New here, COPD diagnosed, how to Vape?

[imanidiot]

Forgive me for being paranoid, but I just looked up a batch test for the solution I've been vaping, and noticed a couple of worrisome things.
Things listed like "Total lead" 10 MDL (ppm), and "Heavy elements"--- Soluble lead (5 MDL); Soluble antimony (5 MDL); Soluble arsenic (2.5 MDL).

Is this normal for these liquids, or should I get the hell away from this (particular, i.e. V2 cig) stuff?

Thank you.

 

[Ainokea]

I hope this isn't against forum policy but try these guys. Looks like a walk in store you can hopefully get your questions answered and get a feel of what else is out there and options you have. Hopefully they have knowledgeable and helpful staff that can assist you. I would at least see if you can check them out. And if you have more questions you didn't want to ask them you can always ask them here.

Cignot Denver: retailer of electronic cigarettes and vape shop

 

[imanidiot]

I hope this isn't against forum policy but try these guys. Looks like a walk in store you can hopefully get your questions answered and get a feel of what else is out there and options you have. Hopefully they have knowledgeable and helpful staff that can assist you. I would at least see if you can check them out. And if you have more questions you didn't want to ask them you can always ask them here.

Cignot Denver: retailer of electronic cigarettes and vape shop

Thank you so much for the information. I will definitely check these guys out. Really appreciate it.
Thanks, really.

 

[deltadiva]

Do not inhale. Sip it like a milkshake. Exhale mouth and nose. Oh, and welcome aboard

 

[JmanEspresso]

lI dont have COPD, but I do have Asthma, I had it before I smoked, and I still have it now.

I can only vouch for ME, but I ONLY inhale, and my preffered liquids are heavy VG liquids. No ill effects here. The only thing I could even bother mentioning, is sometimes when I take a VERY big inhale, Ill get a similar shortness of breath feeling that I would get sometimes when smoking. Only heres the catch.. I dont need my inhaler to make it go away. I just breathe normally and its gone within a breath. I chalk it up to more of thing with taking a big hit and not getting oxygen, then any actual issue.

Far as im concerned, inhale all you like. but thats me.

 

[Mart]

I have COPD, and have been vaping for years now. I don't use PG very much. I usually order a 70VG/30PG liquid and do just fine with it.
I have recently gone to 50/50, and have noticed it is bothering me a bit.
Hope that helps you.

 

[AttyPops]

Huh. Now with me, if I go over 50% VG, I get "heavy lung" whereas with PG I don't. Go figure. I guess it all depends on the person.

 

[FlamingoTutu]

Forgive me for being paranoid, but I just looked up a batch test for the solution I've been vaping, and noticed a couple of worrisome things.
Things listed like "Total lead" 10 MDL (ppm), and "Heavy elements"--- Soluble lead (5 MDL); Soluble antimony (5 MDL); Soluble arsenic (2.5 MDL).

Is this normal for these liquids, or should I get the hell away from this (particular, i.e. V2 cig) stuff?

Thank you.

Iman, I don’t know what those numbers mean, though at first blush they do sound alarming. I think they are coming from one of the only retailers that do batch tests on their liquid. I don’t know how much lead or any other of the compounds mentioned you will get in your water or food. If those numbers were going to harm or kill you, why release them? Surely someone else here can come along and give you a far better informed answer than this. Sorry I couldn't answer it.

 

[Racehorse]

Thank you both. As a long-time smoker, the "hit" from inhaling is what separates Nicotine Replacement Therapy from the real thing. I'm just so paranoid that, after the damage I've inflicted on my lungs, whether even a rather "benign" hit is not harmful.

Iman......you have damaged lungs.

There aren't any Board Certified Pulmonologist's in this topic.

vaping is harm reduction, not harm free.

IF I were you, I would first talk with my pulmonologist about going forward and life with COPD.

I believe that the *safest* way for you to vape, should you decide to go that route, is to vape unflavored nic solution, and also don't inhale much or preferably, at all.

It is still better than patch, etc. as you get to do some of the hand/mouth/ritual stuff that you did when smoking, and you will absorb nic thru your mouth tissues, etc.

My ultra honest opinion is that damaged lungs would be best off without anything at all extra going in there. But if you must, then you want purity, and flavorless nic (try a few combos like 50/50, 30/70. etc/_

Good luck and great questions

 

[Mart]

My Pulmonary doctor is all for it, so if he thinks it's ok, I can't see why it could be wrong. I go with my what my doc says.
In fact I hooked his nurse up with info for vaping, as he looked on laughing.
Iman, ask your doc, if he's against vaping, he'll most likely say no. Ask him to tell you why it would be bad for you. I know a lot of people with COPD that vape with their docs wishes.

