Black/Grey Pieces in phlegm

[jessem98]

Me and my buddy are pretty much daily smokers. Now i smoke around the same amount as he does. Over the past year or so he has developed phlegm in which he coughs out, and it contains like black or grey little pieces in it... He has asthma, and his dad smokes like a chimney (in the basement away from everyone). He stopped smoking all together, and started vaping...

Is this from holding in hits? Is it from exposure to cigs?

... Does anyone else have or heard or this?

What could that black/grey material be?

[Ghengis Chron]

I'm not a doctor, but i'm pretty sure ANY miscolored phlegm is signs of lung infection. It could also just be tar and other nasty shit in your lungs trying to get out.

[stinkyattic]

It can come from so many sources- smoke, dust, etc. Have you been working with soil or doing construction or sweeping the cellar lately?
It's a good idea to check in with your doctor anyway to eliminate a more serious condition.
I'm moving this to the health section.

[jessem98]

well around this time last year he worked in a factory which contained a ton of dust and dirt according to him... but thats a year ago, could it be that?

Thanks for the replies by the way guys

[stinkyattic]

That's interesting, but that is a question that your doctor will be able to help you with much better.
I have a sneaking suspicion the two are connected in some way, though. I guess the question is, how long after the end of chronic exposure to inhaled air pollution do your lungs take to a) start rejecting the foreign matter and b) completely finish cleaning it out.
If your doc has any insights, I'd be very interested to see this thread bumped again.

[TheCheat1]

This might sound weird, but I experience the same thing. I believe it is because I swallow smoke every time I get high (yeah, I'm really bad at just inhaling/bucket..) Anyways, this is going to sound weird too, but when I can, I "regurgitate" after I smoke, and I definitely notice the after-effects of smoking. If I don't throw up, I can feel that there is certainly something wrong with my throat, but after I get out the small brown specks, I find I can clear my throat as if I have not smoked, and breathing/swallowing is much more comfortable.

[robo scat]

I've hacked up some weird shit before. :]

[LaZ]

Did your friend inhale ash/resin particles?

[jessem98]

This might sound weird, but I experience the same thing. I believe it is because I swallow smoke every time I get high (yeah, I'm really bad at just inhaling/bucket..) Anyways, this is going to sound weird too, but when I can, I "regurgitate" after I smoke, and I definitely notice the after-effects of smoking. If I don't throw up, I can feel that there is certainly something wrong with my throat, but after I get out the small brown specks, I find I can clear my throat as if I have not smoked, and breathing/swallowing is much more comfortable.

he swallows smoke too! when he was a kid he tried to burp on command, but instead taught himself how to regurgitate on command. he burped smoke every couple of sessions, just once or twice each sesh it happened though.

[FUNKNUGGET]

i have been smoking for many years, but the last year or so and especially the last 6 months i have been coughing up a lot of black.... one factor is i have increased my smoking but not by much... i smoke every method including the vaporizer and i smoke cigs on occasion (give or take 5 per month)... I usually force it up, i just hock it up from deeeeep in my lungs (i cough the most up in the morning and after i eat something for some reason)

[Dave Byrd]

Me and my buddy are pretty much daily smokers. Now i smoke around the same amount as he does. Over the past year or so he has developed phlegm in which he coughs out, and it contains like black or grey little pieces in it... He has asthma, and his dad smokes like a chimney (in the basement away from everyone). He stopped smoking all together, and started vaping...

Is this from holding in hits? Is it from exposure to cigs?

... Does anyone else have or heard or this?

What could that black/grey material be?
The same stuff that you see going out the non-mouth end of whatever you're burning is the most likely culprit. Ash. Bits of carbon or partially burned weed or tobacco. Smoke particulate. What you're breathing in is what you're coughing out, usually the most recent thing you've smoked or inhaled. You expectorate dust, pollen and pet dander, too, generally. It's caught in the throat, trachea, bronchial tubes and bronchioles and comes out in phlegm/mucus when you cough it up, at least some of it does.

If you work around sand, rocks, or asbestos, that's a little different. Those particles are unique. They lodge in the little air sacs and passages in lungs more easily and can't really be expectorated from those spaces. Once those particles are lodged, the body has an inflammatory defense response and goes through a process that ends with the laying down of collagen over the sand or asbestos particles. That, in turn, ultimately results in fibrotic nodular lesions. Over time, bad news, bad breathing interference.

You don't have fibrotic lung disease or silicosis/asbestosis. You have a too loosely rolled joint or cigarette and are probably inhaling more deeply than you need to and taking in ash, bits of carbon or partially burned weed or tobacco, smoke particulate. It's not uncommon for people to cough up bits of blood, too, which can look red or dark browninsh, if their lungs are very irritated.

