Im having problems with my lungs.

[Average Joe111]

I want to start this off by stating that I'm not trying to bash vaping in any way. So please, don't flame me.

I've been using e cigarettes for almost 2 years now. I am 20 years old, and was a pack a day smoker since 14. For my 18th birthday my buddy got me an ego kit and I never smoked another cigarette from that point forward.

I felt so much healthier when I quit. I always used tank systems, my main vape was an MVP for the longest time. Well in January, on my 20th birthday, my buddy got me a mechanical mod with a dripper. I started sub-ohming from then on forward. I'd constantly blow out clouds all day long, vaping very high vg juices.
In March I caught a nasty case of H3N2, and was super sick. I still vaped during this time even though my lungs were killing me.

Fast forward to now, and I feel like There's something wrong with me. Its as if I can't take a deep breath, I have to struggle to get a deep breath that feels like my lungs are expanding all the way. It's scary really.

I went to the er and they looked at my blood oxygen level and took a chest x ray, and told me everything looks fine, and that It's probably anxiety. But Im not anxious. Lol.

Has anybody experienced anything like this? Im worried I gave myself emphysema at the age of 20... or maybe asthma. Idk.

I've tried staying super hydrated, and I've switched back to a regular ego kit. Should I just quit completely? I've tried but I can't seem to kick the vaping habit. Lol.

Like I said, I'm not trying to start a heated debate about the safety of e cigs. I just want to know if I'm the only one with this problem..

 

[tyleris12]

I have been vaping for 5 years now & I know the heavy lung feeling you are talking about all too well. For me it happened when using high VG juices. Lots of people get a heavy lung feeling from the VG, so my suggestion would be to try a lower VG juice & see if that doesn't help.

 

[MoltoCraft]

Just stay over 1ohm's and don't do anymore than 5V, I have never gone under 1ohm when vaping and never over 10V, you don't need to!

Some people can handle it, some people can't!

Heath comes first!

 

[Average Joe111]

Yeah I'm using a very basic setup now, a 1100mah ego at 3.7v with a single coil dripper and a 1.5ohm coil.

I quit the "Max VG" juice I was using and now use my local b&M's house juice which is noticeably higher PG than VG.

My next step is to order supplies to make my own. I want to switch to unflavored at this point. Cut out any variables to my health.

I just hope I didn't damage myself with the mech mods.

 

[mmsjs5]

I want to start this off by stating that I'm not trying to bash vaping in any way. So please, don't flame me.

I've been using e cigarettes for almost 2 years now. I am 20 years old, and was a pack a day smoker since 14. For my 18th birthday my buddy got me an ego kit and I never smoked another cigarette from that point forward.

I felt so much healthier when I quit. I always used tank systems, my main vape was an MVP for the longest time. Well in January, on my 20th birthday, my buddy got me a mechanical mod with a dripper. I started sub-ohming from then on forward. I'd constantly blow out clouds all day long, vaping very high vg juices.
In March I caught a nasty case of H3N2, and was super sick. I still vaped during this time even though my lungs were killing me.

Fast forward to now, and I feel like There's something wrong with me. Its as if I can't take a deep breath, I have to struggle to get a deep breath that feels like my lungs are expanding all the way. It's scary really.

I went to the er and they looked at my blood oxygen level and took a chest x ray, and told me everything looks fine, and that It's probably anxiety. But Im not anxious. Lol.

Has anybody experienced anything like this? Im worried I gave myself emphysema at the age of 20... or maybe asthma. Idk.

I've tried staying super hydrated, and I've switched back to a regular ego kit. Should I just quit completely? I've tried but I can't seem to kick the vaping habit. Lol.

Like I said, I'm not trying to start a heated debate about the safety of e cigs. I just want to know if I'm the only one with this problem..

I had that once, before I quit smoking, and once after I started vaping. The first time, the Dr. gave me an inhaler and prednisone and it got better in a couple of weeks, never figured out what did it. The second time was when I changed my eliquid to higher VG and started doing more deep lung hits, that feeling started coming back. I went back to mouth to lung hits, and my breathing went back to normal.

I hope it resolves quickly for you.

 

[ImThatGuy]

Exercise...

 

[Average Joe111]

I told the doctors at the er the whole story and they just kept telling me it was anxiety and that I need to quit smoking. I would correct them every time they called it smoking, and it seemed to piss them off for some reason lol idk. Maybe I need to set up an actual doctors appointment.

And I exercise about 3 days a week. Ever since this lung thing started It's been rough trying to catch my breath when I'm working out.

 

[Nermal]

Like a few others have suggested, cut way back on the vg. This can definitely cause what you describe, and it's beginning to look fairly common. If that doesn't bring an improvement in two or three weeks, it is probably time to think about quitting. By all accounts, it is much easier to quit vaping than smoking.

 

[mmsjs5]

ER Dr.'s can be such 'donkeys'. You can go in obviously sick, and their tests will say there's nothing wrong, so they slap the anxiety label on you because it's quick and easy.

