What has been your doctor's reaction?

[CdnDiva]

When you tell them you've switched from smoking cigarettes to vaping? Just curious if it's generally accepted as a good thing in the medical community or if it's more frowned upon, due to the lack of studies.

I have to see my doctor in a couple weeks and I'm genuinely curious what he'll say. He's been on my .... for years to quit smoking... he'll have to be a little bit happy, right?

 

[Rickajho]

GP, Allergist, Cardiologist, Dentist - not a single negative issue regarding vaping.

Be prepared to explain your usage in terms of mg's/ml of nicotine in your liquids, how much you use, and the low absorption rate from vaping. Both my Allergist and my GP wanted to play fun with maths about the amount of nicotine taken in.

 

[Ryedan]

My GP is cautiously positive about vaping for me. I'm good with that. Has me down as a non-smoker too

 

[smokinGAVIN]

I haven't been to the doctor since I made the switch to vaping. I feel a a lot better though since the switch. I can climb stairs now without running out of breath. No more smokers cough. I can't imagine any negative things the doctor may have to say about my vaping because my body is telling me it's doing me a whole lot of good.

 

[Rickajho]

If you want help explaining anything, head to www.CASAA.org and check out the printable materials on vaping. Lot's of good handouts there.

 

[amoret]

My doctors have generally been very supportive. One nurse practitioner was a pain about it, and tried to put my records back to saying I was still a smoker, but I saw my neurologist a week later and she put it back to non-smoker, with a fairly pungent comment.

 

[CdnDiva]

If you want help explaining anything, head to CASAA - The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association and check out the printable materials on vaping. Lot's of good handouts there.

Thanks Rick. Maybe I'll print some material out and take it with me to my appt...in case I have to educate the doctor

 

[HauntedMyst]

My GP was very positive about me vaping! Then she gave me a prostate exam and called in all the other doctors and nurses to watch and have a "feel" for anything abnormal. Come to think of it, she does this every time I say anything. I understand doing it for a regular physical but when I came in for a sprained wrist and she then proceed to give me another prostate exam I started to get the feeling they were doing it for fun. Especially when I was leaving and hear the champagne cork popping and the cheers. And I can't even begin to understand why the janitor, the receptionist and the copier repair guy would need to go poking around my bum. It never shows up on my bill thank goodness since I've had 6 of them already this year. Hang on, I need to go check youtube and see if they are posting it on there for fun.

 

[sketchness]

I take care of my mom who is very sick and her GP was very happy to hear she was vaping and not smoking.

 

[WharfRat1976]

My doctor looked at me like I had a third eye in the middle of my forehead.

 

[Ryedan]

Hang on, I need to go check youtube and see if they are posting it on there for fun.

You mean that is you!!

 

[CdnDiva]

My GP was very positive about me vaping! Then she gave me a prostate exam and called in all the other doctors and nurses to watch and have a "feel" for anything abnormal. Come to think of it, she does this every time I say anything. I understand doing it for a regular physical but when I came in for a sprained wrist and she then proceed to give me another prostate exam I started to get the feeling they were doing it for fun. Especially when I was leaving and hear the champagne cork popping and the cheers. And I can't even begin to understand why the janitor, the receptionist and the copier repair guy would need to go poking around my bum. It never shows up on my bill thank goodness since I've had 6 of them already this year. Hang on, I need to go check youtube and see if they are posting it on there for fun.

LOL! I'm laughing with you....honest

 

[Rickajho]

Thanks Rick. Maybe I'll print some material out and take it with me to my appt...in case I have to educate the doctor

Mine have all been open minded, but curious. As MD's they get PG - it's used in nebulizer treatments and even anesthesia. If anything they just wanted to do a reality check on the nic question, so be prepared for that and trying to explain nic intake as they will probably ask you to equate it to "number of cigarettes per day" - and that just doesn't work. They just don't understand the system, but don't mind it being explained to them. I is good at edjeecatin' Doctors.

