So I might have COPD.

[Wolferizer]

Long story short, I smoked analogs for 10 years before switching to e cigs. I've been vaping for almost three months now and through my entire life I have never had any problems with my respiratory system.
About a month ago I came down with a minor cough, it's been escalating for the last three weeks. I finally went to the clinic to have myself checked out four days ago. After running me through a barrage of tests they put me on a nebulizer, which eased my symptoms dramatically within a few minutes. They've got me on prednisone and a albuterol sulfate inhaler. My symptoms are better, but still not great. I've been vaping a mixture of 50/50 pg/vg for the last month now. I was very open with both doctors I spoke to about my history as a smoker, as well as my e cig usage. Both say the e cig is likely not to blame for my symptoms, which gives me some relief, but my question is why now? When I have had no problems with my lungs up until now, and I've been off analogs this whole time, what could be causing this? Anyway, just needed to vent and I'll keep you all informed. If anyone has any ideas that might help me get to the bottom of this, I would be most appreciative.

 

[Vchick]

It may just be your systems way of purging the crud, I also have COPD. I was initially using a pg/vg blend, then went to a 100%vg juice from GP which has a nice thinner consistency, loved the way it vaped, but starting having some problems with breathing and indigestion, so now I've gone back to a blend of 80pg/20vg, which seems to have helped significantly.

I also noticed that since I quit moking, I vape more than I ever moked. Probably because I'm pretty much free to do it whenever and not confined to outside or the garage. I've since tried to cut back and it is helping, I've also noticed that with a lower vg level my throat isn't as sore. I hope you feel better and HTH

 

[hairball]

I'm not a Dr., but you may or may not experience symptoms just because you were then smoking and not now. I'm sure that didn't make sense. Let me explain. My father-in-law smoked from a small boy up until he turned 50. Quit cold turkey. At 62, retired and 6 months later, developed lung cancer. The same type of cancer that smoker's get. I think it was always there, lurking, but never did show it's ugly face until 12 years after he quit.

Try changing your juice. PG causes alot of irritation in people who vape. I get chest pain and itchy skin. I use VG with very little PG.

Vchick, you have the consistancy backwards. PG is thin and watery where VG is thicker.

I hope you get to feeling better and have a Happy Holiday Season.

 

[Vchick]

GP's 100vg liquid is a thinner consistency, it isn't like regular VG

 

[LynGBH]

Has anyone considered the role the flavoring might play? I was having a few issues, middle and lower back pain, I attributed to muscle aches. The problems started not long after I started vaping. I recently started vaping flavorless e-liquid and the symptoms disappeared.

I'm wondering if PG and/or VG might be taking the blame for problems being caused by other stuff.

 

[cappadoc]

OP, there has been a nasty epidemic of a URI in MI with 3-6 week cough, wheezing. Did this start as a normal cold with congestion, ST, etc. I can't really give a profssional opinion by 'net (yes, I'm an MD), but this sounds a lot like the nasty bug we've had around here.

 

[hairball]

OP, there has been a nasty epidemic of a URI in MI with 3-6 week cough, wheezing. Did this start as a normal cold with congestion, ST, etc. I can't really give a profssional opinion by 'net (yes, I'm an MD), but this sounds a lot like the nasty bug we've had around here.

It's not only in MI. Hubby has it. 6 weeks, 1 round of antibiotics, 2 rounds of an inhaler, and still not over it. The wheezing and coughing he does is about driving me into vaping fits (no pun intended). Also complains (which is always no matter what his health is), that his chest hurts from the cough.

OP, have your Dr. recheck you. I don't know if my husband is ever going to get over this crap. Coughs with nothing coming up, then coughs and out comes a lung full.

LynGBH has a good point about the flavoring also.

Vchick...I never had GP's liquid so my apologies for correcting you.

