I used an E Cig today, I'm a bit worried

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Enzo2311

New member
AlLight, so my friend is trying to quit normal cigs, so to help him his parents got him some e cigs with different flavors. He said I should try it, and I thought why not. It's just nicotine and water vapor with some flavoring. And I kinda liked it, throughout the day, I was using it here and there. I took maybe 6-10 "hits" from his e cig.

strangely, it's like I can taste the smoke in my mouth and I haven't had it for like, 10 hours or so. But that's not the problem.

Im just worried, that its done damage to my lungs. Probably, whenever I go to his house, I'm gonna use his e cigs every once in a while, like one time a week or so.

I didn't do it under pressure, cause he's offered me his normal cig before and I said no. I was just curious. So how bad was it for my lungs? FYI, I haven't had a treatment for about 4 days, which I guess is good considering I wouldn't have inhaled as much of the e cig.
 
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MMBinNC

New member
E-Cigs are a vapor-based product. Therefore, it is not harmful to your lungs. The taste and nicotine are probably what you tasted/experienced. You are fine.
 
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stephen

Guest
They "may" not be harmfull to your lungs - BUT I sure would not say you are fine!

Why would you want to get addicted to nicotine?
 
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Enzo2311

New member
stephen said:
They "may" not be harmfull to your lungs - BUT I sure would not say you are fine!

Why would you want to get addicted to nicotine?
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i wouldn't use it much, and you can't get addicted if you don't use it for several days cause it takes days for you to become addicted. Even if I was addicted to it, I would have to quit that addiction pretty quick cause I would have no way of getting nicotine. And it's not like I'd want to get addicted, I've always been against cigarettes.
 
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Gammaw

Super Moderator
Don't use it. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance. Although there may be no smoke to damage your lungs, there is nicotine. Don't think for a minute you won't become addicted! Smokers didn't become addicted to the smoke. They had a cigarette or two. Then another a few days later. Maybe a few weeks later. Then another .....and then they increased the frequency as their addiction to NICOTINE grew insidiously. Stop it. Now while you can. By the way, what kind of friend offers a cigarette to CFers? Someone who wants company in their addiction. Give him company and supportI as he tries to quit instead.
 
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2005CFmom

Super Moderator
You're worried that it might do damage to your lungs, yet you still plan on using it? Sounds like the beginning of a mental addiction. Once a week usage might not cause physical addiction, but mental addiction is different. Anyway, I am no expert on addiction, but that was the first thing I thought of.

Another thought is transplant. I don't know what stage your CF is in or if you will even be considering transplant. But I would think that part of the blood tests prior to approval would be a drug screen. I doubt you would qualify for a transplant if you have nicotine in your system, even if you tried to explain if was from E cigs. What if it is more addicting than you think, and can't just stop when the time comes. Just another thought to consider before you go down the E cig road.
 
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Enzo2311

New member
Gammaw said:
Don't use it. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance. Although there may be no smoke to damage your lungs, there is nicotine. Don't think for a minute you won't become addicted! Smokers didn't become addicted to the smoke. They had a cigarette or two. Then another a few days later. Maybe a few weeks later. Then another .....and then they increased the frequency as their addiction to NICOTINE grew insidiously. Stop it. Now while you can. By the way, what kind of friend offers a cigarette to CFers? Someone who wants company in their addiction. Give him company and supportI as he tries to quit instead.
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he doesn't really understand CF and if his parents found out he would get those taken away and be in big trouble. He didnt pressure me.
2005CFmom said:
You're worried that it might do damage to your lungs, yet you still plan on using it? Sounds like the beginning of a mental addiction. Once a week usage might not cause physical addiction, but mental addiction is different. Anyway, I am no expert on addiction, but that was the first thing I thought of.

Another thought is transplant. I don't know what stage your CF is in or if you will even be considering transplant. But I would think that part of the blood tests prior to approval would be a drug screen. I doubt you would qualify for a transplant if you have nicotine in your system, even if you tried to explain if was from E cigs. What if it is more addicting than you think, and can't just stop when the time comes. Just another thought to consider before you go down the E cig road.
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I'm not near a transplant. How long does it take to get out of the blood?
 
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Gammaw

Super Moderator
Do you feel uncomfortable telling your friend that you can't smoke? Or that you don't want to smoke? Can you say its too expensive and you want to spend the money on something else? Or just tell him that if you smoke it sticks to your lungs like glue? Or just tell him it tastes like an ashtray! Yuk! Don't smoke. Addiction is horrid. You will become addicted to nicotine. When you think you can just quit when you need to, it will be too late. If it was so easy to just quit, your friend would have some it by now! Chew gum! Stick a pencil, a straw, or a stick in your mouth to play with and make it your signature. Not cigarettes.
 