I, thankfully, had a Dr. at the time that knew I didn't seek medical attention unless I couldn't fix it myself. When you do see your Dr., ask if there would be any harm to just try something like the inhaler. I personally won't do another round of prednisone because I could have literally murdered someone while I was on it, the side effects were that bad for me (and I am considered a passive person).

ETA....No offense intended with the 'donkeys' Nermal

 

[Average Joe111]

Yeah I guess I'mma just give it some time and see if it goes away. I've tried vaping pure pg but It's so harsh lol but if it doesn't get better I guess it really is time for me to just lay it down. I've heard snus isn't too bad for you. Maybe I can switch to that.

 

[noway]

Try flavorless (hangsen) or unflavored ejuice. Hangsen calls it flavorless.

I feel better after I dropped the flavoring. It serves no purpose.

 

[bacc.vap]

I've had the same when I vaped high% VG liquids for an extended period of time. Couldn't even get to sleep due to not being able to get enough air. I went back to my usual 70pg/30vg liquids and was back to normal in about a week and a half.

 

[mmsjs5]

Yeah I guess I'mma just give it some time and see if it goes away. I've tried vaping pure pg but It's so harsh lol but if it doesn't get better I guess it really is time for me to just lay it down. I've heard snus isn't too bad for you. Maybe I can switch to that.

When I can't vape, I use General Mini Mint, a Swedish Snus, and Stonewall Wintergreen dissolvables. Both are good, and they do the job. The snus is easier to get a hold of. Here's their location search link..... General Snus - Log On

If you want to learn more about smokeless/vaporless options.... Smokeless tobacco | E-Cigarette Forum

This is the thread I follow..... What's under your lip/in your nose right now? - Part 2 | E-Cigarette Forum

 

[AndriaD]

It sounds somewhat like asthma... are you short of breath, like panting after very little exertion? I know it sounds weird if you've never had asthma, but I developed asthma when I was 24, following a bad cold -- I noticed it first while lying down on my back, I felt I couldn't draw breath, and gradually that feeling just became my new normal, until I got some bronchodilator medication, a "rescue" inhaler, and i've been chained to the thing for 30 yrs now.

Too much VG can definitely cause what feels like asthmatic symptoms, but it might not be the whole story. It might also be a secondary bacterial infection, but if you've had blood tests, that was probably ruled out. Asthmatic bronchitis is another possibility; my son is prone to that, after any cold/flu thing.

If you lower your VG drastically -- I vape 84PG/16VG -- and it goes away, then you have your culprit. But if it doesn't go away, or only improves a little, then definitely see your own doc, try to find out what's going on -- breathing is kinda mandatory.

Andria

 

[Rsunderl]

Hi Average and welcome to the forum!

Sorry to hear your having problems. Your plan to see a regular doctor is probably a good idea. Your doctor might even suggest a pulmonologist. Hopefully, either your doctor and/or the pumonologist will be at least a bit knowlegeable about vaping.

Best of luck with it.

 

[Bootiewootsy]

I had that when I quit the cigarettes and it seems many others have had the same thing after quitting the cigs. It would come on even when I was not doing anything. I belong to a forum of just people that quite cigarettes and not vaping and most had experienced it for some time. After some time it will start to get better and then finally it has gone away for the most part. I may only experience it once every two or three months.. I have had asthma since I was a child, so have been on many meds and inhalers.. It came become rather scary for someone, but try to relax and do exercise breathing. Breath in through your nose using as much of your lungs as you can, hold it for a few seconds, the purse your lips and slowly breath out counting to seven seconds if you can. When you breath you should have your lips like you are blowing out candles on a cake... Hope you get better

 

[salemgold]

Wait a minute now. You said
"In March I caught a nasty case of H3N2, and was super sick. I still vaped during this time even though my lungs were killing me.

Fast forward to now, and I feel like There's something wrong with me. Its as if I can't take a deep breath, I have to struggle to get a deep breath that feels like my lungs are expanding all the way. It's scary really."

Very high likelihood that your lungs are still healing from the pneumonia that comes along with H3N2. My son had H1N1 last February ( 2014) it took him about 4 months for his lungs to feel normal again. You most likely have some scar tissue in your lungs that would not show up on an xray. I am very surprised that the docs at ER did not tell you this. Okay, not really surprised but, it is true.

 

[Nermal]

You most likely have some scar tissue in your lungs that would not show up on an xray. I am very surprised that the docs at ER did not tell you this. Okay, not really surprised but, it is true.

Funny you should mention that. I once had a CT scan (maybe mri - it's been decades) that showed scarring in one lob of the left lung. No problem, they decided. Probably just from an undiagnosed case of TB. I didn't know people survived undiagnosed tuberculosis. Personally, I suspect it is from six years in a coal fired power plant with all kinds of coal, silicon, and asbestos floating around. Still alive, so what the heck.

 

[sucram]

All good suggestions

I would let your lungs recover, switch to a 1.5 ohm build or higher and mouth to lung for a few weeks On lower volts.

 

[Maiar]

The good news is they'd likely spot something not right on x-rays if it was emphysema or something serious.