 

[Wolferizer]

Alright everyone, for those wanting more detail, yes I had cold-like symptoms for the first few days, but wrote them off as allergies as I always get bad allergies during this time of year. This is different though, sporadic coughing fits that last about 4-10 seconds at a time and then I seem to be okay for a few minutes. Dry cough mostly, nothing really comes up except once in a great while. The coughing fits only really kick in at the end of a deep inhale or exhale, or if I laugh or breath erratically. Feels like something is lodged tight right around my sternum, yet I don't feel like I'm not getting enough oxygen. It's really weird, and I've never experienced anything quite like it.

As for flavoring, I've been using 50/50 menthol exclusively for the last three weeks now. Just as a heads up.

 

[scribe]

I have mild COPD, now 6 months smoke free. (after 52 years a heavy smoker) About three months into vaping (all PG juice), I ordered some Menthol, 50% /50% vg. Within a week, the ol chest began to tighten up again, along with the wheezing. Took me another week or more to see the connection, and went off vg, back to 100% pg. Chest tightness/wheeze was gone within a week and hasn't returned, so apparently vg in juices is a no-go for me. Lots of variance in how what different people react to different things...

 

[Vchick]

Also it's been mentioned on the forum,but sometimes gets forgotten

BIG - BIG reminder to drink lots of water, vaping does dehydrate you, so this is aso a big must!

 

[metasin]

COPD is not usually black and white. Most people with COPD have a certain component of reactive airway disease like asthma. This seems to be the case for you since the bronchodilators (albuterol) provided relief. With more advanced COPD the bronchdilators tend to have less immediate effect. Many people with early COPD have little if any symptoms until a precipitating event brings on the symptoms (cold, infection, etc). The best thing for you at this point is that you remain smoke free as that will slow down the rate of your lung function decreasing (we all experience lung function decline as we age, smoking rapidly accelerates this decline). Good luck and hopefully you will experience few if any exacerbations in the future.

 

[SimpleSins]

NOTE: This does not constitute medical advice. Consult your personal physician if symptoms persist or worsen.

I'm not sure exactly where you got your information, but you were misinformed. COPD and reactive airway disease are two different things although both can be treated with albuterol- most COPD patients are on a regimen including albuterol regardless of whether there is an reactive airway disease (RAD) component to their disease. Cessation of all inhalations is the best possible thing he can do for his lung function, including both smoking and vaping. Interestingly, there seem to be a lot of vapers that have a sudden deterioration in lung function at right about the two month mark. In any case, if OP wishes to continue vaping in lieu of smoking, he would be best to avoid any of the butter or cream juices- those containing diacetyl and its substitutes- as they are shown to damage lungs and if yours are already showing some problems, it would be wise not to take any chances on them. In addition, rather than going for double and triple flavoring, I would go for as low as you possibly can (I DIY 50% of my juices and am using those at less than 5%) since the flavorings are the biggest unknown at this point and have the greatest potential for wreaking havoc on the lungs.

 

[ShannonS]

Long story short, I smoked analogs for 10 years before switching to e cigs. I've been vaping for almost three months now and through my entire life I have never had any problems with my respiratory system.
About a month ago I came down with a minor cough, it's been escalating for the last three weeks. I finally went to the clinic to have myself checked out four days ago. After running me through a barrage of tests they put me on a nebulizer, which eased my symptoms dramatically within a few minutes. They've got me on prednisone and a albuterol sulfate inhaler. My symptoms are better, but still not great. I've been vaping a mixture of 50/50 pg/vg for the last month now. I was very open with both doctors I spoke to about my history as a smoker, as well as my e cig usage. Both say the e cig is likely not to blame for my symptoms, which gives me some relief, but my question is why now? When I have had no problems with my lungs up until now, and I've been off analogs this whole time, what could be causing this? Anyway, just needed to vent and I'll keep you all informed. If anyone has any ideas that might help me get to the bottom of this, I would be most appreciative.

In some people, there is a genetic predisposition for COPD called familial emphysema. I hope they test you for it, because it can change the way COPD is treated.

Here is a link to some questions to ask your doctor. Patient Information about COPD - Questions to Ask Your Doctor about COPD - Pulmonology Channel

The list is at the tail end of an article on COPD that I found to be very accurate and well organized, if you care to check it out. Try to find a good pulmonologist and avoid medical advice from public forums when ever possible. Seriously, most of the "health advice" on these forums seems to be a mixture of superstition and voodoo.

