Doc says I'm "still a smoker"

[Racehorse]

Your doctor is correct. I don't know why this is so hard to understand for people.

Smoking did damage to your mouth, espophagus, lungs, and cells. If you read the well vetted medical literature on exactly HOW smoking damages our bodies, then this becomes more understandable.

There is no way to know for certain what damage has been done, or if it will come back to bite ya in the .... later on.

vaping is a harm reduction method. It does not remove damage that may already have been done to your body...however, it does improve your chances for not doing more harm. Harm is cumulative.

Please understand that lungs are not the only things damaged by smoking. It's like sun.........the damage is cumulative over lifetime. I layed in sun for years as a young girl, and still had beautiful skin. It wasn't until my 40s and 50s that the damage started "showing up."

I feel that anybody in the vaping community who is not explaining this is not being honest with people. Even before vaping, there was a % of ex smokers who still got COPD, lung cancer, and other cellular/biological problems from the smoking that they did do.

Vaping is great....it is harm reduction. It is not harm eradication.

Of course, if treated properly, with good lifestyle, diet and exercise, and ample sleep, as well as vaping, our bodies have the best chance to repair and prosper.

Vaping isn't a free pass

My doctor is thrilled that I am vaping. That doesn't mean I won't get lung cancer later on, any more than the sun damage I did 20 years ago exempts me from skin cancer!

I tend to agree with Janet H. ... being a former smoker is the most honest thing we can say about ourselves.

 

[MissVicki]

I would find another doctor. I quit smoking 5 years ago, however I vape. I concider myself as a non smoker.

 

[Racehorse]

Your doc. is a .... head.
Like an alcoholic is always an alcoholic even when they've been dry for years
is a state of mind that many ex alkies use, the take each day one at a time attitude.

It is not the same with vaping.imo.
We have switched!

Wrong.

Just as alcohol has done damage that we may not be able to measure or see, to an alcoholic's body and liver, so having been a smoker puts you in the same category.

It may or may not show up later on. That is why we are vaping. We are participating in harm reduction.

Count me as one who is unwilling to "politicize" my body and my health over vaping or anything else. I still trust my doctor w/in reason, and if I feel I need another set of eyes, I get a 2nd or 3rd opinion.

The FDA, insurance companies, and vaping forums doesn't change any of that for me. I really don't care what they think or say or do. I am interested in remaining as healthy as possible, and will do whatever i believe, and the doctors I trust, recommend to me.

If you don't trust your doctor, then find another one. I am blessed with what I think are some of the best ones I've ever had ......... finally.

 

[Racehorse]

In a recent case with my daughter, she had a spot on her skin. Two different doctors looked at it and said it was a spot of eczema. We told the docs that it looked like ringworm but both denied this, and one prescribed a corticosteroid, the other said to use lotion. After applying the treatments the spot did not improve. We went to the store and bought some anti-fungal cream and applied to said spot. The spot went away in 2 days.

So much for expert diagnosis.

I go to a good dermatologist when I have a skin spot. They take a scraping, and it is analyzed under a microscope and/or lab testing.

Problem solved......100% and then there is no doubt.

I always ask for a throat swab when I get a sore throat. You CAN ask for these things. My experience with experts has been very good....I go to the ones that understand how to perform the tests I need for a proper diagnosis. They are not gods, just people. We need to be advocates for our own health. I have a doctor who suggests things and I say yes or no. I often implore him to do something my gut tells me needs to be done. He does it unless he thinks my request is 1,000% unnecessary.

Find somebody you can work with. Villanizing good people who have chosen the medical field as their way of lending their skills and talents to the world is not the answer. There are plenty of good doctors out there. Medicine is a CONSUMER item. Shop around til you find a "product" you are happy with.

Ditto, vape vendors, bank, shoe store, food products, etc.

It seems fashionable to boo doctors these days, they can only help you if you are communicating and there is a true partnership going on. Find a PARTNER who you trust and who has your best interest at heart.

And even then...........allow for human error, because we are all just human and we make mistakes.

 

[-iD]

There is also NO WAY for them to determine if the nicotine is from the use of approved nicotine replacement therapy or NRTs.

