Can Ecigs cause respiratory issues?

[Lucille322]

Just wondering if people smoke cigarettes and ecigs.  I’m 66 yrs and have smoked since I was 16.  In all that time I only quit for 6 weeks.  I remember when I was into college and when you came to class you’d grab an ashtray and smoked at your desk.  Even professors smoked.  So, smoking was pretty normal.  It’s been over a year since I had an acute manic episode.  Took a long time to get stable.  During that time my anxiety was horrible.  Since we are unable to smoke in our apartments, I started to smoke ecigs inside. Then go outside to smoke regular cigarettes.  Basically, I had a cigarette in my mouth every waking hour.  In the past 2 months Ive been experiencing terrible COPD.  It’s awful.  Hard to breathe, tired all the time.  Use 2inhalers and nebulizer.  Much of the time the steroids make me miserable and suffer more anxiety.  I quit regular cigarette about 6 weeks ago but went back to smoking for a week.  Still using ecig because I’m so addicted.  I’m trying to rid myself of this habit.  It’s destroying my lungs.  My nicotine level is 4 now.  Suffocating is not a way to die.  It is truly miserable.  My doctor was ok with ecig but said to quit tobacco cigs.  This was about 2 yrs ago.  Since then, actually this past week, there have been reports about kids vaping in Minnesota (where I live) and are suffering serious respiratory problems.  I want to learn about anyone who smoke ecigs and if they are having any symptoms from it.  Thanks kindly

[Lucille322]

Thank you for the information you provided. Certainly will read tonight

On Mon, Aug 19, 2019 at 7:19 AM JACKIE1-25-15 <communityadmin@becomeanex.org>

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome to our community!

Nicotine addiction is nicotine addiction - no matter the delivery device - and how to beat any of them is about the same. Every time you read :"cigarette" in the information I will give you, just sub "vape."   The one thing different I would recommend is that you first start to reduce the nicotine content of the pods.  Start with a lesser amount in, like, one in every four, then three, etc. until you are only using the smallest amount.  Or - buy the next lower mg of nicotine pod, then the next lower.  That way the physical withdrawal should be more manageable. 

I agree with those who have advised you to quit putting anything but air in your lungs.  They are now  finding that the flavorings and other chemicals in the e-cigarettes are harmful - and if your lungs are already damaged, I cannot imagine that you wouldn't be harmed by them.  Quitting nicotine isn't easy, but it IS doable.  Try thinking about lugging an oxygen tank around with you everywhere you go and the alternative to quitting is seen in a more practical light.  Just THINK what you might do with the money you will save, too!

The important thing you can do right now is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind. To that end, I highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” This is an easy and entertaining read. You can search for it online or at your local library. If you do nothing else , please do give this a read.

 You should also read the posts here and perhaps go to the pages of folks who you think might be helpful. You might visit whyquit.com, quitsmoking.com and livewell.com for the good information contained there. @https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex has lots of blogs written by members of this site with their experiences and guidance. Here is a video to inform you further about nicotine addiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWMgPHn0Lo&feature=youtu.be.

After you have completed the recommended reading, it will be time to make an informed choice of the quit aid, if any, you will use. If you go that route, I personally recommend the aids that don't let the addict control the dose such as the available prescription drugs or the patch. If used properly, gum, lozenges and inhalers are fine, but they need to be used only as a last resort after you have tried to delay and distract.   I have seen folks become addicted to them if they substitute them for every cigarette they used to smoke - just trading one addiction for another.  You need to start out with a plan to reduce use of them over time - which the patch does by decreasing the dose contained in them..  For the gum, you can start by cutting each piece in half, then in quarters, then sub regular gum of the same flavor in between, adding more and more regular gum.  For the lozenge, you need to start subbing a mint in between to begin, increasing the number of them over time. 

It will be informative if you do the tracking and separation exercises recommended here on the site. As you track each cigarette smoked, note its importance, and what you might do instead. Put each one off just a little to prove that you don't NEED a cigarette just because you think you do.
 

The idea is to change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced.  Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand in a place different from when you smoked. Maybe switch to tea for a bit.  If you always had that first smoke with your coffee, try putting your tennies on right out of bed, going for a quick walk, then taking your shower and THEN your coffee! Rearrange the furniture in the areas you used to smoke so the view is different. Buy your gas at a different station. Take a different route to work. Take a quick walk at break time where the smokers AREN'T.
 
You need to distract yourself through any craves.  You can take a bite out of a lemon (yup - rind and all), put your head in the freezer and take a deep breath of cold air, do a few jumping jacks, go for a brisk walk or march in place, play a computer game.  Keep a cold bottle of water with you from which to sip. Don't let that smoking thought rattle around in your brain unchallenged. Sometimes you need to quit a minute or an hour at a time.  You will need to be disciplined in the early days to distract yourself when a crave hits.    Get busy!  Here is a link to a list of things to do instead of smoke if you need some fresh ideas:
 https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instea...
The conversation in your head in response to the "I want a cigarette" thought needs to be, "Well, since I have decided not to do that anymore, what shall I do instead for the three minutes this crave will last?"  Then DO it.  You will need to put some effort into this in the early days, but it gets easier and easier to do.

Stay close to us here and ask questions when you have them and for support when you need it. We will be with you every step of the way!

 Nancy

[AnnetteMM]

I used the Juul pods. When I made the commitment to quit, I decided that the last pod in my house would be my last, period. I threw away all the equipment, the battery, the used pods, the charger...everything. I came here for the support to be free from nicotine forever. You can do it too!

[JACKIE1-25-15]

Vaping and COPD: Is There A Link? ..

https://www.icliniq.com/qa/shortness-of-breath/what-to-do-for-shortness-of-breath-after-vaping-e-cig... 

Health Risks of E-cigarettes, Smokeless Tobacco, and Waterpipes | Cancer.Net