[Rastaman292]

This is a very interesting topic. I actually came on here the other day just to look for a form on this particular topic. Since reading it i have spoken with a couple friends of mine and there seems to be a common factor with the coughing of phlegm, and that is the bong.I tend to use the bong about 90% of times and most friends that used the bong to this percentage seemed to be coughing the same thing. I would really like to hear some more info on this if it really is "as healthy as blowing your nose" or whatever. If Birdgirl would drop her opnion that would be greatly apreshiated as i find you to be quite wise and very informitave.

[olliegrow]

Me too...I cough up grayish/balckish spit from my lungs but I believe its from the everyday smoking, Ive stopped and taken breaks and the phlem goes away. I also have asthma and when i used my medicine to losen up my lungs I would cough up dark phlem. I stared using a vaprozer and that seemed to help, before it was joints, pipes and bongs.

[birdgirl73]

This is a very interesting topic. I actually came on here the other day just to look for a form on this particular topic. Since reading it i have spoken with a couple friends of mine and there seems to be a common factor with the coughing of phlegm, and that is the bong.I tend to use the bong about 90% of times and most friends that used the bong to this percentage seemed to be coughing the same thing. I would really like to hear some more info on this if it really is "as healthy as blowing your nose" or whatever. If Birdgirl would drop her opnion that would be greatly apreshiated as i find you to be quite wise and very informitave.
Hey, Rastaman, and thanks for the kind words. All I have is an opinion. I have nothing scientific to base it on, though. I don't know of anyplace that has tested the differences in amounts of inhaled particulate/dirty crap/ash, etc. according to smoking method used.

My opinions tends to tell me that whatever's making you cough the hardest and have to expel the most crap from your lungs is the least healthy and most irritating. Whatever method is making you bring up the most gray or dirty phlegm is what's sending the most crap down there. If that's bong intake, then that, to me, would be the dirtiest smoking method. If it's a loosely rolled joint for someone else, then, for him, it'd be loose joints. I expect it all depends on how someone inhales and what filtering mechanism is employed, if any. When my sister was smoking year before last for her chemo symptoms, we hooked her up with some little filters for the joints. That helped keep a lot of crud out of her lungs. We had to. She literally didn't have the strength to cough and needed easier-to-breathe smoke.

If and when the day returns that I use cannabis again, I'm going to vape. I have enough trouble breathing in regular air thanks to asthma. Best of luck to you, Rastaman!

[memetics]

jessem,

i smoked cigarettes for years before smoking pot. i had dark/grey phlegm coming out in my morning shower. after i started smoking joints (mmc for IBS), my lungs felt better, but the stuff was still dark/grey.

then i quit smoking cigarettes. my phlegm turned from grey to green (i'm high 24/7) and my lungs started feeling even better.

anyhoo, my 2 cents is that if your phlegm is dark/grey, its NOT the pot.

i hope this helps...

b

[HerbalConfusion]

jessem,

i smoked cigarettes for years before smoking pot. i had dark/grey phlegm coming out in my morning shower. after i started smoking joints (mmc for IBS), my lungs felt better, but the stuff was still dark/grey.

then i quit smoking cigarettes. my phlegm turned from grey to green (i'm high 24/7) and my lungs started feeling even better.

anyhoo, my 2 cents is that if your phlegm is dark/grey, its NOT the pot.

i hope this helps...

b


Well i only smoke weed and i get dark/grey phlegm so if its not the pot what is it? Its definitely the pot. Green phlegm is boogers. No way your left with anything green if your smoking your weed right.

[silkyblue]

Youll b fine

we cough up black shit now and again

better out

than in

rinse your mouth, spit, rinse, hak it up, spit!

or just cut back on the hooka

get a one hitter

[silkyblue]

prolly the black stuff is from nasty eveil cigs?

DONT SMOKE CIGS THEY WILL KILL YA (( + + + +

[BBoyShotty]

i was gonna start a new thread on this, but since this is still alive, why not bring it back hm?!?

Hmm well i was gonna ask a question on the subject, but i guess ill leave my opinion...anyways, i smoke at least once a day, and have done so for the past year or two, and ive noticed that i start coughing up black/brown/grey/whatever stuff with my phlegm after i decreased my smoking habits from lets say 3-4 times a day, down to once at night. Im thinking its just built up tar that my lungs are flushing out, and not ash like others were saying(considering i smoke out of a bong, or bubbler 95% of the time). I remember reading an article (most likely posted by granny stormcrow lol) about how weed makes your lungs naturally produce phlegm, which flushes out your lungs, as opposed to cigarettes smoke, which gunks up the airways or somethin like that...

anyways, that makes sense, right?

