Mega-vaping addict hospitalized with collapsed lungs and ‘black goop’ pouring from her mouth and nose

A woman who was so addicted to vaping that she showered with her e-cigarette nearly died when her lungs collapsed and black gunk poured from her mouth and nose.

Jordan Brielle had been smoking since she was a teenager, but in 2021 she quit and decided to switch to vaping.

But the 32-year-old soon became addicted and spent huge sums of money to maintain her new habit.

Ms. Brielle, of Cincinnati, Ohio, first noticed her health deteriorating in November 2023, when she began to experience a distinct “heavy” feeling in her chest.

Although the residential counselor had to go to the hospital two or three times a week due to breathing problems, she continued to vape.

Jordan Brielle had been smoking cigarettes since she was a teenager, but when she quit in 2021, she decided to switch to vaping

But the 32-year-old soon became addicted to vapes, eventually spending $500 (£379) a week to maintain the habit

Ms Brielle, a residential assistant from Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, first noticed her health deteriorating in November 2023, when she began to feel a distinct heavy feeling in her chest

In May this year, she was rushed to hospital after her partner found her unconscious on her bed, with “black mucus” dripping from her nose and mouth.

Once at the hospital, doctors sucked two liters of “black” fluid from her lungs and put her into an induced coma that lasted 11 days.

Mrs Brielle admitted that she has not touched an e-cigarette since then and is now warning others to stop doing so.

She said: ‘I was totally addicted. I was vaping so much that I was sleeping with it, it was taking me into the shower. I was vaping excessively.

‘Then, in mid-November, I started feeling a heavy feeling in my chest. At first it was just a chest infection or bronchitis, so I kept going to the hospital with breathing problems.

‘I had a terrible cough and had to go to the hospital two or three times a week for help. I had little to no voice.

Even though the stepmother of one child went to the hospital two or three times a week for breathing problems, she continued to vape

In May this year, she was rushed to hospital after her partner found her unconscious in bed, with “black mucus” dripping from her nose and mouth.

Once at the hospital, doctors sucked two liters of “black” fluid from her lungs and kept her in an induced coma for 11 days

“Every time they sent me home. It felt like there was 80 pounds of pressure on my chest. I had never felt so sick in my life.

‘My body swelled from my ankles to my kneecaps. I kept going to the hospital as my condition got worse.

‘My skin turned grey, I couldn’t concentrate, I was completely out of sorts. It hurt to walk. I could barely do anything. No one knew what was really wrong with me. I felt like I was dying.’

Even when she contracted Covid-19 and developed pneumonia, she said she continued to vape despite her health concerns.

It was only after her hospital stay that she decided to finally quit e-cigarettes.

Doctors discovered she had at least two liters of fluid in her lungs, which were also severely damaged by smoking and vaping.

Mrs Brielle admitted that she has not touched an e-cigarette since then and is now warning others to avoid the habit

Mrs. Brielle said: ‘When he wanted to wake me up, [before a night shift]he said black mucus was coming out of my mouth and nose. He said I was gasping for air but couldn’t breathe. I was unresponsive and had a weak pulse.

‘He started sucking the sputum from my nose and mouth to revive me.

“He called 911 because the resuscitation wasn’t working. I don’t remember anything. I was immediately intubated and taken to the hospital.”

Doctors discovered she had at least two liters of fluid in her lungs, which were also severely damaged by smoking and vaping.

Ms Brielle said: ‘My body was trying to force the vape fluid out of my lungs, which were like concrete. It was pure black and bloody. At the hospital they sucked it out of me.’

“It felt like a balloon had burst in my lungs. I had to do breathing and lung exercises before I was discharged. I have been left with a slight brain injury from the lack of oxygen to my brain,” she added.

Doctors told her there was still a high chance that her lungs would collapse again.

She said: ‘They literally saved my life. They said if I had waited any longer I wouldn’t be here. I haven’t touched a vape since.

“I would tell anyone, quit in whatever way you can. Do it for your health, your family, your life, your lungs – whatever motivates you, use that reason and quit. I wouldn’t wish what I went through on anyone else. I’m grateful to be alive.”

In 2022, nearly 350 hospital admissions were recorded in England due to vaping. The main cause is thought to be respiratory problems, such as shortness of breath, chest pain, pneumonia and in severe cases respiratory failure.

Millions of young people are already addicted to e-cigarettes with attractive flavors such as cotton candy and crème brûlée.

Figures from Public Health Wales (PHW) show that the number of pupils in Wales in their final year of secondary school who vaped at least weekly has more than doubled, from 6.6 per cent in 2017 to 13.6 per cent in 2021.

This is despite the fact that the sale of e-cigarettes to under-18s is illegal, with anyone caught selling them to children risking a fine and prosecution by Trading Standards.

An analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that millions of American students also use e-cigarettes.

In 2023, more than 6.2 million school-age children tried tobacco products such as e-cigarettes, cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco.

Of those who have tried e-cigarettes, about 47 percent still vape, and about 25 percent vape daily. This is about the same as in 2022.

Everything you need to know about e-cigarettes

How much nicotine is in an e-cigarette?

There are many different brands of e-cigarettes, with different nicotine levels.

The legal amount of nicotine in an e-liquid in the UK is 20mg/ml, which is equivalent to 600 to 800 puffs.

One of the UK’s most popular vapes, the Elf Bar 600 is advertised in 0mg, 10mg and 20mg nicotine strengths.

How many cigarettes are in an e-cigarette?

According to analysts, the Elf Bar 600 contains the equivalent of 48 cigarettes.

It’s good for 600 puffs before you have to throw it away. In theory, that’s one cigarette, instead of one puff.

According to experts, with many e-cigarettes, 100 puffs are equivalent to ten regular cigarettes.

Elf Bars are a brand of e-cigarettes that often come in bright colors and with kid-friendly names and flavors, such as Blue Razz Lemonade and Green Gummy Bear.

Is vaping better for your health than cigarettes?

According to the NHS, vaping products are considered better than cigarettes because users are exposed to fewer toxins and in lower concentrations.

The health agency adds that vaping instead of smoking reduces exposure to toxins that can cause cancer, lung disease and cardiovascular diseases such as strokes and heart attacks.

Public Health England, now defunct, published an independent expert review in 2015 which found that e-cigarettes are around 95 percent less harmful than cigarettes.

However, vaping is not without risk. Although the concentrations in tobacco products are much higher, e-cigarettes still contain harmful toxins, according to a study by researchers from the Medical University of Silesia in Poland.

And Dr. Onkar Mudhar, a London-based dentist who posts videos on TikTok, says Elf bars can cause gum inflammation, swelling and bleeding.

According to him, this is because nicotine dries out your mouth and reduces saliva production, which causes irritation due to the build-up of bacteria and food particles that cannot be washed away.

In 2022, nearly 350 hospital admissions were recorded in England due to vaping. The main cause of these is thought to be respiratory problems, such as shortness of breath, chest pain, pneumonia and in severe cases respiratory failure.