Any negative side effects from e-cigs? HELP

[12stepCornelius]

So I've been a smoker for around 4 years. I started when I was 16-17 years old and am 21 now. After a few health problems, a couple of cancer scares, and now some weird gland swelling in my neck, which I'm sure has something to do with smoking, I'm quitting for the 3rd or 4th time. I've done the e-cig thing before, but only for a couple of months and went back to the real thing. Mostly because I'm a singer and missed that husky, raspy voice from smoking so went back to it. Stupid huh? Anyway after this neck swelling thing, which I have yet to find the cause of at an upcoming dr. appt., I'm wanting to try the e-cigs out again. Now I have no actual problem quitting smoking. No withdrawals or anything. For the past couple years I've been an organic light smoker (3-4 organic cigs a day), so that's probably why. But I'm not so sure I'll be able to hold out when it comes to being out with friends having some beers. That's sort of my problem, that whole pleasure of having a smoke with your beer. I don't want to cave and start smoking again during a night of drinking. And I'm not going to quit drinking just because I'm worried about smoking again. So I'd just like to use a PV only when I'm drinking. And even just use 0mg nicotine carts, just want that smoking pleasure while drinking. But I've been hearing some new studies and testimonies coming out about negative effects of e-cigs (ie., trouble breathing, constricted airways). So while I highly encourage everyone to stick to e-cigs if you can't quite quit the real thing, be COMPLETELY honest. Have you ever had any negative health effects that you think might be because of the vaping? Thanks.

-Josh

 

[Sicarius]

You being a singer I would look out for the phlegm thing and also dehydration. Drink plenty of water (not beer ) and see if you are more compatible with PG or VG. Also you may want to try some 'tickley' flavours (menthol, cinnamon, etc.) so that you not only getting vapour, but also a bit of a hit. Good Luck.

 

[12stepCornelius]

So you're saying that e-cigs cause phlegm build-up and dehydrate you?

 

[ambition]

I'd love to read the studies you mentioned. All I've ever found is studies suggesting no apparent Ill effects from pg vapor at all, and I'm yet to hear about a study of vaping on humans.

I have read a ton of crap written by people who have no qualifications or research to back it up. Scare tactics and ignorance mainly. You should ignore those.

Personally i feel much better vaping than I ever did smoking. Been at it for a year, no negative effects, but dehydration is something to watch for, though cigarettes dehydrate you as well.

 

[Sicarius]

Phlegm in some peeps and mostly from high ratio VG. Dehydration definitely due to PG being a de-humectant. Drinking adequate water solves this problem though. One more side effect is vivid dreams if you vape high nic before bed time (not a problem if you on 0mg or drinking enough beer)

 

[12stepCornelius]

That's good to hear! I've heard people complain of getting strep throat after a couple months of using e-cigs. But I think that's from dirty atomizers. My brother tried my old e-cig one time, after I stopped using it (disgusting because he just picked it up from where it was sitting and started puffing away) and he ended up with an upper respiratory infection ha. Here's a link to a new study I came upon.

Study finds e-cigarettes affect airways, and quickly: MedlinePlus

 

[12stepCornelius]

Ok cool. I've read that VG is a bit harsher on the throat, and it sounds like as long as I get some high quality PG juice from somewhere, I'm good to go. I read that the cheap juice can contain diethlyene glycol which I don't really want to inhale along with trace amounts of nitrosomes.

 

[Sicarius]

After reading that study it is evident that they are literally grabbing at straws. They used smokers for the experiment, the placebo cig was one with no cart on, they recommend Zyban and Champix as better alternatives. Also I have yet to read a definative statement that says ecigs have no health effects. Glorified propaganda imo.

 

[Sicarius]

Ok cool. I've read that VG is a bit harsher on the throat, and it sounds like as long as I get some high quality PG juice from somewhere, I'm good to go. I read that the cheap juice can contain diethlyene glycol which I don't really want to inhale along with trace amounts of nitrosomes.

You read too much. That survey was flawed on soooooo many levels. Also AFAIK it's PG that irritates the throat and not VG (aka throat hit). It's in a good way not a bad way.

 

[orson]

Ok cool. I've read that VG is a bit harsher on the throat, and it sounds like as long as I get some high quality PG juice from somewhere, I'm good to go. I read that the cheap juice can contain diethlyene glycol which I don't really want to inhale along with trace amounts of nitrosomes.

The problem with articles like that is they're almost completely anecdotal.

No citations, vague descriptions of what the effects were and vague statements with no context.

A fine example of really poor reporting or a vague article with an agenda... who knows which.