Go buy some nicorrette gum and make sure you can return it if its unopened then hand them a photocopied receipt.

Dishonest maybe but who are they to judge?

Won't work. From the insurer's POV "Quitting" =/= "non-smoker". If you say you are quitting, either you currently still use, or come back and apply for non-smoker rates once you will pass the test.

tap'd on my Google Galaxy Nexus

 

[mikebabs]

I think we should all seriously consider even dropping the vaping habit......After all, if we quit smoking we could most likely quit vaping as well.... Let me put it this way, vaping HAS to be WAY better than smoking and stopping HAS to be WAY better than vaping......Used to be really cool to smoke stinkys until the medical evidence started rolling in...Then the dangers could not be denied........What happens when the evidence starts rolling in that vaping is bad? Might take 20 years or so.....add that number to the years you smoked and you are toast.......Am I alone on this?....Sorry to hijack the thread but I read the whole thread and most posters here seem very reasonable.....

 

[gdaym8]

Doctors are not all wise and knowing. Neither are we. Finding a good doc is a long arduous process. I had a similar experience as the ringworm, only I stabbed my hand with scissors trimming the hair away from a hot spot on my Golden years ago. The next morning I had a blood infection. Hot spots are very similar to diaper rash, I went to the doc for some antibiotics and he insisted my dog had a ringworm. I told him no, hot spots are indeed fungal but they are moist not dry and scaly like a ringworm. He looked at me and said, ringworm. I told him to give me my prescription so I can get out of here and never come back. My son ruptured a disc while weight lifting and went to his MD to get a referral for a specialist (insurance requirement) the doc said he pulled a muscle and ordered pain meds. 3 months later, 3 consequential trips to the doc (telling the doc exactly what disc was ruptured based on symptoms) and lots of pain medication later he went to a specialist without the referral. He had already diagnosed himself (he was a personal trainer and in premed college), when insurance said they wouldn't pay because he didn't get a referral he told them fine, he would sue them and their crappy doctor, they paid in full.

Doctors, well many of them, are only concerned with making money. It is long overdue that we face up to the fact that doctors are just as guilty as insurance companies when it comes to making money. Few of them today care about their patients. Sorry, I see it every day with our clients.

All that said, if you become ill from vaping and your doctor had told you it was safe, you may sue him/her so it would be crazy for them to condone it outright. My husband teaches about Hep C and also has Hep C, our doctor argued with me about using a condom when we have sex, he said Hep C is sexually transmittable (we have been married 27 years, he has been positive longer than we have been married). I told him it was only transmitted via blood and that we would both have to have open wounds for me to catch it that way. We argued for several minutes (though he didn't treat me poorly, we just had a friendly debate) he finally conceded that I was correct but as a doctor he didn't dare tell me this. The misinformation was to cover his behind, not to give valid medical information.

 

[Ken_A]

I think we should all seriously consider even dropping the vaping habit......After all, if we quit smoking we could most likely quit vaping as well.... Let me put it this way, vaping HAS to be WAY better than smoking and stopping HAS to be WAY better than vaping......Used to be really cool to smoke stinkys until the medical evidence started rolling in...Then the dangers could not be denied........What happens when the evidence starts rolling in that vaping is bad? Might take 20 years or so.....add that number to the years you smoked and you are toast.......Am I alone on this?....Sorry to hijack the thread but I read the whole thread and most posters here seem very reasonable.....

Considering my own experience with smoking vs vaping, it would not make one wit of difference. There is more than enough subjective evidence of vaping being better than smoking.
Until 2007, I did not know about e-cigarettes and had the opinion that I would smoke a pipe for the rest of my life. Not just from addiction, but because I REALLY enjoyed it. I have been able to feel the crustiness in my lungs diminish and do not detect any signs that either PG or VG causes me problems. I like nut flavors, but they gunk up my atomizer so I do not vape them. One of my new likes is called twilight, which is a light berry flavor, but it caramelizes in my T3, so I will not be buying any more of that. I prefer "clean" flavors with little or no color in the juice because there is no evidence of how it would work against me long term.
But this is personal preference. If I were willing to take the obvious health risks and extra expense of my favorite tobacco, taking reduced (way reduced) risk from something that it turns out has as much addiction as caffeine and more personal benefit is, for me, a no-brainer.
If you personally want to stop vaping, then I'm all for it and hope you achieve your goal. I would say that if something concerns you when you do it, then it's something you should stop.
However, if my doctor took the attitude that he knows better than me because he went to a different school and refused to even THINK about discussing or doing his own research, I would change doctors and take his opinion as what it is. The opinion of someone who has done less research than I have on the issue.

