What do doctors think of electronic cigarettes?

[Deadcat2]

We of course know that long-term use of nicotine poses a small, a very small but non-zero risk of some cardiovascular diseases, so I suppose you could call that a side effect which is predictable for the long run, but that's a total risk which is down in the range of drinking coffee, nothing remotely similar to the risk from smoking cigarettes.

Switching to e-cigarettes with nicotine continued, can be expected to reduce lung cancer risk the same as altogether quitting cigarettes without e-cigarettes.

We have every reason to believe the hazard posed by electronic cigarettes would be much lower than 1% of that posed by [tobacco] cigarettes.

An electronic cigarette would have to be so toxic to even come close to what cigarettes do to you, I'm not sure what all the belly-aching is about....

The [FDA] analysis found that several of the cartridges contained detectable levels of nitrosamines. Detectable levels of nitrosamines. Yes, there are nitrosamines in tobacco. Yes, we think nitrosamines--which you're going to find in hot dogs and sausages--also might cause cancer, but not like cigarettes do!

They're going to have to beat me over the head to say it's anywhere near as dangerous as cigarettes....

Though it is likely that the health risks of long term use of e-cigarettes are negligible, whatever small risk there is, is beside the point. The point is that whatever risk there may be, that risk is so much smaller than that of smoking. Smoking has so many health risks that any article about e-cigarettes that ignores the comparison impedes the progress toward a healthier population."

Smokers smoke because they are addicted to nicotine in cigarettes, but it is the smoke, not the nicotine, which causes a long list of diseases, including lung cancer, heart disease, stroke and emphysema.

[Edwv30]

Great post! All that I know is I can "breathe" once again! I remember a few months after quitting smoking I woke up and took an actual "DEEP" breathe. I forgot what that felt like.... I can go outside on humid days, walk for miles without getting short of breath and no longer have that nasty cough. I don't believe vaping is 100% safe but it is much more safer than smoking. Thanks for the informative post!

[SnoopyFish]

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRr8KubdhCA&feature=player_embedded
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[CdnBison]

A family member is a cardiologist, and (although it's not scientific) their reaction has been purely positive. Basically, if you're not smoking, you're doing yourself a HUGE favor. Again, they weren't familiar with e-cigs, but the concept sounded WAY better to them than smoking - which makes up a HUGE percentage of their patient list.

[renstyle]

Sorry if I'm engaging in a forum 'faux pax' but I had a reply in a diff thread:

http://www.quitsmokingmessageboard.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=38248&p=406333#p406549

that I figured would be good to copy/paste here, if we shouldn't do that moving forward (either the link or c/p, feel free to correct me).
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My doctor, a small-town guy who is just about ready to retire (he delivered me and I'm pushing 35 to give you an idea), told me this:

"I don't really care what you do, just as long as you quit smoking the cigarettes". and further went on to say "If you get the soot and the smoke out of the equation, it will get the healing started". Asked me if I'd continue using the e-cigs once I'd gotten far enough away from the analogs, I told him I don't really know, with or without nic, maybe never? (being honest here). His answer to that: "Well, I've never smoked, so I've never spent money constantly on cigarettes, and I'm not sure how much this e-cig actually costs, but from what I've read (iterated the 4-5 ingredients), I can't exclude it as a way to get rid of smokes, ANYTHING to get you off the smokes". Then he held his hands up like Lady Justice with the scales and gave the standard common-sense retort: "If you are comparing SMOKE getting inhaled to your lungs" with (waves other hand) "nicotine vapor and some cake icing flavors, if that does it for you, I'm good with it".

I can quote this verbatim, since I saw him at his home this holiday weekend when I was visiting my grandmother.

There was also more banter about how much a "hobby" costs, and compared my continued use of an e-cig to his rock polishing hobby, which he has been doing for over 60 years. Has 3-4 polishers in his basement, and gives little bags of polished rocks to the over-3yo crowd at the office. I still have a bag from when I was a kid.

Doctors are practical around here in Iowa, they aren't on the "big pharma" payroll to a large extent (ok that was an over-generalization, but fits in my personal situation). Doc has watched over my hometown my entire life (and a decade or two before that) so he knows people that just won't quit smoking (and he knew I was one of those from past conversations).

[ScottinSoCal]

My doctor asked a lot of questions about mine, asked me to demonstrate it in her office, then called me a few days later on the phone and asked me where to buy one. She wanted to buy one for her husband.

