100% VG Side Effects Hypothesis

[LifeMeansChange]

So I'm extremely new to the vaping community but I am one to do plenty of research when I make a decision. In my hunt for information I found that a lot of people feel that the VG has less "variables" and may be better for you than PG. Not to mention the increased amount of vapor. But there also seems to be quite a bit of discussion about the side effects (mainly large amounts of phlegm in the lungs) from vaping 100% VG. But I've created a hypothesis that I believe to be the culprit here and I thought I'd share .

So before I started vaping I'd had some prior experience with vegetable glycerin in (don't freak out!) my hair care regimen. I stopped using it though because glycerin is a humectant which draws moisture from a moist place to a dry place. So with hair that may mean that moisture is being drawn from your hair out into the air... or vice versa but it depends on which part is more dry. Stay with me! I do have a point .

So in finding out how mucus is created in the body I discovered mucus begins in the nasal passage. And a dry environment dries out the mucus in the nasal passage making it thick and difficult to flush out. That causes the mucus or "phlegm" to build up and eventually make it's way down to your lungs where it's then coughed up. This happens naturally if maybe you live in an area where the air is dry. The air everywhere gets dry in the winter months and can cause some people to produce more phlegm simply because it's cold outside.

Since VG is a humectant, it may very well be pulling moisture from your nasal passage and out into the air as you exhale your vapor. This dries out the nasal passages which then makes the mucus thick and hard to get rid of, hence the buildup. And then just as in a dry environment, that buildup eventually makes it's way down to your lungs at which point that chest heaviness comes along and you start feeling the need to cough up the phlegm. A humidifier or drinking lots of water (not other liquids ) should help. But it sounds like the very nature of VG itself is what causes this problem. And one may or may not have trouble with this depending on how hydrated they are. Also keep in mind that people with consistent allergy problems will have the same sorts of issues. As a matter of fact, if you have allergy problems, they could be exacerbated by the all VG juice, I would imagine.

Now if the mucus is green or yellow... that's a whole different story. That means your body is treating it like an infection and is trying to expel it from your body. Obviously not good.

I'm not a doctor, but it looks like the science here could make sense.

But that, of course, is just my humble opinion . Any thoughts?

Why does the Nose Make Mucus & Why is snot Green? - The Naked Scientists 2008.01.26

Read more: What Causes Mucus in the Throat? | eHow.com What Causes Mucus in the Throat? | eHow.com

 

[scarf-ace]

That sounds like as good an explanation as I have heard. Too much vg gives me that phlegmy feeling. Thankfully I have no bad reaction to pg. I once accidentally got a bottle of 100% pg juice due to a website error. It had no vapor whatsoever but tasted marvelous.

 

[Baditude]

I've noticed I've been having morning coughs similar to when I was a smoker. It seems to go away past mid-morning, much as when I was a smoker, too.

Your idea made me realize that I've been pretty much exclusively vaping juices recently that are organinc and 100% Vg. Might just be a coincindence, or perhaps the 100% vg is causing the phlegm in the mornings. With the time of year and everyone else at work coughing and sick, I just assumed it was a common cold. I'll have to keep an eye out on this. Nice observation.

 

[nobutts1]

Hmmm, I find the PG is what is drying my entire body out.. my lips are cracking! I had not one idea why. The PG is a moisture sucking chemical, also nicotine vape may be lining our mouths and drying them out.. what I found is WATER WATER WATER! Almost instantly my eyes feel better, lips not so dry, and just all around increased energy? Still researching all the time on this forum.. I think we on this forum should become a Government!

 

[NetteG]

Interesting theory indeed ... I though have never really had a problem with 100% VG only problems with PG (which has never been 100%) at least with that chest heaviness you are talking about. The only time I've really noticed a heavy feeling is if I have vaped too much the night before (say gone to a party or had a party and was consuming adult beverages). I have noticed though while vaping 100% VG, my skin seems oilier than before and I have actually had a few outbreaks around my nose and chin. When I was younger, I had a fit with acne, but it had for the most part cleared up into adulthood at least until stopping analogs and starting vaping.

The first weekend after beginning to vape, I did get "smokers flu" that when it was all said and done dried up the inside of my nose so bad it hurt to even touch the outside ... and being only 3 months in ... I still take the occasional Mucinex (as told by my doctor a couple times back when trying to stop smoking) to help keep that drainage from sitting heavy in my lungs ... Shrek said it best, "Better Out Than In" HA! I also have allergies all year around, honestly, I don't know what feels normal too much anymore. I will say since I have stopped analogs, I feel so much better than when I smoked ... but with the allergies still in place (and though "I" feel those have gotten better as well) they are still there, and I know it if I just so happen to miss my dose of Allegra D ... so I couldn't tell anyone if it was the allergies or the vaping 100% VG or the combination of the two.

A good theory though ... thanks for sharing.

 

[pigmoose]

Humectant is right. From wikipedia on its usage as a skin moisturizer: "It draws moisture up through skin layers and slows or prevents excessive drying and evaporation."

 

[Drael]

Both PG and VG are humectants. VG might be moreso though, IDK..

 

[Terri Macksee]

This is SO interesting to me. I have been a little alarmed that I've developed a cough of late. When I was smoking, I had a pretty chronic, phlelmy cough, coughing up gunk.

3.5 weeks on the patch and I got most of the gunk out. Then I cracked, decided to try an ecig, smoked only 3 packs from the time I gave up on the patch til my ecig came in the mail and I never touched another analog. No cough, no nothing.

