Is vaping hurting my lungs, or is it the aftermath of my cigarette smoking?

[whatkirasaid]

Hi, everyone. I'm very new to both vaping and this site, so I'm not entirely sure how things work. Anywho:

I've tried quitting cigarettes numerous times in the past. While I was a heavy smoker, I was panting by the time I reached the top of the stairs or an incline. But a few days after not smoking my lungs usually felt fine, a bit hard to do strenuous activity, but okay for the most part.
I bought a new vape pen from Monster Vape here in San Antonio and I absolutely love it. But, I'm noticing that my heavy breathing has only lessened marginally since my last cigarette.
I was wondering if it had to do with my vaping (18 mg of nicotine, and I'm not sure the levels of VG/PG, but I'm 100% that, other than the flavoring, those are the only chemicals in the liquid. I also use it every few hours, usually for about 5-10 minutes), or if I just need to give myself more time before worrying about my lung capacity.
If anyone at all has answers, that'd be so great. I don't want to have the money I spent on my vape and the liquids to have gone to waste.

 

[amolson]

I've heard a lot of ex-smokers, especially if they were heavy smokers, do go through a period of clearing out all the gunk. Just make sure to drink lots of water so your body can get the junk out of your lungs.

Give it time. I think most studies have found it can take up to six months to clear things up from smoking.

 

[epicdoom]

Im not a doctor so My advice is to talk to your doctor, However I can give you my take on it. I was in the same boat couldn't walk a block without having to stop and breath. after quitting smoking and starting vaping it took a little time to get some wind back in my sails. I'm now 3 months in analog free and my lungs are doing great I can even run on the treadmill for 15 min. wouldn't have lasted 30 seconds 3 months ago. My chest X ray shows my lungs in great shape night and day from the one I had 4 months ago and no more weezing. I think your issue will pass its gonna take some time, but everyday smoke free is helping.

 

[Solid Snake]

I was still smoking analogs last year when I got back into running. Ran my first 10K last summer in 54:58. Not bad. And that was after smoking a couple Marlboro Lights before the race. I switched to vaping this February and ran my first 10K for this year on May 4. I ran it in 49:44. I don't know if you're into running but shaving five minutes off my time like that is awesome. The only significant change I made in my training was to quit smoking. I don't feel the vaping held me back at all.

 

[Despraci]

I am in the same boat. Everyday it gets better, but I don't expect the damage I did over 17 years to go away overnight. I have moments when I cough a little bit, but not like it was when I smoke. Not to mention my capacity is getting a lot better. I could barely lung inhale from a dripper 4 weeks ago, now I can take very long draws. Give it time... Don't expect miracles overnight, but as long as there is nothing more serious wrong... Improvement will come.

 

[edyle]

Hi, everyone. I'm very new to both vaping and this site, so I'm not entirely sure how things work. Anywho:

I've tried quitting cigarettes numerous times in the past. While I was a heavy smoker, I was panting by the time I reached the top of the stairs or an incline. But a few days after not smoking my lungs usually felt fine, a bit hard to do strenuous activity, but okay for the most part.
I bought a new vape pen from Monster Vape here in San Antonio and I absolutely love it. But, I'm noticing that my heavy breathing has only lessened marginally since my last cigarette.
I was wondering if it had to do with my vaping (18 mg of nicotine, and I'm not sure the levels of VG/PG, but I'm 100% that, other than the flavoring, those are the only chemicals in the liquid. I also use it every few hours, usually for about 5-10 minutes), or if I just need to give myself more time before worrying about my lung capacity.
If anyone at all has answers, that'd be so great. I don't want to have the money I spent on my vape and the liquids to have gone to waste.

That's not a lot of usage;

 

[SupplyDaddy]

As someone already stated, We're not Doctors here... BUT Most of us have experience

Without knowing a lot of information you didn't include, it's hard to say what is what.
How long ago did you switch to the vape pen? How much did you smoke?

It can take a bit for things to really start reversing as far as damage caused from smoking. You also may have several "Quit Smoking" issues getting ready to pop up on you; coughing the old gunk out is one of the issues.

One thing you can be sure of though.. You're now on a better path than you were before!

There are lots of us Vapers here in San Antonio! Don't be afraid to hit us up for moral support and information!

 

[Myxlpyxlx]

There is always an adjustment to the change. I took a while to get used to vaping after heavy smoking for 30 years. First few days of clearing out the toxins made my chest hurt, I coughed up stuff that I didn't know could exist in the human body. Don't give up just yet, after a couple months your body will start to repair itself and breathing gets a lot easier everyday.

 

[Twicehorn]

I coughed like an SOB when I quit/started vaping. The vapor would kind of tickle my pipes too, sometimes setting off a new round of coughing. It was gone in a week or less.

 

[Just Me]

I'm 63, and I smoked for over 45 years. I starting vaping last year on July 2nd and completely stopped smoking that day. For some months after that, sometimes I felt like I wasn't getting a good breath. I remember my mother saying that her mother said sometimes she would smoke so she could breathe better. My mother didn't understand that, BUT after I began to research it, there is evidence to support it.

