Vaping, giving me asthmatic reaction.... Pollen Filter?

[Profit]

So I've been vaping for just over two years now started with a Plenty from Storz and Bickle but eventually got really sick when using it. The only way I can describe it is that my lungs seemed to become more restricted. I could breath but only just and it lasted over a day sometimes a little more. This is a scary feeling I have to admit.

I put this down to two things, possibly the heat of the vapor itself and the vaporizer being fairly dirty. I replaced my Plenty with a Volcano knowing that the balloon would give me an easier cleaning route and probably give the vapor some time to cool. I also purchased a bong which I used for a while but it didn't seem to help my problem.

So without boring you too much I can vape fine for weeks on end with little to know signs of respiratory stress and then out of no-where I get this sudden and horrid lung tightness. After doing my own research I think this is signs of an allergy. Allergic Asthma triggered by using the vaporizer, possibly over a longer period of time. These allergic reactions can sometimes take a couple of days to kick in. Sometimes happen instantly.

This week I got another nice strain which has clearly been made really well and vaped it for two days and became really sick. I gave myself a few days break and cleaned out the vape and after doing some reading decided to use some tights over the mouth piece to attempt to filter any stray pollen. This seems to have helped as the same strain is causing little to no reaction, perhaps a very minor one.

So what I'm trying to work out, is what gives a certain strain more pollen than another? What conditions reduce or remove this excess pollen? Is there a filter I could buy and put over the mouth piece that would be more practical than using an extra layer of tights? Does water filtration really reduce the amount of pollen in a vapor stream? Does anyone have experience having similar reactions?

Before anyone points at COPD or other illnesses. I don't get this when I don't vape. I went on holiday for two weeks and felt amazing the whole time. As soon as I got back and vaped for a couple of days I got this extreme reaction. This reaction can come and go but usually happens with certain plants. I would really like to know from experienced growers what indicates the amount of pollen on a plant?

 

[Tweak]

I would really like to know from experienced growers what indicates the amount of pollen on a plant?

I'm thinking that only male plants and hermies create pollen.

Have you tried....gasp.... combusting the same strain to see if causes issues?

If I where you I'd always use a water pipe. After seeing what ends up on my screen filters I wonder how unhealthy it is to suck in plant debris.

But yeah I've found SS screens let the most air-flow and are easily cleaned but the tights/hose is much finer and would do a better job.

 

[Profit]

Hi thanks for the reply.
Yes I have tried combustion of the same strain over a few days. I got the usual problems I had with smoking with some minor chest congestion but not the same intense difficulty to breath. I've considered mold and other problems but have no real way of testing them. I've smoked for quite some time and visited Amsterdam a few times. The bud you can buy in Amsterdam isn't as clean and fresh tasting as this. But what I've noticed is that even though I'm using two screens on my Volcano bowl after only four draws the amount of pollen on the inside of the intake valve was high. I think it's unhealthy for those who have asthmatic tenancies. My Father was a chronic asthmatic and my brother has allergies. I don't think that mold is the cause of my problems but I have no real way of ruling it out. I may have to quit the herb altogether which would probably be for the best but would be a bit of a shame !

Does anyone have better ideas than tights?

What sort of water pipe should I get? Is there any actual evidence that it helps?

Has anyone else had similar problems?

 

[capcoho]

Are you sure it is not just seasonal allergies? I am also an asthmatic and allergy prone and within the last 3 weeks due to warmer weather and pollens in the air I have had a stuffed nose and minor asthma.

Technically if it's an allergy taking a benadryl or other antihistamine may help or at the least if it does help you know it was an allergic reaction. For actual asthma and tight chest a puff of Ventolin (Salbutamol) might be worth investigating.

Also I find a cotton ball to be pretty amazing at filtering small particulates.

That being said when I do have a tight chest or asthma symptoms I find a 5 minute breathing exercise loosens up my chest and helps almost as well as medicine. I simply inhale as much as as I can expanding my lungs then inhale a bit more and hold air in for 20-30 seconds. Then I give a hard exhale all the way to the end and usually make myself cough a bit. I do this for about 5 minutes and the asthma is 99% gone.

Another non-medical tip to try would be to sip 1/2 cup of HOT black coffee. This has quite an effect on my chest tightness.

Good Luck!

