What does your doctor have to say about vaping?

[Lannie]

My primary care doctor and my cardiologist both condone vaping. My PCP asked all kinds of questions and even took a few notes on gear. Maybe she has someone in mind? My heart doctor says the nicotine isn't even bad for me as it's a blood thinner and I take Plavix already so it just helps.

That reminds me of once when I had to go in for a physical for a new job I was starting. I passed with flying colors, and the nurse said I was the fittest 39 year old she'd ever seen, and my blood pressure was (as usual) one point above dead. LOL! I usually run somewhere in the neighborhood of 100/70, give or take, and maybe it will shoot up to 110/75 if I get stressed really bad. Anyway, the question of smoking came up. I couldn't lie, I mean, a non-smoker can SMELL it on you, so I said yes. She said, "You should quit, you know. It raises your blood pressure and causes all sorts of problems." Then she realized what she'd just said, looked around to see if anyone was within earshot, and said, "Um, never mind. If you quit, you'd probably fall over dead, so keep smoking." I almost busted a gut laughing and she got a bad case of the giggles.

So I'm actually GLAD I'm still getting my nicotine, because now at 57, my blood pressure is still 100/70. I don't know what effect going off nicotine completely might have, but I'm afraid to try! LOL!

~Lannie

 

[Racehorse]

My doc has only noticed my dehydration that keeps showing up on my blood profiles since I started vaping, but despite that i do hydrate 3x more I guess it just has more of effect on me than some.

Other than that, no problems. They all support me.

I've read a lot of posts over time here, villanizing doctors, which I guess I don't get, since in this topic, most everyone's doctors and dentists seem pretty okay with vaping.

 

[houla09]

I just went to one of the 'drug store clinics' - as a last resort since I've been crazy busy at work. I had the flu a week ago, and developed the lovely upper respiratory/sinus infections as a parting gift from getting sick. The nurse practitioner asked about history/smoking and I told her about vaping, and she thought I was referring to a hookah . Showed her my gear, and she said it was cute.....

Thankfully got my script and feeling better

 

[Lucas.Vapaholic]

I asked my doctor a few weeks ago what he thought about vaping and he smiled and said well it's a million times better then smoking and then said nothing more on the topic and continued to tell me about the women's World Cup of soccer game that I did not watch because I'm a hockey fan lol so he seemed to think my choice of switching was a good one and I left satisfied. And in Canada I'm also not paying him for anything lol he gets paid the same if I fire him or not

 

[six]

My doc never says anything about it at all except to ask if I'm still doing it. "Are you still using an e-cigarette?" I respond, "Yes. I am". That's the end of that part of the conversation. -- After I stopped smoking, I never get sick any more. All of my Dr visits are employment related - every 2 years for my CDL and usually twice a year for my "real" job. So, 2 1/2 visits a year for the last 5 years, that has been the exact conversation. She seems completely disinterested just so long as I'm not using tobacco.

 

[RosaJ]

If I'm asked if I smoke I put down no, I'm an non-smoker. If I'm asked if I ever smoked, I put down yes, I smoked for more than 40 years and quit 3 years ago. I haven't been asked how I quit smoking, but if I'm asked, I'll say with ecigarettes.

 

[ppeeble]

I havn't told my Dr that i vape, only that i have not smoked for 3 yrs.
My dentist has started remarking that my teeth and gums are so much better now. My appointments have been switched from twice a year to once.
.... As for anyone marking a vaper down as a smoker. I would consider that gross misconduct. What if, for some reason, you were prescribed a medicine or treatment that had been formulated for a smoker. It may not be suitable. It seems to me that anyone calling a vaper a smoker is too ignorant to be in that kind of job or is playing the ANTZ card.

 

[WattWick]

Mine is sort of on the fence, leaning in on vaping. He thinks it's better than smoking. Can't blame him for thinking nothing would be even better, tho. Never been a big topic, and it's not like I visit often.

 

[rhm3769]

As far as I am concerned. I quit smoking. My lungs don't have the rattle. I say that I don't smoke for several years now. They never asked about vaping so I don't tell. I am afraid of the insurance rates.

Yep, same here... Unless they specifically ask about nicotine usage, I don't use tobacco products.... Especially after reading how my company handles the tobacco-free pledge.... Someone who has never smoked or vapes, dipped or chewed and says they're tobacco Free would be in violation if they partook in a celebratory cigar even just once in the year.... I'm sure they handle the consequences on a case by case basis, but it could result in termination....
And it's all on the honor system unless you admit you use during the hiring process.... And once you're labelled a user, the only way to remove it is through a company sponsored 6 month program providing gum and "emotional" support....

