New member, my thoughts on vaping with COPD 3 weeks in

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Brushy_Bill

Full Member
Dec 30, 2015
13
56
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I found this forum searching questions about vaping, google led me to threads
posted in this forum.

Was diagnosed with COPD 6 years ago. I did not take treatment for it and continued to smoke.
After looking into the medications used, $235-$280 for 25-30 days of medication was out of the
question.
My breathing had gotten so bad that I wondered if I could make it another year. Once and sometimes
twice a day I would cough up so much stuff I would need a spit cup to catch it.
It sounds sickening and it was.

A few folks I work with had been vaping for about a year. I asked them about it and
bought an eVic-VTC Mini75watt.
Trying it in the shop, I couldn't use it without hacking and coughing. The owner just said
"you will have to work with the settings and see what will work for you".

Two days later, I visited another shop and showed the owner what I had. She told me
I shouldn't be using a sub ohm unit with my breathing difficulties. (there is a doctor at IU med center
who has been sending COPD patients to her for help with setups)

I had purchased some e-liquids that was 6mg nicotine. The lady at my new shop suggested dropping
to a 3mg. She also suggested I change the tank on the VTC mini to an Aspire Nautilus tank.
I was desperate to find something that worked and tried it. Finally by setting the unit at 9 watts,
I could vape without coughing a lung up.

It was four days later, I had to walk the length of our shop at work and back, (close to six blocks total)
Normally, I would get very winded just doing this. I realized,WOW, I'm not breathing as hard as I usually
would.
That was it, I was committed to trying this vaping long term.

I wanted to have a second "back up" unit.
She let me try an Eleaf Istick 20 watt unit with an Aspire Nautilus tank.
I paid what I thought was a very fair price for the set up and continued to use it.
It was actually more comfortable to use the eleaf unit than the vtc, not sure why but
didn't care. I mentioned to her that I might sell the VTC unit and she told me to hang
on to it, as my lungs continue to improve, I would probably want to use it later.

For the first two weeks, I used a mild spearmint flavored juice that is 80%vg 20%pg
in 3mg nicotine. I was still craving a cigg and would light one up and have 3-4 hits from
it usually daily. Sometimes twice daily. At the start of the second week, I bumped the wattage
up to 12. This seemed to help with the nicotine cravings, and did not irritate the lungs.

This last week, I switched to a 6mg in the same flavor and mixture and it has helped.
I was glad to see that the 6mg was not irritating like before. What it helped with the most
is I did not have to vape as long to get a feeling of satisfaction. I plan on trying a 9 or so mg
in the near future. I would like to get to the point where I can vape then not get the craving
for an hour or so like when smoking. Right now, that is not the case.

While some folks vape to quit smoking, I have no real intentions to quit. I am vaping
to get off tobacco. I have smoked for 41 years. I enjoy it. It is my hope that vaping wil
simply replace it.

I have stopped buying class A cigs. I do have some Bugler tobacco that I kept at home
and have been rolling a very little one everyday and smoking about half of it. (My friends who
vape says they taste like {moderated} now, not me, they still taste good)
I have sealed it in smaller vacuum seal bags and will continue to have few hits off one
from time to time with no shame or guilt. It is quite possible I will stop that all
together at some point.
I think it is just a matter of finding the right liquid.

I am very happy to be vaping, I am amazed how much better I feel just after three weeks.
You wont be seeing me entering any cloud competitions, but you may see me enjoying
a relaxing vape.

I have only had one coughing fit in the last 5 days, I did cough up a bunch of stuff like before.
The recovery from the episode was much quicker than ever before.

Thanks to all here on this forum.
I look forward to reading more here and trying other liquids
 
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WiSK

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Sep 15, 2015
112
233
The Netherlands
That's a great story to read. I'm glad your vaping has helped you.

If I were you though, I'd be wary of high-VG liquids. My own experience as a 30-year smoker is that high-VG gives me some shortness of breath. I use those type of liquids still, but only as "dessert", not all day. So if you can find a flavour you like, try 50pg/50vg.

Also, nicotine 3mg and 6mg is quite low if you are still using tobacco. Try 12mg or even 18mg for a while. This can help against the longing for real tobacco. After a few months you will natually get off the tobacco. As your friends told you already, as you vape more, smoking becomes disappointing and the tobacco flavour is less attractive .
 
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JCinFLA

Vaping Master
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Oct 21, 2015
9,390
44,558
Welcome Brushy_Bill! You've come to the right place for support, knowledge, and friendly people.

Like you, I was diagnosed with COPD (initial signs of emphysema on X-Rays) years ago, about 10 if memory serves me right. I was amazed at the diagnosis though, because even with smoking by that time for 32 years...I'd never had any problems associated with my breathing. Guess I'd just been lucky compared to most who get that diagnosis, and it probably didn't hurt that I was always pretty physically active. There was nothing I wanted to do that was difficult because of my breathing.

