I have Long covid, and sensitive lungs. Vaping, esp through a water pipe, would that be safe?

[nervousnonbeanie]

So, back at the beginning of 2023 I caught the worst fucking bug of my life and experienced a series of colds for 3 months, one of which I'm fairly certain was covid. I've dealt with the effects of this post-viral condition for close to two years now, and while I've gotten many of the symptoms fairly well managed, my life was still completely changed. I'm semi-housebound, unable to work, deal with chronic pain and chronic fatigue, as well as frequent brain fog and IBS symptoms. My lungs also took a hit, and I went from casually smoking weed and cigarettes to breaking into coughing fits anytime I was near any kind of smoke. So I switched to using edibles.

In the last 6 months though, my lungs seem to have gotten tougher. I started taking a supplement, NAC, which helps a lot with the sensitivity of my lungs and asthma-like symptoms I used to experience. When I was visiting friends I recently discovered I can tolerate bong hits without breaking into coughing fits, although they do leave my throat feeling a bit raw. I've been smoking joints for the last few weeks and really enjoying it, but my lungs are definitely starting to take a toll.

I've been considering investing in a dry herb vaporizer, probably connected to a water pipe/bong to be able to smoke again. "Why not edibles?" Well, I love edibles, but it's really hard to get high quickly with them, and really easy to get too high from them. So I'm looking at Vapes again.

So my question is, is there anyone out there with a similar experience and advice? I'm also doing some mild research on vapes, and so far the Arizer air max seems to be my best bet. My budget is $300 CAD. Will probably go and ask for a recc post as well.

 

[florduh]

Do you have access to concentrates? Some find low temp, water filtered dabs to be less harsh on the lungs. You can take micro-dabs as well. $300 is more than enough for a great dabbing setup.

If you're set on flower, any vaporizer ran through water will be much more comfortable than a combustion bong hit.

 

[green68beetle]

I got covid several months ago and am still coughing. Unfortunately while vaping is better than smoking it still irritates my throat causing me to cough more. I assume I have long covid and my doc believes I do. The thing covid seems to have done is trigger asthma that I had not had issues with for over a decade, so I'm also back on a puffer.

One thing I have noticed is that I own a volcano and tinymight. The volcano bags cause much less issue than the tinymight so I'd go for something with a bag. If you can afford it the volcano is excellent. My volcano classic is very basic but nothing has gone with it for 15 years (touch wood). Good luck, long covid is no joke.

 

[Ramahs]

I've had the flu and other colds and sicknesses plenty of time in my vaping career. I never really stopped my vaping when I was sick, including when I had covid in the last year. I never had any downsides, except for irritating my already irritated throat and lungs a bit more...but no cons that outweighed the pros.

 

[eyevape]

@nervousnonbeanie I just recently experienced that for me smoking is the main reason for coughing while vaping. My vaping career started 2.5+ years ago, but I was still smoking joints and cigarettes. Always wondered how all those guys in the videos are able to take these huge hits and keep talking without coughing the shit out.

I’m a heavy smoker for 25+ years, always thinking that my lungs would take decades to recover, if ever. This may be true though, but the effects on vaping change drastically after only two days of not smoking. The same applies the other way around, as only one joint will make you cough from vapor the next day.

I wasn’t able to stop nicotine though but I switched to tobacco vaping sticks two weeks ago. I stopped combustion then and now I’m vaping recklessly as I’ve never been close to be able to. Small and big bongs, hot stems, extensive and excessive draws, I just don’t mind. My Venty session time turned down from 10 minutes to around 3. TM2 beast mode native hit? I’m in, gimme another! My always golden AVB turned near black.

I didn’t vape before I got Covid, so I can’t compare. Also I don’t suffer from non ignorable post Covid problems. But maybe my situation applies to you anyway, as stopping combustions turned my baby lungs to leather lungs so quickly. Hope this helps. Get well soon

 

[186°]

Wrote a personal message to the thread starter, I copy&paste part of it (some advice, without the personal health stuff) here for everyone:

Vaping cannabis and trying out different devices and techniques can be a really nice hobby. My advice would be to buy one well-known standard device to get a feel for what vaping basically is, how it should taste, what colour the so-called AVB (already vaped bud) comes out etc.. When you have a feel for it, and read through this forum, you want to try out more and may develop your own taste and style. Generally I would say buy good not cheap, but after many years I added a water piece adapter to my first very cheap battery vaporizer and it's so nice to have this now for bong rips (so called Fenix Mini, also Wolkenkraft in Europe; it has many names and the old model goes for around 80 €).
I barely use my battery-driven devices anymore and am now collecting beautiful wooden artisan vapes (like the Vapman or the Lotus). The Lotus is great for glass pieces and bongs and easy to learn. As long as you don't overheat, the Vapman is very smooth and a great microdoser, but it has a learning curve and I wouldn't recommend for beginners. But I'd say a must-have for every enthusiast. A guy who tried mine a few weeks ago, who wasn't much into vaping, said with wide opened eyes that it was like "breathing the pure essence of cannabis". Generally I wouldn't say that vaping through water is less harsh as you will probably put a lot more vapor in your lungs at once (maybe you are actually looking for this harsh feeling, many smokers miss it when vaping). But the most irritating thing (for the lungs and throat) in the vapor are dust particles, those are responsible for the long-lasting coughs, IMO. You get the dust out by vaping through water or by longer airpaths. Also by a mouth-to-lung sipping technique, not ripping directly down the whole vapor stream to the lungs. The best way to take care of your lungs is by pacing yourself (as for Long Covid) and not relying on the device. Get yourself used to smaller hits and smaller doses and insist for the sake of your health on really good cannabis.