 

[Profit]

Hi Capcoho
Having a normal reaction to the weather around me is something I can't exactly rule out. But It's not like I've ever had anything like this before. It also seems to be generally associated with vaping and if I stop vaping for more than 5 days then I wouldn't get any symptoms. The only time I've ever got this reaction not after vaping was a couple of days later. It's easily possible for an asthmatic reaction to happen a couple of days after the exposure.

When I look at the pointed cone at the top of the Volcanos vape path I can see tiny tiny specs of plant matter. It would be fairly reasonable to assume that even though some of it will stick to the inside of the vape path some of it will probably come through when hits are taken. So if you get an old bit of plant matter inside your lungs then I can't imagine this getting ignored by the immune system. Hense the reaction.

The question on my mind is why have I gone through so many years of vaping without a problem and then suddenly got hit by it and then only occasionally hit by it.

I can only imagine it something to do with the growing conditions?
Or to do with the flushing mechanism?

 

[CarolKing]

As a person gets older you can acquire allergies that you didn't have when you were young. Also you can outgrow an allergy too. I had a brother in law who wasn't allergic to bees as a child but now he is allergic.

If something doesn't physically feel right don't do it. Stop using cannabis for a month or two and see how you feel during that time. Good luck, I hope it's not the cannabis. That would be a bummer, I hope it's seasonal allergies. You may have acquired an allergy to something around your home that you are unaware of too.

 

[Frederick McGuire]

@Profit

My background:
I had asthma as a child and grew out of it.
Then a few years back I had a pretty bad case of bronchitis that never fully cleared up/kinda left me with mild asthma again

Occasionally Something will set me off and I'll have a really bad coughing fit after hitting a vape.
I take pretty big hits so obviously the MJ is a decent part of the equation but sometimes I can just feel that the discomfort in my lungs isn't purely the expectorant nature of MJ, it's something else.

For me, a puff of ventolin (like @capcoho mentioned) at these times can really help.
I'd suggest maybe talking to your doctor about that?

Were you on holidays in the woods or somewhere else where it would be relatively lower pollution?
I find my breathing is better when I'm not around as much pollution.

I almost exclusively filter my vapor through water, which I find helps quite a bit.
If you're not worried about loosing a bit of flavour, I'd look into getting a nice high diffusion bubbler (something like the FC-187 of dhgate - it is a matrix perc bubbler)

For most people just about any bong will do for vapor as even moderate diffusion should trap most particulates, but I've noticed that higher diffusion pieces definitely smooth the vapor our further and can make things far more comfortable.

 

[Profit]

@CarolKing I actually stopped vaping for four weeks and had a really nice three weeks of vaping with no stress on my lungs. Really demotivated with my latest problems because I thought I'd figured it out. I thought that it was using too low of a temperate to get the correct mix. Thanks for your reply. I hope it's not the herb as well .

@Frederick McGuire
I did buy a bong with similar features but found it difficult to use as it was quite large. This looks like it might be a better option so upon reading some reviews I've ordered myself one. Is there any actual proof that this removes the excess particle matter from the vape stream? I've been thinking of getting something like this for some time so thanks for pointing me in the right direction. How can I make an air tight seal between the mouth piece of my volcano and this?

Just as a minor update since using tights over the end of the vape I've managed to vape for two days with little discomfort and I've noticed that this strain seems to leave more plant particles on the inside of the vape.

It still begs the question as to why certain strains seem to cause me more problems than others :S. Do you guys know any growers on here who could shed some light on this?

 

[Haakkon]

I'm asthmatic and I have had times occasionally when vaping effected my asthma. It could be from a lot of sources. You say it lasts a long time which really sounds odd, allergies shouldn't last that long. If you do think it's an allergy, be it pollen, dust, mold, etc, you should probably get an allergy test done at your doctor because it's the only way to know for sure. There's just too many variables otherwise.

Now it could also just be irritation from the vapor or the heat. I would start by trying vaping at a lower temp and maybe cut back on cloud thickness. Try to take in more air and half as much vapor, then take twice as many hits.

 

[Profit]

I get norrowing of the airways which lasts up to 12 hours, all people with Asthma are different and have different triggers. I've Never been diagnosed with it hense my speculation.

Heat and volume of vapor are the first things I considered when this happened to me. I've varied the heat between 280f to 400f. I've had this same experience at 325f and lower. I've vaped for the past three days at 390f, the size of the cloud does cause minor short term irritation, but not what im describin.
I can't definely rule put the vapor as a trigger however I think if the vapor was a najor trigger then why with only certain strains? ALso now I've filtered this strain I've had no negative lung issues, not even a tickling cough.

