i have been diagnosed with COPD......quit smoking 4 yrs ago by starting vaping. Have loved vaping and never looked back at the stinky habit I had for over 40 yrs. But apparently my lungs had already been damaged. I felt really good up until about 6 months ago when I started to get out of breath whenever exerting at times....so had some tests done and result says COPD. I was really surprised cuz I thought I had dodged it.......and now they are telling me not to vape either because it also irritates the lungs. I don't want to give it up, but I may have too. Anyone else in my boat ???
COPD and confused
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They lump a few conditions into the COPD basket. My wife has it as did her father and grandfather on the other side. She still vapes but in general does not inhale. May be something you could practice at doing.
That's really bad luck. I smoked for 31 years before eventually quitting 5 years ago with vaping. Hope I didn't leave it too late. Although vaping may irratate the lungs would it make your copd any worse. If not I think I would continue to vape here and there. Hope someone comes along with more knowledge than me. Best of luck to you.
When I started vaping 5-1/2 years ago, I was diagnosed with mild COPD, I always assumed emphysema, but not sure. Since then the Dr. hasn't said anything else about it, and as far as I can tell, it hasn't gotten any worse, and my Dr. always tells me my lungs sound good. You might try changing your pg/vg ratios to see if that helps. If you are a cloud chaser, I dunno, I always felt that was a lot of pg/vg to be pulling into the lungs, just my opinion tho.
The best thing to do is quit vaping, but if you are like me, I wouldn't want to unless I felt I really needed to. I sincerely wish you good luck with this.
The best thing to do is quit vaping, but if you are like me, I wouldn't want to unless I felt I really needed to. I sincerely wish you good luck with this.
Happy to see some replies. We all are very successful in dropping the worst habit in the world.....am so proud of everyone who can do it. I Vape a 65/35 pg/vg.....not sure which is the bad part.....vg or pg. I have been trying to Vape and NOT inhale......but sometimes you relax and forget. I sit at a desk all day and then come home and with very little energy sit there too.. I am going to try and do some moderate exercise and see if that helps. But exertion causes me to lose my breath.....it's a pretty vicious circle. I have a nebulizer now and that does help....but I hate using it.....don't want to admit I need it.
No wonder our parents told us not to smoke.....
No wonder our parents told us not to smoke.....
I used to deliver home oxygen, nebulizers, etc. The rescue inhalers are usually using PG as a carrier for the medicine. Higher VG can make some people feel like they can't breathe. I vape 90%vg 10% distilled water.
In my experience (not a doctor) lungs don't get better. You got what you got. COPD has to do with the tubes that get the air to your lungs. The inhaler and neb meds are bronchial dilators to open up the tubes.
In my experience (not a doctor) lungs don't get better. You got what you got. COPD has to do with the tubes that get the air to your lungs. The inhaler and neb meds are bronchial dilators to open up the tubes.
I was a long time smoker and am very grateful for vaping. When I switched I didn't realize it but I didn't inhale. And that was at 24mg. What I understood was that I should get the vape into my mouth for the flavor and then exhale through the nose. The nic molecules would catch on my nose hairs and be ingested that way. Also, the sense of smell in it is enjoyable. I thought, "okay, that is what to do".
I imagine that some vape goes farther into my lungs, but I never sensed it to notice it. As to irritability and inhaling to the lungs, that is best an individual decision.
I just don't do lung hits. Mouth to nose, I got what I needed to quit cigs.
I do like to wear my chef's hat when I am doing DIY, though.
BTW, my doc said that we will continue chest x-rays every 6 months and that the cloudiness will go away as cells die off. Today, I don't smoke.
I imagine that some vape goes farther into my lungs, but I never sensed it to notice it. As to irritability and inhaling to the lungs, that is best an individual decision.
I just don't do lung hits. Mouth to nose, I got what I needed to quit cigs.
I do like to wear my chef's hat when I am doing DIY, though.
BTW, my doc said that we will continue chest x-rays every 6 months and that the cloudiness will go away as cells die off. Today, I don't smoke.
@Joie - I smoked for 42+ years ( 1 - 1 1/2PAD) until quitting Jan. 14, 2014. I'd been diagnosed with beginning stages of COPD (emphysema) about 8 or 9 years before I quit, as evidenced in yearly chest x-rays I'd have for years. It never kept me from doing anything I wanted to do though (exercise, hiking, bike riding, etc.). I never got out of breath (though sometimes alittle short of breath during really rigorous activities). Also never needed any meds nor inhaler for it. Doctor of course was always encouraging me to quit smoking, but I just couldn't.
