The "tight chest"symptom. What are the causes?

[Robbstar]

Hello Everyone,
New here.
I just started vaping about month ago when I learned my wife was pregnant with our first child. I was done smoking after 20 years. Ugh, that's the first time I've counted the years out. How disappointing.
My habit was down to 6-7 smokes a day. Then, during the vaping, 1 at night.
Anyway, once I started vaping, I began reading about diacetyl, acetoin, etc- free brands which was an absolute MUST for me.
I finally found one I loved and made the switch. After about a week of vaping the new e-juice, my lungs began to get overly tight and it has become somewhat difficult to breathe. They are right now. It's awful and it's scary.
I use an Albuterol Inhaler for Asthma (I know, I know, the smoking) and that only seems to give me partial relief. While I was smoking the inhaler would give me 100% relief.
Here are some other tid-bits:
I've read about the allergies to VG and PG. It seems it could be the VG. Do you concur?
I am NOT coughing up anything yet from the years of smoking. I really don't think this is "quitting" related yet since I still have had a smoke per day.
As of today it's been 1 day of no vaping or smoking so that I can see if the problems desist.
The way I see it, not breathing well is a great deterrent!
Has anyone had this tight chest feeling and difficulty in breathing? Anyone also with a history with Asthma?
Thanks for your time and welcoming me.
R

 

[Eskie]

I think you should speak to your doctor about it. Both VG and to a greater extent PG can be mild respiratory irritants. In someone with asthma that may be exacerbated. Obviously smoking with asthma isn't a good thing to do either, but seeing your doctor is the right place to start.

 

[Izan]

Hi and welcome,
For me, highly flavoured and/or high VG mixes give me a similar feeling.
I tend to vape at 30%-40% PG. DIY: flavour below 10%.

Cheers
I

 

[440BB]

I have asthma as well and found that higher VG liquids can create that feeling. I would recommend sticking to mixes that are no more than 50% VG, as that has worked fine for me. Good luck!

 

[Fozzy71]

I have child-hood asthma, mostly cold-induced, and 80vg caused me similar issues. I went down to 50vg with my diy and slowly worked back up to 70vg without issues. I haven't needed my inhaler in over 18 months since I started vaping.

 

[Topwater Elvis]

For me, heavy tight chest that turns into elephant standing on chest & difficult to breathe is caused by vaping anything over 50% VG.

I can vape up to 2ml per day of 60% VG, I still get heavy tight chest from it, just not the elephant standing on chest difficult to breathe.

A few certain flavorings also cause tight chest for me, 3 in particular can cause it from just a few vapes.

 

[pwheeler]

I'm another who can't vape high VG without it giving me those very same symptoms. I vaped some unflavored 100% VG, 6mg, and was able to go about 3 or4 ml when the tightness and almost upper respiratory infection feeling started. I keep my mixes to 50/50 and I'm doing fine with it.

Sent from my HTC Desire Eye using Tapatalk

 

[RainSong]

No particular input on your question, just congratulations for your upcoming blessing! Not having to worry about second hand smoke or third hand smoke on your clothing/skin/hair is definitely an awesome part about vaping when you have children so I hope you are able to sort it out.

 

[David Wolf]

If you can quit everything then go for it! What juice do you vape and what is the vg/pg ratio? I dropped my vg down and now vape 20vg/80 pg anything over 25-30% vg makes me wheezy and have a tight chest. Vg is thick and mucousy, no surprise to me when people talk about it building up a film on their windows or say it makes their chests feel tight or wheeze vaping higher vg.

 

[Grimwald]

I'm another who keeps my vg down to 20-30%. More gives me a heavy fluidy lung.

However, I need to stay hydrated or my lungs dry out and get tight that way.

I'm an old guy with COPD.

 

[bacc.vap]

One more here who gets a tight chest and breathing can become very difficult, like can't sleep all night difficult. I do all right with 30% VG, but don't vape above that for any length of time. Certainly I can't say you're having the same problem, but if you decide to lower your VG%, give it some time. I didn't get back to normal for about a week and a half.

 

[gandymarsh]

I have slight problems with both VG and PG. Too much VG gives me that "heavy lung" feel. Too much PG makes my mouth dry.

I've tried different ratios and now I mostly use 60/40 VG/PG sometimes 70/30. I still get a small amount of "heavy lung" but it's tolerable.