I have never seen anyone on this board mention this, but tobacco companies put additives in cigarettes that open bronchial airways so the smoke can be inhaled more easily and more deeply. These are called bronchodilators (think asthma medication).

For quite a few months after I stopped smoking, I would occasionally have that heavy lung affect, as if I were not getting enough air. Almost a year smoke-free now, I don't remember having that feeling in the last several months.

That is just my experience. You should consult your own doctor if you are concerned.

 

[Stosh]

One thing you might try is taking the vapor into your mouth, hold it a few seconds and exhale it through your nose. It may give your lungs a rest and allow them to heal faster. The other plus to this is that it should increase the strength of the flavors.

Then, bottom line, check with your doctor just to be sure it not something completely unrelated to vaping or smoking.

 

[DaveP]

Age and time spent smoking probably compound the lung issues. The good part is that the articles about recovery from smoking agree that if you make it 10 years smoke free your chances of developing lung cancer drop dramatically, to about 30% to 50% less than that of a non-smoker. It takes about 15 years for the body to achieve non-smoker status completely, though.

After one year your excess risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke has dropped to less than half that of a smoker.

Check out the benefits and the timetable here.
http://whyquit.com/whyquit/A_Benefits_Time_Table.html

 

[amolson]

I remember my mother saying that her mother said sometimes she would smoke so she could breathe better. My mother didn't understand that, BUT after I began to research it, there is evidence to support it.

Actually doctors were prescribing smoking to asthmatics long before BT started dumping all kinds of chemicals into their cigarettes. Actually before cigarettes, come to think of it.

I asked my allergist about it, because I'd smoke to shut down a major attack. He said it was because the smoke was a counter irritant and stunned the mast cells into submission. Now of course this is not recommended, but it did work. He said it was like swatting flies with a nuke. He was one of my cooler docs over the years.

I'm finding the really strong cinnamon/menthol/clove flavors seem to do a lot of the same thing. Rather like a mentholated cough drop but better.

 

[smithfaced]

I noticed that with my mech mod, the wick being used wasn't exactly the best for my lungs so I switched over to organic cotton instead...little bit more healthy

 

[Auntie Mame]

I smoked for longer than many member here have been alive. It took us a while to do the damage, it is going to take a while for it to clear. My morning cough went away almost immediately, but I had a mouthful of blisters the second week of not smoking. Now I'm feeling a little better each day and the blisters were a one time event, my guess it was my bodies way of ridding itself of something that I probably don't want to know about. Be proud that you've quit and allow your body time to adjust to the "new and improved" you.

 

[DaveP]

I've always wondered if silica wicks throw off fibers when a pop or crackle occurs. I've found one video where someone examined a used silica wick under a microscope. There were loose silica fibers laying on the wick. Could those get sucked up into your lungs? I don't know, but it's a scary proposition. It kind of makes you wish that there was a screen that could be installed on the bottom end of the drip tip.

I think this is a Russian video.

 

[klynnn]

You also might want to find the pg/vg composition of the juice you are using. I have never been able to vape high vg it gives me a very heavy feeling in my lungs. Some others have the same problem with high pg. I vape 70/30 pg/vg with no problems now.

 

[DaveP]

You also might want to find the pg/vg composition of the juice you are using. I have never been able to vape high vg it gives me a very heavy feeling in my lungs. Some others have the same problem with high pg. I vape 70/30 pg/vg with no problems now.

I don't think I could ever deal with a high VG mix. 80pg/20vg is about my limit. I get big vapor and no lung heaviness at that level.

 

[Mogar]

Coming from someone on the "honeymoon" phase myself I can give you a bit of insight on this as well.
The junk from smoking will have to work its way out of your lungs first. Smokers have a "one to two weeks and I will feel better" syndrome that is generally false. I takes that long for your lungs to START to get the tar out of your lungs and start the long process of healing. My doctor visit two days ago was an eye opener as he listened to my lungs and told me that there was some ratteling from smoking, I told him about vaping and he gave me the "we would rather you didnt do either" but he informed me that vaping is heads and sholders above smoking without any reservations.
He did give me some additional advise. Make sure the juice you purchase is from the United States as some other countries do not have a strict guidelines as to additives that the US (and some other countries he rattled off) has. I do not know how much credit to give to that statement, but I do not intend on buying my products from overseas anyhow.

 

[Blindtarm]

I coughed up a great deal of gunk the first one and a half month of vaping, I also figured out that I can't vape vg at all, my lungs get bad from it, so I'm all pg now. If you vape pure vg, that might explain it. After a couple of months breathing became much better. I was a heavy smoker for 18 years, so it will probably be a while before my lungs gets back to normal, if they ever do.

If you are really concerned, you should seek out your doctor.

Good luck to you, and keep vaping!