Vaping zero nic, plain VG before and after surgery

[Vwls]

Hi fam. Have a surgery coming up in 25 days and I typically vape 3 mg flavored juice. In preparation for the surgery, at the advice of my surgeon and from doing online research, I understand I need to stop inhaling nicotine now. Nicotine in any form messes with the healing process, and I don't want to compromise the process in any way.

I think I can give up the nic (and the flavoring as well), especially since my usual nic level is so low, but I am missing the inhale-exhale piece.

Anyone have any experience vaping plain VG with zero nic prior to, and post-surgery? Is there any danger in inhaling pure VG with respect to surgical outcomes and healing?

 

[Horselady154]

We aren't doctors and can't give medical advice. You will need to ask your doctor.

 

[fiddleshe]

I honor your courage to do that. I couldnt do it.

 

[DarrenMG]

We aren't doctors. I can mention a couple of 0 mg juices I stuck with 3 weeks before a surgery, though really it's the last week that matters because of the half life of nicotine. My doctor is intelligent, and didn't seem to care I was vaping 0mg juice, but some might get worried. Might depend on what you are having done too.

 

[Haktuspit]

Wow the doctor told me I couldn't vape the morning of a 7:45 am test and I thought that was the worst news I had ever received. Good luck to you I bet I could do it but I wouldn't want to.

If I were you I'd be straight up with them and see what you can and can not do. Explain now badly you depend on either the nic addiction or the motion and see what your options are.

 

[Ryedan]

Hi fam. Have a surgery coming up in 25 days and I typically vape 3 mg flavored juice. In preparation for the surgery, at the advice of my surgeon and from doing online research, I understand I need to stop inhaling nicotine now. Nicotine in any form messes with the healing process, and I don't want to compromise the process in any way.

I think I can give up the nic (and the flavoring as well), especially since my usual nic level is so low, but I am missing the inhale-exhale piece.

Anyone have any experience vaping plain VG with zero nic prior to, and post-surgery? Is there any danger in inhaling pure VG with respect to surgical outcomes and healing?

Hi @Vwls, it's been a while, nice to see you here again

I had a hip replacement done two years ago. At the time I believe I was vaping 1.5 mg juice about half the time, zero nic the other half, about 10 ml a day total. My research indicated bone healing would be better if I went zero nic for a while before and after the surgery. Nothing I read at the time indicated to me that VG, PG or flavorings would have any negative effect on the healing process, so I didn't worry about that.

The biggest issue for me with no-nic juices is the lack of TH. Other than that, I don't pine for nic that I'm aware of. If I remember correctly I went zero nic starting a few days before and for about a week after. I then slowly reintroduced a bit of nic vaping a little every day until I was back to my old pattern after another 2 weeks. It was pretty easy for me to do that. Knowing that the old hip pain would be gone after the surgery and that I wanted to have the best chance for a successful recovery gave me the a lot of motivation to make it work. A good surgeon and a lot of motivation to rehab the hip after the surgery got me a really good result (after way too long working the rehab thing )

I have no idea how much staying away from nic for a while contributed to it all, but the nic part was not hard for me. I would suggest you start reducing nic intake now and see how it goes. There is IMO no data on how much nic is going to hurt you here, but if you can manage less it's probably better than more. I had a broken ankle repaired with surgery about 25 years ago and I smoked through the whole process. That was also very successful, but who knows if the recovery period would have been shorter if I had not smoked for a while then. OTOH, it didn't seem to hold me back at the time.

Best of luck with it all Vwls!!

 

[Vwls]

We aren't doctors and can't give medical advice. You will need to ask your doctor.

@Horselady154 - I did ask my doctor and he was clueless. Most surgeons think vaping is the same as smoking, and they get even more confused when you start talking about concentrations of nicotine in ejuice. They truly don't know. Hence my coming here where vapers who have been vaping for years may have had some hands-on experience and can speak to their healing process after surgery.

 

[fiddleshe]

Back in '95 I had an ovary removed. My gyn actually had a volunteer take me down to smoke once an hour or so, so I wouldnt cough and give myself a hernia or bust stitches. Times have changed. Lol

 

[Vwls]

Hi [SIZE=3]@Vwls[/SIZE], it's been a while, nice to see you here again

I had a hip replacement done two years ago. At the time I believe I was vaping 1.5 mg juice about half the time, zero nic the other half, about 10 ml a day total. My research indicated bone healing would be better if I went zero nic for a while before and after the surgery. Nothing I read at the time indicated to me that VG, PG or flavorings would have any negative effect on the healing process, so I didn't worry about that.

The biggest issue for me with no-nic juices is the lack of TH. Other than that, I don't pine for nic that I'm aware of. If I remember correctly I went zero nic starting a few days before and for about a week after. I then slowly reintroduced a bit of nic vaping a little every day until I was back to my old pattern after another 2 weeks. It was pretty easy for me to do that. Knowing that the old hip pain would be gone after the surgery and that I wanted to have the best chance for a successful recovery gave me the a lot of motivation to make it work. A good surgeon and a lot of motivation to rehab the hip after the surgery got me a really good result (after way too long working the rehab thing )

I have no idea how much staying away from nic for a while contributed to it all, but the nic part was not hard for me. I would suggest you start reducing nic intake now and see how it goes. There is IMO no data on how much nic is going to hurt you here, but if you can manage less it's probably better than more. I had a broken ankle repaired with surgery about 25 years ago and I smoked through the whole process. That was also very successful, but who knows if the recovery period would have been shorter if I had not smoked for a while then. OTOH, it didn't seem to hold me back at the time.

Best of luck with it all Vwls!!