 

[Wolferizer]

Here's an update for everyone. Since my last post things have gotten significantly better. For the last couple days I've been hacking my brains out for the first couple hours after waking, then things improve enormously and I can get through the entire day with minor congestion and only a few small coughing fits here and there. Today was definitely better than yesterday, and so on. I'm using the inhaler less and less, and despite still vaping constantly (I know, I know, I'm an addict.) my condition still seems to be rapidly improving. I'm going to guess it's some kind of infection or something, but I'll keep updating as my condition changes. So far things are looking good.

 

[Wolferizer]

Final update for everyone. It's been nearly two weeks and I've had no symptoms. Breathing and lung capacity is back to normal and my cough is completely gone. Must have been that bug everyone has been talking about, because a couple weeks back another roommate started showing the exact same symptoms and he's been steadily improving each day since. Vape on, nothing more to see here.

 

[Lyndagayle]

That's good news Wolf. I was diagnosed with severe COPD two years ago. Last June I had to have another spyrometry test to be fitted for a respirator at work. I quit smoking in April and started vaping and two months into vaping, my test results were well within the normal range for my age group. I was so relieved. I don't wheeze at all and the only time I cough is when the crop dusters are spraying in the area during the spring and early autumn. Vaping saved my life.

 

[rothenbj]

That's good news Wolf. I was diagnosed with severe COPD two years ago. Last June I had to have another spyrometry test to be fitted for a respirator at work. I quit smoking in April and started vaping and two months into vaping, my test results were well within the normal range for my age group. I was so relieved. I don't wheeze at all and the only time I cough is when the crop dusters are spraying in the area during the spring and early autumn. Vaping saved my life.

Lynda, I have to ask you some questions and I don't want you to think I doubt you, perhaps your doctors, but not you. From what you wrote, I can't believe that you had "severe" COPD from what I read about the stages. I read up about it a bit when my friend, who is around 40, was getting bronchitis a lot and then later, I, as a 43 year heavy smoker started having coughing and wheezing issues after FSC was added to the cigarettes. I wonder if you were being scared into thinking about you smoking?

I was concerned about my symptoms, but felt a bit better when I started buying cigarettes in VA at my second home and the symptoms slowly went away. Then VA went RIP and I went back to the symptoms and decided to give E Cigs a chance. Within a couple weeks my issues went away and after a 17 month journey, the last 10 totally smoke free, the only breathing problems I have are definitely exercise/age related. I'm still concerned about my buddy because he's still smoking, has two nearing teen age sons and his wife is trying to recover from massive strokes. Her parents both died around when she developed her problems.

Any information you wish to post about your symptoms, how much you were smoking, how long, age (around is fine, and if you're touchy about it, no problem). I've learned so much about how we haven't really been given the truth on so many fronts as far as smoking and harm reduction by the smoke nazis that I really don't trust anything except first hand reports.

I can't believe how much change I've personally seen since quiting that I really didn't think was possible. I let my dogs out to do their business and I don't even need to be real close to know when they've gone (not necessarily a benefit I might add). Probably the sense of smell is the one thing that I'd like not to be so improved. Sitting behind a diesel on my bike isn't real pleasant either. Everyone seems to state you can't improve if you have COPD unless of course you do some Pharma drug, but I suppose that may be marketing to some extent. Thanks in advance for any help you could provide.

 

[ShannonS]

If you are being tested for COPD while you have a respiratory infection you could ask your doctor if he/she thinks that the respiratory infection might alter the results of the tests.

 

[TennDave]

Wow...FSC is scary stuff...just googled it and found the Wiki on it...
Glad I'm off the analogs now- had not idea!

 

[rothenbj]

Wow...FSC is scary stuff...just googled it and found the Wiki on it...
Glad I'm off the analogs now- had not idea!

I smoked 43 years, tried to quit more times than I can remember and had finally given up trying. I was convinced I would smoke till I died. Then along came FSC and the coughing and wheezing changed my mind. I'll have to check that WIKI out when I have time.