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Doc told me to vape. Now that's a first.

Giraut

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I woke up this morning feeling like crap: fever, scratchy throat, but no coughing or runny nose. Obviously pharyngitis. But since I wasn't sure if it was strep throat or not, I decided to go see the doc. Only it's Saturday, and my family doctor doesn't work on Saturdays. So I went to the on-call physician - a nice lady near my place I had never been to before.

As she was checking me out, she asked the usual questions - where it hurt, when it started, whether I coughed... That sort of things. But then she popped the million dollar question:

"Do you smoke?"

"Not anymore."

"Oh yeah? when did you quit?"

"Year and a half ago."

I must have said it a bit too casual-like, because then she said:

"Aha! Lemme guess: you vape now, right?"

"Er... Yeah, how d'you know?"

"Dunno. Something about the way you answered me. I can always tell when someone's simply quit smoking or started vaping instead. There's a certain tone in their voice that tells me they've put smoking behind for good, that I only hear from people who haven't smoked for 20 years. But to be that nonchalant about it after only a year and a half? You must be vaping."

Interesting...

Anyhow, she wrapped up her physical, and sat down to write me a prescription. She said:

"Well, it's not strep throat. It's viral. You just have to wait it out. I'll just prescribe you lidocaine lozenges for the pain. Do you have menthol e-liquids?"

"Sure, why?" I replied, a little surprised.

"Because if you don't, I'll prescribe you sore throat spray. But if you have menthol e-liquid, vape that instead for a couple days, it's more effective." And she flashed me a big wink.

How great is that eh? My family doctor, and most other physicians I've met, usually have a rather positive outlook on vaping. But I've never met one that prescribes it to get better :)
 
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Hey! it's just Ray...

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Everyone around my wife and I have been sick for the last few weeks. We both vape and I've been wondering if vaping could help fight colds and flu. Time will tell.
 

BigNasty

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Everyone around my wife and I have been sick for the last few weeks. We both vape and I've been wondering if vaping could help fight colds and flu. Time will tell.
LOL the flu that went like wild fire in sep/oct around here.. only the vapers got it once everyone else went through 3-5 bouts of it.
 

vaperature

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Well it certainly doesn't CAUSE anything, because I haven't been ill with anything since I started vaping.
 

Joshua Iles

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I have a friend who never smoked, started having asthma and other respiratory issues. Prescription? 0 nic ejuice, vaped of course lol. Wife told me that and I was kinda surprised. It's becoming more.common.
 

UncleRJ

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Actually, PG is also a known ototoxic. Most people (including you, apparently) don't suffer ill effects from vaping it, but I do: PG gives me tinnitus.

I read the reveiw that your link took me to.

While it was interesting, I am not worried as last I looked, I am not a guinea pig or a chinchilla and I do not put E-Liquid in my ear.

I just vape it like most everyone else here:D
 

Giraut

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I am not a guinea pig or a chinchilla and I do not put E-Liquid in my ear. I just vape it like most everyone else here:D

Actually, you do put e-liquid in your ears - your inner ears, specifically: some of the vapor inevitably goes there from the Eustachian tubes.

Anyhow, the toxicity of vaped PG to the inner ear isn't a matter of speculation to me: I have cochlear damage from having had meningitis as a kid, that causes me to suffer from tinnitus. Whenever I vape PG, my tinnitus flares up. Plain and simple. And if you google around on the subject of PG and tinnitus, you'll quickly find out that many people experience the same symptoms.

Everybody's talking about the dangers of diacetyl, formaldehyde and acrolein. Personally, I'm convinced that 10 to 20 years from now, we'll see a catastrophic increase in auditory problems in vapers, entirely due to PG, and no-one seems to have latched onto this problem yet. Me, I know, and I stay clear the hell away from PG.
 

Giraut

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I have a friend who never smoked, started having asthma and other respiratory issues. Prescription? 0 nic ejuice, vaped of course lol. Wife told me that and I was kinda surprised. It's becoming more.common.

How interesting. Did your friend say how vaping is supposed to help asthma?
 

BigNasty

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Actually, you do put e-liquid in your ears - your inner ears, specifically: some of the vapor inevitably goes there from the Eustachian tubes.

Anyhow, the toxicity of vaped PG to the inner ear isn't a matter of speculation to me: I have cochlear damage from having had meningitis as a kid, that causes me to suffer from tinnitus. Whenever I vape PG, my tinnitus flares up. Plain and simple. And if you google around on the subject of PG and tinnitus, you'll quickly find out that many people experience the same symptoms.

