A diabetic friend is trying to switch exclusively to vaping and said that his blood sugar has spiked. I don't know if the VG or PG or menthol flavorings would cause this. I tend to think that it could be more of a cause of his body reacting to not smoking analogs, but I have no expertise in this area. Does anyone have any experience with this?
Blood sugar changes related to vaping
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I am hypoglycemic and my sugar levels when a little crazy when I switched the first time. Didn't really think too much about it until I started smoking analogs again and had the crazy sugar levels again. When I went back to vaping had the same thing all over again! I think it's just out bodies getting used to the changes and it went back to my normal ranges after a few days. I'm no doctor or anything, just my experience!
From what I can see on a quick google search there are a number of sites that recommend diabetics avoid VG because it may affect their blood sugar levels(Vegetable Glycerine is a sweet substance typically obtained from palm or coconut oils).
I'd say your friend should really discuss this with their Doctor and see what the effects of both PG and VG can have on their diabetes, as that is not something you really want to even try and guess at and taking way to much risk in guessing.
I'd say your friend should really discuss this with their Doctor and see what the effects of both PG and VG can have on their diabetes, as that is not something you really want to even try and guess at and taking way to much risk in guessing.
I am diabetic and have also noted increased blood glucose levels. I spoke with my dibetes specialist and she said to just keep an eye on it. I don't believe the medical profession has as much knowledge of vaping as this community does.
I am also diabetic. My sugar is always high because, well, I'm bad at being diabetic and actually taking care of it ha. I've not personally noticed mine being higher, but I also have been eating healthier since vaping.
My blood sugars have increased from 75-120 to 180-230 since I started 1 1/2 yrs ago.
I did not know why until this week.
The last few months I have not been vaping as much (did not exactly quit but the output and amount I vaped with drastically decreased) and my atomizers were not putting out.
I recently purchased new LR atomizers and new liquid this past weekend and started vaping on Monday a.m.
My sugars immediately increased but I do not know if it is the PG/VG mixture or the nicotine.
I dont suspect its just the nicotine as I smoked 1.5 to 2 packs of cigs each day and had better bg control. I have also dipped on rare occasions, and noticed no increase in bg levels the last 1.5 yrs.
I am using 12mg with a 60/40 mix PG/ VG
My fastings have increased as well./ I check my bg 3-4 times daily and this increase is not because I just recently quit smoking as I stopped 1.5 yrs ago.
I 1st noticed the increase 1.5 yrs ago but was puzzled- now feel there is a definite connection. The common denominators are the liquid and increased usage.
I did not know why until this week.
The last few months I have not been vaping as much (did not exactly quit but the output and amount I vaped with drastically decreased) and my atomizers were not putting out.
I recently purchased new LR atomizers and new liquid this past weekend and started vaping on Monday a.m.
My sugars immediately increased but I do not know if it is the PG/VG mixture or the nicotine.
I dont suspect its just the nicotine as I smoked 1.5 to 2 packs of cigs each day and had better bg control. I have also dipped on rare occasions, and noticed no increase in bg levels the last 1.5 yrs.
I am using 12mg with a 60/40 mix PG/ VG
My fastings have increased as well./ I check my bg 3-4 times daily and this increase is not because I just recently quit smoking as I stopped 1.5 yrs ago.
I 1st noticed the increase 1.5 yrs ago but was puzzled- now feel there is a definite connection. The common denominators are the liquid and increased usage.
Last edited:
http://http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/diabetes/articles/2011/03/27/nicotine-raises-blood-sugar-levels-in-lab
SUNDAY, March 27 (HealthDay News) -- Smoking is damaging to everyone's health, but the nicotine in cigarettes may be even more deadly for people who have diabetes.
In lab experiments, researchers discovered that nicotine raised blood sugar levels, and the more nicotine that was present, the higher the blood sugar levels were. Higher blood sugar levels are linked to an increased risk of complications from diabetes, such as eye and kidney disease.
"Smoking is really harmful for diabetics. It's even more harmful to them than to a non-diabetic," said study author Xiao-Chuan Liu, an associate professor in the department of chemistry at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona. "This study should encourage diabetics to quit smoking completely, and to realize that it's the nicotine that's raising [blood sugar levels]."
For that reason, it's also important to limit the use of nicotine replacement products, such as nicotine patches, Liu said.
"If you're using them for a short period of time to quit smoking, that's OK. But, if you still have this addiction to nicotine and are using this product long-term, it will do harm. Don't use electronic cigarettes or nicotine gum for a long time. You need to stop nicotine intake," he advised.
Liu is scheduled to present his findings Sunday at an American Chemical Society meeting in Anaheim, Calif.
It was already well-established that smoking increased the risk of problems in people with diabetes, Liu said. What hasn't been clear, he said, is if there is a specfic component of cigarettes that increases the risk.
To test whether or not nicotine, an addictive substance found in cigarette smoke, contributed to higher blood sugar levels, Liu and his colleagues added equal amounts of glucose (sugar) to samples of human red blood cells. They also added varying levels of nicotine to each sample of red blood cells for either one day or two days.