I've been vaping fulltime since my quit date above, and I've had numerous improvements in my health. One of them is that my doctor says my lungs sound more clear than they've ever been since I've been his patient (16+ years now), my latest spirometer test dumbfounded him...it was so good, and my COPD appears to be alittle improved in fact. Doctor says it might be the warm, moistness from vaping that's helping my lungs improve.
He hasn't suggested I quit vaping at all, nor ask me if I plan to quit. Just says he's very pleased with all improvements since I quit smoking. Gives me a thumbs up every visit!
I did inhale when I smoked, but with vaping...I get my "nic fix" fine with just pulling the vapor into my mouth and only about as far down as mid throat, then it goes back out my mouth and/or nose. So I don't think I'm getting much of the warm moistness my doctor talks about, but maybe just enough to do some actual good. Maybe you could give vaping a try that way, too?
I've been vaping fulltime since my quit date above, and I've had numerous improvements in my health. One of them is that my doctor says my lungs sound more clear than they've ever been since I've been his patient (16+ years now), my latest spirometer test dumbfounded him...it was so good, and my COPD appears to be alittle improved in fact. Doctor says it might be the warm, moistness from vaping that's helping my lungs improve.
He hasn't suggested I quit vaping at all, nor ask me if I plan to quit. Just says he's very pleased with all improvements since I quit smoking. Gives me a thumbs up every visit!
I did inhale when I smoked, but with vaping...I get my "nic fix" fine with just pulling the vapor into my mouth and only about as far down as mid throat, then it goes back out my mouth and/or nose. So I don't think I'm getting much of the warm moistness my doctor talks about, but maybe just enough to do some actual good. Maybe you could give vaping a try that way, too?
The issue for all of us ex-smokers is that after many years, damage happens. The rate of progression is obviously higher if you continue smoking. Unfortunately, it will not all reverse even when stopping. Some of that damage will remain, although improvement can occur away from cigs. Other risks associated with smoking such as heart disease and cancer (not just lung either) do decrease over time such that the increased risk becomes quite small and even match non-smokers (although it might take a decade or more for some risks to decline to that of non-smokers).
As an ex-smoker, I know putting anything in my lings other than fresh air is not doing me any favors. If you have lung disease sufficient to cause you problems, stopping vaping can make sense. It will not make sense if stopping vaping means returning to smoking. Then you're better off staying with your vape. It's all a matter of relative risk. And nic can be absorbed from your mouth so deep inhales aren't necessary to get at least some "kick" from vaping. Still, you have to be the one to balance the risks off and decide how best to follow your doctor's recommendations.
As an ex-smoker, I know putting anything in my lings other than fresh air is not doing me any favors. If you have lung disease sufficient to cause you problems, stopping vaping can make sense. It will not make sense if stopping vaping means returning to smoking. Then you're better off staying with your vape. It's all a matter of relative risk. And nic can be absorbed from your mouth so deep inhales aren't necessary to get at least some "kick" from vaping. Still, you have to be the one to balance the risks off and decide how best to follow your doctor's recommendations.
First off, you have to keep in mind that the only real difference between vaping and your nebulizer is the amount of vapor, the meds and flavors. Other than that its just a medical vaping device. Same base liquid we use for eliquid. You will probably find certain flavors more irritating than others.
I can give you a couple things to try. One is adding peppermint or a mint oil to your vape. Peppermint has been known to help heal lungs some and is sold as an additive for cold vaporizers. It helped me a lot the last couple weeks during my bout with pneumonia. Peppermint works similar to camphor menthol but is not as harsh.
My doctor had me add it to my nebulizer fluid to help with the taste and as an added natural healing agent. It does help but you can't use too much or it gets overpowering like a heavy citrus flavor can.
I can't recommend it but I did try my nebulizer fluid in my vape and it actually worked. I just used low power on a 2 ohm coil. (8-9 watts).
I can give you a couple things to try. One is adding peppermint or a mint oil to your vape. Peppermint has been known to help heal lungs some and is sold as an additive for cold vaporizers. It helped me a lot the last couple weeks during my bout with pneumonia. Peppermint works similar to camphor menthol but is not as harsh.
