Coughing, wheezing lasting for months

[Mac1987]

Stopped smoking analogue cigs ( roll ups ) at the start of May and tried the e cig along with my partner.

she has had no trouble at all, where as I have not been able to smoke/vape without having problems down the line.

we both started on 2.4 strength and after 3 weeks I started coughing and my top lip had swollen up, the swelling went down after a few days but the cough persisted and got worse, to the point I was laid awake at night constantly coughing and could not stop, shortness of breath, wheezing were also problems I had every night.

i visited the doctors, had tests for asthma and was prescribed the blue reliever inhaler, I had stopped vaping at this point and was smoke free but the coughing was dry and deep, I went through 10 inhalers in 4 weeks, they would relieve the coughing for about 10 minutes.

after nearly 3 months off the e cig, the coughing started to ease up, and I was free from both e cig and normal cigs, however I started to sneakily take a vape from my partners e cig and eventually went out and bought another for my self, with a low pg nicotine strength.

this was 3 weeks ago, I have now woken up coughing and my lip has swollen again.

i would like to add I have tried pg and vg / high strengths and low.

It takes about 2/3 weeks vaping for these symptoms to start, but when they do, they last for months, even after quitting the e cig.

has anyone had the same problems, I don't have asthma, I never have, it's the coughing that bothers me the most.

 

[Mac1987]

I'd like to add my throat feels like its coated with something and when taking deep inhaled breathes I start coughing, my throat tickles when breathing deeply and the wheezing has started again, the only thing I'm not doing but sure to follow are the nights laid awake coughing again.

 

[tomtomtorpedo]

I've heard of people being allergic to either the PG or the VG. Try vaping straight Vg and see if symptoms persist. If they do then try straight Pg. If it still persist...Guess I'd say...stop vaping.

 

[Spazmelda]

It sounds to me like vaping is probably not a good idea for you. The only thing I can thing of, besides trying vg only and pg only (if you haven't done that yet) is to try some unflavored. Since your symptoms seem to take a long time to occur, and a long time to go away, it will be very difficult for you to troubleshoot what the exact problem is.

I'm very surprised to hear about your use of the rescue inhaler. 10 canisters in 4 weeks is really quite a lot, and I'm surprised your doctor, upon seeing the excessive use, didn't recommend a preventative inhaler to use as well as the rescue. A rescue inhaler is usually supposed to be used about 3x a week. If your use exceeds that, that indicates you need a preventative inhaler to help control the asthma. If you find yourself using the rescue inhaler as much with this bout, I'd really recommend asking your doctor about a preventative inhaler.

Good luck!

 

[Chrissie]

It sounds very much like a PG allergy to me (though it could be a VG one). This UK vendor does a good range of PG/VG mixes & as his 10ml Tasters are only £1.49 each, you wouldn't have to spend much to try out a high% VG one for instance -

10ml Tasters - Items - Joose Juice E-Liquids

 

[Mac1987]

I tried pg and vg, both separate and mixed, I thought it was the brand I was vaping but when going back to using the e cig a different brand has given me the same symptoms.

I visited doctor around 10 times, got a brown inhaler and also the blue relievers, I was having to go to different chemists to get the blue relievers when they were running out and telling them they had run out, they were the only thing to open my airways up and stop me coughing for an hour or so, especially at night.


It's a real shame because I enjoy vaping, and the e cig has been great, it's worked for me and my partner who has had no problem at all.

 

[Screamin Eagle]

Well, I'm no Dr., and I have no idea how old you are, how long you've smoked, or how much you've smoked, but what it sounds like is you may have been on the verge of emphysema. If that was the case, what you might be experiencing is the onset of pneumonia.

I'm suprised your Dr. didn't look into it further.

I would advise you to stay away from e-cigs, or use them very sparingly.

 

[AngiBe]

I would be curious how unflavored would do for you as well. Maybe some reactions to flavorings or sweeteners if you've already tried switching up VG/PG...Also would be curious what juice/manufacturer/vendor your using.

Hope you find the answers to whats causing this and please keep us posted!

 

[Coastal Cowboy]

Ask your doctor about a condition called Anaphylaxis. It is a severe allergic reaction and it can be life threatening.

 

[ancientgeek]

You might try 0mg nicotine. I have moved to a 50/50 mix without any flavoring or nicotine. It is the only thing that has stopped my cough.

 

[Mac1987]

I visited the doctors 7 or 8 times and each time I had to take time off from work ( I work for myself ) so this cost me money.

The doctor was giving me prescriptions for blue inhalers, brown inhalers, nasal sprays, different tablets, so as soon as I came out from the docs I had to visit chemist/pharmacy and spend £25.00 on prescription drugs that were doing nothing only the blue inhaler was relieving the coughing.