Everybody's talking about the dangers of diacetyl, formaldehyde and acrolein. Personally, I'm convinced that 10 to 20 years from now, we'll see a catastrophic increase in auditory problems in vapers, entirely due to PG, and no-one seems to have latched onto this problem yet. Me, I know, and I stay clear the hell away from PG.
WHAT?? can;t frickin hear you over this EEEEEEEE!!!
No seriously I need to give a shout out to @HeadInClouds for pointing that out to me also, the only pg currently running in my juice is flavoring and nic base and soon to be only flavorings. Soon will be none I will be switching to vg based and alcohol based flavors.
 

JOLT74

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Actually, you do put e-liquid in your ears - your inner ears, specifically: some of the vapor inevitably goes there from the Eustachian tubes.

Anyhow, the toxicity of vaped PG to the inner ear isn't a matter of speculation to me: I have cochlear damage from having had meningitis as a kid, that causes me to suffer from tinnitus. Whenever I vape PG, my tinnitus flares up. Plain and simple. And if you google around on the subject of PG and tinnitus, you'll quickly find out that many people experience the same symptoms.

Everybody's talking about the dangers of diacetyl, formaldehyde and acrolein. Personally, I'm convinced that 10 to 20 years from now, we'll see a catastrophic increase in auditory problems in vapers, entirely due to PG, and no-one seems to have latched onto this problem yet. Me, I know, and I stay clear the hell away from PG.
This sounds accurate, I have a friend who's a chemist and when I told him what was in e-juice, he said he would never tell anyone to inhale any amount of PG, so majority of my juices are 70/30 VG/PG or higher for that reason
 

Giraut

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It took me 3 months of experimenting to isolate PG as the cause of my increased tinnitus with 100% certainty. When I told my doctor about my findings, he told me it didn't surprise him one bit. He explained that certain ear drops have PG as a solvent, and these ear drops cannot be prescribed to people with ruptured eardrums because the PG would get to the inner ear and do damage. He reckons inhaling PG - which, by definition, sends it to the inner ears whenever the Eustachian tubes open up to equalize pressure - does the same thing, albeit at a lesser dose.
 

Giraut

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My doctor told me to quit smoking, and actually told me to try an e-cig. So, whenever I vape, I'm following doctor's orders! How sweet is that? :D

That's great. Your doctor is an enlightened person. Trouble is, I've heard that quite a few of them have a conflict of interest, because they're financially rewarded for pushing nic patches, sprays, gums or Chantix.

On top of that; at least here in Belgium - and I think in France also - I believe doctors are required by the state to reach some sort of monthly or yearly quota for proposing smoking cessation solutions to patients (i.e. if it looks like a doctor doesn't do enough to fight smoking, they get a slap on the wrist). And since e-cigs aren't approved smoking cessation devices, they have little incentive to recommend them, other than their personal desire to see the patient succeed in quitting. Not to mention, nic juices are illegal here, so they'd be peddling an illegal substance if they did.
 
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AntDog

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That's great. Your doctor is an enlightened person. Trouble is, I've heard that quite a few of them have a conflict of interest, because they're financially rewarded for pushing nic patches, sprays, gums or Chantix.

On top of that; at least here in Belgium - and I think in France also - I believe doctors are required by the state to reach some sort of monthly or yearly quota for proposing smoking cessation solutions to patients (i.e. if it looks like a doctor doesn't do enough to fight smoking, they get a slap on the wrist). And since e-cigs aren't approved smoking cessation devices, they have little incentive to recommend them, other than their personal desire to see the patient succeed in quitting. Not to mention, nic juices are illegal here, so they'd be peddling an illegal substance if they did.
That's sad, man. I'm sorry to hear that.

My doctor is a really cool guy. He's just a bit older than me and I've been going to him for a while, so it's like we are growing older together.

He really cares about my health and well being. He told me "do whatever you can to stop smoking. Have you tried an e-cig? That might do it, and it is a MUCH healthier alternative."
 

HeadInClouds

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WHAT?? can;t frickin hear you over this EEEEEEEE!!!
No seriously I need to give a shout out to @HeadInClouds for pointing that out to me also, the only pg currently running in my juice is flavoring and nic base and soon to be only flavorings. Soon will be none I will be switching to vg based and alcohol based flavors.