That, and you never know when a bunch of Nurse hangers on may corner you and start asking questions - because they need to quit, have a family member who needs to quit etc. etc. Those handouts can disappear fast during an Office visit. You may be surprised at how many people are in the medical field who are desperate to quit smoking.

 

[Rickajho]

My GP was very positive about me vaping! Then she gave me a prostate exam and called in all the other doctors and nurses to watch and have a "feel" for anything abnormal. Come to think of it, she does this every time I say anything. I understand doing it for a regular physical but when I came in for a sprained wrist and she then proceed to give me another prostate exam I started to get the feeling they were doing it for fun. Especially when I was leaving and hear the champagne cork popping and the cheers. And I can't even begin to understand why the janitor, the receptionist and the copier repair guy would need to go poking around my bum. It never shows up on my bill thank goodness since I've had 6 of them already this year. Hang on, I need to go check youtube and see if they are posting it on there for fun.

Lol - dude you are so whack! For the record - you are a dude right? Prostate and all that jazz...

 

[lvm111]

My GP, her PA, my Dentist, and my eye doctor all think it's wonderful, and are very supportive. I don't think a one of them know the slightest thing about vaping. I'm just guessing they DO know that smoking is deadly, and figure anything is better. lol.

I usually get a bad cold, sinus infection, and/or bronchitis at least once a year. Sometimes twice. A couple years ago I had a serious case of bronchitis. It scared the crap out of me. Every breath felt like fire, and it hurt very badly when I coughed. It took weeks to clear up.

I don't think I've had any recurrences of these illnesses since I quit smoking, and started vaping 14 months ago. And the funny thing is, I vape way more than I smoked. At least that's my guess. It's kind of hard to quantify vaping. I smoked about a pack of cigarettes a day. But with a cig, I would either go outside, or be in my car, and you smoke a cig for what, about 5-10 minutes? With vaping, it's just always there, and I frequently pick it up and take a puff or two. So it's difficult to compare the two.

There's no question though, that vaping is better for me than smoking. I don't toss and turn at night worrying that vaping is killing me.

best regards, larry mac

 

[HauntedMyst]

Lol - dude you are so whack! For the record - you are a dude right? Prostate and all that jazz...

I am a dude since 1963. Prior to that, I was a zygote.

 

[Papa_Lazarou]

My GP is supportive and sees all the improvements (BP, lung capacity, etc.). My ophthalmologist is even more in favour as he's seen a fairly significant drop in my (hypertensive, but not glaucoma-stricken) eye pressure.

It really makes me wonder why there is not more noise being made from medical practitioners about the empirical benefits they've seen in people switching to vaping.

Note that your doc(s) prolly won't regard you as a non-smoker until you've completely switched for a year. They're not picking on vaping, it's just an accepted standard.

 

[Charbanger]

It was my doctor who suggested that I get rid of my nasty 35yr habbit. I love my Doc.

 

[AzPlumber]

Very supportive from the start. He had seen me struggle for years trying to quit smoking and was happy I finally succeeded.

 

[AndriaD]

I haven't seen my doc since I started vaping; that'll be happening soon though, for my regular asthma checkup, so I'm really looking forward to sharing the good news, and I'm sure he'll be thrilled that I FINALLY gave up the coffin nails; I'm sure he thought I never would. I did see him in January, just before I started, and at the usual 'still smoke?' 'Yes' 'Well, you know you should quit' I gave him a different answer than my usual; I informed him I was about to give e-cigarettes a serious try, to try and finally get rid of the stupid coffin nails. He actually looked up from the form! That doesn't happen often, let me tell you. He was very encouraging, and as he was leaving the room, turned back around and wished me luck with the e-cigarettes, so I'd call that supportive. I was quite surprised actually; his practice is solidly 19th century -- he doesn't even take credit cards! -- but apparently he does read and stay abreast of new developments.

Andria