Need the experts - please-had bit of a prob!

[Hanow]

This may be a bit long-winded, but think I need to fully describe what happened to me yesterday that had me concerned.

Okay - have now been vaping very happily for almost a month. Had no probs at all, and have largely used James's L and B -36mg (and other tobacco ones from him. Lovely, but settled on L and B.) I had also ordered some enjuice flavours, had no probs with those, albeit they didn't do the full throat-hit/vapour - just tasted very nice. So, I began (couple of weeks ago) to combine the L and B with the 'flavours. Great, no probs, thoroughly enjoyed. Thus all was going well.

However, on Saturday, I cleaned out all of my carts, washed the juice out etc. I then made up a combination of approximately 80-20 (L and B and American apple pie), and refilled the carts. I love this combination, and it has been working brilliantly for me. I vaped throughout the day, but......... later in the evening, I took a puff (cart running low I later realised) and had the most awful burning pain sensation in upper part of my lung. Checked the cart, saw it was dryish, so topped up. Repeat puff brought repeat pain/burning. Other than that, I felt fine. As it was late-ish, I decided not to vape any more and went to bed.

Yesterday morning, vaped again, same mixture, no probs at all. As usual, thoroughly enjoyed. But got to around lunch-time, vaped and suddenly felt as if I had been kicked in the chest by something much larger than me! No burning pain as the night before, just felt 'weight' - if that makes any sense. I made no further attempt to vape, but checked the cart and it was juiced. However, spent the rest of the afternoon (3 - 4 hours) feeling as if my chest had a huge weight on it, and it reminded me of an asthma attack. I had asthma as a small child, but no signs at all since I was 9! Chest/lungs felt compressed, and whilst I could inhale and exhale air with no pain, I didn't seem able to breathe normally - just felt this awful pressure when doing so. It finally passed off late evening, but I didn't want to risk another vape just in case.

I got up this morning, and risked a vape, and all is back to normal - no probs at all.

Whilst all of this was happening yesterday, I did go online to try and find any articles about similar experiences, albeit found very little. There was one where a chap said he had vaped and felt as if an elephant was sat on his chest (which does explain what I felt), but no-one on that forum was able to offer advice, and he didn't appear to do a follow-up post regarding outcome of his 'attack'.

In the light of my experience, I am tentatively vaping today, and as I say, all is okay. But what happened freaked me somewhat, thus would be very grateful for any suggestions as to what might have happened. It did scare the living daylights out of me, and I really don't want a repeat of that.

[ken]

Hanow,

Cannot offer advice re mixing ejuices and possible affects as I am still a newbie so don't have the answers.

I am not trying to be alarmist but if I experienced your symptoms I would be making an appointment with my GP.

Ken.

[Hanow]

Hi Ken, thanks hun. I too hoped that my post wasn't alarmist. As I say, today, back to normal, no probs at all. Chest/breathing fine - much better than the 'smoker's' chest - i.e. no coughing etc. Thus, not sure that a visit to the GP would be at all helpful, especially as none of them know a thing about vaping! The mixture itself is one I have used for a couple of wekks now, so that should not have been the problem.

The more I think about what happened, the closer I am getting to thinking that the original 'pain/burning' was caused by the cart being too dry. Thus the next vape (by then topped up with more juice) just irritated my lung again. Thus I stopped for the night - no more pain - no sign of anything. What is most worrying is/was, the pressure/weight bit that I experienced the following afternoon (following a successful vaping morning, albeit I did reduce the number of times of doing so? Thus, when the weight thing began, why not the morning?

As I have said, all is fine today. Happily back to normal vaping. But remain a bit confused by it all now.

[ken]

Hanow,

Your symptoms may have nothing to do with vaping but may well just be a little warning of something else needing attention.

Sure a wee check up will do no harm and may put your mind at rest.

Not trying to put pressure on you Hanow.

Just concerned.

Ken.

[jaki]

Oh dear Hanow, that doesn't sound very nice at all.

You know, it possibly has nothing to do with vaping, which is why I would also suggest seeing a doc. I don't think it matters whether or not he knows about vaping, but it might be an idea to get your chest listened to in case there is something else going on and the big inhalation we take when vaping is setting it off.

The other thing I suppose, it could be that your lungs are clearing themselves of the crap built up from smoking.

I would not blame the juice - it sounds like it is more the action of breathing in rather than what you are inhaling.

I get a similar thing - deep breaths make it feel as though I have a band around my chest and can almost make me a bit panicky. I've not had it for a while, and not at all since vaping. My sister, who is an A&E Matron brushes it off as being a musculoskeleto pain, almost like a cramp. She always blames it on being overly tired, although to me that doesn't ring true as I am usually tired due to deadlines forcing me to work into the wee small hours. However, I find that going to bed and resting does seem to cure me of it.