Yep. I've been vaping on average 6-8% flavoring in my max-VG (so the only PG is from the flavorings). It's about time for me to take a break with unflavored again. eeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEE! At first I thought it was from too much nic, but I've repeatedly confirmed it's the PG. It fades back when I don't use any PG, and it returns quickly when I do.

@BigNasty , you know this, but a note for anyone else who reads it: I already had tinnitus from childhood. It didn't start from vaping. It used to be background noise I could ignore. ATM it is fairly extreme.
 

BigNasty

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Yep. I've been vaping on average 6-8% flavoring in my max-VG (so the only PG is from the flavorings). It's about time for me to take a break with unflavored again. eeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEE! At first I thought it was from too much nic, but I've repeatedly confirmed it's the PG. It fades back when I don't use any PG, and it returns quickly when I do.

@BigNasty , you know this, but a note for anyone else who reads it: I already had tinnitus from childhood. It didn't start from vaping. It used to be background noise I could ignore. ATM it is fairly extreme.
Nope in the same boat, chronic ear infections with drum rupturing a few times each ear.
Got worse with some gunfire without ear pro. Got really worse railroading at night not wearing ear plugs, those ninja silent rail cars can sneak up on you.
 

Spike64

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My doctor was thrilled when I replaced smoking with vaping...
 

normzilla

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Long time troll, 1st time poster.

I actually finally signed up to reply to this post.

When I saw my doc today we were talking about triggers to my reflux. He mentioned not smoking and doing the vape instead. I thought that was interesting. I denied I did either but he's right, the vape doesn't give me indigestion like cigars would.
 

Hey! it's just Ray...

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Back when I smoked I always had Tums or Rolaid's in arms reach anywhere I was. I quit smoking cigs then cigars and haven't needed either since. If I only knew my heart burn was due to smoking I would of quit years ago.
 

Steam Powered

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During my last DOT physical for my CDL (Commercial Drivers License) the doctor asked if I smoked and I said no I quit using vaping.
He said it's just as bad because it produces formaldehyde.
I called him an ignorant pill pusher and left before the physical was done. (us truckers ain't known for our good manners)
Time to find a new doctor.....
 

Joshua Iles

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Not totally sure on the drs logic about my friend and her asthma, but I think she said the doc told her it would open up her airways a bit so she could breathe easier.
 

Hey! it's just Ray...

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Back when I smoked I always had Tums or Rolaid's in arms reach anywhere I was. I quit smoking cigs then cigars and haven't needed either since. If I only knew my heart burn was due to smoking I would of quit years ago.
Really? No one agrees with cigs causing heartburn? Man for me fighting heartburn was like a fucked up active hobby for me to try and keep under control.

Man the mods I could buy if I had just the money back from the chewables and heartburn pills alone I bought back then! I could probably have the best shit gold plated for that matter I ain't bullshitting ya!

A good friend of mine is looking to getting back into this. He has a starter kit but bought juice from the little dumpy gas stations, same place he bought his cheap kit and for the lack of good flavors his vape stick is probably lost in his dash of his truck somewhere.

I'm gonna loan him a freshly loaded Egrip with the RBA for a day loaded with Mountain Due flavor with a fresh coil and rinse. He likes his M.D. and got excited to hear they have the flavor. I sampled it in the beginning and they nailed it too.

Anyway If you're still with me check this out. I want to have him drop in here. But I want to link him to a good thread full of good success stories from veteran smokers. Got a good thread recommendation? And he can run through other threads from there. Thanks
 
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AntDog

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Hey Ray I was a veteran smoker (started age 12, I'm 40 now). I quit literally over the course of one day. All it took was a good setup. My friend gave me an Aspire CF VV batt and an Aspire ET-S tank. He gave me some juice called "pond scum" that literally tastes just like Mountain Dew. He made me promise to try it when I ran outta smokes... I did, and I quit. Just like that. Easy peasy. And I knew I was never going back. That was last Christmas Eve.
 
I woke up this morning feeling like crap: fever, scratchy throat, but no coughing or runny nose. Obviously pharyngitis. But since I wasn't sure if it was strep throat or not, I decided to go see the doc. Only it's Saturday, and my family doctor doesn't work on Saturdays. So I went to the on-call physician - a nice lady near my place I had never been to before.

As she was checking me out, she asked the usual questions - where it hurt, when it started, whether I coughed... That sort of things. But then she popped the million dollar question:

"Do you smoke?"