After the diagnosis I did try to quit smoking several times with a variety of methods, (at my doctor's strong request), but never went more than 4 days without a cigarette. Had regular yearly chest x-rays for the next 10 years to see if/when it was progressing, and it wasn't getting much worse for some reason. So, I continued smoking all the while, thinking I was just one of the lucky ones again. Then in Nov. 2013 I got some "bug", and was pretty much out of it and bedridden for 3 days, with no cigarettes during that time. On the 4th day I was more awake and aware...so I of course tried having a smoke. I coughed SO badly...that I thought I was going to cough up a lung! Right then I decided that must have been some kind of sign that my luck was going to run out if I didn't finally stop smoking.

I dug out my e-cigarette kit I'd bought a year earlier and had tried but didn't stick with, and decided I was going to quit smoking...by vaping. I allowed myself fewer and fewer cigarettes each week, while substituting vaping for those I didn't have. I had my absolute last cigarette, after smoking 1 - 1 1/2 packs a day for 42 years, on January 14th 2014. Since then I've never wanted one nor thought about having one at all - had no cravings, can be around smokers without a problem, can do activities I did before and always had a cigarette while doing them, etc. I AM A NON-SMOKER now and will always be one the rest of my life.

Hang in there and don't give up on the vaping! My non-smoking longtime friends all thought I'd be the LAST person to ever quit smoking, so my habit really had a hold on me. YOU can release the hold it has on you, too. Do it for yourself, to improve your breathing and truly enjoy the rest of your life.
 

PaulBHC

Vaping Master
ECF Veteran
Jan 22, 2014
4,090
7,527
Arizona
My wife has severe COPD. We both smoked since our teens. I was always a deep inhaler and she a shallow one. Vaping takes a different technique than smoking. You don't have to deep inhale to get the nic. You can increase the nic amount for now to help with the cravings if you can learn to not inhale or not as hard as you did with cigs. As time goes on you can adjust things again.
 
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good to hear vaping is offering some relief/benefit for you.

Obviously you have a serious concern ....

Just mentioning this, since you may not have tried it yet ... The nicotine in the vapor is absorbed into your body dermally, on contact with skin, lungs, nasal passages, mouth etc. It isn't completely necessary to inhale the vapor into your lungs ... you will get some nicotine absorption if you just inhale to mouth and out thru nose. I rarely do lung inhalation for vapor, just mouth and out thru nose,, using 6mg nicotine, and that does the trick for it. Maybe I use more liquid that way, probably ... but it's been effective lowering my cigarette use significantly quickly; 5 or less a day and I expect cigarette use to go to zero fairly soon.
 

EBates

Vaping Master
ECF Veteran
Nov 4, 2013
3,858
4,659
Texas
One of the major things that make vaping work for so many smokers trying to quit is it is so customizable to your particular need.

Need more nicotine or vapor production:
up your juice mg/ml
up the vg/pg ratio
upgrade your mod/tank/change coil resistance/wicking material

Want a different flavor:
there are hundreds to choose from
you can mix your own juice.

With the coming FDA regulations e-cigs will, I suspect, return to the one-size-fits-all BT produced cig-a-like. That will cost much more and deliver much less.
 

herb

Vaping Master
ECF Veteran
Mar 21, 2014
4,850
6,723
Northern NJ native , Coastal NC now.
I always recommend newbies , especially anyone with breathing issues to stay away from sub ohm stuff , it's mind boggling to me that a ton of vendors still start newbies out on that gear .

There is a ton of us who have tried sub ohm and think it sucks and much prefer to vape like you are now , i love a basic Nautilus it's a great starter tank and a great tank for anybody who doesn't care for sub ohm.

You may need to bump up your Nic level to 18 mg and maybe even higher because when i started i needed 24 mg to not experience cravings as well .

Good luck
 
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Two_Bears

Vaping Master
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Jul 4, 2015
7,045
16,673
Northern Arizona
I found this forum searching questions about vaping, google led me to threads
posted in this forum.

Was diagnosed with COPD 6 years ago. I did not take treatment for it and continued to smoke.
After looking into the medications used, $235-$280 for 25-30 days of medication was out of the
question.
My breathing had gotten so bad that I wondered if I could make it another year. Once and sometimes
twice a day I would cough up so much stuff I would need a spit cup to catch it.
It sounds sickening and it was.

A few folks I work with had been vaping for about a year. I asked them about it and
bought an eVic-VTC Mini75watt.
Trying it in the shop, I couldn't use it without hacking and coughing. The owner just said
"you will have to work with the settings and see what will work for you".

Two days later, I visited another shop and showed the owner what I had. She told me
I shouldn't be using a sub ohm unit with my breathing difficulties. (there is a doctor at IU med center
who has been sending COPD patients to her for help with setups)

I had purchased some e-liquids that was 6mg nicotine. The lady at my new shop suggested dropping
to a 3mg. She also suggested I change the tank on the VTC mini to an Aspire Nautilus tank.
I was desperate to find something that worked and tried it. Finally by setting the unit at 9 watts,
I could vape without coughing a lung up.