They then tested the hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) levels of the samples. HbA1C is a measure of what percentage of red blood cells have glucose molecules attached to them. In diabetes management, the HbA1C -- sometimes referred to just as A1C -- test gives doctors an idea of average blood sugar levels for the past three months or so. Most people with diabetes strive for a level of 7 percent or less, based on American Diabetes Association guidelines.
The researchers found that nicotine raised HbA1C. The smallest dose increased HbA1C levels by 8.8 percent. The highest dose -- after two days of nicotine treatment -- increased blood sugar levels by 34.5 percent.
"Nicotine is a toxic substance, and our results show that nicotine caused an increase in HbA1C," said Liu. "This is important for the public to know, and for smokers to know. It's not just the cigarette smoke. If you think you can just use a nicotine replacement product indefinitely, there's still a risk, and your chances of getting complications will be a lot higher," he cautioned.
Dr. Joel Zonszein, director of the Clinical Diabetes Center at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, said that the researchers showed that nicotine can significantly raise A1C levels in the lab, but it's important to also know if it does so in the body.
But whether or not nicotine is the specific reason that blood sugar levels are higher in smokers, he said, "Everybody -- whether they have diabetes or not -- should stop smoking. Patients with diabetes already have a much higher risk of cardiovascular disease, and smoking adds to that."
He said that using nicotine replacement products for a month or two is fine. "If nicotine replacement is used for a short period of time with smoking cessation as the goal, there's no risk. But it's not OK if someone plans to replace smoking with nicotine replacement products indefinitely," said Zonszein.
Experts note that research presented at meetings is considered preliminary until it is published in a peer-reviewed journal.
SUNDAY, March 27 (HealthDay News) -- Smoking is damaging to everyone's health, but the nicotine in cigarettes may be even more deadly for people who have diabetes.
In lab experiments, researchers discovered that nicotine raised blood sugar levels, and the more nicotine that was present, the higher the blood sugar levels were. Higher blood sugar levels are linked to an increased risk of complications from diabetes, such as eye and kidney disease.
"Smoking is really harmful for diabetics. It's even more harmful to them than to a non-diabetic," said study author Xiao-Chuan Liu, an associate professor in the department of chemistry at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona. "This study should encourage diabetics to quit smoking completely, and to realize that it's the nicotine that's raising [blood sugar levels]."
For that reason, it's also important to limit the use of nicotine replacement products, such as nicotine patches, Liu said.
"If you're using them for a short period of time to quit smoking, that's OK. But, if you still have this addiction to nicotine and are using this product long-term, it will do harm. Don't use electronic cigarettes or nicotine gum for a long time. You need to stop nicotine intake," he advised.
Liu is scheduled to present his findings Sunday at an American Chemical Society meeting in Anaheim, Calif.
It was already well-established that smoking increased the risk of problems in people with diabetes, Liu said. What hasn't been clear, he said, is if there is a specfic component of cigarettes that increases the risk.
To test whether or not nicotine, an addictive substance found in cigarette smoke, contributed to higher blood sugar levels, Liu and his colleagues added equal amounts of glucose (sugar) to samples of human red blood cells. They also added varying levels of nicotine to each sample of red blood cells for either one day or two days.
They then tested the hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) levels of the samples. HbA1C is a measure of what percentage of red blood cells have glucose molecules attached to them. In diabetes management, the HbA1C -- sometimes referred to just as A1C -- test gives doctors an idea of average blood sugar levels for the past three months or so. Most people with diabetes strive for a level of 7 percent or less, based on American Diabetes Association guidelines.
The researchers found that nicotine raised HbA1C. The smallest dose increased HbA1C levels by 8.8 percent. The highest dose -- after two days of nicotine treatment -- increased blood sugar levels by 34.5 percent.
"Nicotine is a toxic substance, and our results show that nicotine caused an increase in HbA1C," said Liu. "This is important for the public to know, and for smokers to know. It's not just the cigarette smoke. If you think you can just use a nicotine replacement product indefinitely, there's still a risk, and your chances of getting complications will be a lot higher," he cautioned.
Dr. Joel Zonszein, director of the Clinical Diabetes Center at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, said that the researchers showed that nicotine can significantly raise A1C levels in the lab, but it's important to also know if it does so in the body.
But whether or not nicotine is the specific reason that blood sugar levels are higher in smokers, he said, "Everybody -- whether they have diabetes or not -- should stop smoking. Patients with diabetes already have a much higher risk of cardiovascular disease, and smoking adds to that."
He said that using nicotine replacement products for a month or two is fine. "If nicotine replacement is used for a short period of time with smoking cessation as the goal, there's no risk. But it's not OK if someone plans to replace smoking with nicotine replacement products indefinitely," said Zonszein.
Experts note that research presented at meetings is considered preliminary until it is published in a peer-reviewed journal.
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