[dls46711]

I just went to the docs today, and told him my hubby(who is also his patient) is on his 6th smoke free day, but he struggles with patches, but he's doing it. The doc asked me if hubby would be intereested in the ecig. I thought it was funny kinda with all our qsmb drama going on.

[Cil]

The doc asked me if hubby would be interested in the ecig. I thought it was funny kinda with all our qsmb drama going on.

That's quite encouraging to hear and I expect your Dr. is your family practitioner? So has a vested interest as a freind to keep your husband away from the cigs.
Is your husband looking as though he is going to rip off his patch and grab a cigarette, if that's the case then a PV (still hate calling them e-cigs) may be for him.

I was 6 days into, sigh, another attempt to stop using the gum when my wife purchased our first PV and I haven't looked back since that was 18 Months ago.

I still use my PV but with drastically lower Nic levels, and I love a cold beer in the evening whilst I'm cooking dinner and that's when I tend to use my PV.

[dls46711]

I think he is doing okay. If he really wanted to use it, i'd support him. But i did give my doctor this website. hopefully if he comes on, all our fighting is done, and we can look professional to him.

[Misday]

That may raise an eyebrow but to those of us involved in the fight to use these devices ever time a doctor approves of or recommends them is great news!

[renstyle]

I had the parents down this weekend for my little girls dance recital (pink and yellow taffeta, SO CUTE). Both parents still smoke cigs.

I stepped outside with Mom and Dad for their smoke break I pulled out my PV. Mine isn't a cig-lookalike, more like one of those keychain laser pointers with a tip on it size-wise (stainless steel RIVA+carto if you were curious). Started up a conversation with "does that thing really work for you? et al".

Mom is a RN, almost 40 years in the biz, started in OB but has turned into the "overnite everybody" since she has never worked a "day" in her life! She works at the heart center in Sioux City most days now, and related to me that for the patients still in the hospital recovering from OPEN HEART SURGERY and other heart ailments, somebody in management stepped in after one too many folks were getting belligerent with their 'forced smoking cessation' and offered a PV as a fill-in to get them thru the hospital stay (some of them are laid up 3-6 weeks). This was done with doctor's approval (the main docy she works with told her "It's about time!") Of the 20 patients they have currently, all of them have been much happier being able to vape in their hospital rooms. Granted this is a small town by some standards, but all of the patients they have had recently were also big time smokers, so it was 20 for 20 when I talked to her.

I gave her my older "cig-style" KR808 with a menthol carto to take to the recital for intermission, where she would normally have to "step out" which these days means half-a-block away from the school (tobacco free zone and all).

She gave it back after the recital when she was heading home and told me "Those things *really* feel realistic". Then it degenerated into a mechanics/upkeep line of questioning. I may be able to get her off cigs using one of these, especially if I can keep it simple. She can handle charging a cell phone each day, but not much more than that!

I was quite heartened by her reaction. She's quit smoking no less than a dozen times in my life, mostly cold turkey, sometimes for 6mos+, but then it always brought her back. I am concerned for her since she has had quiet 'wheezing' while breathing for prolly 5-6 years now. I hope she will be able to break away before the COPD settles in more permanently.

[Cil]

She gave it back after the recital when she was heading home and told me "Those things *really* feel realistic". Then it degenerated into a mechanics/upkeep line of questioning. I may be able to get her off cigs using one of these, especially if I can keep it simple. She can handle charging a cell phone each day, but not much more than that!

I think Bloog Maxxfusion or the new Volt (which I think is the same thing) are the new improved KR808D and you can also get the PCC that looks quite natty about the same size as an iPhone4.

I haven't used either of these as use a mod, but for ease of use and simplicity they look pretty goods.

[renstyle]

I've got one of the "standard" KR808 PCCs that have the spots for 2 cartos, seems to work pretty well for what it is. Something like this with two batts could keep her happy at work. It's hard to tell what would be a long-term solution for her. Personally I think she will need/want something more robust when she is at home like an eGo or other larger capacity device, but we will take small steps and find out where they go.

She's never gonna be a dripper that's for sure, just a new carto. The refilling talk/debate will be interesting, will test her limits of how much rigamarole she is willing to deal with to be off cigs.

The bloog I've seen, pretty slick. Will have to check the pricing on one of those, I too have heard they are quite effective.

[MIZZOU]

From what I see, without meaningful studies, physician groups and academies are sitting on the fence.

[Cil]

From what I see, without meaningful studies, physician groups and academies are sitting on the fence.

Yep, you are correct in the main, but some of the more pragmatic are suggesting that these be used as a final resort if people can't stop smoking using other methods.