All the best!
Ciao

 

[darkstar72]

I recommend a log vape if you like herb. Like underdog vapes. Way better than a joint for reducing smoke in the lungs and tastes better. You can micro or mini dose easy while still getting high and going easy on the lungs. It’s efficient. With a bong or jhook the temp on the back of the throat can be greatly reduced. Doesn’t break easy, is small, no batteries or electronics to die. Should last a long time. Mainly convection.

 

[nervousnonbeanie]

Do you have access to concentrates? Some find low temp, water filtered dabs to be less harsh on the lungs. You can take micro-dabs as well. $300 is more than enough for a great dabbing setup.

If you're set on flower, any vaporizer ran through water will be much more comfortable than a combustion bong hit.

I do, but I'm also quite the lightweight
I remember as a teen my friend introducing me to dabs and they sent me to the moon. My tolerance is still the same, roughly. I'm more interested in using cannabis medicinally for pain and anxiety management. I plan on getting some sort of water setup to run my vape through!

I got covid several months ago and am still coughing. Unfortunately while vaping is better than smoking it still irritates my throat causing me to cough more. I assume I have long covid and my doc believes I do. The thing covid seems to have done is trigger asthma that I had not had issues with for over a decade, so I'm also back on a puffer.

One thing I have noticed is that I own a volcano and tinymight. The volcano bags cause much less issue than the tinymight so I'd go for something with a bag. If you can afford it the volcano is excellent. My volcano classic is very basic but nothing has gone with it for 15 years (touch wood). Good luck, long covid is no joke.

Volcano is sadly out of my budget but thank you for the suggestion! And yeah, long covid sucks but I've been very lucky in many regards. I've been able to adjust my life to it, and I'm trying to get on disability. A lot of people wind up stuck in a room unable to tolerate light and sound - I consider myself lucky in that I'm only semi-housebound from it at this point. Just a lot of lifestyle changes.

@nervousnonbeanie I just recently experienced that for me smoking is the main reason for coughing while vaping. My vaping career started 2.5+ years ago, but I was still smoking joints and cigarettes. Always wondered how all those guys in the videos are able to take these huge hits and keep talking without coughing the shit out.

I’m a heavy smoker for 25+ years, always thinking that my lungs would take decades to recover, if ever. This may be true though, but the effects on vaping change drastically after only two days of not smoking. The same applies the other way around, as only one joint will make you cough from vapor the next day.

I wasn’t able to stop nicotine though but I switched to tobacco vaping sticks two weeks ago. I stopped combustion then and now I’m vaping recklessly as I’ve never been close to be able to. Small and big bongs, hot stems, extensive and excessive draws, I just don’t mind. My Venty session time turned down from 10 minutes to around 3. TM2 beast mode native hit? I’m in, gimme another! My always golden AVB turned near black.

I didn’t vape before I got Covid, so I can’t compare. Also I don’t suffer from non ignorable post Covid problems. But maybe my situation applies to you anyway, as stopping combustions turned my baby lungs to leather lungs so quickly. Hope this helps. Get well soon

Thank you for the anecdote! My lovely girlfriend chucked my cigs out a week ago for me, so they're no longer near me. I was smoking one or two a week, but they were definitely making things worse.

Wrote a personal message to the thread starter, I copy&paste part of it (some advice, without the personal health stuff) here for everyone:

Vaping cannabis and trying out different devices and techniques can be a really nice hobby. My advice would be to buy one well-known standard device to get a feel for what vaping basically is, how it should taste, what colour the so-called AVB (already vaped bud) comes out etc.. When you have a feel for it, and read through this forum, you want to try out more and may develop your own taste and style. Generally I would say buy good not cheap, but after many years I added a water piece adapter to my first very cheap battery vaporizer and it's so nice to have this now for bong rips (so called Fenix Mini, also Wolkenkraft in Europe; it has many names and the old model goes for around 80 €).
I barely use my battery-driven devices anymore and am now collecting beautiful wooden artisan vapes (like the Vapman or the Lotus). The Lotus is great for glass pieces and bongs and easy to learn. As long as you don't overheat, the Vapman is very smooth and a great microdoser, but it has a learning curve and I wouldn't recommend for beginners. But I'd say a must-have for every enthusiast. A guy who tried mine a few weeks ago, who wasn't much into vaping, said with wide opened eyes that it was like "breathing the pure essence of cannabis". Generally I wouldn't say that vaping through water is less harsh as you will probably put a lot more vapor in your lungs at once (maybe you are actually looking for this harsh feeling, many smokers miss it when vaping). But the most irritating thing (for the lungs and throat) in the vapor are dust particles, those are responsible for the long-lasting coughs, IMO. You get the dust out by vaping through water or by longer airpaths. Also by a mouth-to-lung sipping technique, not ripping directly down the whole vapor stream to the lungs. The best way to take care of your lungs is by pacing yourself (as for Long Covid) and not relying on the device. Get yourself used to smaller hits and smaller doses and insist for the sake of your health on really good cannabis.

All the best!
Ciao

Thank you! I feel like you actually understood a sentiment in my post that I was having trouble/feeling shy about expressing. I used to vape cannabis when I was younger with a pax, and it was super lovely. I thoroughly enjoyed the ritual of cleaning it. I think I see myself getting one of the arizer vapes and running it through a water piece, something with a few diffusers/percs perhaps. Will respond to your DM!