bronchitis and vaping

[cassondruh]

Has anyone else had an issue with bronchitis and vaping?

So I started vaping in october. Developed what I thought was a cold the week of thanksgiving, which got worse and I missed a week of work, and then seemed to get better. But the cough stayed and it hurt something awful.
Today I went in and the doctors diagnosed me with bronchitis.
I've never had bronchitis before, and I've never been a smoker, but apparently bronchitis tends to be seen more often in people who are smokers?
Anyway, I've already had five people ask me when I was going to quit vaping and blamed my bronchitis on vaping. None of them were doctors... of course.
I wanted to ask the doctors if vaping could have contributed to getting the bronchitis, and if this means I'm more susceptible to getting it, as a person who vapes? But I'm wondering where I'd find an opinion that would be less biased? Maybe I'm assuming here, but I figure from a medical standpoint the doctors would urge me to quit and I'd get the lectures. Maybe they'd be right?

I'm not really sure. Any advice or thoughts or reading material is much appreciated

 

[Dyanne]

I hope you find your answer, I am not a doctor we can both be assured of that lol. I am however a long term smoker using Vaping as my way out from smoking combustible tobacco... I did not suffer from bronchitis much as an adult smoker but I remember getting it a lot as a child who breathed in my parents smoke as they both smoked indoors in cars etc. I am wondering if the vapor you breathe in to your lungs may be irritating you and causing infection in your lungs. I hope you heal soon and feel better. A quick question for you if you do not mind me asking... why are you vaping if you are not a smoker? (non judgement question just curious)

 

[khalidmna]

I have asthma. I quit smoking and started vaping a few days later. I had a tight chest and was wheezing, but I was told this was a side-effect of quitting smoking and had nothing to do with vaping (something about my lungs cleansing themselves) and that it should naturally go away. True enough, a month later the wheezing and tight chest went. I don't hardly use my asthma inhaler nowadays and have bundles of energy. I have heard of people with latent gum diseases which smokers only find out about when they stop smoking - it's like the smoking covered up the symptoms.

How smoking can hide the symptoms of gum disease - Telegraph

I can only go on my personal experience. Vaping has improved my asthma and my lungs feel less tight. Maybe try quitting altogether for a week or two and see if that makes a difference?

 

[bacc.vap]

I had the opposite, chronic bronchitis for decades while I smoked, which went away when I started vaping. I did have a period of extreme shortness of breathe, weasing, etc. while vaping though, which came after starting to use 100% VG liquid for about a week and a half or so. I went back to my usual 70pg/30vg bend and the problem went away in about a week or two.

 

[drunkenbatman]

So I started vaping in october. Developed what I thought was a cold the week of thanksgiving, which got worse and I missed a week of work, and then seemed to get better. But the cough stayed and it hurt something awful.

Awww man, I have a family member & a friend with viral bronchitis going on right now. Not fun stuff. They are not and have never been smokers or vape -- one does have mild asthma though. I hope you look after yourself properly, being sick over the holidays blows.

I've never had bronchitis before, and I've never been a smoker, but apparently bronchitis tends to be seen more often in people who are smokers?

Yep, it is. This time of year especially, many smokers would get start getting various types of chest infections which is a huge drag. There are different types of bronchitis, which is basically inflammation of the airways andsuch... acute and chronic. Acute is via virus or infection. Smokers are used to the latter, where the body feels the smoke is an irritant and keeps producing mucus to trap/catch it and then cough it up, whereas viral is doing the same because you have an infection. Additionally, due to how it acts on cilia and such it makes smokers more susceptible to infection.

Anyway, I've already had five people ask me when I was going to quit vaping and blamed my bronchitis on vaping. None of them were doctors... of course. I wanted to ask the doctors if vaping could have contributed to getting the bronchitis, and if this means I'm more susceptible to getting it, as a person who vapes?

I'm not a doctor (but I'm willing to play doctor) so take this with a saltmine and hopefully others chime in with science-y stuffins:

1. I've heard this here and there, but haven't ever really seen it substantiated, except that since there are particles in vapor it could *possibly* make asthma or bronchitis feel worse, in the same way that car exhaust does.

2. This is the time of year when chest colds and stuff are going around. Viruses are nasty buggers, and chest colds often hit bronchitis and just aren't diagnosed.

3. Correlation does not equal causation -- that you were vaping and got bronchitis doesn't mean it's related -- but it doesn't rule it out, either.