But, if it happens again, I would go to your docs.

Fingers crossed this is the worst of it over though x

[knawes]

Jaki,

I've PM'd you.

[knawes]

Sorry.....confused there, I mean Hanow.....I need to speak to her.

[Lilac]

I've had that too Hanow, in fact i stopped vaping for a couple of weeks because of it....check thro my posts from ages ago and you'll be able to read it....

i didn't get the 'kick' pain, but had the 'weight on my chest' and feeling of not being able to breathe freely, but i do put it down to vaping, definately, and it's why i don't use my passthrough any more and why i'd never try high voltage vaping.

I also looked for others who've had this, and found several on ECF, one, someone mentioned the dehydration effects of PG & VG on the lungs and that you need to make sure you drink extra water if you're a vaper...

Edit to add that im sure it's the VG that causes it with me, as it only started when i was diluting juices with it, and then again when i first used James juice, as he uses a lot of VG in his normal mix, doesn't happen with the mostly PG mix he gives me now tho...

Kath, have you had it too?

[Lilac]

Hanow, have a read of this thread started by James...

allaboute-cigarettes.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=402

[nana]

Hanow,
I had that burning sensation in the top of the lung when I first began to use the ecig.
It was very uncomfortable and had me coughing and spluttering for a while afterwards.
It was when I was using pre-filled carts. and I put it down to a bad mixture.......

The weight across the chest - I've had that a couple of times since quitting smoking and I think it's down to the lungs clearing themselves.
It seems to be a common symptom of quitting.

However, I agree with Ken - you should see your doctor just to be on the safe side (I did).

[Chrissie]

(((Hanow))) I'm wondering if it could even be partly due to the very hot muggy weather we are having.

Lilac, I was just about to go & find that thread about you & Raggy's VG intolerance.

[knawes]

Lilac,

No, I haven't had it while vaping. I had it back in 2002, the burning. But due to something far more serious. Which I why I PM'd her. To ask more questions. I don't want to sound alarmist, but mine was a heart attack - I was convinced it was an ulcer - the burning was only in one small area, right in the middle of my chest, about the size of a 50p piece (if that makes sense) and didn't go away. All the time it was happening, I was walking about, drinking water to cool it, until in the end Alex sent for an ambulance. (He had to ask what number to dial as he is Canadian!). Just after the parmedics arrived, I lost it completely and had to be shocked. Had morphine and warfarin, and with that I was ok again. I sat up and looked around as they lifted me into a wheelchair thingy! Took me to hospital, where I had the most wonderful week being pampered and spoilt, and tests. (Up in Scotland.) But they only found very minor narrowing of one artery. I was discharged with no more treatment than a small daily aspirin.

I didn't want to alarm her, but I guess I've done that now? But my symptoms (and others I have found since) were not "classic" heart attack symtoms. In fact while I had the pain, initially I was on t'internet looking it up!

I've been fine since. Well had breast cancer in 2003, but that's another story! And had the all clear for that in 2008.

Kath

[Hanow]

Hi all - sorry it has taken a while to get back in here. I got side-tracked for a while.

Thanks for all of your responses. Kath, will go and read your message now hunnie, then will read all of the other links. Hugs for all - catch you later. xx

[knawes]

Phew....and how nice was that!

We spoke on the phone! She's fine...but will get it checked at Docs. I'll let her explain more if she wants to. But I've never spoken to anybody on a forum in person before and just shows you the difference there is between this one and others, and how we all band together and help and are so friendly. It was super, duper!

And just how alike we are in our vaping habits - because we know we can, we vape all the time unless we are sleeping!

It could well have been some allergy, and I think that's what mine was with the atties from TW, and the gunk on them. I can't describe how bad my mouth and lips felt, and I couldn't get rid of it. I was wary of even persevering as others have said until the gunk "wore off" as I couldn't stand it.

But I'm fine now, and vaping like a good 'un.

I don't know the difference between the different glycerines and/or what each does. But I guess we might all be allergic to some things?

Kath

[ken]

Phew....and how nice was that!

We spoke on the phone! She's fine...but will get it checked at Docs. I'll let her explain more if she wants to. But I've never spoken to anybody on a forum in person before and just shows you the difference there is between this one and others, and how we all band together and help and are so friendly. It was super, duper!


Phew,

thanks for speaking to Hanow Kath and I'm glad she is fine and will get the Doc to give her a check up.

Ken.