I don't know if this answer could be of some use to anyone, but here I go
.
I haven't used any e-cig yet, so don´t know the effects of PG or VG (just what I could read from you).
However, I've been smoking cigarettes for about 20 years (and pipe, but that's another history). In that time, I did quit smoking twice, and both times I could do it for 6 months (and both times I started to smoke again after 6 months... yes, I'm an idiot, lol ).
First time, due to a strong bronchitis that really scared me.
Second time, after a severe traffic accident that kept me in a hospital's bed (so couldn't smoke by law, hehe, and shouldn't anyway, as one of my lungs was damaged in the accident).
I experienced most (if not all) the symptoms you are describing, and I didn't even know about something called "e-cigs". Headaches, caughing, big green phlegms coming out of my throat (disgusting, agghhh), itchy nose, insomnia, ...
Both times, I started thinking it was because of the situation (specially my severe bronchitis the first time, second time I was sedated most of the day so I didn't notice symptoms so severely... but phlegms
).
I simply supposed that quiting cigarettes should improve my health, not make it worse, but it doesn't work that way... at least at the beginning.
Looking for information later, I found out many interesting things about the effects of tobacco in our body. The fact is, it's not a "protective" layer (as I've read in this thread), but it acts as a "sedative" for our bronchuses and lungs. Let's see if I can explain myself...
If a non-smoker inhales "strange particles", the body will automatically notice it, and will react caughing to make them go out and protect the lungs. It also happen to us when we start smoking (remember your first ciggy if u can... hehehe).
As long as we smoke more and more, different substances in the smoke cover our natural defense system, and the body doesn't notice anymore all the **** that is coming inside (and that remains there).
When we stop smoking for some time, the "sedative" effect starts to disspear. It's not neccesary a very long time to notice this, a few hours can be enough. Did you ever wonder why smokers suffer severe coughing every morning and not during the rest of the day?... 8 hours non-smoking (well, and to be lying also helps to that, as more **** comes up). You start smoking again, and coughing is gone.
So, when you stop smoking for much longer time, that sedative effect disappears completely, your body "wakes up", it starts to notice again all the **** you have inside, the defense mechanisms begin to work again... and it's war! : non-stop caughing, all the **** coming out from all the holes of your body, you really feel sick!
Now sum to that the nicotine abstinence syndrome (and other addictive substances), cold sweting, muscular spasms,... it's a nightmare!
And they say quiting smoking improves your health!
...
... well, it does.
Those sympthoms don't last forever, or at least not so severe
.
Depending on the time you've been smoking, how many ciggs a day... you'll need more time or less till your body gets used to the new situation, and calms down a bit
Then you start to feel you can smell things again (even the smell of ciggs from other somkers!), that you breath better and deeper, that food tastes different (that some food has unexpected taste, lol ), that you don't caugh in the morning any more... great!
And then, if you are as stupid as me, you feel so good that you forget all you've gone trough to quit... and start smoking again
Well, all this just to say that I have no idea if any of your sympthoms are caused by giving smoking up, or by PG or VG, or mixing everything... but I've gone through them twice without the help of e-cigs, and I'm afraid I'll probably suffer 'em again when I start vaping... (may I be a masochist?
).
