Sunday, November 11, 2012

eCigarette used as Asthmanefrin delivery system

First, the disclaimer: this is not how either product was intended to be used. I take no responsibility if you try this and have negative results. You should always follow the directions on the package, from a doctor, or from another competent medical professional (not me). This is just an experiment in progress - I have no idea what dosages this method produces, etc. There may be other dangers associated with this method - ie "Does heating the Asthmanefrin cause unwanted contaminants?" I'm not a scientist and have no equipment to test for other hidden dangers - so don't follow this guide. It is for informational purposes only.

After Asthmanefrin was released as a "replacement" for Primatene inhalers, reviews of the accompanying "portable" nebulizer started coming in - it was hard to use, hard to transport, and cost twice the initial estimate for a stater kit. The Asthmanefrin product was still epinephrine and had promise. One of the users on the "Bring Back My Primatene® Mist" Facebook group, George Cox, experimented with using an ecigarette atomizer to deliver the Asthmanefrin solution.

The world of vaping ("smoking" an ecigarette) is still not mainstream and can be even more alien and overwhelming to a nonsmoker. There are a lot of sites that cover those areas into as much depth as you're interested in going. (this is a really good starter http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/ ).  This is a guide to the way I'm currently using a spare ecigarette setup instead of an inhaler or nebulizer.


Here's a picture of my current setup:
1. JoyE eGo battery
2. 510 atomizer - LR (low resistance)
3. "Drip Tip" - aka the mouthpiece
4. USB eGo charger

All of the above was purchased at liberty-flights.com

Batteries: http://www.liberty-flights.com/product.asp?id=41
Another brand of Batteries (just as good from my experience): http://www.liberty-flights.com/product.asp?id=58

Atomizers: http://www.liberty-flights.com/product.asp?id=44

Drip Tips: http://www.liberty-flights.com/product.asp?id=124

Charger: http://www.liberty-flights.com/product.asp?id=35

If you use Discount Code october20, you get 20% off the price

There are a lot of online retailers that sell the same products, but LF is one I've used multiple times over the past 2 years and they've always been fast and the lowest price I've found.



The operation is fairly simple:
Charge the battery - it screws onto the charger and the charger plugs into a regular USB port on a computer. If you don't have a computer, most electronics stores and even walmarts sell a USB wall outlet adapter.

Then screw the atomizer to the battery:

And the drip tip goes on the atomizer

Here's a bottle of eliquid I use that contains nicotine. If you're not a smoker, you can get it with 0 nicotine content.

I also have a small 5 or 6 mL dropper bottle I use to carry the nicotine liquid to make it more portable. You can pick them up from a lot of online retailers or buy a couple from LF. You may even be able to find them at WalMart in the pharmacy section.

Empty the vial of Asthmanefrin into the empty 5-6 mL dropper bottle


I like to mix about 3-6 drops of nictotine ejuice (either vegetable glycerine or propylene glycol) to help thicken the liquid and help it vaporize a little better.  You can get the unflavored base fairly cheaply http://www.liberty-flights.com/product.asp?id=71
Put 2-3 drops of the resulting mixture directly on the atomizer (remove the drip tip)

Place the drip tip back on the end and use it like you would a regular ecigarette - Push the button for about 2 seconds to let the atomizer heat up, then, while still pressing the button, take a long slow draw through the ecigarette and hold it in your lungs as long as comfortable.

The 'relief' isn't instantaneous. For me, it takes 30-60 seconds to feel the effects. The first time I tried this, I got too much epinephrine and felt jittery for a while.

Also, be aware: the warnings on the Asthmanefrin package state "Do not use this product if it is brown in color or cloudy. Also, this product should not be used if color is pinkish or darker than slightly yellow or if it contains a precipitate."
Don't mix up more than one unit of Asthmanefrin in your dropper vial at a time - it will go bad after 24-48 hours.

If it looks like this, don't use it:


Hope this helps clear up some confusion and Good luck.

Use the info at you own risk.  Don't try this at home. Ask your parents permission before calling. Consult a doctor if it lasts for more than four hours. You must be this tall to ride. etc.