Vaping effect on Diabetes...

[jecchile]

Howdi all... I am a new member to the forum and would like to have some information regarding this issue please...

I recently started vaping as I decided to quit smoking cigarettes... it has worked and have not smoked cigarettes since. The only concern I have, as I can not explain what is happening to me, is the following:

I am a Diabetic (2) and have been for about 14 years... for the most part, my numbers have been in check (daily Glucose check and A1C every 3 months)... usually I read between 80 and 110 in the mornings (fasting)... of course this depends on what I ate the previous day... lately, my numbers in the morning have been between 140 and 145, which is not good and since I could not explain the reason for the numbers to be high, I started thinking as to what has changed in my life... the only thing that I can put my finger on is that I started vaping. I have a check-up on the 17 of this month and I am afraid my A1C will be bad after having good numbers for a whole 3-4 months.

Has anyone experienced this effect on their Diabetes?... Any and all information would be greatly appreciated.

I have been using the Marlboro Light juice mixed with Vanilla juice... for the most part, I vape all day - fill my electronic cigarette in the morning and then again in the late afternoon...

Thank you for your help and information on this matter.

 

[ShariR]

Hi, I am a type 2 diabetic and have been vaping for almost 5 months. I would say I chain vape using 18mg and 24mg juices. Nicotine is a stimulant and a vasorestrictor so it is not the best thing for your arteries. But my A1c came in at 6.1 which is great for me, my blood pressure is normal, and I lost 20 pounds. So my doctor is thrilled. I am not smoking in those 5 months. Reducing your level of nicotine would be the thing my doctor seems to think I should do.

Have you increased your eating and carb intake since starting to vape? Less exercise since vaping? If you are ill or stressed out your blood sugar will go up considerably. If you had a surgery your blood sugar can remain high for a couple of months, mine did. Ask your doctor and maybe keep a log of what you eat and when and what you vape and when. Lot of writing but that is the best way to narrow down what may be going on. Glad you are seeing your doctor. Just worrying if vaping could cause a problem can raise your blood sugar. It is crazy. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Hate it.

 

[Chas F.]

Howdy jecchile and welcome to ECF! Congrats on quitting smoking.

I too am a diabetic but had a somewhat opposite result of vaping. Nicotine does raise blood sugars so if yours has suddenly increased it may be that you are taking in more nicotine than you did previously. What level nic is the juice you're using? If your BS is only high in the mornings, you can switch to a lower nic level juice in the evenings and see if the numbers are in better control in the morning.

When I started I suspected that I would be vaping more than I smoked so I purposely used a lower nic level than I should have used. I used to smoke <1/2 pack a day and should have used 12-16 mg juice but I'm at 6-9 nic and it works perfectly because I vape so much. My A1c numbers were always high, in the 9-10 range and after quitting smoking they finally dropped < 7 for the first time in 14 years.

Good luck and don't be a stranger!

 

[jecchile]

Thanks ShariR... Yes, I know all the things that can cause your sugar to go up... I´ve been a Diabetic for over 15 years now. Like you said, Damned if you do, damned if you don´t.
What is different is that I purchased some Vanilla/Caramel juice for my e-cigarette and that is the only thing that has changed... before I was using a Marlboro Light juice, always the Medium Nicotine level which I think may be 12mg or less and everything was AOK but now, since I started smoking this blend, my sugar has been high (140-145) in the morning, fasting.
That is why I wanted to find out, from other Diabetics out there, if they have found a similar situation.

