Does vaping cause phlegm?

[DigitalRapture]

I'd really like to see if the Lung Flute would help out. It's used for collecting samples as well which could possibly be used for research. (eww..)

[Katmar]

Someone mentioned they have sever allergies to coconut oil, of which VG is greatly comprised of. Some of you may want to look into that. It causes skin and respiratory problems. You may not know you are allergic.

[esdel]

Vaping does not really caused phlegm. It is when you initially stopped smoking analogs that caused the phlegm. After a while, when your body get used to No-Analog regime, the phlegm will gradually subside and dry up.

Sorry, but I beg to differ. I've been vaping for about 9 months now. When I smoked, I had a constant cough and lots of brown phlegm. When I started vaping -- with PG liquid -- it only took a few weeks for the cough and brown phlegm to completely go away. However, I realized that vaping was causing a thick, clear phlegm at the back of my throat. If I vaped heavily, lots of phlegm. If I eased off the vaping, less phlegm. I then bought some plain VG to mix with my e-liquid and right away I noticed the phlegm was a lot less. Problem was, it was also diluting the nicotine content of my e-juice (I vape 24 mg).

It took me a while, but I finally bought some DIY VG e-liquid (60mg nic juice, which I cut with plain VG, plus flavorings). I've only been vaping this stuff for about a week, but I noticed a lot less phlegm right away. Also, the PG was causing me dry mouth, which has totally gone away with the VG. After reading this thread, I'm going to mix up some unflavored juice and see if the phlegm goes away completely.

I think it's important to stress that the phlegm I get from vaping seems to originate at the back of my throat. I rarely, if ever, cough up phlegm since i quit smoking. Also, the vaping-induced phlegm is not a chronic problem. In other words, it gets better or worse within minutes of my switching between PG and VG (or a mix of the two).

[Katmar]

Sorry, but I beg to differ. I've been vaping for about 9 months now. When I smoked, I had a constant cough and lots of brown phlegm. When I started vaping -- with PG liquid -- it only took a few weeks for the cough and brown phlegm to completely go away. However, I realized that vaping was causing a thick, clear phlegm at the back of my throat. If I vaped heavily, lots of phlegm. If I eased off the vaping, less phlegm. I then bought some plain VG to mix with my e-liquid and right away I noticed the phlegm was a lot less. Problem was, it was also diluting the nicotine content of my e-juice (I vape 24 mg).

It took me a while, but I finally bought some DIY VG e-liquid (60mg nic juice, which I cut with plain VG, plus flavorings). I've only been vaping this stuff for about a week, but I noticed a lot less phlegm right away. Also, the PG was causing me dry mouth, which has totally gone away with the VG. After reading this thread, I'm going to mix up some unflavored juice and see if the phlegm goes away completely.

I think it's important to stress that the phlegm I get from vaping seems to originate at the back of my throat. I rarely, if ever, cough up phlegm since i quit smoking. Also, the vaping-induced phlegm is not a chronic problem. In other words, it gets better or worse within minutes of my switching between PG and VG (or a mix of the two).

Thanks for that post. It is interesting how the phlegm comes and goes. As though, if you stay away from it for a bit, it does go away, which is probably good. It's your body's way of fighting the irritant, whether it be VG or PG.

[CaptJay]

Well I had no real change in phlegm from smoking to vaping - mine was never brown btw, pretty much clear or pale milkytea colored (off white?)- and it always been 'back of the throat gotta clear throat' to get rid of it thing. If anything its not as 'thick' now as it used to be, it just hasn't gone away. My cough went away though, just left with the same old phlegm /sigh.
I haven't noticed any difference with PG or VG either but I tend to vape a mix higher in PG than VG (tho I do have some all VG liquids, I can't say its worse when I vape it, though I DO get a tongue coating with VG thats not present with PG).

[TropicalBob]

Esdel has it exactly right. TraderBlue is, bluntly, wrong.

Clinical trials are bearing out right now what Esdel wrote. Only trouble, in the trials, both PG and VG are causing clear phlegm, back-of-throat problems. A carrier for nicotine that won't cause this is being sought.

[CaptJay]

Esdel has it exactly right. TraderBlue is, bluntly, wrong.

Clinical trials are bearing out right now what Esdel wrote. Only trouble, in the trials, both PG and VG are causing clear phlegm, back-of-throat problems. A carrier for nicotine that won't cause this is being sought.

They put PG in cigs too don't they? I'm sure I read that someplace on here. SO that would make sense then for me not having much of a difference between the 2. No phlegm at all would be awesome - I can't even remember what that feels like.

[Mister]

They put PG in cigs too don't they?

See this page: Cigarette Ingredients | Tobacco Ingredients

The percentages shown are the maximum level used in any R J Reynolds brand in 2007. They don't show the specific amounts per brand.

The maximum PG level shown is 2.116%, the maximum VG (glycerol) level is 11.14%. At the start of the page it says "Levels are based on a dry-weight percentage of the tobacco", so the following calculations may be a bit on the high side.

Assuming an average cigarette to weigh 1 gram, and using 1g = 1ml (close enough to being true), a pack a day smoker of whichever brands it is that have the maximum levels noted above could be consuming (without knowing whether filters trap any and whether any is converted to other substances due to heat):
.02 * 20 = .4 ml PG/day
.11 * 20 = 2.2 ml VG/day

Allowing for the "dry weight" thing, perhaps .3 ml PG per day, and/or 1.6 ml VG per day, per pack/day, for the brands with the highest levels.

[iclavdivs]

I posted this on another thread before I cam across this thread - anyway my question is:

Forgive my ignorance, or if I am raising something already discussed - but what's the big deal about having "phlegm" anyway?

People with allergies and asthma get phlegm don't they? I thought that producing phlegm was just the body's way of protecting the lungs from on irritant.

People with allergies can get constant phlegm from pollen or air pollutants can't they?

So if the underlying cause of the phlegm is 'chronic exposure to an irritant' how bad is that as a health risk? Is the irritant so bad as to possibly be carcinogenic? Is the irritant so bad as to cause or worsen emphysema? Does it lead to high risk of sinus infections? Does the production of phlegm affect lung function? Does the irritant/production of phlegm cause or worsen bronchitis? Does the excessive phlegm production lead to higher risk of pneumonia? Does excessive phlegm production give rise to a higher risk of complications from Flu? etc. etc.

Sorry if these are basic questions but what I'm wondering is, what other conditions or illnesses are there that lead to excessive phlegm production? and what comparisons can be made to these and the phlegm production which occurs from vaping?

Also are we talking about excessive phlegm produced in the nose and sinuses or excessive phlegm being produced and coughed up from the lungs?

[scheherezade]

The problem with Phlegm of any kind aside from the fact thats its uncomfortable is that in excessive amounts, yes, depending on the location, it can cause problems breathing. Also, phlegm is known to trap not only irritants, but make people more prone to infections, possibly by holding bacteria. Irritants to your respiratiory system in general are not a good thing. Long term effects are unknown. Yes, it's a matter of choices for us.