Edit to add.. It took me until the end of 2012 to find a decent e-pipe to switch to.

 

[EddardinWinter]

What happens when the evidence starts rolling in that vaping is bad? Might take 20 years or so.....add that number to the years you smoked and you are toast.......Am I alone on this?....Sorry to hijack the thread but I read the whole thread and most posters here seem very reasonable.....

I will react to the evidence when it rolls in. I will not quit before then, as I kind of need the nicotine and caffeine to control my ADHD. You can feel free to quit proactively, and you are correct, that is the safest option. No doubt about that! I will congratulate you if you do so.

There is no 'hijacking' this thread. It derailed some time ago...

 

[mecocina]

My previous doctor was younger than me, said to quit smoking period. This was when I first started vaping. He said it didn't matter. I looked him right in the eye and said No, what you're supposed to say is good job on reducing the cigarettes. I'm sure you'll be able to quit in no time! He just stood there for a minute with his mouth open and then he laughed and said okay. Didn't bring it up again either.

Since moving and finding another doctor, he changed my status to former smoker, then he said nope...non-smoker congratuations! I'm so glad my doctor listens to me with any of my concerns, he doesn't think I'm being silly/stupid/paranoid. He was a former smoker so he understands how hard it was to quit. I sure was blessed on my first pick.

 

[EddardinWinter]

My next Dr candidate and I meet tomorrow at 10:45 EST. Should be fun! You know you can count on an update from me....

 

[LV SuzyQ]

I'm SO close to zero nic, right now at 1.5mg/ml and I haven't touched an analog in over 8 months. Needless to say I'm pretty darn proud of myself especially after trying to quit and failing with the patches, gum, lozenges and nasty inhaler thing that the doc prescribed.

I had my annual checkup last week and the Doc asks if I'm still smoking, I told him no that I use a PV and I'm almost done with nic and he says "You're still a smoker". Talk about someone popping your balloon. I felt really defeated and that I got no credit at all for dropping the coffin nail habit.

This made me curious about things like health/life insurance. Most places I've seen say you can have a non-smoker policy once you've been smoke-free for a year. I wonder if they, too, consider you to "still be a smoker" if you're still using nic in your juice?

Your doctor is a big stupid face!

 

[Uncle Willie]

A myth, really? http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/04/health/policy/04doctors.html?_r=0

got anything more current than a 4 year old piece .. ?? March 3, 2009

 

[Hitmetwice]

Your doctor is a big stupid face!

lol, rofl. hahaha!

 

[molli]

Went to my primary Doctor today. She was pleased that I have 'quit smoking', has NO issue with me vaping especially since I am stepping down on the nic levels. And even though it's only been 5 weeks, she says my lungs sound MUCH better already, I'm no longer coughing like I was. And here I thought she was pretty much useless as a Doctor....guess I got her on a good day.

 

[UnFettered_Soul]

Your doctor is a big stupid face!

lol, rofl. hahaha!

Yeah.... that one got me too.

My next Dr candidate and I meet tomorrow at 10:45 EST. Should be fun! You know you can count on an update from me....

And since this thread is already derailed... I'm interested in what your next candidate has to say.
I've been fighting docs about my thyroid for 15 years.
15 years of my life I will never get back.

So far, no trouble as far as e-cigs/PVs go. This current doc is just fine with it.
It's a non-issue. I don't know about our insurance companies.

I wish he was better about the thyroid. I did some serious digging to find him, and the first two appointments were uber encouraging.
Unfortunately, the last three appointments, 4 to 6 months apart, have been mostly about him prescribing some form of appetite suppressant instead of testing the levels of various things like TSH, T3, cortisol, leptin, etc.
No appetite suppressant in the world will help anyone lose weight if their thyroid is still wacky.
If I'm still having hypo symptoms, something ain't right.

