Brittany Hambleton

Brittany Hambleton

June 29, 2024

A woman got the incurable condition ‘cobalt lung’ after vaping marijuana for just 6 months

When vaping first came on the scene it seemed like the perfect alternative to smoking. It was the solution that everyone was looking for – it looked like a cigarette, acted like a cigarette, but wasn’t full of all the cancer-causing chemicals found in a traditional dart. It seemed like there was no downside to vaping, but as the saying goes… if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. You may have already heard about the 17-year-old boy who had to receive a double lung transplant because of vaping, and as it has increased in popularity, hospitals have been admitting hundreds of patients due to breathing problems associated with vaping. Now, a 49-year-old woman has been diagnosed with the first known case of “Cobalt Lung”  from a marijuana vape [1].

Cobalt Lung

Plain x ray chest showing infectious pulmonary process pneumonia with right side minimal para-pneumonic effusion, right sided aspiration pneumonia that could be complicated to empyema
Source: Shutterstock

The case, published in the European Respiratory Journal, was recorded as the first-known incidence of hard metal pneumoconiosis, a.k.a., “Cobalt Lung”. Cobalt Lung is a rare condition in which metals such as cobalt, lead, and aluminum enter into the woman’s lungs and cause damage that cannot be reversed. After testing it in the lab, the juice in her vape pen was found to carry those same metals [2]. The woman formerly smoked cigarettes but had stopped many years prior. She had been using a marijuana vape pen from the brand ZenPen for the past six months [1].

Read More: Timeline of what happens to your body when you give up vaping

Exposure to Metals

Doctor, nurse and review xray for healthcare, collaboration for surgery and treatment plan with cardiology. Black people study lung scan, MRI or radiology, medicine and surgeon with team at hospital
Source: Shutterstock

This is the first time this condition has been seen as a result of vaping, but not the first time it has been described in the medical literature. Typically, cobalt lung is a condition that affects people who work in hard metal factories, or even diamond polishers who are exposed to hard metals on a regular basis [3].
Scientists are now discovering, though, that these metals are leaking from some e-cigarette heating coils and are present in the aerosols inhaled by some users [4]. Chronic inhalation of these metals is now being linked to lung, liver, immune, cardiovascular, and brain damage, and even some cancers [4].

Irreversible Lung Damage

Doctor examining the patient chest x-ray film lungs scan in hospital. Lung problem. Lung Cancer or Pneumonia concept. copy space.
Source: Shutterstock

The 49-year-old woman involved in the case study had been experiencing a chronic cough and difficulty breathing. When doctors looked more closely, they found scars on her lungs that they deemed to be incurable [1]. Unfortunately, most people who sustain this damage to their lungs will likely not notice until it reaches an irreparable state. The best doctors can do is prescribe steroids to reduce chronic coughing and prevent further scarring [1].

Read More: Dying Young? 22-Year-Old Vaping Addict Has a 1% Chance of Survival

Other Conditions Associated with Marijuana Vapes

London, UK. 8 August 2023: A man vaping an e-cigarette in London. Local councils are calling for the Government to ban the sale and manufacture of single-use vapes by 2024.
Source: Shutterstock

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 805 people have become ill and 12 people have died from a mysterious illness that has been linked to vapes containing THC [5]. “The latest findings from the investigation into lung injuries associated with e-cigarette use, or vaping, suggest products containing THC play a role in the outbreak,” the CDC said [5].

Due to the large variety of vaping devices, ingredients, and brands, it is difficult for investigators to pinpoint an exact cause. “We do not know yet what exactly is making people sick,” Dr. Anne Schuchat, the principal deputy director of the CDC, said on a conference call on Friday. She said the agency hadn’t determined “whether particular solvents or adulterants are leading to lung injury, or whether cases stem from a single supplier or multiple ones.” [5]

Experts Warn People To Put the Pen Down

Close-up of vape pen is a portable vaping device at international trade show. These devices are designed to vaporize liquid. An alternative to tobacco smoking. 3.11.2023 Beranovych 667, Prague, CZ
Source: Shutterstock

“We believe it is likely not just that this will happen again, but that it has happened already but not been recognized. One of our major reasons for publishing this case history is to inform our colleagues about the possible risks involved with vaping,” explained Dr. Kirk Jones, a clinical professor of pathology at UCSF and case study co-author [1]. Experts are warning users that vaping – whether your vape contains marijuana or nicotine- may not be as safe as you thought, and you should think twice before taking a puff.

Read More: The Dangerous Impacts of Vaping

Sources

  1. https://www.insider.com/woman-who-vaped-got-cobalt-lung-incurable-lung-scarring-2019-12
  2. https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/54/6/1901922
  3. https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1164/rccm.200704-527ED
  4. https://www.jhsph.edu/news/news-releases/2018/study-lead-and-other-toxic-metals-found-in-e-cigarette-vapors.html
  5. https://www.insider.com/cdc-thc-vapes-may-play-role-in-lung-disease-deaths-2019-9