Finally figured out why I was having chest pains.

[jwquantrell]

Hey all,

I am throwing this out there after debating myself on the pro's and con's of doing so. This may or may not apply to you.

Earlier in the year I started having chest pains only on the right side of my chest. They weren't that bad so I just let them slide, and they just seemed to get worse. At one point they were getting so bad that I went in to see my doctor.

The doctor decided on running the usual battery of tests for a 49 yo male who is a former smoker. Some of you may already know the drill. Chest x-ray, EKG, blood tests, and he wanted to do the stress test. Before he had me drop the cash on the stress test, he put me on OTC heartburn meds. Prilosec to be exact. Next day the chest pain was reduced, and at that point I thought I had just dropped over $600.00 on tests to find out that I had heartburn.

So for the two weeks that I took the Prilosec my chest pains were gone and I was pretty content. Once the two week cycle was over I stopped taking the Prilosec and the chest pains were back within one day! WTH??? This is the point at which I figured that it had to be vaping related and started experimenting with my vaping supplies.

I changed each aspect of my vaping one item at a time:

Drop nic level from 24mg down to 18mg. No change in pain level.

Switch to VG only juice. No change in pain level.

I use a rebuildable atomizer and at times cartos so I stopped using rebuildable atomizer. Pain gone within one day. Hmmmm very interesting.

I switched from Nextel XC 116 wick back to fiberglass wick and started vaping. Pain back within 20 mins.

Went back to cartos for the remainder of the day and the pain went away again.

Next item I changed was the coil. I have been using the 32 gauge Kanthal wire so I made a coil out of 36 gauge Nichrome. I started using the rebuildable atomizer again and no chest pains.

As I write this post I have been using the Nichrome wire in my rebuildable atomizer for a week now and no chest pain. Now, I am not a physicist, or any type of expert in metals, and my knowledge of ions produced by heating metal is 0. I can not give any reason for this to happen, but I can say that, for me, using Kanthal hurts.

I would be eager to hear if I am the only one that has encountered this issue. I also would like to know if there are any experts that could give me a reason for this to happen.

Regards
Jim

 

[440BB]

Good research on finding the cause. Glad you're back to feeling good and appreciate your sharing what you learned. I bet you've helped a number of atty rebuilders!

 

[dotma]

Very interesting. Do you know what all this Kanthral is used in?

 

[jwquantrell]

Good research on finding the cause. Glad you're back to feeling good and appreciate your sharing what you learned. I bet you've helped a number of atty rebuilders!

Thanks, and though my post made it sound like it was fast and easy to figure out, it actually spanned about 4 months with 3 before the doctor and 1 after the doctor.

I really posted this just for people using Kanthal that may have had the same issues as I did. I am certain that it was indeed the Kanthal that was doing it to me.

From the responses that this thread has so far I am guessing that I am a unique case?

Very interesting. Do you know what all this Kanthral is used in?

Kanthal is a type of resistance wire that has been mentioned many times, on various forums, for use in the rebuildable atomizers.

Regards
Jim

 

[r77r7r]

Maybe you'd get further replies by moving this over to the section of the board w/ attys? Or General?

 

[radiated1]

Acutally chest pains are a symptom of reflux. Anything that causes a person to experience reflux or gerd symptoms could have chest pain instead of or as well as heartburn. Every body is different as to triggers and im glad you figured your out, however it's like allergies. It could be the same or different triggers for everybody.

 

[rothenbj]

OT, but I'm really curious, why rebuild attys? I've been vaping for over 2 years. I've used 510's, A Chuck using 510 attys and now a Screwdriver with a 510 tank atty.

I all this time I killed one atty, I've had quite a number that stopped working and gave them a fairly long (an hour or two) 3 minute Polident bath, tried them out, reprimed and was vaping as good as new. I realize that LR attys have a much better chance of getting fried, but 3.7v batts with good old 510's work for me.

Jus curious.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Nice job with your process of elimination.

 

[EmmaJo]

Been vaping for 2 mos and as of last Sunday went a total of one week without a cig. I started experiencing heartburn this passed Wednesday morning. By yesterday it was so bad it was making me naseaus (sp?). Didn't vape all day but did bum one cig off my daughter. Couldn't do that either. I started myself on some prilosec yesterday and ate antacids all day eating very little and drinking LOTS of water. I'm a little better today but it's still there.

After some thought, I think it may be from overdoing it. It was a very stressful week and I was picking up my PV constantly or holding it constantly. So I'm cutting down and watching it. One thing I did find VERY interesting at the end of the day yesterday, I was not crawling the walls from nicotine withdrawal. I'm not kidding, I smoked one cig and not all at once either...more like a fourth at a time hours and hours apart from the other. I picked up my PV this morning but like I said I'm keeping it under control today and using it very little. I'm finding this lack of head crawling and crawling up the walls very interesting. I'm a 30+ years smoker that was up to almost 2 pks a day. I've tried quitting several times in the past and always got the head crawls lol!!! Don't ever quit trying to quit one day something will work. Think my next order will have some 0 nic in it to try.

 

[cardiackid]

You never really answered Dotma's Question...I'm curious too please!

 

[EmmaJo]

From wikpedia;

Kanthal is the trademark for a family of iron-chromium-aluminium (FeCrAl) alloys used in a wide range of resistance and high-temperature applications. Kanthal FeCrAl alloys consist of mainly iron, chromium (20–30 %) and aluminium (4–7.5 %). The first Kanthal FeCrAl alloy was developed by Hans von Kantzow in Hallstahammar, Sweden. Its name is derived from Kantzow and Hallstahammar. The alloys are known for their ability to withstand high temperatures and having intermediate electric resistance. As such, it is frequently used in heating elements. The trademark Kanthal is owned by Sandvik Intellectual Property.

 

[mwa102464]

@ = jwquantrell

You made this statement in your original post " I switched from Nextel XC 116 wick back to fiberglass wick and started vaping. Pain back within 20 mins."

Did you consider that it possibly could have been from the Fiberglass wick, once you switched from the Ceramic XC-116 back to the fiberglass you said = pain back in 20min ? just curious as I find different wicking materials have different out comes more so then the change from Nichrome to Kanthal

 

[Tinky]

@jwquantrell...thanks so much for sharing this!

I've been Vaping since 12/02 and just yesterday I developed the same exact complaint. Went away for a bit then returned today...the pain was intense...then subsided again. I'm using cig2o for now...waiting on a g6. I have no idea...yet...what you guys are talking about w rebuilding attys since I'm still a noob and all. But interesting to find someone else w the same issue...I have never ever had a prob w gerd...