So since August 10 of this year I've been buying ALL kinds of ejuice. Through trial and error I've been gravitating more and more to mixes with higher VG than PG. Slowly, as the higher VG juices have been vaped, this much less significant cough has developed, and I am now wondering if it appeared due to my vaping much higher VG than when I initially started.

Does that make sense in light of your theory? I live in the metroPhoenix area and have for 17 years.

 

[Faylool]

I've been meaning to share my question about water water water because when I consider the amount of vapor put out and the Amy of water lost with that it really doesn't come to very much at all. So I don't get how it can dehydrate you. If I'm doing something strenuous and sweating for 20 minutes I might need water water but vaping? I just drink when I'm thirsty and I do happen to be a thirsty person so maybe I don't notice this phenomenon. Doesn't add up.

 

[JBR3AK]

Ya know, I've had this happen too. I couldn't tell you if it's from my chocolate pg/VG 18mg e-juice, or my brothers 100%vg Johnsoncreek Tennessee cured. I personally believe its something with the flavoring though. The chocolate e-liquid is sticky and sweet when warmed.. Almost as if an artificial sweetener/sugar was added.. I've vaped the chocolate longer than the JC so that's my guess. I'm sticking to menthol for now. :/ lol

 

[JazzyTech]

I'm a 100% VG vaper. I did notice some coughing due to going nuts the first few weeks of vaping due to testing my builds. I like to tinker and rebuild all my cartos and mix my own juice. I haven't had that problem lately because I've learned that you don't have to inhale to get the nic. That's the smoker's habit. I did notice being thirsty a bit more often. I don't mind drinking more water; it helps to reset my palette so I can enjoy the taste of my vape even more

 

[Tibby]

Did you create an algorythem?

 

[JazzyTech]

Not to scare everyone, but has anyone considered the possibility/risk of silica wicks? Most all wick-style cartos and tanks use it. There have been reports of silica releasing shards when dry hitting. The body can't remove them once they enter the lungs. This is all a very young "industry" and there's no long term data for us to rely on. I know this may be "bad for business" to raise a question like this, but aren't we all here for our health? Again, not wanting to "rock the boat", but perhaps your increased coughing could be due to this? Both my parents had developed a cough and after switching to cotton it went away. After reading what I could find on the subject, I decided that if I'm going to risk some foriegn object getting into my body, I'd prefer it to be cotton. This is my primary reason for DIYing my wicks. First thing I do with a new tank is toss the silica.

This is the link that got me started.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/modding-forum/284030-wick-materials-safe-vs-dangerous.html
It's *very* long but there are some useful comments and information into the use of silica.

 

[CowbellDrummer]

not to scare everyone, but has anyone considered the possibility/risk of silica wicks? Most all wick-style cartos and tanks use it. There have been reports of silica releasing shards when dry hitting. The body can't remove them once they enter the lungs. This is all a very young "industry" and there's no long term data for us to rely on. I know this may be "bad for business" to raise a question like this, but aren't we all here for our health?

This is the link that got me started.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/modding-forum/284030-wick-materials-safe-vs-dangerous.html
it's *very* long but there are some useful comments and information into the use of silica.

bump!!!!!!!!

 

[d9mel]

I diy my juices and use a 100% VG base and around 20%flavoring (normally suspended in PG). I've experienced some minor congestion on a couple of occasions after I vape heavily, normally during periods of reduced activity. For me the effects of high PG juices have been much more pronounced and less desireable, so I just stay active and hydrated.

 

[samwest]

I vape 90% or better VG all day and night. My PV is always in my hand til I go to sleep. 5 to 6 mils/day and have never had any problems with the heavines, congestion, coughing etc. PG? yeah a little; I'm not allergic or anything, it just gives me a scatchy throat and I don't need it.

 

[elfstone]

Since VG is a humectant, it may very well be pulling moisture from your nasal passage and out into the air as you exhale your vapor. This dries out the nasal passages which then makes the mucus thick and hard to get rid of, hence the buildup. And then just as in a dry environment, that buildup eventually makes it's way down to your lungs at which point that chest heaviness comes along and you start feeling the need to cough up the phlegm. A humidifier or drinking lots of water (not other liquids ) should help. But it sounds like the very nature of VG itself is what causes this problem. And one may or may not have trouble with this depending on how hydrated they are. Also keep in mind that people with consistent allergy problems will have the same sorts of issues. As a matter of fact, if you have allergy problems, they could be exacerbated by the all VG juice, I would imagine.

That's probably a fact. Both PG and VG are hygroscopic and they do draw moisture from your body as you vape. That is partially why you have to keep well hydrated by drinking significantly more water than before you started vaping. A humidifier might be a great idea - not to mention that in a more humid room your plumes will look (and feel) much thicker.

To what extent that causes morning cough or cough in general - I don't know.

As a rule of thumb, given that most of us are former smokers, please treat any new and worsening cough with utmost seriousness. We still carry with us an extra risk of throat and lung cancer, and of other lung disease. Go have yourself checked.

I really noticed that my chest heaviness and any form of cough went away once I switched from cartos to genesis style atties. Maybe the filler / wick materials are allergenic or they are somehow causing some issues. Now all I have left to complain about is a higher probability of having crusts in my nose if I don't pay attention. This is anecdotal, but I for one encourage everybody to move away from Chinese fillers and silica wicks.

And... drink more water.