Q. I have recently started using an e-cigarette. It has dramatically cut down my smoking of traditional cigarettes plus there is no smoke smell or residual on clothing or furniture.
I initially experienced headaches and was told to reduce the nicotine percentage in the liquid. That helped. Are you aware of any other side effects?
A. Electronic cigarettes contain a battery-powered heater to vaporize a nicotine solution so that the nicotine can be inhaled. This avoids some of the other toxins in cigarette smoke, but nicotine itself can have side effects. They include headache, heart rhythm disturbances and elevated blood pressure.
A preliminary report in JAMA Internal Medicine (online, March 24, 2014) noted that people using e-cigarettes were no more likely to quit smoking than those using traditional cigarettes alone. An editorial published at the same time bemoans the lack of data supporting e-cigarettes for tobacco cessation. Nicotine is a powerfully addicting drug.
People who are interested in cutting back on conventional cigarettes may be interested in a book published decades ago that still offers excellent advice: The No-Nag, No-Guilt, Do-It-Your-Own-Way Guide to Quitting Smoking, by Tom Ferguson, MD (1988). You may find it in libraries or used bookstores.