 

[Episode666]

Have you tried vaping through water? Plant material will get stuck in the water, and the vapor is less harsh and also cooler. Electric heaters make air dry, be it in your home, or your vaporizer, and dryer lungs are much more sensitive. I've had asthma for years btw, even emotions can trigger a reaction.

If I was you, I would first explain to my doctor that tightness you feel when your fight for air, he will give you a prescription for Salbutamol. Tell him dust sets you off. You need that shit handy because respiratory distress is not cool, and if you ever get a serious asthma attack, using it will buy you time on the way to the hospital.

Now, I suspect you either breathe too much plant material, or hot and dry air. If you think it's compatible with your equipment, I would suggest giving this bubbler a try: http://www.dhgate.com/product/d020-...tor-smoking/187214099.html#s1-0-1a|3454536723 Regarding your question to Frederick, I'd say the proof is when you use it, you see particles floating and sticking around. Meanwhile, why not try a coarser grind without any fine dust?

Finally, if it's allergies, antihistaminic use might prove it. Loratadine works the best for me, and they don't make you sleepy like Benadryl does. I used to have to use antihistaminics daily so Benadryl was ruled out.

Edit: for Volcano easy bags, you can use this adapter (18mm version for dhgate bubbler) http://www.planetvape.ca/volcano-easy-valve-gong-adapter.html

Keep us posted, we'll help you out! Good luck!

 

[Profit]

@Episode666 Hi and thanks for the reply. I've been looking into bubblers since I posted this thread and after it was recommended here I did some research into
http://www.dhgate.com/product/2014-new-matrix-sidecar-glass-bong-birdcage/214701656.html.
Then immediately bought it as an impulse buy. Will this do a similar job?
As for the adapter you linked thank you for that, would I need a 14mm for the one I've chosen or the 18mm?

It's a good idea to tell the Doctor I get set off by dust, I worry the same about having a major reaction to it and not being able to get to the hospital in time. However I think my reaction is somewhat slower than a usual Asthma reaction. I refer to it as an Asthma reaction because Asthma is where your airways become inflamed and irritated sometimes immediately. Mines more of a slower reaction that comes on a few hours after exposure and just generally feels like my lung volume is decreased for a few hours. It's not a nice feeling but so far not life threatening. All the same thanks for the advice and I think i'll take you up on that and visit the doctor. The thing that's most concerning is that I can go without a reaction for ages and then all of a sudden feel really sick and weak for a day, and tbh If i can't rule out the cause of this reaction I will have to stop vaping altogether.

I've vaped through water before but I used a normal bong and I felt it was effective at reducing the discomfort but far too inconvenient because of its size.
I was wondering what sort of water to use in a bubbler? I've noticed some people talking about using distilled water because it'll then bond with some of the bad chemicals like ammonia. Do you use regular tap water or bottled water? Hot or cold? Iced?

I'll keep you guys updated. Once again thanks for all the feedback what a great community.

 

[Episode666]

The bubbler you ordered is perfect, you will need the 18mm adapter for it.

My asthma is pretty much like you describe, serious discomfort. Hopefully, getting it under control made it a thing of the past.

Cheer!

 

[howie105]

If the water piece dosen't work well enough for you you might consider a carbon filter, like these. http://oregonglassblower.com/GLASS-CARBON-FILTERS_c4.htm You trade taste for filtration but that is in part the efficancy of the filter. Good Luck

 

[Haakkon]

I feel like you're assuming you know what this is when it could be many things. You should go to your doctor, and you should be honest about the source of your discomfort. A doctor shouldn't care about your activities outside of how they impact your health. If they do then get another doctor. Lying to your doctor to get an inhaler isn't a good idea. A fast acting inhaler speeds up your heart rate, as does cannabis. That could potentially kill you with certain other medication or conditions and your doctor wouldn't know to expected it. Also it might not even help your particular problem.

Our tips and tricks might help but when health is concerned no one here has the data to properly diagnose you.