 

[uncleAl]

OK, my .02 worth. ME too. 64, quit & back again, did all NRT & the evil Chantix. Started with V2, now others and mixing a bit of my own juice. The hard part for me was to not inhale like an analog, but the habit was a big part. Less PG now, nic in the morning, 0 nic evenings. COPD is emphysema + chronic bronchitis so anything pulled straight into the lungs is rough. I've been treated for 5 years but the vaping satisfies the habit I had for 45 years and gives me a little vapor and nic kick.
Like they said, it's not perfect. Breathing in anything isn't good, but this is better. The chronic cough is clear now,The "good" breathing periods are longer, and I'm still not bad enough for oxygen, just inhalers and an occasional nebulizer hit. When I started vaping it wasn't very good but inhaling less with more VG (not all), and a gradual nic drop has made it easier for me.
As was said before, and you know, there's no cure. Tobacco killed your lungs. You can only try to satisfy the urge without more serious damage. Cold turkey may have been better, but I'm doing very good with vaping and no one around me has gotten hurt.

 

[imanidiot]

First of all, let me say that I very much appreciate everyone who has responded to my first thread, you are extraordinarily kind to a stranger. And you have all given me much to think about. I think the way to go, for me, is to try to keep it simple, keep NOT inhaling, and look at this as a step in a process, the goal being not to have to do this at all. With an eye to that, I'm considering trying V_lestat's suggestion about the Halocigs G6 starter system. I have no complaints about V2cigs, and the fact that they make their batch contents available would seem to say that they aren't trying to hide anything. Of course, I ALREADY have the V2 starter kit, and, assuming that their making their batch contents available means that their cartridges aren't really scary---maybe I should just stay with them for a bit. Please feel free to tell me I'm being stupid/misguided if you wish, I won't take offense.

Once again, thank you all for your kindness.

 

[Racehorse]

I fear inhaling a burnt/vaporized food flavoring more than i do the nic.

i have yet to have a Dr. tell me e-cigs were bad, they say that the only bad thing they are aware of is the nic.

My doctor says nic is fine. There are a few people with certain health problems like HBP but otherwise, nic is not really that bad.

He told me to keep vaping, but I have been doing this journey with him, and had baseline lung xrays and blood profiles and stuff done BEFORE I starteed vaping so I would have something to compare to 6 months later, a year later, etc.

That is because I do not feel that internet forums are a place where I would seek medical advice. But also everyone keeps saying and complaining that there is no research, so I decided to do it right when I started vaping. I WILL have data on myself.

If I had COPD I would "probably" not vape, and if I did I would not inhale, and I would use unflavored nic solution. But that is not medical advice, that is just my instinct.

Good luck, and hope you find the answers for YOU.

 

[Supergrover]

2 days ago I got my Halo Triton starter kit, and variety pack juice sampler.
I have smoked for 22 yrs, used every method.
24mg nic and I have not even had an urge for an analog, actually today I gave my remaining analogs to the Trash can, I was going to give them to one of the smokers at work, but decided they were better off in the garbage.
I love this Halo kit, it is easy to fill, American made, and there juices are very good

 

[Katya]

First of all, let me say that I very much appreciate everyone who has responded to my first thread, you are extraordinarily kind to a stranger. And you have all given me much to think about. I think the way to go, for me, is to try to keep it simple, keep NOT inhaling, and look at this as a step in a process, the goal being not to have to do this at all. With an eye to that, I'm considering trying V_lestat's suggestion about the Halocigs G6 starter system. I have no complaints about V2cigs, and the fact that they make their batch contents available would seem to say that they aren't trying to hide anything. Of course, I ALREADY have the V2 starter kit, and, assuming that their making their batch contents available means that their cartridges aren't really scary---maybe I should just stay with them for a bit. Please feel free to tell me I'm being stupid/misguided if you wish, I won't take offense.

Once again, thank you all for your kindness.

G6 starter kit is not any better, or not much better, than your V2 kit. If you want to try Halo, just get their cartomizers/clearomizers, prefilled or blanks, and try them on your V2 batteries, as I suggested early in our conversation. And get a bottle of unflavored nicotine base for vaping as is or diluting stronger flavors.

Post 28

Good luck.