"Not anymore."

"Oh yeah? when did you quit?"

"Year and a half ago."

I must have said it a bit too casual-like, because then she said:

"Aha! Lemme guess: you vape now, right?"

"Er... Yeah, how d'you know?"

"Dunno. Something about the way you answered me. I can always tell when someone's simply quit smoking or started vaping instead. There's a certain tone in their voice that tells me they've put smoking behind for good, that I only hear from people who haven't smoked for 20 years. But to be that nonchalant about it after only a year and a half? You must be vaping."

Interesting...

Anyhow, she wrapped up her physical, and sat down to write me a prescription. She said:

"Well, it's not strep throat. It's viral. You just have to wait it out. I'll just prescribe you lidocaine lozenges for the pain. Do you have menthol e-liquids?"

"Sure, why?" I replied, a little surprised.

"Because if you don't, I'll prescribe you sore throat spray. But if you have menthol e-liquid, vape that instead for a couple days, it's more effective." And she flashed me a big wink.

How great is that eh? My family doctor, and most other physicians I've met, usually have a rather positive outlook on vaping. But I've never met one that prescribes it to get better :)
 
I woke up this morning feeling like crap: fever, scratchy throat, but no coughing or runny nose. Obviously pharyngitis. But since I wasn't sure if it was strep throat or not, I decided to go see the doc. Only it's Saturday, and my family doctor doesn't work on Saturdays. So I went to the on-call physician - a nice lady near my place I had never been to before.

As she was checking me out, she asked the usual questions - where it hurt, when it started, whether I coughed... That sort of things. But then she popped the million dollar question:

"Do you smoke?"

"Not anymore."

"Oh yeah? when did you quit?"

"Year and a half ago."

I must have said it a bit too casual-like, because then she said:

"Aha! Lemme guess: you vape now, right?"

"Er... Yeah, how d'you know?"

"Dunno. Something about the way you answered me. I can always tell when someone's simply quit smoking or started vaping instead. There's a certain tone in their voice that tells me they've put smoking behind for good, that I only hear from people who haven't smoked for 20 years. But to be that nonchalant about it after only a year and a half? You must be vaping."

Interesting...

Anyhow, she wrapped up her physical, and sat down to write me a prescription. She said:

"Well, it's not strep throat. It's viral. You just have to wait it out. I'll just prescribe you lidocaine lozenges for the pain. Do you have menthol e-liquids?"

"Sure, why?" I replied, a little surprised.

"Because if you don't, I'll prescribe you sore throat spray. But if you have menthol e-liquid, vape that instead for a couple days, it's more effective." And she flashed me a big wink.

How great is that eh? My family doctor, and most other physicians I've met, usually have a rather positive outlook on vaping. But I've never met one that prescribes it to get better :)
 
I am glad I saw this post. My husband has strep I will bring home some menthol for him. Have you tried it yet and if so how strong menthol flavor did you need for relief. I have some mellow menthol and then some really strong menthol.
 

creeperfan5236

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I woke up this morning feeling like crap: fever, scratchy throat, but no coughing or runny nose. Obviously pharyngitis. But since I wasn't sure if it was strep throat or not, I decided to go see the doc. Only it's Saturday, and my family doctor doesn't work on Saturdays. So I went to the on-call physician - a nice lady near my place I had never been to before.

As she was checking me out, she asked the usual questions - where it hurt, when it started, whether I coughed... That sort of things. But then she popped the million dollar question:

"Do you smoke?"

"Not anymore."

"Oh yeah? when did you quit?"

"Year and a half ago."

I must have said it a bit too casual-like, because then she said:

"Aha! Lemme guess: you vape now, right?"

"Er... Yeah, how d'you know?"

"Dunno. Something about the way you answered me. I can always tell when someone's simply quit smoking or started vaping instead. There's a certain tone in their voice that tells me they've put smoking behind for good, that I only hear from people who haven't smoked for 20 years. But to be that nonchalant about it after only a year and a half? You must be vaping."

Interesting...

Anyhow, she wrapped up her physical, and sat down to write me a prescription. She said:

"Well, it's not strep throat. It's viral. You just have to wait it out. I'll just prescribe you lidocaine lozenges for the pain. Do you have menthol e-liquids?"

"Sure, why?" I replied, a little surprised.

