A question for the veterans.

[Papillon61]

I am more than a month and a half into my journey. Sometime today I would have avoided my one thousandth combustible cigarette. I am still several times a day coughing up phlegm which is clear but sticky, with tiny brown spots. Actually I had this at the start and then it went away but now it is back. There is absolutely no pain associated with the coughing. My question for people who have been vaping for over a year is this: Can you, hand on heart, assure me that these are my lungs still busy cleaning themselves out and not the effect of say VG (since that is what the stuff I cough up feels like - sorry if this is TMI) with the tawny spots being remnants of flavouring? Can you assure me that this will in fact go away?

Thank you.

 

[roxynoodle]

For me this went on into about my 7th month of vaping.

I'm having a little bit again, but believe its my seasonal allergies and asthma.

 

[ppeeble]

The speckled phlegm is scary and it lasted a good 3 months for me. Sometimes it would happen when i was talking which always became a bit awkward...After that i was phlegm free UNTIL i switched to VG liquids. Now, after a heavy night/day of vaping, i will cough up clear mucus maybe twice a day.
This has continued for me for a couple of years and i put it down to the excess VG being cleared from my throat. Personally it doesn't bother me.

 

[Papillon61]

Thank you. I make my own juice and it is usually balanced in favour of PG, like 60/40 or a little more, since that phlegm really does look like excess VG. I am not excessively worried. I know I do not feel sick or anything - actually I'm feeling better than I have in a long time. If it is the VG however, or any other ingredient in the vaping, I wish to know so I can try to remedy the situation.

 

[Baditude]

I agree it can take at least a few months for the lungs to cleanse themselves from the afteraffects of smoking tobacco.

I also agree that for some folks, vegetable glycerin can cause mucous production or "heaviness" feeling in the lungs.

I prefer a higher vg ratios, sometimes even 100% vg, with my e-liquids. Higher Pg causes more prominent issues for me, that being too much of a throat hit, tickly/irritable throat, and coughing.

 

[edyle]

I am more than a month and a half into my journey. Sometime today I would have avoided my one thousandth combustible cigarette. I am still several times a day coughing up phlegm which is clear but sticky, with tiny brown spots. Actually I had this at the start and then it went away but now it is back. There is absolutely no pain associated with the coughing. My question for people who have been vaping for over a year is this: Can you, hand on heart, assure me that these are my lungs still busy cleaning themselves out and not the effect of say VG (since that is what the stuff I cough up feels like - sorry if this is TMI) with the tawny spots being remnants of flavouring? Can you assure me that this will in fact go away?

Thank you.

1: Can I , hand on heart assure you that these are your lungs still busy cleaning themselves out:
No.

I can say the coughing lasted about 3 months for me; and when it did seem to recur later on I would pay more attention to my mixes; certain mixes seemed to make me cough

The brown spots you mentioned sounds like an alarm, but I never had that myself.

 

[Papillon61]

The "brown Spots" are actually very tiny, more like flecks and kind of orange rather than brown - tawny as I call them. The are not dark like dried blood would be.. I do suspect it is tar coming out. I was a smoker, between 1 and 2 PAD, since I was 16 - I am now 61 so I imagine a lot of damage has been done. I did also think of particles of flavouring but most of the juices I use are clear.

 

[edyle]

The "brown Spots" are actually very tiny, more like flecks and kind of orange rather than brown - tawny as I call them. The are not dark like dried blood would be.. I do suspect it is tar coming out. I was a smoker, between 1 and 3 PAD, since I was 16 - I am now 61 so I imagine a lot of damage has been done. I did also think of particles of flavouring but most of the juices I use are clear.

my guess is that it is tar

 

[FlamingoTutu]

I smoked about as long as you and spent months coughing up junk. It does eventually end, hang in there. And no, no one can tell you in 100% terms, but I think from all the posts you should feel somewhat relieved.

 

[bones1274]

Like Baditude said above, VG can cause thick clear mucus to be coughed up. I still cough up a decent amount of it every day, especially with VG heavy juices.

 

[Baditude]

It will take some months to get rid of this stuff.

 

[bluecat]

I am more than a month and a half into my journey. Sometime today I would have avoided my one thousandth combustible cigarette. I am still several times a day coughing up phlegm which is clear but sticky, with tiny brown spots. Actually I had this at the start and then it went away but now it is back. There is absolutely no pain associated with the coughing. My question for people who have been vaping for over a year is this: Can you, hand on heart, assure me that these are my lungs still busy cleaning themselves out and not the effect of say VG (since that is what the stuff I cough up feels like - sorry if this is TMI) with the tawny spots being remnants of flavouring? Can you assure me that this will in fact go away?

Thank you.

If you want a hand on heart moment please see a doctor. Then be prepared to get a second opinion and maybe a third. Throw all three answers into a hat and choose one.

I don't believe anyone can truly tell you what you are seeing.

 

[supertrunker]

It would take a long time to get rid of a pig's lung!

T

 

[Papillon61]

It will take some months to get rid of this stuff.

Yes indeed I think it will - like I said I was a smoker for many many years. I think the clear mucus could have something to do with VG though. Like @ppeeble said it might come out when I am just talking. I'll have to look into the composition of my juices further and try to come up with a better balance. I don't like the throat hit and dry cough that pure high PG gives me either.

Thanks to everyone for their imput.

 

[KY_Rob]

I've been vaping for nearly 2.5yrs now. I can say that the smokers "hack" has gone away completely, and the nasty brown morning lung rockets are gone...HOWEVER...I still do get that thick & clear morning loogy, and perhaps one or two coughs throughout the day.

Like my buddy Bad, I believe it has something to do with the VG. Is it harmful? I don't know. I do know it's far less than I was getting from tobacco, and doesn't cause me anything close to similar discomfort.

 

[Robert Cromwell]

The "brown Spots" are actually very tiny, more like flecks and kind of orange rather than brown - tawny as I call them. The are not dark like dried blood would be.. I do suspect it is tar coming out. I was a smoker, between 1 and 2 PAD, since I was 16 - I am now 61 so I imagine a lot of damage has been done. I did also think of particles of flavouring but most of the juices I use are clear.

Same smoking history and age as you and I did not have this problem. 4 months into vaping but I do tootle puff aka low wattage vape.

 

[Papillon61]

I do tootle puff aka low wattage vape.

I tootle puff too and almost always at around 10-11 watts. The only time I go over that is when I use the Kanger subtank and I run out of 1.2ohm coil heads... which is not that often because whatever I do the subtank leaks so I tend to avoid it. I do tend to chain vape though.

 

[Robert Cromwell]

HMMM. got me then. Yep I chain vape when I have the opportunity as well. I do about 3 mil a day sometimes 4 mil on a rainy or cold day.

 

[Thrasher]

5 years later i still get all kinds of congested and flemmy if i go too heavy on the vg. All my DIY is 65/70% pg now and the higher the pg the clearer i stay, even after heavy chain vaping.

I spent way too many years of my life weezing and hacking, and im sure not going to let vaping cause it also, even if it is ok.

I love the wide open clear feeling from vaping pg and don't understand why everyone is willing to feel all gakked up just for bigger clouds that have zero effect on the experience other then eye candy.


It kills the flavoring, requiring more which means more junk being inhaled
It causes all kinds of congestion
It kills off the throat hit.

Other then a pg allergy i really don't see a real benefit besides more clouds.

 

[pianoguy]

Maybe try unflavored for a few days to see if you notice any difference.