for the first time in 39 yrs, I don't want to smoke, and I don't need to smoke, and that's worth so much, I can't even express it. It literally is just like being released from jail -- freedom.

There's a little saying I got from my violin teacher, when I was in high school, which I often said to my son when he was growing up: "can't never could, because can't didn't even try."

Andria

 

[Malarky]

I may be wrong but isn't PG in nebulizer. My son has mild asthma getting better as he gets older but he use to have to use a nebulizer twice a day for 2 years when he was younger. I am almost positive that the liquid that is put in the nebulizer is a PG base. I did not read the replies and this May have been hit on already but you may be having a reaction to the VG.

 

[Foggyroomz]

My son developed asthma and he started smoking when he was 10 or 11 I couldn't understand why my cig packs always seemed light but anyway 6 months after I quit and went to vaping my son who is now 20 wanted to quit smoking himself because he was really having problems with his asthma getting worse so I took him to a shop and got him a MVP2 and some juice he couldn't handle high VG content as it aggrievated his asthma really bad so he had to use higher PG starting out he is 6.5 months smoke free and now vapes 20/80 VG no nic and hasn't used his inhaler in 5.5 months so your lung function changes after being off the cigs for a period of time too. He wound up with Bronchitis once in the beginning but the doctor said it was his lungs cleaning themselves of all the tar and that it would get worse before it got better but that he was on the right track gave him some meds to help and he stuck with it now he does cloud competitions locally so like many others have said you have to play with it to find the sweet spot that does work for you and remember that VG is a much thicker and heavier vapor to breath in so PG may be more easier to handle starting out and you will go through some bronchial stuff once off the cigs because your lungs will try to expell all the tar you put in there from smoking it isn't the vapor because that is actually restoring moisture in your lungs that smoking depletes. Good Luck and don't get discouraged you will have to experiment a little but it isn't hopeless.

 

[AndriaD]

I may be wrong but isn't PG in nebulizer. My son has mild asthma getting better as he gets older but he use to have to use a nebulizer twice a day for 2 years when he was younger. I am almost positive that the liquid that is put in the nebulizer is a PG base. I did not read the replies and this May have been hit on already but you may be having a reaction to the VG.

Yes, asthma inhalers have PG, and I'm pretty sure that's why I've had no particular issues with high-PG, *unless* I vape 90% PG for several days in a row... it does get irritating. I guess everyone just has a different threshold of where irritation begins -- and at least one asthmatic here at the forum swears up and down that *PG* causes his asthma problems, but VG doesn't, which I completely do not get, but I guess everyone is different.

Andria

 

[JustMeB]

Yes, asthma inhalers have PG, and I'm pretty sure that's why I've had no particular issues with high-PG, *unless* I vape 90% PG for several days in a row... it does get irritating. I guess everyone just has a different threshold of where irritation begins -- and at least one asthmatic here at the forum swears up and down that *PG* causes his asthma problems, but VG doesn't, which I completely do not get, but I guess everyone is different.

Andria

I have asthma, PG didn't bother my lungs but did bother my stomach after a while. I started out using 70pg/20vg. By the end of the day I felt nauseated (no it wasn't the nic level either because at the time it was 6mg and is now 12mg on 80vg/20pg and I do not get nauseated now). I never could handle the pg in asthma medicine either except the advair that you mentioned Andria. (I didn't like the taste of the powder but did like I could deal with the side effects of it rather than albuterol, which I just couldn't deal with. The higher VG does make my lungs a bit stuffy I've noticed and I think I am going to try either 70vg/30pg or even a 50/50 blend to see if my stomach will tolerate a higher pg than I do currently. I also don't inhale most times but just do the mouth/nose exhale as others mentioned. It takes some practice as I was used to inhaling when smoking. Like others say, try different combinations of vaping before you give up and think it isn't for you. It may also be the device that you use that may irritate your lungs and not just the liquid.

 

[navigator2011]

Just my 2 cents here but my wife has asthma, and she says my vaping irritates her lungs. She is an ex-smoker of 20 years. Smoking never bothered her asthma but if she takes one good drag of my vape, even 0mg nic, her lungs will hurt. I hate to say it, but vaping may not be your solution.

I really hope this is not the situation I am in. I have not had any pain, it's just the gut-busting coughing followed by bronchitis that is the problem. After pressing onwards, and analyzing myself in the process, I think it must be the mixture of smoking analogs and vaping that is the problem.

