Vaping

I don’t but maybe some of you do. I have just been reading that vaping can lower the immune system and I was wondering how many people on here diagnosed with RA are ex smokers or vapers

[Gnarli]

I smoked for 44 years. Raised by heavy smokers, a friend reckoned I'd been a nicotine addict from the womb. I stopped over 5 years ago (not the first attempt) as I felt it was slow and expensive suicide and so far so good. I don't dare vape as I reckon it would be a gateway to smoking and I can't go through stopping again. Personal experience tells me that anything other than clean fresh air in my lungs is bad news. I hope this helps

J

[AgedCrone in reply to Gnarli]

Well done Gnarli...I have read recently that Vaping is now being thought to be proving as bad as or even worse than smoking.

I only ever had a couple of cigarettes in my 20's & found it so awful I still can't understand why I did it!

Ugh, hair,clothes, car...all smell....,to this day I refuse to allow anyone to smoke in my car or my house.

I have one friend who runs - rain or shine - to my garage at the bottom of the garden for a quick puff.

Crazy or what?

[Gnarli in reply to AgedCrone]

Totally agree. I was that crazy person and could easily go back. I told all my children that if they never smoked they'd never have to give up. One tried it at uni but soon stopped, one never did and the third is puffing madly on a vape device having stopped the cigarettes which is better, I suppose.

[PFKAAde in reply to AgedCrone]

Not sure that’s the case Gnarli. There are very few high quality (ie. unbiased etc) studies so far and of those that have been done the general consensus so far seems to be that, whilst not as good for you as fresh air (which seems blinking obvious!), it is considerably less harmful than smoking.

It bugs me all of this negative spin on vaping and I do wonder how involved the large tobacco companies are in (secretly) pushing the narrative that vaping is ‘as bad as smoking’, because I am prepared to stake a rather large sum of money that it is nowhere near as bad for you as smoking.

From a purely personal point of view I feel far healthier vaping as I ever did smoking. I get fewer coughs (like not one in 3 years), colds etc. Am a lot fitter (helped by exercise no doubt, but still) and smell considerably better!

I’d never advise a non-smoker to vape but for smokers it has to be an improvement.

In my opinion.

🙏🏻

[PFKAAde in reply to AgedCrone]

And sorry but I’ve just noticed that I intended to reply to AgedCrone but for some reason I replied to Gnarli.

It was the ‘as bad or worse than smoking’ bit I was referring to. Not a chance that it’s as bad as smoking IMHO, and repeating that will possibly prevent people from swapping to vaping from smoking. Vaping is still being recommended by ‘health professionals’ in the UK area least, as better than smoking and a valid approach to quitting. Time will tell of course.

I’m also pretty sure that when I get around to giving up vaping (although I’m now vaping CBD without nicotine and with no withdrawal symptoms, so is that better or worse?) it won’t be as difficult as giving up smoking ‘cold turkey’ would be.

There is a lot of dubious information being spread in the popular press that is anti-vaping - for whatever reason. Given that the tobacco companies stand to lose a LOT of money through vaping, and given the power that industry has when lobbying governments and manipulating the press - I’m slightly cynical shall we say. 😉

🙏🏻

[wishbone in reply to Gnarli]

Clean fresh air!..not easy to find unless you live out in the sticks. I wouldn't mind betting that pollution from industry, motor vehicles etc is doing more harm than passive smoking ever did.

[Gnarli in reply to wishbone]

Indeed. I live in a small village, no industry little traffic. I also have asthma and copd caused by smoking. I'm sorry if I sounded smug and would not criticise those who smoke or vape. It just suited me to stop

[Hidden in reply to Gnarli]

💐

[wishbone in reply to Gnarli]

No need to apologise, you didn't sound smug at all and humble apologies if I appeared to insinuate such. It was not my intention and I was just saying, rather clumsily by the seem, what I think about passive smoking and air pollution. No problem getting fresh air in your lungs living in a small village either.

I used to smoke and very occasionally vape, but don't inhale and probably do it just out of habit. I also have lung disease due to RA inflammation getting into my lungs rather than smoking, though it probably didn't help. Can only keep my fingers crossed on that one.

[helixhelix]

I imagine quite a lot. I certainly was a smoker, and delighted to have quit. Like many ex-smokers I really can't think now why I did smoke!

Apparently you are twice as likely to develop RA I'd you smoke than if you don't. And it brings other problems too....

nras.org.uk/data/files/Abou...

[Hidden]

I was a smoker and now I’m a vaper. I can assure you that research has related smoking to RA, but vaping hasn’t been researched long enough to be associated. I guess it depends upon WHAT aspect of smoking is related to RA - I don’t know. However, the only link that exists between smoking and vaping, is nicotine. Nicotine has been determined to be about as harmful as caffeine. So, make of that what you will.

If you want a name to search for research papers - try Konstantinos Farsalinos - he’s a cardiac specialist who also happens to be a vaper, and does peer reviewed research