What do you tell your doctors?

[werkkrew]

I was a 100% non smoker for about 2 months before I started vaping and was a smoker for 10 years before that. As of quitting smoking I informed my general practitioner and dentist that I was a non-smoker.

Should I inform them that I am now using nicotine again or do most people who vape classify themselves as non-smokers? I feel like most doctors wouldn't really know much about vaping and it might just be best left unsaid.

 

[studio52]

I share this info with my Doctors. My cardiologist seemed ok with it, other than a concern for the nicotine, which she said can be problematic when ingested in too high a dose. But otherwise I have been given the green light, and she already knew a bit abpout vaping.

 

[nansc]

I don't tell my doctor,he's always against anything.Don't eat so much,don't smoke ,not going to the gym every day grrrr.Some people say their doctors think it is great.

 

[werkkrew]

I don't tell my doctor,he's always against anything.Don't eat so much,don't smoke ,not going to the gym every day grrrr.Some people say their doctors think it is great.

Yeah that's what I'm afraid of, my doctor being automatically against something she is clueless about and steering me in the wrong direction.

 

[otrpu]

I vape in my GP's office, and treatment rooms. Just today I vaped in my Dentist specialists office, and treatment room. A new kid specialists, ask me what it was. Told me I couldn't do it in there. I turned it off. After his treatment, I went back out to waiting room, waiting for nuther appointment. Receptionist told me she liked the smell of my vapor. I said does it smell like Cinnamon? She said, that's it, that's what she smelled, but she couldn't identify it until I mentioned what it was. Next appointment, I may have to ask for a more open minded specialist. JMHO

Cheers,
otrpu

 

[werkkrew]

I wouldn't have the balls to just start vaping in a doctors office.

 

[markfm]

I do. My gp is content with my switching to vaping, I gave her some CASAA literature.

She understands that my lungs are clear, that I'm fully into aerobic activities, and that I'm just ingesting nicotine with a bit of flavoring. Then again, she also was open minded when I told her no way when she offered to store me a script for chantix; the really bad stories hadn't circulated yet, but it was clearly in the iffy category.

 

[Jammin]

i told my doctor I quit smoking, he was elated. I told him I have been using the e-cig and he said "good for you, I am glad you quit smoking". I was glad I didn't get any push back, but was prepared to give him information if I needed to talk about how much better than are than smoking.

That said, on health forms I have to fill out at doctor's offices I simply put packs of cigs smoked a day: 0
I will inform my healthcare provider that I vape but will not put down I smoke cigarettes when asked in those medical questionaires since that would be incorrect.

 

[Jammin]

I wouldn't have the balls to just start vaping in a doctors office.

I wouldn't care to try.

 

[Jammin]

I don't tell my doctor,he's always against anything.Don't eat so much,don't smoke ,not going to the gym every day grrrr.Some people say their doctors think it is great.

nansc, if I were you I'd really try to find another doctor. We should not feel we can't share things with our doctors, and you obviously do not feel comfortable with this one.

 

[Samyaza]

I really wish doctors were more informed about it. I saw mine last week and told him I'd quit smoking and started vaping. He already knew I was interested in e-cigs as I had asked his opinion about it last week when I was thinking of trying it and he really didn't know much about it, but at least said "anything's better than smoking".

He still didn't know much about it this time and my smoking had never caused me any illnesses so he can't see any improvements lol, I just wish they knew more. Maybe I'll take some literature with me the next time I go there

 

[Jammin]

I really wish doctors were more informed about it. I saw mine last week and told him I'd quit smoking and started vaping. He already knew I was interested in e-cigs as I had asked his opinion about it last week when I was thinking of trying it and he really didn't know much about it, but at least said "anything's better than smoking".

He still didn't know much about it this time and my smoking had never caused me any illnesses so he can't see any improvements lol, I just wish they knew more. Maybe I'll take some literature with me the next time I go there

I agree. I am sure most doctor's have more than a handful of patients who suffer from lung problems, who smoke. Shouldn't it behoove them to at least take a little bit of spare time to learn about something that could truly HELP these patients?

I know that they cannot be expert on everything, but e-cigs have been around long enough now, with enough information out there that is extremely beneficial and you would think with smoking being so taboo these days that they would arm themselves with some info about it. Just think how much larger the audience is that doctors have who could really benefit from information about e-cigs and vaping.

 

[12stepCornelius]

I went to my campus clinic for a swollen lymph node the other week. The clinician there asked if I smoked and at the time I did. So she said since I did she would prescribe me antibiotics and said maybe I should consider switching to an e-cig. Said you can still get your nicotine fix without inhaling the other harmful chemicals and tar with tobacco. Apparently she read up on it. Going on week 3 of vaping

 

[cags]

my PA is very happy (I haven't seen the doctor in years)

but, I really don't care what anyone thinks and that includes my doctors

 

[AzPlumber]

Yeah that's what I'm afraid of, my doctor being automatically against something she is clueless about and steering me in the wrong direction.

If I was afraid of my Doctor steering me in the wrong direction, i'd be looking for a new Doc. Your Health Care is only as good as the info you provide your Doctor.

 

[Jammin]

If I was afraid of my Doctor steering me in the wrong direction, i'd be looking for a new Doc. Your Health Care is only as good as the info you provide your Doctor.

I agree. Not ALL docs are closed minded, so if i had one who was, I'd be shopping around for a new one.

 

[zoiDman]

Yeah that's what I'm afraid of, my doctor being automatically against something she is clueless about and steering me in the wrong direction.

I tell my Doctor about Anything I put in my Body. Seems like He/She should know.

Maybe you would feel better going to someone who has a little more knowlage of e-Cigarettes?

 

[rolygate]

I wouldn't have the balls to just start vaping in a doctors office.

Some people - both medical staff and patients - do vape in hospitals. It depends on local policy. It is not of any significance to health in a hospital setting* because PG is already present in the air due to its almost universal use in air conditioning systems now. It's why we don't get Legionnaire's Disease.

*Unless chocolate flavor is harmful to health

 

[rolygate]

I agree. I am sure most doctor's have more than a handful of patients who suffer from lung problems, who smoke. Shouldn't it behoove them to at least take a little bit of spare time to learn about something that could truly HELP these patients?

I know that they cannot be expert on everything, but e-cigs have been around long enough now, with enough information out there that is extremely beneficial and you would think with smoking being so taboo these days that they would arm themselves with some info about it. Just think how much larger the audience is that doctors have who could really benefit from information about e-cigs and vaping.

Maybe you could point them toward the World Vaping Day website, it is the best concentration of health info for medical professionals that I know of. The Quotes page and the Health page are what to look at. Doctors can find quotes from several professors of medicine there (about six of them) who have researched e-cigs. There is a PDF for download.

World Vaping Day

Speaking to doctors about this, they say they don't know about the issues, have no source of information, can't prescribe anything in the way of harm reduction, and can only offer advice, which currently has no factual basis. So we probably need to do more to inform them and make resources more easily available.

 

[rolygate]

As health can be 80% lifestyle-related, it makes sense to tell your medical advisor of your lifestyle changes. Doctors know that patients lie to them as a matter of course, but it cannot make their life easier if you deliberately misdirect them.

If you subsequently don't get the advice you expect or need, perhaps it might be an idea to change advisors. A doctor who advises a patient to keep smoking, or prescribes NRTs (or even worse, Chantix) instead of e-cigarette use is demonstrably ill-informed or has some kind of judgement problem. Time to move on.