Great information - appreciate it! Good to see you as well

I think I'm really OK without the nicotine - for me, it's the inhale-exhale component that I crave (what a strange addiction!). However today I vaped zero nic, plain VG for a few minutes with a glass of wine after dinner, and decided I'm not a fan of the flavor. It has kind of a sweet-ish, "oily" flavor (best way I can describe it) and well... yuck. Maybe mine is old and I'll do better if I buy a fresh batch. There's also an odd sensation afterward - like my lungs are lightly coated in goop. I suppose if I added a little zero nic PG, it might help?

Anyone else do a no-flavor, no-nic vape combo before and after surgery?

 

[Vwls]

If I were you I'd be straight up with them and see what you can and can not do. Explain now badly you depend on either the nic addiction or the motion and see what your options are.

I told them I vape 3 mg ejuice and they had no idea what to recommend, except to lump it in with the standard no-cigarettes-before-and-after-surgery advice. That's why I am here to see what long-time vapers have learned from their own surgery experiences.

 

[fiddleshe]

Thing is drs and hospitals understand not everyone can stop. They give out patches in hospitals like they are candy. If it was that bad for you they would make patients suffer.

 

[englishmick]

@Horselady154 - I did ask my doctor and he was clueless. Most surgeons think vaping is the same as smoking, and they get even more confused when you start talking about concentrations of nicotine in ejuice. They truly don't know. Hence my coming here where vapers who have been vaping for years may have had some hands-on experience and can speak to their healing process after surgery.

I had neck surgery 10 years ago. The surgeon said I needed to stop smoking for a month before and 3 months after. I got some cigalikes and asked him if that was OK. He said it was fine. Reckoned the problem was carbon monoxide not nicotine. He said it affects bone regeneration but not other tissues, and spinal bones more than other bones.

Since then I've heard that nicotine actually does have an affect on recovery.

I suspect the evidence isn't known for certain. Maybe CO is specifically a problem with bones, and nic affects all recovery in a different way. If I was having surgery today I would cut out the nic just in case. As for VG I doubt any doc would even know the answer. I wouldn't worry about it myself.

Good luck

 

[Beamslider]

I did zero nic before and after some minor surgery. Nothing like the length of time you are talking about though. Just 4 days before and after.

 

[Beamslider]

Thing is drs and hospitals understand not everyone can stop. They give out patches in hospitals like they are candy. If it was that bad for you they would make patients suffer.

Yes the couple of times I was in the hospital they offered NIC patches

 

[Racehorse]

I had a major surgery where the surgeon suggested that I go zero nic before or he wasn't comfortable doing it at all. I still got to do my inhale/exhale thing just no nic. I stopped 6 weeks before the surgery and 4 weeks after until I healed. Apparently there can be a lot of healing complications w/nic.

IN my case it was specifically nicotine.....there are a lot of tiny blood vessels and such in the area of the surgery.

Good luck. It really wasn't hard, being that I was highly motivated not to have anything bad happen to me IF it was w/in my control to try to lessen that risk.

 

[Vwls]

Since then I've heard that nicotine actually does have an affect on recovery. I suspect the evidence isn't known for certain. Maybe CO is specifically a problem with bones, and nic affects all recovery in a different way.

Yes, nicotine itself, even outside the combustible environment of a cigarette, impacts healing. Nicotine causes vasoconstriction (restriction in blood flow) which increases the incidence of complications at the wound site through "tissue perfusion." So if you want to heal quickly with the least scarring possible, you need to eliminate nic. This much, we do have studies to corroborate.

What we don't know is if there are risks caused by inhaling vaporized plain, zero nic ejuice. Some studies have shown a degree of increase in inflammation in the lungs and throat unrelated to nicotine, and attribute this simply to the basic act of repeatedly inhaling vapor. The question is whether or not that minimal inflammation response could interfere with the healing process during surgery in a non-lungs-and-throat area of the body. Maybe the impact of inflammation in those sectors has related outcomes elsewhere in the body. Doctors and researchers don't know (yet), but I'll bet there's a couple vapers out there who have anecdotal evidence.

 

[deeman]

I think inhaling should be avoided in general. there is no reason to inhale for nicotine coz you can get it in the mouth. with tobacco there is a difference coz you get carbon monoxide and maybe some other different effects but with ecig it is just the nicotine that can get absorbed in the mouth. if you really must inhale then let the vapour out first and then inhale mostly air. probably you should avoid the nicotine when having surgery but inhaling vg pg without nicotine seems even more pointless. you might find ways to improve healing with diet like eating lots of fruit possibly even avoiding surgery.

 

[Izan]

I'm not a doctor, I don't wear the uniform nor do I identify as one.
I vape approx 10ml per day of 70%VG, 6mg/ml freebase. Relaxed MTL/restricted DTL.

Over the last 5 years I have had two dental implants, a root canal or two, and a bit of surgery on my face for a skin cancer.
In all instances I vaped as normal before and after the procedures. Healing proceeded at a normal rate and I recovered completely with no complications.
My doctors only seemed concerned about me smoking combustion cigarettes.

HTH
I

 

[Tabac man]

I'm not a Doctor either and I'm not gonna give advice or claim I do things right, but I've recovered well from some pretty serious shiite when I smoked like a house on fire.

I've noticed the healing process slows down with age. Certainly noticeable after fifty. In my case anyway.

 

[wetclay]

One easy way to find out: ask your doc. how long you need to abstain from smoking if you were a smoker? that would be easier for him/her to answer.
AFAI 12hrs is the standard for most surgeries. One exception is surgeries involving bone grafting. For these you need to be nicotine free (including gum,patch ...etc) for a long period pre and post surgery
Can't see an issue with 0 nic unless it is a lung surgery.... BUT
As others said : ask your surgeon
If you didn't like pure VG, a PG VG mix might do it. less sweet and more TH