Strange "Breathlessness" - Seeking Reassurance!

[ringling]

I asked my Dr and he said it was from quiting smoking and the cilla hairs are trying to regrow and the lungs cleaning themselves.

I find this very feasible. I have to admit, I'm starting to forget what I went through at first (Almost 2 years smokefree now) when I switched from a 2+ pack per day to vaping. I do believe that I did go through a brief period of troubled breathing. I had a whole lot of congestion to cough out at first. A month sounds about right. It probably did last about that long. One thing I do know is only 10 days is not enough to clear out all the crap in your lungs after years of smoking. This takes time.......

 

[ringling]

Quite possibly linked to this: I am doing a lot of burping(!) - great big powerful burps sometimes. I think this breathlessness may be linked to that and a big burp sometimes seems to relieve it.

Very odd but, I can remember trying another persons vape which they were vaping 18mg nic and I now vape 2mg. Get this, it made me Hiccup. Nearly Uncontrollably. Wonder if the nicotine has anything to do with your problem......

 

[Ou2mame]

Sometimes, when I vape something sour I sometimes get the hiccups. A spoon full of peanut butter cures it every time.

 

[glointhedark]

I know you said you have a doctor phobia (so do I), but - are you on any medications for your asthma and/or anxiety, or any other conditions, whether prescription or over the counter? Have you increased the amount of water or other non-caffeine drinks that you use since you started vaping?

A few years ago, when we were getting ready to move from Ohio to California, I was having some real problems with anxiety/depression. We kept trying different medications, in different dosages, for the anxiety and depression, in addition to my regular blood pressure medication and medication for my allergies. My daughter and I had also just started vaping earlier in the year (just Blus, but still). I started having problems when I tried to lay down to sleep - I felt like my throat was closing up, and I had an incredible case of dry mouth. I started sleeping sitting up on the couch. We had never heard of ECF, and never connected vaping with my problem, but some of the medications that I was trying/using contributed to what I now realize was dehydration, combined with anxiety over a major life change, and the fact that I am a chain vaper when I am anxious.

I started drinking more water, Koolaid, root beer - anything without caffeine, since caffeine was making the anxiety much harder to cope with. I sucked on hard candies. I got a couple of "dry mouth" sprays. Things settled down a bit after a few weeks, and I was able to get back to a "normal" lifestyle. I now recognize when I am not drinking enough, and take steps to correct the problem.

It may help to figure out what is going on if you sit down and consider what is going on in your life, including medications and lifestyle changes.

If you continue to have problems, please see your doctor, if only for your own peace of mind and to rule out something serious.

 

[bennytuk]

You don't vape custards, do you?

I do use a Boom Raspberry Custard on occasion, but it's sweet so never very much. I'm going to take it out of the equation for a bit.

I know you said you have a doctor phobia (so do I), but - are you on any medications for your asthma and/or anxiety, or any other conditions, whether prescription or over the counter? Have you increased the amount of water or other non-caffeine drinks that you use since you started vaping?

My asthma is really mild (I've only ever had 2 or 3 "attacks," both times when laughing too hard!) I just have a reliever inhaler nowadays. Since I moved to the coast and out of London it's been far better. I'm also hardly needing the inhaler at all since I stopped smoking.

I'm also on prescription meds for the anxiety.

I actually cut out caffeine at the same time I switched to vaping, although I was never much of a caffeine drinker - usually just a can of Coke each day.

I think you may well be right about the dehydration though...I sit with a big bottle of water when I work and often don't touch it - I just forget. I really need to work on that!

I am reassured by a lot of what I've read, and by my lung capacity readings. I've not vaped at all today yet, still have a similar feeling, complete with the burpy indigestion element. I'm definitely starting to think it's more to do with quitting smoking than vaping...

 

[bennytuk]

I can see how anxiety can really affect people because when you quit your emotions are all over the place. It's your body creating a symptom to make you go back to the chemicals it's so used to.

THIS.

This really resonates. Because I'm almost certain the symptom would disappear instantly if I had an analog!