4. I got out of smokes before they seemed to permanently do any lung damage, but would still get the bronchitis/chest cold every year. That's now stopped entirely, and basically what flipped my mental switch into advocacy.

5. PG or VG or any number of flavorings could definitely cause irritation, depending on the person, and exacerbate what you're feeling right now.

If you want to keep vaping, I'd focus less on whether it caused it (while still checking it out) and how vaping is making you feel right now. Vaping definitely draws out moisture, especially PG, which might make the mucous worse.

A lot of people using high-VG can report a sense of heaviness on their chest from it, especially if doing lung inhales. Adjusting and playing with your ratio while you're ill might lessen symptoms or exacerbate them.

Feel better, and drink loooooooots.

 

[bullet08]

smoked 35 yrs, never had bronchitis. changed to vaping, no bronchitis either. why not stop vaping for awhile till you are over the bronchitis?

 

[Rat2chat2]

I believe bronchitis is more prevalent in a smoker because your lungs are already compromised. I was just telling someone the other day that I have not even had a common cold since I began vaping and I use to get them all the time. I have a friend with COPD. I convinced her to give vaping a try and ordered all her gear and made her juice for her. I am not in the medical profession, but within two weeks she sounded like a different person. Her respiratory doctor was simply amazed at her progress and she is now taking less medicine and rarely ever uses her inhaler which by the way contains pg.

There could be several contributing factors at work here. I sure hope this clears up for you and please let us know how you are doing. Not only is ecf the best place in the world to find information, but it is also full of people that really care about others. Good luck to you.

 

[DreamWithin]

I wanted to ask the doctors if vaping could have contributed to getting the bronchitis, and if this means I'm more susceptible to getting it, as a person who vapes? But I'm wondering where I'd find an opinion that would be less biased? Maybe I'm assuming here, but I figure from a medical standpoint the doctors would urge me to quit and I'd get the lectures. Maybe they'd be right?

I don't see any harm in asking your doc about it. He would be the most knowledgeable, regardless of any bias he had. Yes, he might give you some lecturing, but as long as he's somewhat open-minded toward vaping (some doctors are, some aren't) he would be your best source of info regarding any possible correlation between bronchitis and vaping

It's a tough question to ask, for sure. Given your situation as a never-smoker I really don't have an answer for you (unquestionably vaping is better than smoking, but how much worse is vaping than not inhaling anything?) and much of the community here will just be speculating, even if they are basing their post on good background info. A medical professional would be the best source for information on whether your vaping could contribute to certain conditions

That's my

 

[wheelie]

Don't know about your bronchitis but I can tell you this. My wife was a smoker and had bronchitis bad. She was on 3 puffers, 4 times a day. She quit smoking and started vaping. A year later she is on zero puffers. You not being a smoker, why put something in your lungs you don't have to. As I always say, when I got into vaping I did not think it was like taking vitamins. Good luck to you and hope you figure it out.

 

[rolygate]

Vaping is not a single, homogenous activity - there are a lot of variables, and some of them might not suit you.

Here are some of the variables that may cause problems for a minority:

- Hardware issues, especially the head (the thing you screw onto the battery holder, that contains the atomiser and liquid - sometimes called a topper now). You don't say what you're using. If in doubt, try one of the new heads such as a Protank, Nautilus or Aerotank - these are generally well-tolerated. Some other types can be a bit harsh, especially for newcomers feeling their way into it all.

- Refill issues: there are endless ways to find an e-liquid that doesn't work for you... Try a different vendor, a different mix, a different type (for example, if using the regular PG/VG type, then try all-VG; or vice-versa); avoid complex flavours; avoid fruit flavours; try something simple instead of exotic; etc.

- With any kind of lung issue the best practice is to have at least some PG in the refill - but it doesn't need much. This is after all what medicinal inhalers are based on, because aerosolised PG is about the most powerful bactericide and virucide known.

- This is the time of year for bronchitis in the gen pop anyway. Inhaling something that doesn't really suit you could increase the possibility of getting it. Try a different source of refills.

Some of us used to get bronchitis regularly when smoking, but left that behind after switching to vaping. In general, it would probably be more accurate to say that moderate vaping can help protect against assorted lung issues rather than cause them: if you get a serious medical lung condition, then PG inhalation in one form or another is quite likely to be prescribed, after all (it's the basis of inhalers used by lung transplant patients for example) - and that's what we're doing already. Moderation in everything.