 

[patkin]

I'm no doc but I am a vaper with lung-affecting allergies and asthma. I don't have COPD (re last week's appt) but am not pushing my luck after a 58 year 2PAD habit. I won't go through my long story on how I reached my conclusions but, in a nutshell, I would not lung inhale. I shallow inhale, meaning I still get the throat hit but the vapor doesn't hit my lungs. This can be done with the back of the tongue covering the wind pipe and can be practiced by first only taking vapor as far as necessary to nose exhale. Once learned that way, nose exhaling is optional. My stand is pretty simple logic (common sense) really: I've gotten my lungs cleared out from smoking so why put anything other than a pristine oxygen carrier into them. That's what they were designed to handle. I extend that thinking to room fresheners, hairsprays and many other household and personal products also.... not just vaping. So I'm not saying anything in particular about vapor but only lump it in with all of the above. The only time I deviate from this is when I seasonally have to use a rescue inhaler or room vaporizer but that's when my lungs are already in trouble from allergens and their use is remedial.

 

[aikanae1]

^^^ I also have asthma and allergies, maybe COPD. Learning inhale techniques was very helpful, there are multiple threads on the forum. I take it into my mouth, hold, exhale through the nose. When I first started I vaped liked I was smoking which resulted in a lot of coughing. I also keep 100% vg nic on hand since there are times I just can't do flavors without getting congested. Allergy to some? Maybe. I just know that backing off for awhile helped.

It appears some people are more tolerant to PG than VG. I think that's trial and error. This is unexplored territory.

I'd also be very cautious when reading individual studies since some have been messed up by doctors with their own agenda. No study is valid without peer review and duplication. I know cigarettes contain chemicals that anesthetize the lungs to allow smokers to inhale deeper and become more addicted. Those chemicals are missing in eliquids. In the long run, I'm obviously better off without them but I noticed the difference when I first started vaping. It all depends on what your individual situation is.

Vaping is harm reduction. If your uncomfortable with vaping, then try snus. However doing something is better than smoking if quitting cold turkey is not an option.

BTW: All my docs so far have been VERY supportive of ecigs. I also had pulmonary tests done (coincidence) before vaping. I wonder if there's a way to collect the data from before and after tests?

​

 

[Converterjoe]

Hands-on is the quickest way to knowledge. Visit your local brick and mortar store and learn from them. It's intimidating at first but you'll find it's actually quite easy once you see your options in person. Though DIY and ordering online will save you money, I recommend (at least at first) that you support the local brick and mortar store. They are providing a great service to you and due to the limited clientele they have no choice but to markup their goods more than say, a Walmart.

 

[imanidiot]

I just was in the middle of a rather lengthy reply when something happened and I lost it all. I won't try, at the moment, to repeat it. However, I do appreciate all the help and advice you all have given. I do plan to visit the local brick and mortar here in Denver (and thanks for the head's up). I do plan to continue to work my way through this, and to vape without inhaling. At this point I think that inhaling, much as I want to, is just not a good thing to do, given the ongoing problems with my lungs. Continue to vape as though the ecig were a cigar or a pipe, i.e., hold it in your mouth, exhale via mouth and nose, not take it into the lungs. And, should I get that far into it, I will try nic without flavoring mixtures, because I fear not the nic the but the other stuff, like the catastrophic other stuff that accompanies the nic in "real" cigs. Quite honestly, at this point, I don't know how serious I want to get with this stuff (going from e cigs to vaping apparatus, etc.), because I still think that this is a way to stop it entirely, although I don't know if I can do that. I do know this: in June of this year, I was diagnosed with COPD; I quit smoking, with the help of the patch. I've been experimenting with e cigs to deal with the ritual/nicotine habit, and it's been helpful. So far, so good. At the very least, I'm sure that vaping is better than smoking. I know that my lungs are not going to get better, but if I can manage the damage, well, I think that is all I can do. And perhaps the "don't inhale" thing is a bit of a "too little too late" thing, but well, what else?

I thank all my unknown colleagues for their help and advice.

 

[dahlialady]

Hi there. I'm new here. I have chronic bronchitis. Caused by my years of smoking and inhaling chemicals at work without proper PPE not supplied by my employer (Cdn Forces) in the late 80's early 90's. Now the C.F. has gotten smarter.
I am very happy I have gotten onto e-cigs, and actually find that just by doing a mouth/sinus inhale....well I get my nicotine hit delivered.....practically nothing goes into my lungs.

So to the O.P.with C.O.P.D. I think you are way better off with ecigs compared to analogue. No more 700 sickening carcinogenic chemicals for us. I know how hard this habit is to break. I have been smoking for 33 years....tried EVERYTHING but Champix to quit. But if you are concerned....it's probably best not to inhale any vapors. Just my opinion, and I have NO medical background whatsoever.