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LittleLab4CF

Super Moderator
Just like CF is a genetic condition, addictive potential is in your genes. Think of the most pathetic person and likely he/she has one or more addictions. Nicotine, downers, uppers, alcohol, meth, crack, sugar, fat and salt are as habit forming as water. Enzo, you have great curiosity and will be an expert CF manager very soon.

About the only way I have seen with inractible habits is choosing the least harmful addiction that satisfies an uncratchable itch. If I recall, you are in school and as such underage for nicotine. I have seen this go either way. Kids 13-18 often get pot and nicotine experiments out of their systems by seventeen or so. If that fails you begin acquiring small primates as pets. These are monkeys best avoided. The best response to addictive drugs is to avoid taking them. The ONLY reason I never smoked tobacco or shot up heroin is the very real fear that I would really like the drug(s). E cigs are ecconomical compared to cigarettes and nearly harmless

Like you, I went a little nuts with lots of posts when I joined this site. As far as I'm concerned a hundred good questions are good. My many long posts were however replies, not topic posts or questions. One, two and even three questions a day may not give inerested people time to respond. A good question is a good question so keep with those great observations.

LL
 
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Gammaw

Super Moderator
Ok. I keep seeing well meaning statements that e-cigs are harmless. That's what they said about cigarettes long ago. But I don't mean to suggest e-cigs are as harmful as cigarettes. The smoke in cigarettes is horrible for you and it doesn't exist in e-cigs. But the vapor does in fact contain more than water. Although they haven't studied or analyzed e-cigs much, I would not assume the vapor is harmless. But let's pretend it is. You are still dealing with nicotine. A highly addictive substance. Why would anyone want to create an addiction? An addiction is when you have an uncontrollable craving for something. You will do crazy things to satisfy it. You "need" it. It controls you! Not the other way around. That is the definition of addiction. E-cigs will create an addiction to nicotine. You will want it. It will control YOU and you absolutely cannot believe that you will be able to control it yourself and forget about them when you want. It is not like turning off a switch.
I smoked for many years, starting as a teen because my friends smoked. I really thought I could quit anytime. Absolutely not true. It was the most difficult thing I did in my life. I quit because a little CFer was born and I preferred being with him rather than having a cigarette. But it took a lot of effort and time to quit. My husband had a similar story. But it was harder for him to quit and he has used e-cigs - and continues to use them. For him, a highly addicted smoker, e-cigs were a blessing. But they still have nicotine and he still wishes he didn't need them. . . .
Dont even go there Enzo. I care too much about you. You will be so glad you avoided them a few years from now. They will do nothing for you that is good. Please.
 
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LittleLab4CF

Super Moderator
I re-read your e-cig topic post. The small print on the box of nicotine cartridges, usually four, are the eqivelent of two cartons of cigarette of their stongest blend. That "puff" was a good portion of a cigarette. A whole cartridge is 100 regular cigs man!!!

LL
 
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Gammaw

Super Moderator
Hi LL. Those e cig cartridges are meant to be reused. Each cartridge is not meant to last only as long as a single cigarette. Each cartridge is the equivalent of several packs or more. When you "light" it, you puff vapor for awhile, presumably as long as u would a cigarette and turn it off. Then you light the same one later when you want another. Eventually they run out and you use a mother cartridge. But they can be considerably stronger - there is no regulation and each manufacturer does what they want. There can be great variation in the strength from brand to brand an d even from cartridge to cartridge within the same brand. It is liquid nicotine. And according to an FDA study they sometimes contain other chemicals including carcinogens. They do not seem to contain the hundreds of noxious chemicals found in cigarette smoke. But they are NOT mountain spring water! It is liquid nicotine and chemicals. It is a less worrisome choice for those addicted to nicotine. But it is absolutely addictive, just like nicotine, alcohol, and street drugs can be addictive.
 
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robbiekay

New member
ok so doesnt your friend know you have cf? he shouldn't be offering you cigs of any kind . but dont worry to much it is vapor, I quit smoking using e-cigs about 4years ago, before they were the rage everyone laughed at my toy cig but now look. any ways my husband is now trying to quit smoking using e-cigs and has offered me a hit crazy but it is the nicotine I dont want to get readapted or addicted to rite. my advice to you is dont do it quitting is a b.... I dont have cf but my son does which made it even worse.
 
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LittleLab4CF

Super Moderator
Thanks for the information. I do understand that the cartridges are multiple use. The deceptive element to this is 1 e-cig cartridge = 1 normal cigarette, right? NOT!!! But guess who's thinking that e-cigs are supposed be one for one? Yah every person who doesn't really want to know.

LL
 
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azdesertrat

New member
Nicotine use for a person with CF is a bad idea, no matter what the delivery vehicle is. Nicotine constricts blood vessels & can speed heart rate. When your body is already stressed because of CF, you just don't need another stress. I would think using an e-cig, a regular cigarette or chewing tobacco is a very bad idea. And, as already said, nicotine is VERY addictive. Its your choice- its your body. Just sayin'. My advice is probably worth exactly what you paid for it.
 
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