Do you inhale (or not)?

[KurtVD]

I am still relatively new to vaping (less than a year), and I’m a on-and-off vaper, meaning that sometimes I exclusively vape for weeks at a time, but there are other times when I’m smoking herbal cigarettes with a little bit of tobacco in them. During those times I tend to vape less or not at all. Now I’ve noticed that whenever I’m full-time vaping, I start having troubles climbing the stairs at home, for example I’m completely out of breath when I get to my door (I live in an apartment on the third floor and never use the elevator). During the smoking times I can literally run up these same stairs, no problem at all. Also I start getting chest pain in the area where my lungs are.
These personal observations, and the fact that we still don’t know a lot about medium and long term effects of vaping, have brought me to the conclusion that it is much wiser to not inhale the vapor anymore. It took a few days of adaptation, but I’m starting to feel better, and there’s really no downside to it: it’s in the mouth where you taste the flavor, not in the lungs.
How about you? Do you all inhale? Do you feel the effects I described and what do you think about it?

 

[United States]

I'm opposite in the out of breath thing. Perhaps because you don't use much tobacco means less of the things that disrupts oxygen in the bloodstream? I dunno.

Agreed on the unknown effects. We are inhaling heated chemicals. When I first started vaping my brain was thinking that breathing in concentrated steam was going to drown me one drop at a time. Back then it caused me to cough a lot while learning how to take a drag. What I did was get a mouth full and slowly force it out while inhaling some through my nose. Worked like a charm at easing nic cravings but cumbersome so over time I just inhaled mouth to lung style.

Cigar smokers I know don't inhale.

 

[bombastinator]

That’s the absolute opposite experience of anything I’ve ever heard of. Makes me wonder what those herbs are. Could be stimulants. You also may have a pg sensitivity.

Herbal cigarettes have a fairly bad reputation health wise in the USA. I’ve never found an herbal cigarette that I didn’t find disgusting myself. That’s me though.

 

[Pete M]

I inhale the vape. I have to say that when I switched from cigs the first thing I noticed was that I was no longer getting out of breath going upstairs etc; but now if I have a day where I'm vaping a lot I do sometimes get that out of breath feeling, nowhere near as bad as when smoking though.

Because often I'm vaping out of hand-to-mouth habit as opposed to needing a nicotine fix I do sometimes do the cigar smoking thing just for the flavour. If you're dual using with cigarettes, even if they're herbal ones, I guess it's hard to say which is the cause of being out of breath.

 

[Yodara]

As a health professional let me tell you it is highly unlikely that vaping is the cause of shortness of breath. Instead, you might want to consult you doctor and do a blood test. Until then you could take a magnesium, calcium and potassium supplement and see if it gets better. If it does, you might be likely deficient in these. There are also other conditions and deficiencies that can cause shortness of breath. But attributing this to vaping does not make much sense. The other option is you are doing something fundamentally wrong when vaping. Bad juice, bad coils, no priming, wrong dosage, wrong frequency - there are a bunch of things that can go wrong when you start vaping. Also, I would highly recommend to either vape or smoke - a combination will irritate you body, especially if you want to quit. Summed up, check your nutrition. This sounds like a medical issue and one attributable to vaping. All the best!

 

[KurtVD]

Thanks for your replies

You also may have a pg sensitivity.

Yes, I do have a PG sensitivity, and I’m also sensitive to a number of flavorings. It took me a lot of trial and error to find a couple of high VG juices that I can vape without getting hay fever like symptoms (strong ones) immediately after the first draw. Occasionally i even vape pure VG for that reason. However, the shortness of breath seems to be a constant side effect, and as soon as I stop vaping (or inhaling, as I’m discovering now), it’s getting better within a day or two.

If you're dual using with cigarettes, even if they're herbal ones, I guess it's hard to say which is the cause of being out of breath.

I’m not always dual using, right now I’ve vaping-only for some time, and the shortness of breath got considerably worse.

There are also other conditions and deficiencies that can cause shortness of breath. But attributing this to vaping does not make much sense.

I’m actually seeing a number of doctors quite regularly, and had my blood work done a few months ago, by an endocrinologist, so I would know if I had a serious deficiency. Plus, I’ve been observing this phenomenon for more than one “cycle” (vaping but not smoking, and smoking but not vaping), and the shortness of breath definitely comes and goes with how much I vape.
I love vaping, I have no reason or interest to make stuff up. Happily though, it seems that not-inhaling seems to do the trick, at least to a very high degree.

 

[JCinFLA]

How about you? Do you all inhale?