[wonka911]

man i thought i was the only one its so wierd its just like he said its specs of gray and black and i dont smoke cigs at all...it happens even more when i smoke blunts though and alot of it is probably from my work i do bodywork on cars which means alooot of dust and fumes n yuckness i will get home n blow my nose n it will be bright greenish yellow from the bodyplastic i should really start wearing a mask

[YAKJIRU]

Ravers Edge - Black Mucus - Black Phlegm (http://disc.yourwebapps.com/discussion.cgi?disc=62318;article=13310;)
ah, bringing ravers and stoners together again. what a wonderful feeling. jk
i've been having the same damn problem for a few years now. i've kinda noticed that if i don't poke smot for a little while, it'll go away. plus, my left lung hurts. kinda scary. i'm gunna go into a dr. anyway, but according to this, it looks like the black shit is okay. hopefully. :hippy:

[painretreat]

Yak, nice thing you are going to doc, let us know what you are told. The pain in left lung sounds definitely like it needs to be checked by a M.D.! Let us know!

Since, this is back up on board and I C Jess has been around. Hopefully, he will find his way back and let us know what happened. Since, the Byrd's said it all. I have a few ?'s!

I first looked, Canada, clean air there! My first thought was: Is this person a fireman, coalminer or working in an environment that may cause this (as implied by DaveByrd & Birdie)?

I sort of think, maybe we need a little more info on your friend and exposure to outside elements????? Is your friend still walking and spitting!

How clean are your smoking devices and does he smoke black resin-leftover tar?

Jess, please let us know, now that it is back on the board! curious--pr

[missJambi]

i have this problem...it is because when you hit from a bong or a bowl, resin and little black tidbits of ask go down into your lungs with the toke.

if it bothers you, ditch the bowl and roll it.
:rasta:

[TebitEvas]

Man you could ask a simple question like where do babies come from on this site and I think you'd get a rainbow of different, "interesting", (frickin retarded) answers. This grey and black phlegm you've been coughing up is completely normal. Here's examples, you just bought a long see-through beautiful glass bowl, fumed and ready. After a week the outside looks beautiful, and what's on the inside? Your Phx, it has two deep black lines on the glass coming from the splash guard does it not? All that black, gooey, nastiness that 80% of all smokers avoid coming into skin contact with at all doesn't just accumulate in your pipe.
The amount of black nastiness you cough up depends on several things. The amount of protective phlegm your throat is covered in while your smoking/exposed, the amount of smoke you put yourself in contact with (cigarettes, campfires, reef, dirt, ash, all collect in the phlegm), and if you've had any expectorants, are just a few. The dryer your throat is the less conducive phlegm there is to hold the nasty resin, all the resin that isn't captured in the easily evacuated phlegm goes on to create your beautiful smokers lung. Those black undulating slime balls that live in my and all other smokers chests.
So, the more productive your coughs are, the better. Most people swallow that protective material as a reflex, without even knowing it.

[oliwog]

i get this to jus lil grey bits i cough up, i only use a volcano an the odd bong hit but thats like once a month on a bong, avge 6 vapes a day. i dont cough up tar or anything else jus lil grey sometimes blackish stuff.
ive looked loads online for an answer but cant find shit.
peronally i think it could be lung tissue because of how cannabinoids or thc acts on the lungs forcing damaged cells to die an regenerate instead of mutating. so i am having to cough up the damaged cells/tissue.
it seems to be more common with people that only smoke weed pure or vape it not those who smoke cigs or other shit they seem to get tar an green shit aswell.

[ForgetClassC]

Me and mainly my friend both constantly cough shit up, I used to smoke alot of blunts and didn't really care about diffusion in my pieces, but since I started smoking out of nicer bongs and less blunts joints and bowls, my phlegm has returned to what you would normally expect a nice big fat loogey to look like.

[StiKy2RoLL]

This is a very interesting topic. I actually came on here the other day just to look for a form on this particular topic. Since reading it i have spoken with a couple friends of mine and there seems to be a common factor with the coughing of phlegm, and that is the bong.I tend to use the bong about 90% of times and most friends that used the bong to this percentage seemed to be coughing the same thing. I would really like to hear some more info on this if it really is "as healthy as blowing your nose" or whatever. If Birdgirl would drop her opnion that would be greatly apreshiated as i find you to be quite wise and very informitave.

waterpipes,, drypipes,, bLunts,, bubblers, joints ,, doobies, vapes,, fullmelt, bho buddah, kief,, oil, amberglass, indoo ,, outdooo >>whatevah. i get the black mucus in the morning, usually right after the shower. after that, lungs feel good. my friend swears that im going to die from it,,, hell if im going to die from smoking ganja, i should be thankful. i heard some dood cracked his neck and died in a bar falling from a 2.5foot stool...thats definatly not the ways i wnat to die!!!!

[klarity]

oops started on page 2

[blckphlem]

Bong pipe joints or what, and do you use a butane lighter. I find that the more times I light my stuff the more black spots I get in my sputum. Was ripping personal bowls in a wee bong that required a light every time and was getting ridiculously black and grey spit up. switched to a pipe and it was still bad, but a little less than the bong. Had the thought that part of it could be soot from the butane lighter I was using. (wave something in the flame and it will get covered in soot from the burnt butane) maybe your buddy chases the green with more flame than you.