Chest Tightness/Pain?

[TrickyD]

Hola,

I've been vaping for about 2 years now, but first time posting here. I mainly use ego w/ boge LR cartos loaded with Purecig 18mg from FreedomsmokesUSA.

The past couple of months i've noticed chest tightness and (slight) pain. I went to my doctor immediately. They did chest xray, bloodwork and even an endoscopy to rule out acid reflux and all came back normal. I thought perhaps it was my vaping so i stopped for a couple of weeks and lo and behold it all went away. I even tried switching to a different vendors juice (Mt Baker), lowering the nic down to 6mg, tried 100% VG (Which sucked btw, no throat hit at all) and lastly tried switching to clearos to see if maybe the poly in the carto's was causing it. No joy.

So now i'm stuck here about to take up analogs again because I guess i'm just too weak to go without nicotine. I feel depressed and angry to be honest.

Anyone else run into this kind of situation and figure out what they were vaping was causing it? I'm willing to try damn near anything at this point.

 

[Baditude]

Just to cover all the bases medically, did your physician also do an EKG to rule out any cardiac involvement? You didn't mention your age or a history of personal or family heart conditions.

It appears you enjoy throat hit above other factors in your vape. You have tried a variety of PG/VG ratio's, including 100% VG which I would have recommended.

My only recommendation would be to try a higher resistance cartomizer instead of the low resistance which you are currently using. Your primary goal at this time would be to be able to continue vaping to get your nicotine delivery to avoid returning to smoking. You may need to sacrifice the heat of LR for a cooler vape in order to accomplish this. I'd really hate to see you go back to smoking after going 2 years smoke free.

 

[steved5600]

Things to try are less vaping. Try to vape high VG and low or no PG juice and back down some on your vaping and nic level. Smoking will not be any better. My doctor(s) have repeatidly said. It has got to be better than smoking. Maybe you should try to DIY you juice as then you will have control of how much Nic and PG you have and if you use Good VG then you will know what is in your juice. You can also maybe reduce the flavor which can help as flavors are really not meant to be inhaled. PG caused a friend of mine to have to go into the hospital for a respiratory infection as a result of an allergy to PG. Smoking will not be better. Try using the Nic Gum to supplement your Nic intake. Get away from tobacco flavor juice.
Your in my prayers. I have COPD so I can relate. What ever you do listen to the Doctors.
On the problem with you carto's try to go with a Clearo or an RBA that uses SS mesh.

 

[steved5600]

Oh keep in mind we are or at least in my case ARE NOT DOCTORS.

 

[Jimi D.]

Switching back to analogs !? Doesn't make much sense of what was posted.

 

[peraspera]

It's probably worth trying a different juice delivery device to rule out something in the Boges as being the source of the problem. Also, I believe VG can cause a feeling of heaviness in the chest for a few people so you also might want to try an all PG juice.

 

[def67]

what are Analogs?

 

[ardelleg]

I went through a bout of something similar about a year in and it lasted several months... don't know what exactly caused it but it resolved itself.. I always assumed it had something to do with vaping but since I have always vaped lots of different brands and mixes I never pinned it down to what juice(s) caused it

 

[Talyon]

I've gone through similar to what u are describing, mostly it occurred when I smoked, Vapeing has not had same effects on me to date, I spent years going to about 6 diff doctors and specialists.... Turned out I did have a do have ARD, please get a second opinion and go to the many many health sites out there, u will find 100's of thousands of people who experience same thing and the best doctors can't help most of them as they just don't know what causes everything. The elimination of Vapeing is purely coincidence I've gone the same road with many many food items, drinks, smoking etc etc etc sometimes it would go away so I thought I found the culprit, but nope. So please see more then one doctor, took me almost 10 years to get kinda fixed. Hope this helps, I'll know by your responses if your serious on finding your ailment.

 

[Talyon]

what are Analogs?

Analogs are cigarettes, also know as stinkys etc.

 

[Oktyabr]

peraspera is right. You must be able to rule out *any* possible changes in your routine. Something as simple as a change in the way the carts are being made, the filling material, etc. could be part of the problem. Changing soap/vodka that you wash parts with could be the problem. Eliminate *everything*, one by one, even dietary changes, etc. Your body might even be beginning to reject tobacco flavored juices! Allergies (reactions in general) come and go throughout most people's lives. I know one person that had to quit smoking because she became allergic to the tobacco smoke (much to her doctor's chagrin!) after a 12 year long 1.5 PAD habit!

