Vaping and Reduced Lung Capacity (Long Post)

[humpstyles]

You mentioned that you're still having a bit of a problem, so I'd like to suggest that you check your home and office for air quality too, if your heart condition comes back as fine.

I've moved 4 times in the past 2.5 years, with one of the locations being a brand new townhouse complex. Finally just got settled in to a new place a month ago and plan on staying here a long time (Simply put, my girlfriend was picky with her living arrangements - no need to go into it).

As far as the office goes, it could always be a possibility, but I highly doubt it is causing my ailments other than dust iotas.

One small suggestion from a guy who spent decades in the medical field. There's an old saying, "see one - have one" as it relates to symptoms of serious disease - especially those that are rare and hard to diagnose . Early on I just knew I had every disease that came along. In this day and age of 'instant information' the internet is a wonderful 'tool'; it can also be and often IS our worst enemy.

The OP has gone from experiencing a "heavy chest" and thinking it might be related to 'vaping' to now 'semi-diagnosing' himself with "hyperthyroidism". While certainly a 'possibility' - he is basing his assumption in part on information he read on the 'internet' which is one of the worst places to seek medical information for one who admits, "I definitely am a bit of a hypochondriac..."

The OP is focused on ONE symptom and that single symptom encompasses a multitude of potential medical conditions. He has finally seen his doctor, had a basic evaluation and tests were ordered and potentially will do one of three things: -1- Reveal a metabolic disorder. -2- Rule out a metabolic disorder. -3- Indicate further testing is in order.

Diagnosing common disorders can be quite straightforward if the proper tests are performed; not so common disorders require specific testing or they may well simply be 'missed'. Patients who research information on the internet find a multitude of possibilities yet, they often "immediately know" they have a specific disorder. Their conclusion is formed simply because their doctor ordered tests which will hopefully confirm OR rule disease or diseases.

Yes, the internet is wonderful 'tool', however, for patients who are, "...a bit of a hypochondriac" it is best avoided. The OP will do himself a greater service by allowing his doctor to do the "diagnosing". The "anxiety" others have mentioned can be a very real issue (even though the OP says he has no anxiety) and the internet generalities can easily exacerbate symptoms. Avoiding the internet can go a long way to minimize the, ""see one - have one" syndrome.

Senile Old Man Donnie

S.O.M.D., thank you for your input. I am in fact focused on multiple symptoms that I didn't bring up since they did not directly pertain to vaping. Hyperthyroidsm, being an autoimmune disease, would describe why I experienced a brief bout of Alopecia Barbae, also an autoimmune disease, where two dime-sized patches of facial hair fell out. Down the list of common symptoms that multiple disorders also necessitate, I experience a few of them; I also took into consideration how obscure they are and how experiencing one does not determine if I have a disorder or not. Lastly, my mom has an underactive thyroid (hypo), and hereditation can always be a factor. I would never diagnose myself with a disease - only make educated guesses at what could be bothering me by deductive reasoning.

I appreciate the time you took to type that up..."WebMD-ing" is quite a phenomenon.

and I'll throw it out there because I've seen it so many times and talk about hard on the lungs..e juice is ALL you're vaping? (given the anxiety issue and your age)

that stuff will tear your lungs up.

sorry you're having the issues but as with anything if it's making you sick STOP IT, until you can figure it out with your healthcare professional. Be honest with them about ALL substances. They're mostly "cool" about those things these days and want to get your breathing improved. Take care!

Ginny, it seems like you only read my OP. I did stop weeks ago.

Also, are you subtlely implying that I might use other drugs? I don't. Hope that's cool with you.

 

[GinnyTx]

I read it..it's just a blanket statement...

and no implying I was flat out asking...as I've seen it a lot (Im an RN) so that might be the cause, and the goal is to get you breathing easier...and assess causes, it's how I work.

and it's cool my young adult children are you age..I've learned not to imply *lol* anything..

 

[crxess]

Self Diagnosis
Asking Non Professionals for opinions/help
Assuming relation to any given activity

It is a Medical issue.
Only a decent Doctor can say what, why and how to address.

If you want to attempt to self diagnose, start here:
LUNG DISEASES & DISORDERS - A to Z

 

[LucentShadow]

Interesting thread. I no longer look into this forum often, and it's nice to see that there isn't the old 'You're a LYING ANTZ!!!' reaction to someone who is expressing concern over vaping.

I've had my share of problems with vaping. I'll quickly sum them up here, in case it helps anyone:

I found that no cig-alikes were tolerable in the beginning. Varied, nasty symptoms were quick to appear. I decided to research e-cigs, anyway. Found this forum, read a lot, started a thread to discuss it, and started on a journey to try to make it work. Here are some of my observations:

- I'm fairly sensitive to PG. Any more than the flavoring portion of the e-liquid (5-10%) would be progressively more noticeable. I use as close to 100% aqueous VG carrier as possible. About 15% aqueous seems to make it better in every way, to me.

- I'm sensitive to minute amounts of inhaled ethanol. Using very small amounts (<1%) of alcohol-based flavorings was noticeable. Any more than that quickly made me cough, and quickly gave me a sore throat.

- Some flavorings make me instantly cough, like Capella's old Vanilla Custard Flavoring. I would not use it a second time. I'd be surprised if it weren't filled with diketones, despite what they used to claim. I stopped using almost all flavorings, eventually. I mostly vape unflavored liquid, now.

- I'm very sensitive to any amount of overheating of e-liquid. I simply cannot use many of the early rebuildable atties that I've bought, as I cannot get proper vaporization from them. They all feature a large atomization chamber, often with side air holes, which are the worst. They can be improved with some complex modifications, but not enough to be useable to me. I've found that models with very small atomization chambers, such as evod/protank heads, work fine for me, as they have more concentrated airflow over the coil.

