copd and vaping

[grvthang]

I'm a 40+ year smoker who has copd. Ive been able to stay off cigarettes by vaping for the last month, but my breathing has gotten progressively worse in the last few weeks. Now I have shortness of breath to a much greater degree than when I was smoking.
Have any other copd sufferers experienced this?

 

[cozzicon]

I'm a 40+ year smoker who has copd. Ive been able to stay off cigarettes by vaping for the last month, but my breathing has gotten progressively worse in the last few weeks. Now I have shortness of breath to a much greater degree than when I was smoking.
Have any other copd sufferers experienced this?

I have not. I'm a 30 year tobacco veteran.

Not to say your experience is not valid. Off the top of my head- have you been increasing your water intake? PG tends to dehydrate you fairly well since it's a humectant. If I'm dehydrated my breathing gets worse. Also, some people do not tolerate PG will and it acts like an allergen. If you are having an allergic reaction to PG it can cause breathing problems.

So two of the two things (as a non doctor) I would recommend is more water and try some 100%VG juice.

A doctor visit... might also be a good idea

 

[minigoat]

I do recall experiencing some tightness and uncomfortable breathing around my two/three week mark. I made an effort to change the way I vape and it cleared right up for me. By taking very shallow inhale (if at all) and practicing french inhale it cleared right up within a couple days. I think I am now back to normal regarding the inhale with no more symptoms.

I also make it a point to drink a lot more, water, juice, beer, etc.

EDIT: 36 year 2 PAD (pack per day) EX smoker

​

 

[rolygate]

What you must do is purchase refills from different vendors, and try to select a base type (PG, VG or blend) and brand that does not cause problems.

The issue you describe is reported with certain types of materials from certain vendors.

 

[grvthang]

Thank you for your responses. The problem seems to worsen when I use heavier vapor - like from high VG content juice. I've been experimenting with different juices from 5 different vendors. I have an appointment with my pulmonary doctor Jan 4.

 

[bruiser]

If it's VG you've been using, try an 80pg/20vg ratio. Might help.

 

[grvthang]

If it's VG you've been using, try an 80pg/20vg ratio. Might help.

I ordered some juice of that blend. I tried 100%PG, but I couldn't get it to vape on my rig (a KR808D-1), so I've been mixing it with some 'regular' juice - from what I understand, most brand's normal juice is usually around 50/50, so I've been mixing the 100% PG to the point where it's about an 80/20 blend, which gives me vapor, but very thin and not all that satisfying.
It's gotten to the point where I'm almost about ready to give up on vaping and try to stay smoke-free using the nicotine patch. I don't like the way this is making me feel.

 

[Lydia]

This is a awful long reaction, excuses for it, but I hope the following will help a bit, because I can understand if the vaping is a bit of concern for you in the starting fase:

I think you as an insider will understand the next: Got my first exacerbation February 2010 and learned I have a FEV1 of 37-38% and stopped smoking immediately. Started vaping march 2010. In september 2010 my FEV1 measured 42-43%. December 2011 my FEV1 measures 50% . Of course happy with the last test result, but notice; intra-individual variance of testing FEV1 can be 8% of normal FEV1, so the 50% is maybe a bit of luck, because I had f.e. a good day. However, what can be said is that I’m stable now, no further extra abnormal fast deterioration of lung function and results are shown like someone who stopped smoking; it looks like my vaping has had no negative influence on my test results et al. Test results in future will tell more. If my next 2 test results stay between 42-50% and also no exacerbations in between, it’s more certain. For now it’s promising.