"Because if you don't, I'll prescribe you sore throat spray. But if you have menthol e-liquid, vape that instead for a couple days, it's more effective." And she flashed me a big wink.

How great is that eh? My family doctor, and most other physicians I've met, usually have a rather positive outlook on vaping. But I've never met one that prescribes it to get better :)


I'd love a doctor to tell me to vape a sickness away. I recently had a sinus infection. Something is going around here. Everybody I know is getting sick like crazy.
 

Giraut

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I am glad I saw this post. My husband has strep I will bring home some menthol for him. Have you tried it yet and if so how strong menthol flavor did you need for relief. I have some mellow menthol and then some really strong menthol.

I usually vape my own menthol juice. It's basically nic base in which I dissolve menthol crystals until they won't dissolve anymore. Strong stuff - almost unvapeable in an RDA - but I like it that way.

But really any menthol juice does the trick. It doesn't take much menthol to unblock a stuffy nose and anethetize a scratchy throat :)
 

LanceK

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My doctor highly recommended I quit smoking cigs as I have developed lung problems.... I am vaping now, he said its a good "temporary" solution and I'm loving it!
 

Taajsgpm

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Everyone around my wife and I have been sick for the last few weeks. We both vape and I've been wondering if vaping could help fight colds and flu. Time will tell.
Vaping is the answer :) and there is no question that smoking is bad bad bad !!1
 

Brian Chen

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I'm still pretty young, and after reading these posts and glad I'm already quitting cigarettes. What is the highest level of nicotine I can get in my juices? I need to ween myself off the bad stuff
 

AmandaD

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I'm still pretty young, and after reading these posts and glad I'm already quitting cigarettes. What is the highest level of nicotine I can get in my juices? I need to ween myself off the bad stuff

It's not so much as the highest level you can get as much as the level you need! What/how much do you smoke at the moment? As an example, I smoked a pack a day for 40 years. I started on 18mg in cartos, immediately went to 12mg in a clearo and now vape between 6mg and 3mg in RDAs. You need enough that you don't have cravings but not so much you get nic sick - and that level varies pretty widely.
 

Brian Chen

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It's not so much as the highest level you can get as much as the level you need! What/how much do you smoke at the moment? As an example, I smoked a pack a day for 40 years. I started on 18mg in cartos, immediately went to 12mg in a clearo and now vape between 6mg and 3mg in RDAs. You need enough that you don't have cravings but not so much you get nic sick - and that level varies pretty widely.

Haha yea I will likely need to find whats best for me. I was smoking 5 packs a week for about 7 years, doing my research now before I completely cut myself off. I suppose I will start with the 12mg and if that doesn't satisfy my cravings I will go up to 18. Thank you for the help! Much appreciated :D
 

poco loco

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Haha yea I will likely need to find whats best for me. I was smoking 5 packs a week for about 7 years, doing my research now before I completely cut myself off. I suppose I will start with the 12mg and if that doesn't satisfy my cravings I will go up to 18. Thank you for the help! Much appreciated :D

And that will probably work. Good luck, you can do it. I quit after 35 years of over a pack a day with Ego Twists and Protanks. With the equipment available now, there would have been zero cravings. Even with the basically antique equipment, it was the easiest thing I've done and I had tried every possible method through the years.

Congrats on soon being able to breathe again!
 
Actually, you do put e-liquid in your ears - your inner ears, specifically: some of the vapor inevitably goes there from the Eustachian tubes.

Anyhow, the toxicity of vaped PG to the inner ear isn't a matter of speculation to me: I have cochlear damage from having had meningitis as a kid, that causes me to suffer from tinnitus. Whenever I vape PG, my tinnitus flares up. Plain and simple. And if you google around on the subject of PG and tinnitus, you'll quickly find out that many people experience the same symptoms.

Everybody's talking about the dangers of diacetyl, formaldehyde and acrolein. Personally, I'm convinced that 10 to 20 years from now, we'll see a catastrophic increase in auditory problems in vapers, entirely due to PG, and no-one seems to have latched onto this problem yet. Me, I know, and I stay clear the hell away from PG.

This is why I only smoke VG - tastes better and thicker smoke anyway! I have ear issues and I noticed very quickly that PG made my tinnitus worse (right ear has scarring from bad ear infections) VG also makes my throat allergies go away oddly enough.
 

Saddletramp1200

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My Doctor just bought another BMW. He said vaping is a better choice for me. He needs a lot of Office visits to keep me "Healthy'.
 

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