E-Cigs And Blood Pressure

[PapaBloog]

I recently had an interesting set of events regarding personal health I thought might be of interest to some.

I'm your typical Type A workoholic. My wife who is extremely interested in the body statistics and measurements (BP, pulse, triglycerides, LDL, HDL, weight, height... to name a few) - of her immediate family, very diligently forces me and my three kids to participate in 'wellness' examinations. So, in July 2010, I was due for a check up from the neck down. Other than a high triglyceride level - all of my other chemicals were in balance. But, my Blood Pressure came in a >tad< too high, 130/90 - Not enough to cause panic but, enough to have the doctor wanting me in for the next few weeks to have my BP rechecked (which, of course, I didn't make time for...)

Months later, I began vaping, weeks after that I gave up smoking altogether and now only vape. So, we go to the Von's pharmacy and wouldn't you know it? There's a body statistic machine (community BP tester) available free of charge. So, wife insists that if I have no time for the doc - to start using this out of convenience. I almost fell out of the chair when I saw the results: 160/110, and 140/102 after a few deep breaths and meditation in my "happy place". This, a full month and 1/2 after I had put the real cigs down.

So, I'm a dead-man-walking, can't see the doctor during the last week of the year between X-mas and new year; all docs are out of town. Force my way into the doc's office on Monday (playing my July appointment trump card) - and had my BP tested. It was 116/78 -

This taught me a few lessons: 1) DON'T trust "free" community services, and 2) Since I began vaping, I've had the BEST BP level in years - straight down the middle normal.

So, since conversion:

2. My sleeping 'wheeze' is gone.

3. My morning hack is gone.

4. My energy level is higher

5. I can take full, deep breaths now

6. My blood pressure is perfect

7. My sense of smell is back; and gawd, after smelling current analog users, can't believe I used to stink that bad...

8. My sense of taste is returning, not, returning, not, returning

Anyone else experience life changing physical benefit after turning vaper and quitting smoking?

Edited January 6, 2011 by PapaBloog

[juliery]

those automatic blood pressure machines are totally unreliable....even the not free ones. My husband and I had a wellness exam...our insurance made us do it, even though I go to numerous doctors on a regular basis because I have a number of chronic health problems...nothing affected or connected with smoking and/or vaping. So they take my blood pressure with the machine a couple times and it was crazy high like yours was. So the nurse asks me if I normally run a high blood pressure, NOPE, I run a VERY low blood pressure...like normally my doctors take it manually repeatedly and joke am I sure I am alive??? So the nurse says....the automatic ones are very unreliable on ppl who run low BP....they just have a hard time registering something out of the norm on the low level. Stupid. So she retakes it and my BP is 80/50 retook it again manually and it is even lower.

[JayH503]

I bought a few small blood pressure units when I was taking care of my Mother. None of them worked worth a S**T for us. The machines at Walmart are a little better, when they are working at all. Usually went in to the doctors office and had her's checked out, to be safe. I just went to Urgent Care Sunday morning for a pinched nerve in my hand that was killing me. Got pain killers and a shot for the pain plus anti-inflammatory pills. Also found out my BP was 166/99 so they put me on med's for that as well. I think that vaping does cause an increase in blood pressure.

[PapaBloog]

I think that vaping does cause an increase in blood pressure.

I was leaning towards believing this too - but, found otherwise. However, some other info I've gotten on this -

Nicotine is a 'vasoconstrictor' -- e.g., it is a stimulant that constricts the blood vessels. But, as with all stimulants, the effects are temporary and, according to the Chief of Staff at the UCLA Medical Center, " ... there is no documented medical evidence that nicotine alone has lasting or permanent physiological effects...". Are you currently smoking analogs in conjunction with your vaping or vaping only as a complete substitute? [edit: Doh! I just saw your analog free counter] Also, what mg level do you use and how much in terms of ml do you vape daily?

I'm trying to draw a correlation between my pre- and post-analog usage days to determine possible benefit of the transition to e-cigs.

Edited January 6, 2011 by PapaBloog

[owutaqt]

Some people just have HBP, it is the way they are. My dad quit smoking 30 yrs ago and is on 5 different meds for blood pressure, so I don't think it is ALL related only to smoking.

Remember smoking is only ONE variable to a healthier life. Eating right, working out and taking general good care of ourselves is also needed.

I did have better lung function with vaping then I did before when I smoked, but my blood pressure runs a little bit high and it did when I smoked too.

[cheshyl]

I have found out that vaping has caused my bp to go down. It was running about 140/90 and now, taken at three different doctor's offices it has been right at 100/65, that's about what it was when I was in my 30s and I'm now in my 60s.

[Ellynn99]

Yeah I used to be a CNA and those automatic BP machines are crappy. Manual ones with someone who knows how to take a proper BP is your best bet.

I have heard that Nicotine can cause your BP to increase, but the fact that I am no longer coughing in the morning and that I can breathe better makes me believe that this is a healthier alternative for me.

And yes, now that I can "smell" again, I cannot believe I smelled that bad when smoking analogs. I was a heavy smoker. Glad thats over with. Vaping is so much better!

[gmf1]

I've only been vapeing for a short time but i'm feeling much better, i can breath all the way in without pain now, don't have gunk in my throat in the morning and can smell a bit better, and yea can't believe how bad i smelt... My workmate smoked for a few weeks after i got mine, and i could smell it when he went for a smoke even outside, he's vapeing too now Our work has a smoke free policy (which we ignored) and for the first time in 3 years it actually is smoke free!