Have done a pretty extensive search on “vaping” last year. Got to the conclusion that PG looks safe, VG is safe if used with in PG/VG mix (I am a high voltage vaper and 100% VG can have a small risk with high temperatures, this small risk is lowered or diminished in mix PG/VG, so I use mix 70& PG and 30% VG.) Nicotine is imo safe for lungs as long you don’t have heart or blood vessels problems, but opinions on this can differ. With COPD in stage 4 problems like these become in time an issue, but hope that stage will stay away for many, many years, or I never get there. Real concern was and is for me the flavouring in the e-liquid and not knowing “what else is maybe put in premade liquid you buy, or the maybe a to high percentages or flavourings put in them”. The inhalation of flavouring is the least studied and the completely untested part of vaping. But, thanks to the work in this field now done by Flavourart, this risk is now less risky for most of their tested products. Whatever anyone says about Flavourart with wrong or right things about them in the past, imo the last 1-2 year they fully 100% earn the leading-role: They have done some toxicological testing and since june 2010 I have vaped only their as non-toxicological tested flavours (mostly in Flavourart DIY Heaven juice traditional.) See ClearStream by FlavourArt | ClearStream by FlavourArt For now they are the only ones in the vaping world who have done these tests as far as I know. Flavourart Dark Vapure, Cuban Supreme and their supplement-flavour Bitter Wizard come out as non-toxicological with very good test results and I like these flavours. I also use a bit of their Maxboro flavour, test results of Maxboro are good now, but I take care to stay within the 1-2% range with this flavour; to much of it can be a risk.

Further for me no risk taking with vaping; no polycarbonate tanks (I use only completely SS tanks, or glass tubes etc. in tanks), and no glassfiber or silicon wicks in DIY atomizers. I always take the safe side and do not step easy in every hyped new product in the vape world. It’s always for me first an extensive search whether the new product has no potential risk for people like us.

Hope this information helps and puts you a bit at ease. You are not alone in this. One third of people with COPD can’t stop smoking, or start smoking again after a time. That’s awful, resulting in a soon and premature death after a bad “stage 4” with a lot of suffering. It looks like for many it is not necessary to go this way and hope we can state this for sure in the future.

 

[grvthang]

Lydia, thank you so much for your informative and detailed response. I had posted my concerns about this elsewhere on the forum and people try to be helpful, but I needed to hear from someone who is also diagnosed with copd.

I smoked for 40 years before I was diagnosed and a lot of people don't know that you can lose a full 50% or more of your lung functionality before feeling any loss.

Thanks again, and a Merry Christmas to you (if applicable!).

 

[W Axl Rose]

grv, I had similar issues with vaping, made my breathing worse than smoking ever did and I had to quit vaping totally. I use only swedish snus now and am smoke and vape free for 2 years.

 

[Lydia]

Lydia, thank you so much for your informative and detailed response. I had posted my concerns about this elsewhere on the forum and people try to be helpful, but I needed to hear from someone who is also diagnosed with copd.

I smoked for 40 years before I was diagnosed and a lot of people don't know that you can lose a full 50% or more of your lung functionality before feeling any loss.

Thanks again, and a Merry Christmas to you (if applicable!).

Thank you, I hope Christmas is/was fine for you. I’m glad to be able help you a bit.

Yes, If you have the emphysema-type of COPD as me, then it’s not showing it’s ugly head early. Because of that it’s easy to deny things for a long time. It has had already influence on many aspects of my life for a long time, but because I didn’t know, I had put the blame for it on the wrong things. After getting the diagnose + learn more of the stages + accepting it in my life, my eyes went open about these things in the past. After this it was possible to make the right adjustments. With that and vaping (or snus, or both …whatever is needed to stay of that damned smoking), well, life is now becoming better as before.

As said, vaping or snus as W Axl Rose suggests…. both is all right imo. Maybe combining vaping with snus, so yr body can get used more slowly to the vaping? Maybe the combination is great for you, or snus alone?

 

[bnrkwest]

I have found using high VG makes me feel terrible and it affects my breathing. I can only do high PG low VG ratios. It seems to affects everyone a bit different since some cannot tolerate high PG. So experiment to find which you feel best on is my suggestion. bnrk

 

[DaveP]

Good information here. Keep on sharing and comparing experiences for those who don't have the benefit of your knowledge about COPD. For one thing, I didn't know that you can sometimes lose half your lung function before you realize something is wrong. That, in itself, is a good reason to quit before you feel the effects!

Thanks guys, for providing much needed info.

 

[grvthang]

Yes, this is good stuff to learn. Not to negate other people's concerns, but I really am not so interested to read threads in the New Members section like "Which chocolate liquid is the best?" when I'm trying to quit smoking through vaping and it seems to be sufocating me!