- I have to use no-resistance legs when rebuilding heads that use the silicone grommet for a connection, such as evod heads. Any amount of overheating of the silicone was detrimental to me. I built a capacitive wire welder to aid in that, and just re-wick coils that I use for very long periods.

- Factory-built coils and wicks are almost always inadequate for me. I experience harsh, 'dry hits' at a much lower threshold than most others seem to. While I can sometimes use the coil, I always replace the wick for improved liquid delivery.

- I swore off silica wicks early. Throat irritation was common with them. Not sure if it was the possible particles, or just the poor wicking. Cotton all but removed the problem. Cotton still causes me a slightly scratchy throat from heavy vaping, though it's certainly not from lack of liquid delivery, so I assume it's something in the cotton. Rayon was my next step, and that removed the problem completely.

- I've done an extensive amount of extraction experiments, from just flavoring, to attempted alkaloid extractions. They all cause me to suffer from too many impurities being imparted, though my cleanest extractions were tolerable for short periods. So-called 'NET's were worse than smoking, to me.

- Last, but certainly not least: Nicotine alone does pretty much nothing for me. Too high, and it makes me cough and get jittery, still with no craving satisfaction. It's as good as a lousy pacifier, to me. I've been on and off smoking since I started vaping, with snus doing more to help me kick the smokes. Whole Tobacco Alkaloid e-liquid was my last stop in the vaping journey, but that was a disaster, due to an unfortunate situation with the vendor. That sent me back to smoking for the last several months. I'm ordering some from Aroma E-Juice to give WTA a go, again, and expect it to be game-changing for me, due to my own extraction experiment results.

Seems a bit ridiculous that I have so many acute symptoms with vaping, while almost none with smoking, as long as I stick with light smokes.

It can be a rather longer journey for some, even if they are not easily discouraged.

Personally, for the OP, I'm with anyone who suggests trying to dump the flavorings out of the equation. They are the biggest variable, IMO.

 

[JeremyR]

Ok guys I've got a theory.

I've been vaping 100vg for 2 years. About 5 ml a day on average.

I have noticed reduced lung capacity. However coughing up phlem was drastically reduced when I started using rayon wick. I believe that was due to more effective wicking causing less burning of eliquid and less potentially harmful vapor, no more partial dry hit at the end of each vape from poor wicks. Less coughing up or expelling of bad stuff.

My theory is based on the change in the mucous membrane of the mouth I have noticed. It seems it's some what swollen with moisture, like a sponge, Over hydrated. Cells full of water are bigger than those that are not.... So if the lungs get super hydrated then they can also be "swollen" or hydrated more than normal. Causing the airways to be somewhat restricted. If you think about it, a 10% increase from hydration, 360 degrees around the airways adds up quite a bit.

In a sense I feel it's probably temporary while vaping and likely won't cause a serious condition.

 

[GinnyTx]

any substance you put in your lungs IS going to affect them, adversely or in some cases therapeutically. to say otherwise is just denial.

it's just if you can tolerate it, and if not, alter it to the "affect" being acceptable (and that was a lot compared to smoking ciggies for me)

and Lying ANTZ!!

 

[Krashman Von Stinkputin]

Appreciate you post and hope you keep us updated and you get to the bottom of this.
I would suggest you have your doctor quantify your lung capacity by testing and then retesting to verify what you're experiencing.

I have absolutely no frame of reference for this as, unlike you who "only" smoked 5 years---I smoked (at least) a PAD for 35+ years.
My lung capacity definitely has improved dramatically--no wheezing AT ALL and no "lung oysters" anymore,

I have noticed that when I get a cold, they seem to affect me much worse than they ever did when I smoked. I figure that my baseline lung performance was so bad when I smoked--I hardly noticed the change when I got a cold.

Good luck!

 

[xiKUTTHROATix]

I hope all goes well bro.

 

[humpstyles]

Hey ECF,

Sorry for not updating this thread recently! I've been busy with a bunch of stuff lately. I'll cut to the chase.

Since I started this thread, I have had 3 blood tests, 3 Electros, 3 Echos, 2 thyroid tests, and a bunch of smaller tests and trials as well. Everything has come back negative, and my heart is purportedly is optimal health. The cardiologists detected slight regurgitation in my heart's atriums, but they said this is 100% normal and happens to everyone. The cardiologists made sure to point out that my heart is not the main culprit for what I am experiencing. ::sigh:: What a relief - this means I'm actually not having miniaturized heart attacks every other day

I'm going back next week for a 'stress test' where they will make me do physical exercises and measure/record my vitals. I'm not expecting any sort of revelation here, as I am normally active from week to week with sports and the gym. The main doctor did make a point to say I should possibly start looking further into my lungs, as they might be the causation here.

I haven't ruled out anxiety/panic issues, but I honestly cannot correllate the physical effects I experience with my cognitive thought process. Also, one of the main aggitators of my uncomfortability was vaping excessively, which is not anxiety-inducing in the least.

It's been a few weeks without vaping, and I hate to say it, but I've completely kicked the habit and the addiction. It's weird. It's abnormal. It is serendipitious as hell that I am finally kicking my nicotine addiction. In retrospect, if I had any advice to share, it's to be happy with a 10w DNA/boxmod/eGo/etc. Drop the mech mods and sub-ohms, because vaping over 50w most likely unstablizes whatever chemicals we're vaping, albeit definitely presumably safer than analog chemicals.

I'm very happy that nothing is wrong with my heart, and thanks once again everyone for the support.

Vape on (or don't)