I went from 2packs a day max for 12 years down to about 2-3 ml of 12mg with plans on stepping down to 6mg in the next month or so and 3mg a few months from there and eventually 0....

 

[roxynoodle]

I get different reactions from different doctors.

My PCP was the one who sent me to a vape shop in the first place, but now wants me to quit vaping also.

My pain management doctor is thrilled I stopped smoking and doesn't mind at all that I'm vaping.

My pancreatic specialist is also happy I quit smoking.

 

[kyaku]

My doctor agrees with the "it's better than smoking" theory and congratulated me when I first told her I quit cigs several years ago. We had a short discussion about me quitting the ecig and she made a couple of suggestions on what else I could try to quit them. When I told her that I didn't see that happening soon, she moved on and hasn't mentioned it again. She does still ask, every time I go in, if I'm still using an ecig and still not smoking. She then always checks my lungs and says they sound good.

 

[kaahn]

This thread reminds me of an interview I saw on TV with a 95 year old George Burns years ago. The reporter asked him what his doctor thought about his smoking cigars. George Burns took a big 'ol puff on his huge cigar, licked his lips, stared at the reporter and replied "My doctors dead". I got a real kick out of that one

 

[Train2]

Knock on my Woodvil D) I am healthy enough that I don't really HAVE a doctor.
I mean, there's a practice I've gone to a couple times, but I'd have to ask someone which one it is (maybe I have a memory issue. lol). And the past times I can remember were all from when a cold turned into bronchitis - back when I smoked.

But for most of my life, I've been aware that I usually know a lot more than a doctor does about what's wrong with me. For instance, when I got bronchitis, I KNEW it - I could TELL it was no longer a cold but required an antibiotic - that's why I went to a Dr. I suppose there are some great doctors, but for the most part, they see what they expect to see, and prescribe the easy treatment. From my experience and those of relatives, most are not really very good at figuring out anything that's tricky or unusual. They often guess, and guess wrong.

Anyway - point is - I know SO MUCH MORE than most doctors about vaping, I am not the slightest bit interested in their uninformed opinion. Think they've read the latest studies? And read the details of those studies to determine whether they were performed in a reasonable way (like the one that tested cigalikes running stupid high voltages? - Duh, "dry hits are bad". Thanks for the tip).

I might have a discussion with a doc about it - but it would be to educate THEM about the benefits and science of it - in the hopes they might help someone else.

 

[Deeo]

My doctor thinks it's great and didn't waste anytime noting in my file that I was a non smoker.

 

[vincom]

dr's might think its ok but life insurance companies dont think so, most of them consider any nicotine replacement therapy, even nicorette gum, to be the same as smoking and rate u as such

 

[AndriaD]

My asthma doc is the only one I see regularly. When I saw him last November and proudly announced that I had quit smoking... he was positively stunned; he looked like he'd been struck by lightening. When he became slightly more responsive, I continued, that I had quit by using e-cigarettes. He said, "so you're not smoking at all? Just using the e-cigarette?" I said that's correct, for (at the time) 5 months now. He said "Fantastic!" Then he asked me if I ever intended to quit e-cigarettes, as folks do with other NRT. I said, if ever, it wouldn't be for at least a few years, because I smoked for 39 yrs. He said that was probably wise, and that I might actually need to continue using the e-cigarette even if I one day weaned myself from nicotine.

I expect he'll be recommending them to a few other recalcitrant and unapologetic smokers.

Andria

 

[The Shotcaller]

Your doctor does and says whatever they're told. If you want to live longer stay away from their quack injections and drugs they're paid to push and do some common sense things like getting off your ..., resistance training and cutting out all GMO/processed poisonous "foods".

 

[GinnyTx]

^^we'll see next week..I have a new one..my old one went "concierge" and our new insurance doesn't cover that $1600/year pop. So we'll see.

 

[EleanorR]

All of my doctors were thrilled when I quit smoking, using ecigs. My PCP of (then) 15+ years knew I was one of those "from my cold dead hands" smokers, and so was shocked at both my decision and my complete success. Both he and my CFS specialist wanted to see my equipment, watch me "vape", and asked about flavors etc. I am pretty sure they went on to at least mention if not recommend ecigs to other patients who loved to smoke!

 

[cllmda]

BOTH my GP's have switched to Vaping themselves ...One of them has even converted her whole family to it as well,including her old ex-pipe-smoking Dad !!!!!