The looks my wife used to get hitting her inhaler while puffing away on her cigs ( including my own). She's been completely off the cigs for 5 months now happily vaping away & hasn't hit her inhaler with the exception of the seasonal weather changes!

Yes, begin completely off the cigs has allowed her lungs to heal to the point of being able to vape without problems. That's the result I hope I can achieve. Only problem is, I find it rather difficult to stay completely off the cigs.

There's a little saying I got from my violin teacher, when I was in high school, which I often said to my son when he was growing up: "can't never could, because can't didn't even try."

Andria

Andria, I always like these:

 

[AndriaD]

Yes, begin completely off the cigs has allowed her lungs to heal to the point of being able to vape without problems. That's the result I hope I can achieve. Only problem is, I find it rather difficult to stay completely off the cigs.

This is what was so frustrating for me, that I actually *am* free of the cigs, with no desire to go back to them whatever, but was having so much trouble with my asthma, the wheezing and feeling breathless all the time. I can only hope that the reason is just that I smoked for so very long, nearly 4 decades, so it just might take a little while -- or even a fairly long while -- for my lungs to heal. My doc seemed to think that was the case. But the new meds are helping *immensely* -- I was able to sleep till nearly noon today, since I wasn't being awakened by needing to breathe, or that awful whistling sound from my lungs. It's a huge relief!!! I took only 6 puffs from my Ventolin yesterday, instead of the 10-12 I'd been needing recently, and a couple of those 6 were the ones I took just before hitting the Dulera, to make sure I was all opened-up and could get the Dulera deep into my lungs.

Andria, I always like these:

View attachment 395581

View attachment 395576

I like those too!!!

I'd go along with, hmm, I think it was Edyle, who said maybe start with just PG, all by itself, and see how you do; then add just one ingredient at a time, to see where the real problems start.

But in any case, it sounds like you're making progress, at least cutting way down on the cigs, and that's a really good start, and will help your lungs begin the healing process. When I first started trying to substitute vaping for smoking, I really had no idea I could quit completely; I was just looking to cut way down, to save money and also give my lungs a break -- but gradually, I found I just didn't need or want the cigs at all. Could've knocked me over with a feather; I had given up all hope or expectation of EVER being able to quit -- it's really miraculous.

Andria

 

[navigator2011]

I am glad that you are finding some relief with your asthma--maybe it will just take a while to heal. I hope that's the case for me too. I do remember that, somewhere along the way, I started coughing if ever I got a whiff of steam off a fresh cup of coffee, too. I remember noting that it didn't used to happen, either. Of course, I knew it was the smoking that caused, but that didn't stop me smoking. Rather, I quickly leaned to momentarily stop breathing when taking that first sip of fresh coffee.

 

[Foggyroomz]

If the VG is too heavy and PG causes an irritation as well then you may have to find a vape shop that could cut your max VG juice with distilled water instead of PG so that you keep your PG value to flavorings only which if you do a single flavor juice you can keep your PG to 10% and VG could be cut with say 30% distilled water and 60% VG this will thin the VG out so that would give you a 40/60 equivalent but keep it minimal PG. I don't know how well the flavors will pop thru being watered down but it would make the vapor thinner. I personally don't have a problem with VG but I do notice that with max VG it can cause a slight heavier breathing situation if chain vaping but I can't handle PG it irritates and dries out my throat severely even at a 50/50 blend so I run 10PG/90 VG and get major clouds doing it but if it were to start bothering me doing max VG then I would cut it with distilled water as the alcohol they use in place of PG to cut VG down causes me to get headaches and dries my throat worse then the PG. I hope you find a blend that works for you and can stay off the cigs as they are definitely worse by far.

 

[navigator2011]

Thanks, everyone, for giving me advice. I feel it's only proper to post an update. So, I have labored on with my Nicoticket 18mg Virus and my Albuterol inhaler. I have two Aspire ET-S toppers with BVCs, which I am running on a couple of Joyetech eCom-C Twists at 10 Watts. I like the way this system looks--and for some reason that it important to me. I also have an Aspire Nautilus Mini and a Carto Tank, but both are stored for now.

I have tossed all my analog cigarettes and am now relying solely on vapor for my nicotine needs--I'm currently on my 4th day, now, without any cigarettes. I have noticed that my asthma and coughing are getting better, but boy is it slow. But if I'm honest with myself, I must admit that even when I went cold turkey in past, it took about 2 weeks for me to stop coughing. So, I have resolved to be patient and give myself the chance for a proper cure.