I once had some alarming chest pains (when I smoked) and immediately went and saw my doctor. After a trip to specialist they both concluded that it was simple muscle spasms between the ribs brought on likely in part to stress of a new job. Like I said, it only manifested when I smoked! It was also winter and I was spending more time in front of the computer than outdoors AND I had a new computer chair... It turned out my posture, in the new chair, was also part of the formula. Put my old chair back, started watching my posture more closely, went out side for fresh air even when it was raining, etc. and the problem went away.

TL;DR: It could be and probably is a combination of factors going on here. The fact that you have been vaping for two years without this problem suggests that that is probably not the sole culprit.

 

[skoot]

I've had a touch of this myself. For me I think it was from using muscles to inhale the vapor that aren't used for anything else, AKA sucking too hard. My pain was exactly like when I had costochondritis. I use a lighter juice, I use 100% VG with 100% VG/alcohol flavors with 20% distilled water- anything heavier and I get the chest problems.

 

[Snapdragon]

FWIW - one of my favorite e-juices is Paradise Vapes Blueberry Cheesecake 70/30 PG/VG at 16mg. Of the 3 or 4 dozen different brands and flavors I've tried that one makes my chest feel tight - just that one.

I have a new Tasty Vapors Blueberry Cheesecake steeping and hope it will be fine.

I hope you figure it out.

 

[Baditude]

Also keep in mind its not necessary to fully inhale the vapor to absorb the nicotine. The nicotine in vapor is mostly absorbed by the mucous membranes in the mouth and nose, not the lungs. So maybe give your lungs a break by not inhaling all of the time when you vape.

Are you currently inhaling directly into your lungs? If so, try puffing on your PV as if you were sucking on a straw in a thick milkshake. Slow, controlled, and patient puffs into your mouth, and hold it there to absorb the nicotine. Then either inhale part, or exhale the vapor out your nose and mouth.

 

[skoot]

I was just coming back to this thread to post what Bad said.

Maybe take a break from it, get nicotine patches and wear them at work or something, just to reduce how much you're vaping for now. I can't vape at work and use patches, so I'm not technically a full time vaper. My pain seems to be consistent with: vaping every day, all day; heavier juices; and vaping at lower wattages.

 

[crxess]

Not about to say we suffer the same ailment. However, last 2 weeks I was having a lot of tightness and breathing issues. I was concerned, but not overly and had to be at work no matter what.(one of those employers)
Anyway, I have been off for 4 days and vaping consistently the whole time off and am feeling fine this week.

 

[zenoland]

With me, VG causes me tightness in the chest. I can vape 80/20 PG/VG but no more that that. I cannot take two puffs of 50/50 without shortness of breath. So try different PG/VG combos till you figure out which component bothers you.

 

[rebgold]

My lungs have hurt since I started vaping too. They never hurt when I smoked a half pack of American Spirits a day. I tried 70/30 vg-pg and nothing was different. I hadn't heard until this thread that vg can make your chest feel heavy. Maybe I'll get some 80 pg and see if that feels different. Man, I have a LOT of juice I won't be able to use if it does!

 

[DaveP]

There are all kinds of things that can cause chest pain. I'm not a doctor either, but I have experienced slight shortness of breath by vaping at a warm level ... 4.2v on a 2 ohm carto. Dropping that to 3.5v diminished the vapor to what I used to get from an ultra light and relieved the symptom. Thick, warm clouds of vape aren't natural for me, anyway.

This is allergy season and lung congestion from allergies can cause all sorts of ailments with symptoms. If you haven't seen an allergist for a scratch test, it's simple and not at all painful. They make a matrix of felt tip dots on the inside of both arms using a washable marker and then bring in a couple of trays of small vials with plastic pointed sticks in them. They touch your arm with the little pointed stick and then draw it away to the side. It makes a tiny scratch that doesn't bleed or scab. It's kind of like if you were to use a sharp pencil to touch and flick it away at an angle.

Once they do all 80 of them, you wait for 15 minutes and they examine the dots. If a little red bump or any redness appears, you are allergic to whatever that compound equates to on their chart. I was allergic to two kinds of dry dust mold that is found in dry basements and under beds. Go figure, I live in the South and I'm not allergic to pine trees!

At least I know what I'm not allergic to now. The insurance picked up the cost.

You did the right thing by going to your doctor. At least you know it's not anything easily detectable. That takes a lot of the pressure off. Now, you can experiment with 100% VG and 100% PG and half split the possibilities of either. You can also try plain VG or PG with no flavorings (which is kind of like a "dry" tobacco cigarette without lots of flavorings). You could be reacting to something in the juice besides just PG or VG. Cinnamon is notorious for that. There could be others.