[juliery]

Some people also suddenly develop BP issues, due to age and other factors. My dad NEVER smoked, and was about the healthiest person I knew. At 70 he was running 10 miles a day, even in the freezing cold and snow. The ONLY time he didn't was if it was icy. But then he ran indoors on a treadmill. He had always run a very low BP and donated blood every two months, and of course they take your BP, so he was having it checked frequently. One day hours after running he said he was feeling a little short of breath. The next day he said he had a nagging pain in his chest. Long story short I insisted he go to the ER, his BP was was 220/160....three days later he had a quintuple bypass. He now takes hypertension meds. Five years later, and Monday I am bringing him for an angiogram....he went for his normal 6 month stress test and they found two areas of concern. He could be looking at surgery...either stints or another bypass. Sometimes your previous lifestyle, eating habits, age just catches up to you. Hard to tell if it is necessarily related to nicotine or any other single factor. Could be weight, could be narrowing of the arteries, could be a lot of things. I have been vaping for almost a year, my BP has remained very low, abnormally so, if it now suddenly increases I wouldn't think it was from vaping. I would assume it is because I am pushing 50 and this is a common age for such issues to arise. It all depends on a person's lifestyle, past and present, not just one factor. Just like 3 years ago I suddenly had high cholesterol...I hadn't had any change in diet, actually my diet is VERY restricted because I have digestive problems and chronic health problems. NOTHING had changed in my life....time just caught up with me. Six months earlier my cholesterol had been fine, suddenly it was terrible....age does some nasty things to our bodies, along with genetics and our past. There are just so many factors that play into BP and many other health issues. Of course anyone could have an adverse reaction to anything, even things they previously didn't have a problem with. But most doctors will tell you that high BP is rarely caused by one issue, it is usually caused by multiple factors. I have quite a few friends my age, all with high BP, even those who were never smokers and don't vape, just suddenly they are running a high bp, due to a variety of reasons and some cases no identifiable reason, sometimes simply genetics, they have parents who had high BP and now they do too. Just so hard to know. BUT, if I was REALLY worried, I would do my best to lower my nicotine consumption as much as possible or try to quit altogether...okay, I take it back, I would have to be really sick in order to actually stop vaping. Maybe get to the 6 mg level, maybe, LOL

[AARONH]

Well...being in the car biz for 24 years,(high stress business) Soo, I ck my BP on a regular basis for the last few years.. My 10 year avg I would say was around 125-130 over 85-90.......been vaping for about 56 days now, just cked it, at got two readings today of 107/68 and a 117/74 in different parts of the day.....Meh?....I don't know, but it seems to be working for me!

[juliery]

It didn't affect mine either way, but I wonder IF the ppl where it is higher are vaping in more nic than they were smoking....which would lead me to believe they should possible get lower MG juice, etc. That is what I would do anyway. I have been vaping a year and go to several drs every 90 days, so basically every month I am at some dr and they all take my BP. If it were to suddenly increase now I don't believe it would be associated with vaping...probably more of an age/family history issue being as I am nearly 48 and and my dad had a quint bypass, no heart attack thank God and both my parents have high BP as well as my maternal grandfather who had high bp and a stroke at 72. So there are so many other issues that affect BP. To me the BP would have to begin increasing immediately after starting vaping. Plus since nicotine leaves your body in a relatively short time span you could easily take BP immediately after vaping, then not vape for an hour or due any other activity which would increase your BP and then take it again. If it goes down when removing the nic, then perhaps it is caused by the vaping, in which case I would lower my nic level. Which with liquid I already own I would just cut it with pg or vg, and from then on order a lower level. I highly doubt after 30 yrs of smoking I will suddenly do some tremendous damage with vaping, that wouldn't have happened due to other factors anyway. Just my opinion. I mean people who have never smoked or vaped or aren't overweight etc have high BP....both my parents fall into this category. At the time when my dad had the bypass, SEVENTY years old was running 5-10 miles a day. Up till that point he ran a low BP just like I always have. Sometimes it happens for no reason at all, other than over time our bodies become less efficient. That is aging for ya.

[VikaMaya]

I haven't heard any news as such up till now. Does Electric Cigarette effect the heart of an individual......

[PapaBloog]

I haven't heard any news as such up till now. Does Electric Cigarette effect the heart of an individual......

Hey Vika - I've been doing hours upon hours of research on this and cannot find any harmful side-effects of e-cigarette use - that is - IF the prefilled carts/cartos or the e-juice used follows the unwritten standards that suppliers attempt to adhere to.

If the ingredients include no more than PG (Propylene Glycol), water, and flavorings, then - I believe (at least in faith) that there are no harmful side effects. PG in an of itself becomes nothing more than an inert gas (like helium) that when heating (vaporized) dissipates rapidly. PG has already been proven to have zero negative impact on human physiology. Nicotine, on the other hand, is a vaso-constrictor - which means that it stimulates the blood system and could reduce blood flow - which could potentially affect the heart. Nicotine, however, once inhaled and absorbed, has only temporary effects and, once it has been expelled from the system, has no lingering or documented long-term side effects.

On the other hand, some e-juices use a PG/VG (Vegetable Glycerin) blend or are 100% VG. I have not been able to find any data support that supports the safety of VG although, pharma-grade VG is widely accepted as not harmful for human "consumption" to mean imbibed orally. Have not seen any studies on the effects of inhaling VG.

So, I think not, to answer your question, however, if it does, the effects are most likely temporary.