I had a chest x ray which came back clear, I had the asthma test (long and short breaths into different air tubes) which came back with strange results.

Since the cough went at the start if sept I was fine, fit and healthy but after 3 weeks of vaping again I can feel (yesterday evening) my chest tightening up and a dry cough coming.

 

[Coastal Cowboy]

We're not medical professionals here. We're vaping enthusiasts.

But what you described is a classic example of a severe allergic reaction.

It could be life threatening.

Talk to a professional about an allergic reaction. Bring the substance that you suspect could be causing it.

Other than that, don't expect much useful advice here. This really isn't a place to seek medical advice.

 

[Caridwen]

The only way to rule out allergies yourself would be to vape some unflavored PG, then try unflavored VG. See if you have an issue.

I don't know what setup of type of liquids you use but a few people have reported allergic reactions to particular flavorings (I think one was banana).

You might have to go a different route, like snus. We have a forum devoted to that if you're interested.

Other Alternatives to Smoking

 

[rhean]

Did your doctor take a look at your gear? What was his diagnosis? What did he suggest you do? Was your throat swollen, along with your lip? Did your eyes swell up? The swollen lip, a (possible) swollen throat, and the prescribed inhalers suggest severe, potentially life-threatening allergies. Allergies do not get better with increased exposure to the allergen. They get worse.

I'm a mommy, not a doc, and my mommy advice would be to visit your doc again, show him your gear, and follow his advice to the letter. Further mommy advice: quit vaping! Analogues could kill you, but vaping WILL kill you if you are having a severe enough allergic reaction to it that it affects your breathing. If you are allergic, it'll be very difficult to pinpoint the allergen. There is no "cure" for an allergy. Please take very good care of yourself.

 

[patkin]

My non-medical advice: You have a pretty obvious allergy. At the very least... STOP lung inhaling NOW! Whether or not you want to keep trying for solutions just having vapor touch your mouth/nose, that's your experimental choice but I wouldn't involve the lungs in experiments.

 

[Mac1987]

I appreciate all your help and I'm not really looking for a medical answer, I just wondered if anybody had experienced the same.

I did take the liquid to the doctor, but they would not even look at it, because, basically in the uk at the moment they don't have a clue what they are looking at.

I wouldn't say its life threatening what I experience, it's annoying, I can't understand how my partner just sits there vaping without so much as a tickle.

It's not the nicotine level either, I have tried 0.6 mg and 2.4 mg, both are really harsh, not in the nicotine hit, but like a slight burn on the throat and mouth.

Iv tried different set ups, there is a company in the north of England called mirage cigarettes who I use for the actual e cig, not cheap stuff and have a few shops opening up around the area, I spoke to them but they did not know.

The doctor at first said asthma, then a nasal drip then he didn't know, eventually I gave up going because I had spent over £120.00 on prescription drugs, took a lot of time off work to see the doctor and was still non the wiser, and with not using the e cig, the coughing was starting to clear up.

I am not knocking the e cigs, they are great, it's just a shame and quite annoying that something in the ingredients is causing me discomfort.

The problem I have found is, if you feel unwell in the uk from e cigs is

The doctors won't comment on them, because they do not know what the stuff is, they don't have the slightest idea what the liquids do, they have had no training that involves e cig liquids, the doctor said this to me.

The shop owners/liquid sellers are not qualified doctors and again, do not know.

 

[rhean]

I'm so sorry! That your partner is vaping away must be galling, but it is common; most people who take up vaping don't have issues. It's interesting that breathing in the product from your partner's vaping isn't bothering you. I've no clue what that would mean, but surely it means something? Also, since you smoked without problems, I'd imagine nicotine isn't the issue...otoh, maybe nicotine changes when it's vaped? lol idk!

Re the symptoms being "annoying," any symptom that is so annoying that it forces you to visit a doc repeatedly, use inhalants regularly, and spend money on meds is, imo, serious.

I wonder if you could see an allergist, even an asthma specialist? Good luck!

 

[Spazmelda]

_If_ you do decide to try unflavored, I think you should probably wait until your symptoms clear up completely. I'm going to agree with the others that it would probably be best to just quit vaping and quit nicotine entirely or find another way of getting it (snus as caridwen suggested, or maybe gum). Since you quit before, hopefully you can do it again.

Then _if_ you decide to try unflavored, go very slowly. Maybe just 5 min one day, then wait a week and see if you have any symptoms. I dunno, like others said, you don't want to risk a severe allergic reaction. What you described sounds pretty bad to me.