If I sound stern it's only because I'm concerned for YOUR health. <3

 

[Episode666]

I feel like you're assuming you know what this is when it could be many things. You should go to your doctor, and you should be honest about the source of your discomfort. A doctor shouldn't care about your activities outside of how they impact your health. If they do then get another doctor. Lying to your doctor to get an inhaler isn't a good idea. A fast acting inhaler speeds up your heart rate, as does cannabis. That could potentially kill you with certain other medication or conditions and your doctor wouldn't know to expected it. Also it might not even help your particular problem.

Our tips and tricks might help but when health is concerned no one here has the data to properly diagnose you.

If I sound stern it's only because I'm concerned for YOUR health. <3

I would advise caution and a second tought about confessing something to your doctor that might not be legal where you live. They can snitch you out to insurance companies, it's not always 100% confidential with these guys depending on the law where you live and what they are allowed/forced to do if they do witness something. For instance, one of my friends told his doc that he lost consciousness one time and got his driver licence revoked for a good while, until they could clear out he was not epileptic. There's a whole responsibility issue going on for these guys when you confess stuff to them.

 

[Profit]

I feel like you're assuming you know what this is when it could be many things. You should go to your doctor, and you should be honest about the source of your discomfort. A doctor shouldn't care about your activities outside of how they impact your health. If they do then get another doctor. Lying to your doctor to get an inhaler isn't a good idea. A fast acting inhaler speeds up your heart rate, as does cannabis. That could potentially kill you with certain other medication or conditions and your doctor wouldn't know to expected it. Also it might not even help your particular problem.

Our tips and tricks might help but when health is concerned no one here has the data to properly diagnose you.

If I sound stern it's only because I'm concerned for YOUR health. <3

Hi thank you for your concern. I understand the point of view you're explaining and to be fair I'm not asking for medical advice although some people have offered speculation of what could help.
I understand that the people here arn't doctors and I'm not asking for medical advice. I'm asking if anyone here has experienced the same thing and if you had any good ideas on how to filter excess plant materials. I doubt i'll go to my Doctor unless I get this same experience without vaping.

My reasoning. If it was something serious like COPD (which one of my older friends has from smoking since he was 12) I would be in a much worse state. If it was proper full blown Asthma I would experience these symptoms when exercising and would probably have many more triggers. If it was a heart problem, again exercise would trigger a dramatic response or my stats when taken at the Doctors would be unusual. If it was bronchitis I'd know about it because I've had it on more than one occasion in my life and It's certainly not as short lasting as what I experienced.

It's a simple case of breathing in loads of micro particles of herb on a daily basis for over two years has clearly caused my lungs to get a bit pissed off. A natural reaction of the bodys immune system is to recognize a threat and then start to react against it, which is officially called Allergic Asthma. If this gets worse or more often, or if it happens without vaping then I'll be the first to the Doctor and I'll tell him the full truth. However I think the simple solution here is to stop vaping if it continues to trigger this immune response. But I'm here talking to all of you because I'd rather avoid that !

@howie105 Thanks for the link, I didn't realize you could get carbon filters for it. I'll try that next.

@Episode666 I'll keep that in mind, I appreciate the advice.

My advice to anyone who vapes all the time or who wants to take up vaping on regular basis is to filter those plant particles because there is plenty of proof that long term exposure to plant material can cause chronic lung diseases.

If anyone has any idea what one strain might have more smaller particles than another then that would really help with the last part of the puzzle. I'm making the assumption that stuff grown outside has more perhaps?

 

[Haakkon]

Well, that's not really asthma then that's just what your lungs are supposed to do!

Some strains are definitely lighter and dryer than others. Those powdery dry ones tend to crumble and bits flow in the airstream I've found. The buds that have a lot more resin I don't end up finding as many crumbs and plant bits in the water after.

 

[Fightra]

Hey I am suffering also from mild asthma which was alot worse when i was combusting and sometimes I had to take a hit of Ventolin (asthma medicine, the one that opens ur lungs) after hitting since it felt I couldnt get a good breath.. I am also allergic to certain strains and actually some strains burn red itching spots to my skin when growing. Also big amounts of dry leaf make my breathing almost impossible and I have to always take a hit of Ventoline.. I think it is chlorophyl related issue and my asthma/hay allergy reacts to that. After I bought The mighty my lungs have felted better I mean it still kinda "hurts" when I vape but I'm guessing it's kinda normal since im not even drinking anything and taking big rips. No more need for Ventoline ever after buying vaporizer and that pressing feeling on the lungs disappears pretty quick after vaporizing.

edit: forgot to say that you should try to take antihistamine to rule out allergies

 

[max]

My advice to anyone who vapes all the time or who wants to take up vaping on regular basis is to filter those plant particles because there is plenty of proof that long term exposure to plant material can cause chronic lung diseases.