 

[jecchile]

Thanks Chas F.
When I started vaping, I used Marlboro Light Medium Nicotine and for a while everything was AOK... sugar levels were my normal and I did not smoke cigarettes at all. Then I purchased a bottle of Vanilla/Caramel, again in the Medium Nicotine level (I think it may be 12mg or less) and weird things started happening and the Vanilla/Caramel juice is the only thing that I can point to as affecting me that way. Perhaps the name of the juice should have told me something but didn´t think it would be bad.
I only check my sugar level in the mornings (I hate the little needles) unless I had a high number, then I check again after a few hours. Yesterday, for example, I was 148 in the AM, fasting... before noon I checked again and it was 102... I did not smoke my e-cigarette but I did have a couple of cigarettes (my wife smokes so I stole a couple - hihihi).
My last A1c was 7.9 and would like to lower it to my 6.5 - 6.8 level that I usually used to have. Problem is that with numbers like I have been getting, that is not going to be possible.

 

[~Sue~Feb2012]

Hello
May I ask you to clarify? Are you saying you have only vaped 2 kinds of flavors? ever? With one you have normal or lower sugar levels and with the other you have higher sugar levels? Nothing else is different regarding eating, drinking, smoking cigarettes, water intake etc.?

 

[skoony]

your numbers are not high.
there better than normal.
the prdoblem is a few years ago for no apperant reason the base lines for
every medical criteria were tightened.
hieght to wieght,blood measurements.etc..et al.
so even though americans are taller than ever before the medical community says we are fatter.
not true.
and any thing else they can come up with also gets them going.
the truth is americans a leaner and healthier than ever before.
one example is hormone problems and diabeties cause obesity.
no obesity causes diabeties and hormone problems.
not to knock over wieght people most of who are healthy.
the whole system is goofy.
its geared to tax you the max with little or no value to you.

regards
mike

 

[jecchile]

HI! Searching4answers...
That is correct... it seems like the Vanilla/Caramel juice sent me way up on my Diabetes... I have not smoked that mixture for over 24 hours now and my sugar level, about 45 mins ago, was 73... early this morning, fasting, it was still up to 163.
I think it finally came out of my system - believe me, I will not try sweet combinations anymore.

 

[jecchile]

HI! Skoony...
Yes, people tell me that my daily numbers are not that bad but I base my state on my A1c mostly and I know that, for me, those numbers are bad or at least not good enough... my last A1c was 7.9 and 3 months before that it was 6.6 - but I had surgery on my left Achilles tendon so that caused the sugar to go up.
I want to go back to an A1c of at least less than 7... this damn illness is too mean and can give you a lot of heartaches... besides, I hate needles.

 

[xpackaday]

I noticed the same affect. But my A1C numbers were about the same. I don't know if it was on my fingers, put on about 15 lbs, or my test strips were getting old. But I think it's the vaping, but the A1C numbers are staying about the same on my 6 month tests.

I don't vap anything that has seet flavors.

 

[buckeyebob89]

My numbers are always high in the mornings. My diabetic care counselor seems to think it is the dawn effect. Since I've started vaping, my a1c has dropped to 6.0. I tend to go towards the somewhat sweet flavors and the citrus flavors. It keeps me away from the candy and cookie dishes that pop up all over the office this time of year. I haven't really noticed my numbers getting much higher after vaping, maybe a few points (3-5). Right now my only med for the diabetes (type 2) is extended release Metformin 1000mg per day

 

[jecchile]

I noticed the same affect. But my A1C numbers were about the same. I don't know if it was on my fingers, put on about 15 lbs, or my test strips were getting old. But I think it's the vaping, but the A1C numbers are staying about the same on my 6 month tests.

I don't vap anything that has seet flavors.

Thanks for the info... I will not vape any liquids with sweet flavors from now on as I know they affect my Diabetes... lots of tests done, my fingers are full of holes - hihihi. Also, I´ve read that the menthol liquid is bad for our illness.
I have a schedule test for my A1c next week... that will be an eye opener.

