Quit smoking but is vape ok?

[Leesa926 72]

Doc said to quit smoking 6 weeks before surgery. I'm on day three and feel good about quitting but I am vaping a little.

I had the highest nicotine now I'm actually on the lowest so I don't intend to take it for much longer but wanted to know if anyone dealt with this.

I know they referred me to a quit smoking program that uses gum and Patches so that is still using nicotine so I would assume it's okay but I don't want that to be the cause to not allow me to have surgery

Thanks!

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

I would ask the doctor. From what I've read studies are starting to come out that say vaping can be just as harmful as smoking, but I don't have any first hand experience with it. The smoking secession classes may use nicotine Patches, but the goal is to step you down to quitting, not maintain at a lower nicotine level. Better safe than sorry, check with the doctor.

[Leesa926 72]

Thanks. Will do and plan on cutting it out completely . I am just cutting it close wanting surgery in Dec!

[Dub 9,922]

There seems to be a range of acceptance among the programs discussed here.

I've had recent experience with two local bariatric programs. The surgeon in each was clear that there was to be zero use of nicotine in any form.

Cigarettes, cigars, smokeless chewing tobacco, e-cigs, gum, etc. They both were really firm on this when they covered with the classes. It came across really harsh, actually. Zero tolerance.

As a former smoker I knew how stern those proclamations must have been to the smokers in the room.

In both classes, someone raised there hand and asked when they could resume smoking after the surgery. The responses they received were harsh. It pretty much shutdown any future discussion about the subject.

After going through the pre-op stuff......and now healing up post-op........I can say that everything went really easily. If I'd have had to deal with quitting smoking at this same time I would have been a grumpy bastard. The pre-op liquid diet while not having a cigarette..........whooooooeeeeeee, I'd have been one mean sob.

So grateful that I could stop things in stages. The smokes went away 15 years ago.......the booze has been gone since April. Changing eating habits has been much easier than the rest that led up to it.

You have my respect and sympathy trying to work through this stipulation.

[Jangy03253 56]

I used vaping to quit smoking. I smoked for more then 30 years. I only used the juice with 0 nicotine. My juice is 80% VG and 20% PG. I took this to my surgeon and he approved it to use during my surgery. Ds is what I am supposed to get. But he did say that in the end he would like to see me off of the vape also. I vape more in the vehicle. But other then that I can go hours without it now. The first 4 days with no nicotine was the worst. I have had to do it with a selfish husband smoking in front of me and family stressing me out about the surgery. So if I can overcome that with no nicotine anyone can do it. Once u get past the 4 th day with no cig you will realize it's the hand to mouth habit that you miss vaping 0 nicotine juice will take care of that habit. Former smoker about a month out. ????

[wannaBthinsoon 1,634]

I quit smoking 6 months before my surgery by vaping 0 nicotine from the very beginning. Dr had no issues whatsoever with this. I mostly vape in the car too. Melonball is my flavor of choice these days! Still nicotine free!!

[Dub 9,922]

@@Jangy03253 & @@wannaBthinsoon

Great way to find a workaround to this problem.

That is awesome.

Cruel to have someone smoking around you, though. GRRRRRRRRR.

​I was lucky that I was the only smoker at home. So very much easier to stop. I'd have struggled if my wife had of been firing up when I was struggling to quit.

You both are doing great.

[Lutasha 102]

My dr didn't allow vaping so I dropped to zero nicotine. Then after my surgery, I kept vaping but went back to 12 ejuice. I strangely didn't miss it for the first few week. I think the pain was all I could think about for the first few weeks. The pain pills probably helped too!

[RyansGirl89 67]

Thank God for Vaping, it helped me quit cigarettes as well and as for the people who think Vaping is harmful, I can attest that my skin and lungs improved by leaps and bounds once I switched. My sister is a Dr and she said that there are no credible studies yet that prove that Vaping is just as harmful. Of course nicotine is not food for you but Vaping does not have all the tars and other carcinogens so it is far better. The cigarette companies are leading the studies that proclaim Vaping is worse than smoking because people are finally finding a way to kick those cigarettes and step down off the nicotine. I do think people should eventually step down their levels but I sing from the mountains about my gratefulness to Vaping for ending a cigarette habit I never could find a way to beat until now.

[Jangy03253 56]

Well I will probably not stop vaping. But I will stay on 0. I have kicked that nicotine devil in the ass and don't want to pick it back up. ????

[Proud2BMe 1,016]

If they test you for nicotine then it's not okay. If you go to Mexico to have your surgery you should be fine. My doctor told me not to smoke but I had already quite 2 years prior and was simply vaping. I vaped up until the day of my surgery. After my surgery I didn't feel like vaping for a couple of days. However, I quickly recovered and began vaping as normal.

[Jangy03253 56]

I vape 0 nicotine and plan on staying this way after surgery. Do not want any ulcers I hear they are painful on the incision. Not sure I would go out of the country for surgery saw a horrible complication from a surgery in Mexico. Was on tv today the lady had Tummy Tuck and didn't work out well.

[OKCPirate 5,323]

@@Jangy03253 - There are fly by night plastic surgery people everywhere. You have a med degree and attend a seminar and you can call yourself a plastic surgeon. Go to realself.com and see some good and bad outcomes and they take place in Mexico and US.

I had my surgery done in Mexico. Great surgeon, great prices, great care...GREAT BIG PRIVATE room.

As to Vaping, no complications before or after surgery. No desire to quit it either. Just keeping annoyed by twits who won't recognize that this is NOT smoking and exhaling Water vaper. No different to them as if I was chewing a niccorette gum.

Edited October 21, 2015 by OKCPirate

[Jangy03253 56]

@okcpirate. Yes sir I am sure there is. I just was giving my own opinion. I would not go out of the country and I do vape. But vape 0 nicotine because I do not wish to get ulcers. If Mexico worked for you that is great. I want a lifetime relationship with my doctor.

[Proud2BMe 1,016]

I vape 0 nicotine and plan on staying this way after surgery. Do not want any ulcers I hear they are painful on the incision. Not sure I would go out of the country for surgery saw a horrible complication from a surgery in Mexico. Was on tv today the lady had Tummy Tuck and didn't work out well.

Thousands of Americans go to Mexico for surgery each year and are perfectly fine. The incidents of "bad stuff" happening are very rare. Many of the doctors are actually trained in the U.S. Also, probably not a good idea to compare different surgeries. The gastric sleeve is far more simple and less obtrusive than plastic surgery, such as a tummy tuck. There are far more risks associated with plastic surgery than with the gastric sleeve. I know a good handful of people who had "bad stuff" happen to them in the states, even knew one person who died who had their weight loss surgery in my state. We worked together and she got her insurance to cover it (gastric bypass) and then died 2 weeks after surgery from infection. Mexico is an option for people who either don't have insurance or whose insurance company refuses to pay for the procedure. You also don't have to jump through hoops when going to Mexico for surgery either.