 

[BrotherBob]

Hello Everyone,
New here.
I just started vaping about month ago when I learned my wife was pregnant with our first child. I was done smoking after 20 years. Ugh, that's the first time I've counted the years out. How disappointing.
My habit was down to 6-7 smokes a day. Then, during the vaping, 1 at night.
Anyway, once I started Vaping, I began reading about diacetyl, acetoin, etc- free brands which was an absolute MUST for me.
I finally found one I loved and made the switch. After about a week of vaping the new e-juice, my lungs began to get overly tight and it has become somewhat difficult to breathe. They are right now. It's awful and it's scary.
I use an Albuterol Inhaler for Asthma (I know, I know, the smoking) and that only seems to give me partial relief. While I was smoking the inhaler would give me 100% relief.
Here are some other tid-bits:
I've read about the allergies to VG and PG. It seems it could be the VG. Do you concur?
I am NOT coughing up anything yet from the years of smoking. I really don't think this is "quitting" related yet since I still have had a smoke per day.
As of today it's been 1 day of no vaping or smoking so that I can see if the problems desist.
The way I see it, not breathing well is a great deterrent!
Has anyone had this tight chest feeling and difficulty in breathing? Anyone also with a history with Asthma?
Thanks for your time and welcoming me.
R

Welcome and glad you joined. The information below help you.
Might like to read:
A list of symptoms when quitting tobacco and changing to an ecigarette
Sweet e-juice additives screened by researchers | Vaping Post
https://vaping.com/blog/confused-about-diacetyl-you-should-be/
Solving the myths of Second Hand Vapor
Are Electronic Cigarettes Safe?
Search
http://www.thevaperstable.com/medical/
http://www.apa.org/monitor/2013/07-08/symptoms.aspx
VapeWild Test Results

 

[David Wolf]

Welcome and glad you joined. The information below help you.
Might like to read:
A list of symptoms when quitting tobacco and changing to an ecigarette
Sweet e-juice additives screened by researchers | Vaping Post
https://vaping.com/blog/confused-about-diacetyl-you-should-be/
Solving the myths of Second Hand Vapor
Are Electronic Cigarettes Safe?
Search
http://www.thevaperstable.com/medical/
http://www.apa.org/monitor/2013/07-08/symptoms.aspx
VapeWild Test Results

Unfortunately none of those links talk about the heavy lung/tight chest some users experience with high vg. But fortunately the comments here speak to that quite clearly.

 

[Jim bigam]

I have very mild asthma and I can only vape so much before I have to stop or I have to use my inhaler. I think it's the flavorings that set it off

 

[little bro vapes reviews]

I think its doctor time mate get it checked asap

 

[Mike McVape]

I'm another one who started having chest tightening full blown asthma attacks after a couple weeks vaping. Just switched from 50:50 to 15:85 vg/pg today. So far so good! Haven't had to use the Ventolin since I switched 3 or 4 hours ago.

Will likely edge the VG up a bit after a few days to find out where my tolerance point is cuz yeah vape cloud is anemic. BUT I started vaping to quit smoking not chase clouds so I can live with it. Day 30 off stinkies.

 

[stols001]

Everyone is discussing PG/VG mix and I will add my input. I can't tolerage any PG in my mix, I'm intolerant to it but it's more coughing, burning sensation than a heavy sension. 90% of folks who seem to get that heavy chest feeling, it happens if their VG is too high, so I'd start there (though, given you have asthma a checkup might be a good idea. You can try lowing your VG mix by just mixing some 0 nic straight PG in it, that said it could also be your flavoring(s) but I might try isolating one variable at the time so you know what's causing it.

Good luck! Once you get this sorted out your asthma will thank you for quitting smoking Haven't used my inhaler in 3 weeks! I had mild asthma as a child, it was nothing compared to my last three pneumonias. Hope you get it sorted out fast.

Anna

 

[Vapntime]

Asthma here since I was 5. I vape unflavored 70VG/30PG. I need to take the preventative medication (seretide here in Australia) or I can't vape. Same thing, my inhaler alone is not enough. They are the facts for me. I have various reasons for vaping though. I must also say it was worse for me when I smoked, however, I gave up smoking before I took up vaping and didn't need the preventative. Anyway, nothing wrong with a bit of cortisone...

 

[Severo177]

Up until very recently I have been vaping 80/20 PG/VG but in attempt to stop the scalp problems that I suspect the high PG (or possibly flavourings) may be causing, I have just changed to flavourless 55/45 VG/PG. I am now finding that my childhood Asthma, which was very mild and that I very seldom if ever had a problem with while smoking, is acting up. Particularly in the morning. It only takes a puff of Ventolin to calm it but I am really starting to wonder if I am cut out for vaping.