 

[Javamon]

Not a doctor, and zero medical-based advice about to be dispensed:

My suggestion would be to take a break from vaping and see if that makes any difference.

 

[Frenchfry1942]

I fear that it is something with the vaping. I would stop for a week and see the change. That will provide info to more forward.

 

[Moaufan]

So what made me want to try quitting after 34 years? It was a serious respiratory infection that I couldn't shake. My Doctor had been on me for years to quit but I had no desire. He listened to my lungs and told me that he wanted me to try something. He suggested an e-cig and told me this story. He had a 78 year old patient he had been treating for 35 years and he had never heard her lungs clear. She had almost died several months before. He told her that if she didn't do something she wouldn't be so lucky next time. On her next check-up he had to tap his stethoscope to make sure it was working. Her lungs were clear for the first time in 35 years. He asked her what she had done and she pulled an e-cig from her purse. He started researching and found in his opinion by using an e-cig we were avoiding the 4000 carcinogens that analogs had to offer. He went on to say that the nicotine in sensible doses wasn't as bad as other carcinogens and it’s prescribed for some heart patients. After just 3 days vaping I was on the mend and to this date (over a year) have not been sick since.

 

[cassondruh]

Ahhh, thank you all for your input. I'm still reading through it all but someone asked why I started vaping if I was never a smoker. It's okay, I get that question a lot. I started after a particularly stressful time in my life, with one awful thing happening after another. I've been running on burnout for a few months now. I wanted a cigarette so bad one evening, but growing up with chain smoking in the house parents, I didn't REALLY want to start smoking, as a single MOM of three little ones there's no way I was going to do that... My other idea was wanting a drink, but again, my parents were alcoholics and drinking has never been appealing to me... I remembered seeing a couple co-workers vape, and decided I'd pick up one of those cheap cartridge ecigs at the local dari-mart. It was nice, very soothing after a bichin day. Then a few days later I bought my first starter vape pen set with the eliquids and all
Honestly I look forward to my breaks at work, and actually take advantage of my breaks instead of skipping them and being a workoholic... and coming home to vape, oh that's the best!

I used to exercise an hour a day after work as a stress relief but I dunno, this year has just been awful on me. My depression is in full swing and I've been checking in monthly with my psychiatrist but nothing seems to be helping, yet... I'm hanging in there.

The bronchitis was just a cherry on the sundae in comparison to the rest of this year. I'm so thrilled the year is almost over. Hope this wasn't too Debbie downer.
I'm taking a break from vaping until it gets better, but I don't think I'm ready to give it up. It's one of those coping mechanisms that seems to keep my head above water, so to speak. If that makes sense?

 

[drunkenbatman]

I mentioned how I knew two people who had this, neither who smoked or vaped? Just FYI, I started a cough and mild fever this morning, though I haven't gotten one of these in several years. At least in my case I have no evidence pointing towards the vaping and my own history pointing against it -- I'm pretty sure it's because I am surrounded by dirty talking monkeys for Christmas, and it's hard not to spread a virus like this unless you're careful to the point that people are offended.

 

[Warpigs]

I would go to your doctor and ask him about vaping and your condition.

 

[Rsunderl]

Hi, cassondruh! That makes perfect sense, and you're not alone in the depression department. I have a mild imbalance that causes a mild depression. Good for you in working with your doctor on it, and glad that the vaping is helping you to cope.

I would agree with the suggestion of asking your doctor about a possible correlation. Yes, he could be one of the less-informed doctors regarding vaping, but even if so, he would be forced to look into it for your sake.

Hope you feel better soon!

 

[drunkenbatman]

How many more people on this thread have to get sick before can we safely declare she has jinxed us?

 

[Mccannch]

How many more people on this thread have to get sick before can we safely declare she has jinxed us?

I believe the answer to that question is 7. Exactly 7, 6 is too few, and 8 is too many. 7 is the answer.

 

[Miss Ra88it]

If it's the first time you've had bronchitis it is probably viral and you caught it from someone somewhere, like the common cold. Chronic bronchitis is often found in cigarette smokers and is associated with COPD after years of lung irritation, and you would have several bouts of bronchitis before it was diagnosed as chronic. So, no. You most likely did not get bronchitis from vaping. There's people out there who still think you catch the common cold from going outside without enough jackets on.