Any vape, even using the finest mesh screen, passes some particulates through. But then you also breathe in particulates from plants just going about your everyday business, especially this time of year. Mowing the grass without a mask on bothers me much more than any vape ever has.

If anyone has any idea what one strain might have more smaller particles than another then that would really help with the last part of the puzzle. I'm making the assumption that stuff grown outside has more perhaps?

Since you haven't been back on the forum since you asked that (12 days ago), your window of opportunity to get an answer to that is closing.

 

[Episode666]

Hey I am suffering also from mild asthma which was alot worse when i was combusting and sometimes I had to take a hit of Ventolin (asthma medicine, the one that opens ur lungs) after hitting since it felt I couldnt get a good breath.. I am also allergic to certain strains and actually some strains burn red itching spots to my skin when growing. Also big amounts of dry leaf make my breathing almost impossible and I have to always take a hit of Ventoline.. I think it is chlorophyl related issue and my asthma/hay allergy reacts to that. After I bought The mighty my lungs have felted better I mean it still kinda "hurts" when I vape but I'm guessing it's kinda normal since im not even drinking anything and taking big rips. No more need for Ventoline ever after buying vaporizer and that pressing feeling on the lungs disappears pretty quick after vaporizing.

edit: forgot to say that you should try to take antihistamine to rule out allergies

I'm with you, my Ventoline intake went down 75% after getting my EQ. I'm selling my bongs one after another because I enjoy breathing freely, and I really don't miss the cough and the burning lungs.

 

[drfe3]

I also vape and have asthma. If you have a bong/water pipe try adding hot water (warm up cold water on the stove to a few minutes before boiling) along with a few squirts of lemon or lime juice. The hot water still cools the vapor significantly (water boils a hundred degrees below vaporization temperature so it still has a cooling effect). the water also provides moisture to the vapor. The lemon juice reduces the pH of the vapor (it has been shown that vaping produces ammonia, a basic compound).

Adding these two things really helped me, it feels like you are inhaling vapor from a lemon scented sauna! Prevents the lungs from getting that "dry" and weasy feeling. When it comes to asthma, anything can be a trigger. Getting dry lung from a vape is sometimes all it takes for your lungs to start inflammation and mucus production

gl!

 

[TurboVape]

Hi all,

After a bit of advice if possible. I've now been combustion free for just over 3 months, things were going great but over the past month using my vape has been causing breathing difficulties.

I had asthma as a kid, and I think smoking masked the symptoms. I get symptoms very similar to asthma now when I either use the vape, or exercise at a high intensity (particularly when it's cold). So this leads me to believe it is asthma. I've visited my GP but they require me to record test my lung capacity for 2 months until I can receive any treatment.

Anyway, I've tried combustion, and that doesn't give me the bad chest, but I really don't want to go back down that route.
I think it's the hot and dry air of the vapor that really effects me.

Is there anything I can do to my vaporiser to make things easier on my condition? I've ordered some glass, so that I can filter the vapor through water. Someone has suggested condensing the vapor, which I guess would require some kind of coil? The two vaporisers that I own are The Sublimator, and the VapeXhale Cloud Evo, both give me the same problem.

Has anyone else gone through anything similar (I did do a quick search but only found an old thread), I would be really grateful if anyone has any advice that would allow me to continue vaping

 

[jim-bob]

I wonder if part of the problem is that you're using two fairly monstrous vaporizers. They're great, but they're designed to pump out a whole shit-ton of vapor as quick as possible. This is going to sound kind of stupid, but have you tried taking smaller hits and pacing yourself?

 

[TurboVape]

I wonder if part of the problem is that you're using two fairly monstrous vaporizers. They're great, but they're designed to pump out a whole shit-ton of vapor as quick as possible. This is going to sound kind of stupid, but have you tried taking smaller hits and pacing yourself?

I was a very very heavy bong smoker. They were the only devices that completely weened me off combustion.

I am using a lot less than I used to with the bong.

I should probably add, that although concentrates do give me similar symptoms, but not as bad as herb. Perhaps your right with the amounts, maybe I need to be more disciplined and go for smaller hits.