There are quite a few of us here on ECF, who do not inhale when we vape. We bring the vapor into our mouth, hold it there for a second or 2, and then exhale through our nose and/or mouth. While we don't inhale the vapor into our lungs, we still get the nic that we need and get great flavor. The nic in the vapor is absorbed very easily in the cheek linings, mucous membranes, and sinus cavities. It's the only way I've vaped since I started in Nov. 2013. I dual used then until Jan 2014, when I had my last cigarette. Have never ever wanted another one since then.

**I will try a DL hit about every 4-5 months...only to give my cloud chucker friends a few S&G at my itty-bitty clouds I blow at my Tootle Puffer wattage and above ohm coils. But that's it! Otherwise, it's no inhaling at all.

I hope some of the others who don't inhale either, like @mattiem and others, will pop in here, too. They've also had no problems vaping that way and being perfectly satisfied.

Now I’ve noticed that whenever I’m full-time vaping, I start having troubles climbing the stairs at home, for example I’m completely out of breath when I get to my door (I live in an apartment on the third floor and never use the elevator). During the smoking times I can literally run up these same stairs, no problem at all. Also I start getting chest pain in the area where my lungs are.

What is your eliquid PG/VG ratio? How have you been inhaling when vaping (ie. MTL or DTL)? I ask because there have been other people on ECF who've complained of a heavy chest feeling, some pain, and shortness of breath when using high VG eliquid, especially if they're also vaping DTL. (If you think about it...if high VG vapor can form a film on the inside of car windshields, on walls and windows in the house, etc...what's it forming in your lungs?) For some of those people, the problem went away when they started vaping eliquids with lower VG. Some others have said they changed the way they were inhaling. I'd personally give the not inhaling method a try to see if it works for you and still satisfies you.

 

[KurtVD]

Is your eliquid PG/VG ratio? How have you been inhaling when vaping (ie. MTL or DTL)? I ask because there have been other people on ECF who've complained of a heavy chest feeling, some pain, and shortness of breath when using high VG eliquid, especially if they're also vaping DTL

I’m sensitive to PG, anything higher than 30% pg gives me other problems, but I am (or was) a MTL vaper. Since I’ve quit inhaling , I can’t really call it MTL anymore, maybe we need a new word for us non-inhalers

 

[JCinFLA]

Since I’ve quit inhaling , I can’t really call it MTL anymore, maybe we need a new word for us non-inhalers

There has actually been some limited discussion on here before about that. Some have suggested MTN (mouth to nose), others MTM (mouth to mouth), and MTNM (mouth to nose/mouth). I'm the latter because my vapor comes out of both.

If I were you, I'd just stick with not inhaling. Believe me...it does work very well or I'd no doubt have been back on the smokes long ago. Same with Mattiem and others, too.

 

[bombastinator]

Thanks for your replies
Yes, I do have a PG sensitivity, and I’m also sensitive to a number of flavorings. It took me a lot of trial and error to find a couple of high VG juices that I can vape without getting hay fever like symptoms (strong ones) immediately after the first draw. Occasionally i even vape pure VG for that reason. However, the shortness of breath seems to be a constant side effect, and as soon as I stop vaping (or inhaling, as I’m discovering now), it’s getting better within a day or two.


I’m not always dual using, right now I’ve vaping-only for some time, and the shortness of breath got considerably worse.

I’m actually seeing a number of doctors quite regularly, and had my blood work done a few months ago, by an endocrinologist, so I would know if I had a serious deficiency. Plus, I’ve been observing this phenomenon for more than one “cycle” (vaping but not smoking, and smoking but not vaping), and the shortness of breath definitely comes and goes with how much I vape.
I love vaping, I have no reason or interest to make stuff up. Happily though, it seems that not-inhaling seems to do the trick, at least to a very high degree.

So you’ve got lots of things already wrong with you because you see a lot of doctors, and have a wildly strong pg sensitivity that doesn’t act like pg sensitivities normally do. Are you aware that many flavorings are pg based?

 

[bombastinator]

I’m sensitive to PG, anything higher than 30% pg gives me other problems, but I am (or was) a MTL vaper. Since I’ve quit inhaling , I can’t really call it MTL anymore, maybe we need a new word for us non-inhalers

pipe style smokers is the term. Your claim of hay fever symptoms and a combination of being able to withstand up to 30% pg doesn’t make any sense.

 

[uthinkofsomething]

I’m sensitive to PG, anything higher than 30% pg gives me other problems, but I am (or was) a MTL vaper. Since I’ve quit inhaling , I can’t really call it MTL anymore, maybe we need a new word for us non-inhalers

Others on here sometimes say mouth to nose, or MTl with the L pointedly lowercase because they use a minimum or no lung inhale.