I ordered some 100% PG juice, but my rig - a kr808d-1 - cant produce any vapor using it. I tried mixing in juice with some VG, and it produced some very thin vapor, not very satisfying. I ordered a 75pg/25vg mix to try - it should be here in a few days.

of course, these forums are full of people (and suppliers) that are gonna push vaping; I was looking at it as a smoking cessation tool, not as a new hobby. I was surprised to see you advocate using snus. I got a sample a couple of years ago and didn't much care for it then - maybe I'll try it again. (nice goldtop lp, by the way - i have one with humbuckers).

If the 75pg/25vg mix doesn't make me breathe better, I'm gonna have to let this vaping thing go. It would be a shame, since it worked so well in helping me quit analogs.

thank you to all who have contributed to this thread. thank heaven for these forums!

 

[W Axl Rose]

If you want to learn more about swedish snus, come visit the smokeless tobacco subforum. It works well for alot of us.

 

[Streptile]

Hi there,

I just started a very similar thread, http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/health-safety-e-smoking/252304-shortness-breath-normal-2.html. Interesting to see I'm not alone. I will keep tabs on this thread as well.

 

[bruiser]

You might look into a supplement by the name of NAC. Some studies indicate it helps with asthma and copd. I have asthma and started on it a couple of weeks ago. It takes two to three months for it to show any effects.

 

[tedward1555]

I recently had not only breathing issues but, racing heart and irregular heart beat, sudden onrush nausea. I was very concerned and have scheduled an appointment with my Doc for tomorrow. But, after reading a few posts here and elsewhere I am thinking I was vaping way too much and getting nic poisoning. I was using just 4mg juice but basically chain vaping all day. The problems were in the evening and at night in bed. Yesterday I didn't vape at all and had a wonderful night sleep and woke this morning feeling great. I'm now vaping some 0nic I had around and enjoying it. I sure hope I have found the culprit.

 

[cigarbabe]

I was diagnosed with COPD several years ago and when I first started vaping it took a couple of months I believe to get rid of all the toxins from my 3 pack a day 37 year Kool habit.
At first I felt foggy from vaping and thought perhaps I was getting too much nicotine and maybe that was so but now I believe it is just because your using another way to get that nicotine and not having all those chemicals you've been so used to having can wreak havoc on your system. I also thought maybe I was allergic to pg believing all the stories I had been reading but now I know that it just dries you out to the extent you may feel "ill, itchy etc. if you aren't getting enough liquids into your system and it can be nothing more than a little dehydration for most of us.
I think people jump to conclusions about "overdosing on nicotine and allergies" without having been tested by a doctor first.
Personally I don't believe nicotine is as addictive as the FDA and the ANTZ would have you believe.
My lung function was at .2 when I was still smoking and within two months it increased to .24 which was one percentage point from normal so my doctor was thrilled when I told her about my using ecigs and even wanted me to show her smoking cessation group how to use and purchase decent ones. I did notice that I was using a high percentage of vg believing it to be safer for some reason over pg {both are good!} but it seemed to fill my lungs with phlegm again like I was still smoking so I cut back on the 80/20 vg majority and that solved my problem I'm happy to say. I think grvthang if you switched to a larger battery and different device that will help immensely with your vapor output.
Some folks will have issues with nicotine if they have prior heart disease, vascular diseases or diabetes {this is not a full list by any means!} but that is for a well informed doctor to find out and most are not well informed about ecigs or what is in the juice so you still need to stand your ground when they claim inevitably that "vaping is dangerous period". If anyone should have have problems with vaping it should be me who has had open heart surgery,lost a lung and I have serious vascular issues but nicotine has not raised my blood pressure or the pressure inside my heart nor has it caused me to have any vaping related issues as diagnosed by my numerous physicians!
C.B.

 

[Trucapri]

As I've stuck with it, my "symptoms" have changed, lessened, and for the most part disappeared. I don't advocate anyone doing anything that makes them feel BAD, but sometimes just sticking it out in moderation is all that's needed. Reading what to expect with smokers detox was truly a huge help! And continuing to read and think logically about the whole deal has gotten me through. I stepped up to a more constant PV that doesn't cause me to pull hard at anytime, and I'm now about to cut my nic down for the first time. I'm very comfortable saying that vaping is the answer for my personal needs.

I hope everyone can find their perfect solution! Best wishes to all!