There are links in one of the stickies on this board to study results of real medical studies.

 

[sailorman]

Some people, myself included, are not too tolerant of PG. I use 20% or less in my juices. Any more, and I get sore throat and sinus problems. The thing about diethylene glycol being in cheap juice is nonsense. It's a scare tactic from the FDA when they tested some Chinese juice and found trace amounts in one sample out of many. As far as that goes, anything can be put in juice. It's not a standard ingredient in any juice, cheap or otherwise. In that particular case, it was a contaminant. Contaminants are occasionally found in anything. The trace amounts of nitrosamines are present in any product derived from tobacco. There are far more of them in nicotine gum than there are in ejuice. They are just that, trace amounts and nothing to worry about. The only way to avoid them entirely is to vape 0 nic juice.

As for that medline story, it applies to people with Chronic pulmonary obstruction diseases. Got that? Then don't worry about it. Just be aware of your tolerance for PG. I've never heard of anyone with a sensitivity to VG, so if you get irritation, try less PG. Chain vaping will dry out your mouth and throat. Big deal. Just drink some water and all is good again.

 

[Hoosier]

Um, no, just no, to quite a bit here.

PG vapor inhalation has been studied quite a bit since the 1940's. And it is PG that has a harsher throat effect than VG.

You read that a small percentage of cartridges had traces of diethlyene glycol, not the juice and not the vapor. Note the methods of the study the FDA did. Then compare their amounts to the amounts already in cigarettes and other nicotine replacement thearapies. And nitrosomes come from tobacco and other members of the nightshade family, so unless you are vaping nicotine containing liquid, there is little to no chance that would occur. (But again, compare it to what is inhaled with a cigarette.)

And that link wasn't a study. A study will have the methods, process of data collection, and a summary. That was a press release by someone who can find plenty of healthy smokers that suddenly don't do well on a breathing test after a random occurance happens. I bet we could have had them inhaling steam from the shower and had simular effects.

To say that someone got X infection from doing Y would be silly unless the Y was tested for the same thing. The arguement doesn't work. Here is an example: 90% of the soldiers in the Civil War, that died, had eaten carrots at least once in their lifetimes, thus eating carrots was the cause of the majority of deaths in the Civil War. Now if the old, discarded, PV was pulled out of a hospital bio waste bag and then vaped, I might be more inclined to believe that the PV caused an infection, but I'd still be hard pressed to believe the vapor caused the infection.

 

[ambition]

With all that said, nobody is going to tell you that ecigs are 100% safe.

All we can tell you is that based on what scientific studies are out there, and our personal experiences, we all feel that it is safe and also a very effective way to switch from tobacco which we know to be very unsafe.

And champix and zyban??? Ugh what a joke. I can't believe they'd recommend that trash. At least nobody has ever gone suicidal from the ecig.

 

[Sicarius]

At least nobody has ever gone suicidal from the ecig.

Have you ever run out of juice ambition ?

 

[sailorman]

One more thing. I smoked for 35 years, 2-3 PAD. I shared your concern about a "relapse" at the bar. Turns out, the fear was unfounded. I quit analogs the day I started vaping. A few weeks later, I had gotten away from tobacco flavored juices and ventured to my favorite pub. It was no problem at all. I wasn't in the least interested in smoking an analog. Sitting at a bar drinking beer had always been my heaviest smoking periods when I literally lit one cigarette off of another. Since I picked up the ecig, I never once had the least bit of craving for a cigarette, even when I drink more beer than is prudent. Maybe getting away from the tobacco flavored juice was helpful. The taste and smell of tobacco just doesn't appeal to me at all anymore, yet it's not offensive to me like a lot of ex-smokers report.

 

[ambition]

Have you ever run out of juice ambition ?

LOOOOOLLLL

I didn't think of it that way. I was recently stuck with only dekang camel for 2 whole weeks.
That pushed me close to the edge.

 

[Zer0Kewl]

Only side effect I've noticed is that 100% VG juice makes me sneeze like crazy after a few hits

 

[Sicarius]

Only side effect I've noticed is that 100% CG juice makes me sneeze like crazy after a few hits

Caprylyl Glycol. Didn't know you could vape that

 

[Zer0Kewl]

Caprylyl Glycol. Didn't know you could vape that

LOL, I fixed it, I meant VG.

I don't know why it is, since I have seen other people mention effects from PG, but for me it is the VG that sets me off.

 

[RocketRod]

When its published in The New England Journal of Medicine I will accept the weight of it. Until then its hearsay. But for the OP, I'm for one glad your at least investigating.