 

[jecchile]

My numbers are always high in the mornings. My diabetic care counselor seems to think it is the dawn effect. Since I've started vaping, my a1c has dropped to 6.0. I tend to go towards the somewhat sweet flavors and the citrus flavors. It keeps me away from the candy and cookie dishes that pop up all over the office this time of year. I haven't really noticed my numbers getting much higher after vaping, maybe a few points (3-5). Right now my only med for the diabetes (type 2) is extended release Metformin 1000mg per day

Don´t know much of the dawn effect (I think it is your body making sugar to wake you up) but my numbers are usually good in the morning unless I went to a party the night before or things like that... I´m hoping my A1c is not too bad next week... I only had trouble for about 8 days, when I was smoking the sweet vanilla/caramel flavor stuff even though it was the Medium Nicotine mix. Before I was smoking a Marlboro Light Medium and everything was AOK. Best thing is that with vaping I don´t touch cigarettes. Hopefully I will give up vaping someday too. I used to smoke cigarettes a lot, more than a pack a day and it was causing me to have a constant cough... that is going away now.

 

[xpackaday]

I had the morning numbers issue, What I found to lower it was to have some protein before going to bed. I will normally east about 2 oz of cheese.


Just a side note. I started using the one touch Delica lance's. They are so thin that you almost don't feel the lance. No issue testing from the same finger day after day. A few week ago, I went on a trip and my test kit in my travel bag had my old lance. OH did that hut to use that lance.

 

[RosaJ]

Vaping sweet flavors has absolutely no effect on your blood sugar. I'm a type 2 diabetes and went from an A1C of over 12 TO 5.8 vaping sweet flavors all the way through without insulin or medication, only diet.

Sugar has everything to do with what you eat and what medications you're taking.

 

[glowplug]

Since sweet flavors do not have sugar in them I don't see how they can effect blood sugar. I have heard that 'we' are not to use the artificial sweeteners as they can have a bad effect on everything, including blood sugar. I don't know about that. I do know that I drink water with my vaping...a lot of water. If the artificial sweeteners can be harmful, then I would have to ask if you are drinking a lot of soda or the water mixes? I am seeing a diabetic 'counselor' on Friday. I will ask a lot of these questions there. I don't test daily. Hardly at all. I just take my meds and try to watch my intake. AIC has been in the mid 6s for a long time now. I need to get it down. Therefore, the meeting with the counselor.

 

[tj99959]

I don't even have to test my glucose level to know that sweetened flavors are messing with me, I can feel it! So I don't go there.

At 6'3" 200# I'm not obese by any means. But still, I live to eat, not eat to live, so I'm my own worse enemy

 

[jecchile]

HI xpackaday...
It is a matter of time - hihihi - my fingers don´t hurt anymore after many years of testing... I also use the side of my finger and it is much more comfortable than the tip.

 

[jecchile]

Vaping sweet flavors has absolutely no effect on your blood sugar. I'm a type 2 diabetes and went from an A1C of over 12 TO 5.8 vaping sweet flavors all the way through without insulin or medication, only diet.

Sugar has everything to do with what you eat and what medications you're taking.

Good for you... I guess everybody´s body reacts differently... I´ve been a Diabetic for over 15 years and I know what makes my sugar go up... I have proven to myself that the sweet flavors do raise my blood sugar.
I guess you are "almost" a diabetic as you don´t take any medication but keep up the diet. Believe me, you don´t want to get the full stuff... besides, Diabetes is a progressive illness and could ruin a whole lot if things with your life.

 

[jecchile]

Since sweet flavors do not have sugar in them I don't see how they can effect blood sugar. I have heard that 'we' are not to use the artificial sweeteners as they can have a bad effect on everything, including blood sugar. I don't know about that. I do know that I drink water with my vaping...a lot of water. If the artificial sweeteners can be harmful, then I would have to ask if you are drinking a lot of soda or the water mixes? I am seeing a diabetic 'counselor' on Friday. I will ask a lot of these questions there. I don't test daily. Hardly at all. I just take my meds and try to watch my intake. AIC has been in the mid 6s for a long time now. I need to get it down. Therefore, the meeting with the counselor.

Good luck with your counselor... I did my blood tests today but won´t get the results until tomorrow - I´m keeping my fingers crossed.