Let us know how it goes Edd.

 

[EddardinWinter]

Okay, so I met my new doctor this morning. I had made an appointment with her like ten days ago. I am driving to the appointment at 10:25, and my phone rings. It is the doctor's office.


Unidentified Scheduling Girl: Dr. XXXXXXX is unable to keep my appointment today, but her partner Dr. XXXXX can see me at 11:00 cause he had a cancellation...can we switch you Mr. XXXXXX?

(Edd has that sinking feeling. Already off to a bad start...)

Edd: Okay, whatever, yeah. I will see you in fifteen minutes.

So I go in. My last two setbacks in the "Quest for Dr. Right" have not made me optimistic. The woman flaking has not improved my attitude. But I try not to seem annoyed with the receptionist girl and sign in and pay the copay, etc. After 8 or 9 minutes, they call me back. Weigh in, BP, O2 checks are done quickly and efficiently by nurse. So far, so good. After about 5 minutes after the nurse leaves, in comes my Dr Candidate #3. He is about 5'7" and built solidly, but by no means fat. He moves at a brisk but unhurried pace. We say good morning.

Doctor: How can I help you today?
Edd: Well I am looking for a new doctor. Your partner cancelled, and so did your 11:00, so here I am.
Doctor: Well fate seems to have pushed us together today.
Edd: True, how do you feel about e-cigarettes?
Doctor: In lieu of smoking, I presume?

(I like the use of in lieu in this case, and his request for precise information. Bravo!)

Edd: Yes, en lieu of that.
Doctor: It is better than smoking. I don't honestly know how much better. I suspect a great deal. Are you using an e-cigarette as smoking cessation?
Edd: Essentially, yes, but more like smoking substitution. I don't think the FDA would like you calling it smoking cessation.
Doctor: (chuckles) Yeah, probably not. The fact that it actually works disqualifies it from being an FDA approved cessation device, doesn't it?

Now I can tell you the rest of the tale, but do I really need to? I have my new doctor.

 

[onry]

Now I can tell you the rest of the tale, but do I really need to? I have my new doctor.[/QUOTE]

congrats on finding a new Dr. sounds like you might have a winner there.

 

[EddardinWinter]

Yeah.... that one got me too.



And since this thread is already derailed... I'm interested in what your next candidate has to say.
I've been fighting docs about my thyroid for 15 years.
15 years of my life I will never get back.

So far, no trouble as far as e-cigs/PVs go. This current doc is just fine with it.
It's a non-issue. I don't know about our insurance companies.

I wish he was better about the thyroid. I did some serious digging to find him, and the first two appointments were uber encouraging.
Unfortunately, the last three appointments, 4 to 6 months apart, have been mostly about him prescribing some form of appetite suppressant instead of testing the levels of various things like TSH, T3, cortisol, leptin, etc.
No appetite suppressant in the world will help anyone lose weight if their thyroid is still wacky.
If I'm still having hypo symptoms, something ain't right.

Let us know how it goes Edd.

Oh, well let me tell you, this doctor at first said, "your levothyroxin is too high". But then I told him how me and my old doctor got there, and he was okay. He retested me today, but refilled my prescription.

How I got my level straight:

Well I know we tested every 30 days for a long time and got the med level to where I have it. I am at 225 mcg daily which is high, but it is where I stop showing the thyroid deficiency "markers" known as TSH .

They didn't test my thyroid blood levels at first, they test for TSH marker levels, then we checked blood levels of thyroxin (T4) once the TSH no longer indicated low thyroid levels. Then we tested at the next step down to see how low they (T4) were, and compared the results. You don't want to be too high either, cause that will cause you to lose bone mass.

If your doctor isn't checking one of these, he is not taking your thyroid condition seriously. You should make sure he understands how important it is to you. Once you get them stable, you can test every ninety days or even longer, say every 4-6 months. You are correct, no amount of dieting, appetite suppressants or whatever will help until your T4 levels are correct.