 

[United States]

I get asthsmatic type symptoms from strong nic salt juices. At first I thought it was the 50/50 vg/pg thing, then realized that ratio in a 3ml freebase doesn't cause it.

Then I tried a nic salt in a low temp device and did not get those symptoms. At 9-12 watts I can vape a 25ml nic salt with no issues at all. As a rule I mix my nic salts with much lower freebases simply because I don't want all that nic but found a flavor I absolutely adore that is only available in a nic salt juice.

My point is perhaps the amount of heat op vapes at may be the issue.

If you are cool with not inhaling, well enjoy. But if you find that inhaling is the only way....try lower settings on your juice cooker and see if that helps.

I'm glad to see other non inhalers chiming in. Kinda gives me insight on a satisfying vape in another way.

Thanks for this thread Kurt. Best regards.

 

[DaveP]

These personal observations, and the fact that we still don’t know a lot about medium and long term effects of vaping, have brought me to the conclusion that it is much wiser to not inhale the vapor anymore. It took a few days of adaptation, but I’m starting to feel better, and there’s really no downside to it: it’s in the mouth where you taste the flavor, not in the lungs.
How about you? Do you all inhale? Do you feel the effects I described and what do you think about it?

I inhale just enough to be able to blow vapor out through my nose. A safe bet is that more nic is absorbed through the mucous membranes in the mouth and nose than is absorbed by the lungs. If you are vaping high VG juice you may be better off trying juice with 50pg/50vg or even a higher PG level. PG produces more flavor and slightly more throat hit.

I tried upping the VG content a few months ago in my DIY juice to a higher level. It didn't take me long to get the coated lung feeling, so i switched back to 70pg and all is well again. We are all different in what makes a good vape for our personal taste.

Experiment and find your best mix. That's one reason why DIY ejuice is a good (and lots cheaper) way to find the best mix for your personal preference.

 

[keelalagirl55]

Question.....What is the coil you are using now made of?

You said in another thread ( What kind of wire do you use and why? ) that you are allergic to nickel but didn't have any adverse reactions. I'd call shortness of breath an "adverse reaction"

 

[Punk In Drublic]

@KurtVD – you mentioned in another thread that you are allergic to NI jewelry as it leaves a rash on your skin. But yet you vape with a NI coil correct? Allergies don’t just leave a rash, they could have adverse effects on ones breathing as well. I’d go see your doctor.

 

[Punk In Drublic]

Question.....What is the coil you are using now made of?

You said in another thread ( What kind of wire do you use and why? ) that you are allergic to nickel but didn't have any adverse reactions. I'd call shortness of breath an "adverse reaction"

just notice I repeated your post…great minds think alike

 

[keelalagirl55]

just notice I repeated your post…great minds think alike

Definitely.

 

[Topwater Elvis]

I know several people that have tried vaping and just can't.

Quite a few that have various levels of an intolerance to both PG & VG.
A few that have an intolerance to flavorings and or sweeteners, to the point of either vaping non flavored non sweetened or not vaping at all.

Many folks have a sensitivity to VG, myself included,, symptoms range from mild shortness of breath, tight chest feeling, difficulty taking a deep breath, heavy chest, more severe shortness of breath up to a feeling like an elephant standing on chest difficult to even take a breath.
I know several that describe their VG sensitivity/intolerance as mild to severe hay fever symptoms most accompanied by shortness of breath.
The above symptoms usually lessen / go away within 15 minutes to an hour after ceasing to vape.

I'm lucky, I can use 50% Vg all day every day, I can get away with a dozen or so vapes per day of up to 60Vg with no effect.

Yes, I inhale.

 

[JCinFLA]

As a health professional let me tell you it is highly unlikely that vaping is the cause of shortness of breath.

Oh, really? That's a very broad statement to make, IMO, and I'd bet most "health professionals" wouldn't agree with it! That are people with well-controlled asthma or mild COPD, or those who have previously unknown sensitivities to VG or PG...who experience no shortness of breath...except when they're vaping. There are others who don't have any of those conditions...who still only experience shortness of breath when they vape. Yet you say it's "highly unlikely" there's a coorelation? Come on....

But attributing this to vaping does not make much sense.

Seems to me that the OP has discovered a cause and effect relationship for himself, when he's adjusted his vaping technique to not inhaling the vapor.

Also, I would highly recommend to either vape or smoke - a combination will irritate you body, especially if you want to quit.

IMO, and that of my PCP when I first started vaping, that's incorrect, too. I smoked 1 - 1.5 PAD for 42+ years and dual used for nearly 2 months before I had my last cigarette. It did not "irritate" my body in any way, nor hinder me from being able to quit the smokes. In fact, dual using and tapering off on my smoking, while increasing my vaping, IS precisely what helped me quit for good!