It was four days later, I had to walk the length of our shop at work and back, (close to six blocks total)
Normally, I would get very winded just doing this. I realized,WOW, I'm not breathing as hard as I usually
would.
That was it, I was committed to trying this vaping long term.

I wanted to have a second "back up" unit.
She let me try an Eleaf Istick 20 watt unit with an Aspire Nautilus tank.
I paid what I thought was a very fair price for the set up and continued to use it.
It was actually more comfortable to use the eleaf unit than the vtc, not sure why but
didn't care. I mentioned to her that I might sell the VTC unit and she told me to hang
on to it, as my lungs continue to improve, I would probably want to use it later.

For the first two weeks, I used a mild spearmint flavored juice that is 80%vg 20%pg
in 3mg nicotine. I was still craving a cigg and would light one up and have 3-4 hits from
it usually daily. Sometimes twice daily. At the start of the second week, I bumped the wattage
up to 12. This seemed to help with the nicotine cravings, and did not irritate the lungs.

This last week, I switched to a 6mg in the same flavor and mixture and it has helped.
I was glad to see that the 6mg was not irritating like before. What it helped with the most
is I did not have to vape as long to get a feeling of satisfaction. I plan on trying a 9 or so mg
in the near future. I would like to get to the point where I can vape then not get the craving
for an hour or so like when smoking. Right now, that is not the case.

While some folks vape to quit smoking, I have no real intentions to quit. I am vaping
to get off tobacco. I have smoked for 41 years. I enjoy it. It is my hope that vaping wil
simply replace it.

I have stopped buying class A cigs. I do have some Bugler tobacco that I kept at home
and have been rolling a very little one everyday and smoking about half of it. (My friends who
vape says they taste like $h/t now, not me, they still taste good)
I have sealed it in smaller vacuum seal bags and will continue to have few hits off one
from time to time with no shame or guilt. It is quite possible I will stop that all
together at some point.
I think it is just a matter of finding the right liquid.

I am very happy to be vaping, I am amazed how much better I feel just after three weeks.
You wont be seeing me entering any cloud competitions, but you may see me enjoying
a relaxing vape.

I have only had one coughing fit in the last 5 days, I did cough up a bunch of stuff like before.
The recovery from the episode was much quicker than ever before.

Thanks to all here on this forum.
I look forward to reading more here and trying other liquids

Congrats on your success. Keep it up. I started vaping 0 nicotine Saturday after coming down from 18 mg.

I have one suggestion NEVER SAY NEVER.

Tuesday I met a Vaper at the grocery store.

We started talking and she had been vaping over a year. Some way she took a drag on a cigarette. She was disgusted and put the cigarette out after ONE DRAG. She said I couldn't believe I smoked those all those years.

You may not quit nicotine but at some point you will quit cigarettes.

I an thrilled to get the nicotine monkey off my back
 

Two_Bears

Vaping Master
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Jul 4, 2015
7,045
16,673
Northern Arizona
One of the major things that make vaping work for so many smokers trying to quit is it is so customizable to your particular need.

Need more nicotine or vapor production:
up your juice mg/ml
up the vg/pg ratio
upgrade your mod/tank/change coil resistance/wicking material

Want a different flavor:
there are hundreds to choose from
you can mix your own juice.

With the coming FDA regulations e-cigs will, I suspect, return to the one-size-fits-all BT produced cig-a-like. That will cost much more and deliver much less.
ABSOLUTELY. That is why I recommend people learn to build RDAs or RTAs and DIY ejuice whike there is still time before the Bureaucrats do something stupid.

If you have spare $ stockpile two or more mods that use 18650 batteries, nicotine, flavors for ejuice and two or more RDAs or RTAs.

They are not going to outlaw VG, PG, 18650 batteries, and wire because each one of them is needed by two or more other industries. Vaping us the low hanging fruit.

Thus persecution of Vaping is all about MONEY. The states took those billions and squandered then in the general fund instead of setting the money aside for anti smoking campaigns and health care for smokers. Now the billions are gone and they want to regulate ejuice as tobacco so big Tobacco has to keep paying the states more billions.
 
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PilotNY

Super Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Oct 11, 2015
389
259
Lascassas, Tn
Welcome @Brushy_Bill . Glad you found us. Excellent story BTW. I was a 43 year 1-2 pack a day smoker. I started vaping and found ECF and never looked back. I have 1 piece of advice for ya - when you cough, think of it as getting rid of another cigarette. Sounds kinda corny, but I looked at it that way. Alot of coughing in the first few weeks but has tapered off dramatically lately. Best of luck on your journey and if we can help - SHOUT out to us.
Wishing you and your family the best in this New Year!
 
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