From what you've written, I think it's a combination of the analogues you were (and are) smoking, the flavors you are vaping, and one of the properties of the fluid which isn't discussed much, but is actually advantageous to most...
Starting with what you've been smoking. They are delicious, but particularly dangerous. Tobacco sprayed with clove oil infused with menthol crystals. That produces a very wet smoke, meaning that there are a lot more resins and tars deposited in your lungs than there would have been if you smoked regular cigarettes. And clove oil has some strange properties... it is caustic, meaning it has a very low ph, and is actually acidic. But at the same time, clove oil has short lived numbing properties. So you couldn't feel the damage it was doing while it was "on it's way down". And in the "air sacs" where it settled, you don't have nerve endings to alert you to a problem.
On to the properties of Propylene Glycol and Vegetable Glycerin. If you research their usage in other industries, you will find that they are most often used as humectants. In layman's terms, they mix well with most other stuff. And when they do, that enables the other stuff to carry more water. In other words, when you inhale PG or VG as a vapor, it starts to liquify the tars and resins that have built up in your lungs, making it easier to expel them. For most of us who have replaced smoke with vapor, that was a good thing. It helped us quickly clean out our lungs, and recognize the advantages of not smoking. We all coughed a lot in the beginning.
In your case, it's a "catch 22", because what you are coughing up includes clove oil which has lost it's numbing properties. But it is just as caustic. There's the source of your sore throat. And unfortunately, the flavors of cinnamon, menthol, and especially the clove which are the fluids you have tried so far, are worsening the problem. Although mild, they are irritants, and usually chosen by vapers who like a good "throat hit". Unfortunately, your throat and bronchial passages are in no condition for it. Yet.
I don't think you're gonna like my suggestions, but here they are. Stop smoking the Djarums. They are illegal in many states for good reason. If you MUST smoke, try something gentler. As far as fluids are concerned, their mixture is becoming an art form. Some of the smaller companies ask you for your preference as far as the mixing ratio of PG vs VG is concerned. Choose 100% VG for now, it produces a thick, smooth vapor that won't break down the residue in your lungs quite as quickly as PG. Finally, as far as flavors are concerned, avoid spices, menthols, and citrus in your flavoring until your lungs and bronchial passages have "cleaned house".
Hope this helps...