I would say that my current setup is plenty satisfying about 95% of the time. Of course, there are times when I forget just how awful it is to be addicted to cigarettes, and then I have to remind myself of the reality of smoking all of the time. There are times when I struggle to see through the hypnosis created by 30 years of chronic cigarette use. So far, merely jogging my memory has been an effective deterrent. It also helps that I don't have any analogs readily available, too. It further helps that my family is being supportive, too. Further, it helps that now I know the ecig does supply enough nicotine, and it does it pretty quickly, too.

I suspect that everyone here is correct when they advise that it takes a while of no smoking for the cough to calm down. I am grateful for that advice. I will update this thread as I progress onwards.

Thanks again to everyone for helping me to help myself.

 

[AndriaD]

Patience has always been the hardest thing for me to achieve. For me it's like, lord, give me patience... and give it right now!!!

If you find that even after a couple months of smoke-free vaping, your asthma is still troublesome, then you might want to ask your doc about maintenance meds -- this Dulera that my doc gave me some samples of, is just amazing, the difference is so dramatic. From 10-15 puffs of albuterol a day, now I'm using about 6 puffs a day, and 2 of those are just before the Dulera, to make sure I'm all opened up. It's truly a godsend! I can keep up with my husband, walking thru parking lots, instead of "hey (pant), wait up! (pant pant gasp wheeze).

Andria

EDIT: I meant to add -- being opened up like this has meant that sometimes I have a lot of coughing -- but now instead of a dry whistling cough, it's a productive cough -- so being so opened up is helping me finish getting rid of all the tar in there -- so there may be phases where the coughing is worse, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, if it's helping bring up junk that needs to be out instead of in.

 

[navigator2011]

Hi AndriaD,

Yes, that's what the inhaler does for me, too--makes my cough more productive rather than dry and unproductive. I will keep in mind your advice as I progress with vaping. Normally, while smoking full-time, I don't even use the inhaler, only when I get a cold or something. Once, I jumped to vaping, though, I had to use the inhaler in order to vape in peace. I hope that I will eventually be able to decrease my inhaler use as my lungs heal up a bit.

 

[ian-field]

Vaping may not for you...... That said it could just be your juice or the way your vaping it. High nic and higher PG juices will be harsher that 100%vg and low or no nic juices. You could try a Cooler vaping temp or less harsh juices. Realize you have reduced you cigarette usage by 70% at this point. You don't say how long you have been at it. But to me thats not bad. I started vaping in July and am at about the same 5-10 cigs a day sometimes less. I have been smoking 1-2 packs a day for 35+ years. Currently I'm using 15 and 18mg nic, in 70pg/30vg Juices from www.Naturally-Extracted-Tobacco.com, e-liquids for electronic cigarettes

The E-cig catches my throat first thing in the morning, I agree with the notion that some liquids might be a bit milder - where I first started buying stocked with a different brand that was so mild it was totally inadequate.

Snuff is another way to supplement the nicotine intake - but its powdered tobacco with most of the nasty things you get smoking.

The average pharmacy is full of different ways of getting nicotine - at a price!!!

 

[ProjektMayhem]

I have asthma too. I was diagnosed when I was 5 years old so I've had it now for just over 20 years. I didn't really have many problems with it when I smoked. I did sometimes have to use my inhalers because I felt my chest getting tight. So since I've switched to vaping I still get that tightness in my chest sometimes. I don't know why it happens and it doesn't happen all the time, only sometimes. It could be something in the juice. But my rescue inhaler (albuterol) always clears it right up. Sometimes when I vape right before I lay down and go to sleep I'll wake up in the middle of the night coughing and feel tightness in my chest. I feel like there's a bunch of mucous or something stuck in my throat. Anyways I just wanted to share and let you know you're not alone. I wish I had an answer for you but I think it's something you should probably talk to your doctor about, and I should too.

 

[3mg Meniere]

I have allergies, but not asthma. Mostly affects sinuses, etc. I have had morning headaches for months now. They got really bad a week ago, and I bought an air purifier. Immediately came down with my first cold in two years. But the headaches are gone. I turn it on high for the night, since the sound doesn't bother me while sleeping.

I think the VG is keeping the residual mucous more fluid so more easily coughed up. However, hydration remains important. Remember that PG is more drying.

I agree with those who recommend switching to pure PG and gradual re-introduction to other ingredients.

 

[BraveNewWorld]

Congrats on day 4!!! Yes I was so worried when I first started, but it gets sooo much easier. I quit cold turkey before so I knew what was going on w/ my asthma. Good luck and many more days!!!