My doctor had me add it to my nebulizer fluid to help with the taste and as an added natural healing agent. It does help but you can't use too much or it gets overpowering like a heavy citrus flavor can.
I can't recommend it but I did try my nebulizer fluid in my vape and it actually worked. I just used low power on a 2 ohm coil. (8-9 watts).
Do remember a nebulizer supplies an aerosol (either an inhaler or an air compressor or piezoelectric disc based nebulizer) and not a vapor (a heated solution). The solutions made for use in a nebulizer are not prepared to be heated and delivered as a vapor, but intended to be delivered as an aerosol. While a nebulizer fluid might vaporize in a vape tank, the application of heat may alter the active ingredients and/or alter the efficacy.
I vape 80pg/20vg at 8 to 9W on a Triton mini with 1.8ohm Nautilus coils, 18 to 24 mg Nic, about 3ml a day. Much better for my Copd than the 70/30 pg/vg I was vaping. My lung tests have improved since I started vaping and stopped smoking two years ago. High vg makes me wheezy and tight lungs.
I'm in the same boat. I certainly have to tootle puff...subohm cloud chasing is never going to work for me. Also, I generally have to keep my vg level down at 20-30% or I get heavy fluid lungs.
COPD is used as a catch all anymore. Did you see a pulmonary dr? If your not getting better, I'd want to see a specialist. There are so many conditions that can share similar symptoms that only a specialist can differentiate them, yet treatment can vary and make a huge difference. Untreated asthma will look like COPD to general drs. but asthma is treatable and lungs recover. COPD usually doesn't get much better. I have asthma and since I turned 60, general drs don't want to treat it anymore but call it COPD. With the right dr and treatment for asthma, I am back up and running again in no time. Urgent care drs do a better job than several gp's have. That's just my story. I know with lungs it really takes a specialist to figure out.
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I have vaped for over 6 years but only recently tried to venture into cream, desert types of ejuice. I cannot vape them as they tend to cause wheezing and coughing and just plain irritation to my lungs. I smoked heavily for well over 40 years and only once diagnosed as having asthma. Since I started vaping, my dr always says now how clear my lungs sound and has never mentioned the asthma again.
So what types of ejuice are you using? I would try the clear ejuices and try to stay away from the darker colored ones. See if that doesn't help some.
Also, it is said that most of the nic is absorbed in the mouth, nose and throat long before it reaches the lungs, so the above posters are right in saying just to keep it in the mouth and then exhale. At least worth a try.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
So what types of ejuice are you using? I would try the clear ejuices and try to stay away from the darker colored ones. See if that doesn't help some.
Also, it is said that most of the nic is absorbed in the mouth, nose and throat long before it reaches the lungs, so the above posters are right in saying just to keep it in the mouth and then exhale. At least worth a try.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
My dad had COPD he stopped smoking 15 or so years before his death. I believe it is a disease that is progressive and some of how it progresses has to do with genetics. On my dads side everyone that smoked got COPD and it progressed regardless of whether or not they continued to smoke. My mom was diagnosed 10 years ago with mild COPD and recently it has progressed to severe. She stopped smoking 4.5 years ago but since she already had the disease it will continue to get worse. However I see a big difference in her breathing and coughing since she went to vaping. I think she would be much worse if she had continued to smoke. So my mom is still living and smoked 20 years longer than my dad and she is still not as bad as he was in the last 10 years of his life.. I also think they have better medicines now bronchial dilators and such.. These are just opinions of a daughter who has watched her parents have different experiences with smoking and COPD.
Never been a cloud chaser....so not inhaling may be something I can work on. And also using a more PG % may help also......gonna try a few more things. I did have the professionL breathing tests at the hospital where I was diagnosed.....so I do have regular COPD.....if we only knew way back....but I guess we were warned. I will continue to vape as I really enjoy it.....currently I only vape orange cream so maybe switching to a clear lighter juice will help.
Thanks to all who keep posting on this.....it is always nice to hear how others handle things.
Thanks to all who keep posting on this.....it is always nice to hear how others handle things.
Thought you might be interested in this. It's a paper into the effects vaping can have on patients with COPD.
Evidence for harm reduction in COPD smokers who switch to electronic cigarettes. - PubMed - NCBI
Evidence for harm reduction in COPD smokers who switch to electronic cigarettes. - PubMed - NCBI
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