Smokers cough with vaping?

[nectarguru]

What are your experiences with your smokers cough and vaping? Over the summer I developed a thick smokers cough that typically occurs once or twice a day, usually within a few hours after waking. Not to be overly graphic, but it usually lasts until I hack up whatever needed to come out. I will say, it feels more productive than it did when I was a smoker, meaning that it doesn't feel like the obligatory cough that was par for the course with smoking. A few months ago I came down with a cold that led to a sinus infection (with plenty of smokers hack), and after going on antibiotics it seemed to clear up the coughing, but it came back about a month ago. Now...it may or may not be related to vaping, but I'm trying to rule some things out based on others' experiences. I switched to vaping last April, and early on I was using heavier PG juices, but have since switched to either 50/50 or 100% VG. Like I said, it typically only occurs once or twice a day, and it isn't necessarily something I'm worried about, but I'd rather it wasn't there....

 

[martinc]

sounds like just your typical cigs withdrawal symptoms

 

[nectarguru]

Even after about 9 months? I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but it's strange considering I was a light smoker by the time I quit (about 3 a day).

 

[martinc]

you smoking in your sleep...lol

Frankly,I dont know what to say..I hacked one today,havent for over a month....

 

[TheJack]

every now and again i hack a good one up. i`m almost at the 1 year point with only having 4 smokes. for me its maybe twice a week but thats a hell of a lot better then every morning / afternoon and night.

 

[thewomenfolk]

I'd go back to all PG if I were you. My Pulmonary doctor couldn't believe people were really vaping VG. He said get off it and get off now. He was very animated for an otherwise mild mannered guy. He said vaping VG is just like coating your lungs with oil. Needless to say, no more VG for me.

I noticed one Juice Vendors today state on their sites that VG is "FDA approved". I think that's deceptive just to make a buck, because vaping VG is certainly not FDA approved. I think it's time for the FDA to step in and do something.

 

[Aunt Cranky]

Here's my $.02 on it.
The cough I get from vaping usually only happens when my CE2 style carts get too much "gunk" around the coil. If they're really gunky, I toss them.
I also notice the "cough" shows up when I've been vaping 100% VG at a higher voltage, chain vaping.
The tradeoff is that I have a slight allergy to PG, so I either have to NOT chain vape VG at a higher voltage, or just do it on a cleaner cart.

I'm also experimenting with different vendors who offer customized VG/PG blends. Copper Creek does this (and their juice is pretty tasty), as do many other vendors.

Sweetners added to juice seems to cause problems for some, I try to shy away from added "sweetners"

Dual coil cartos give great flavor and TH, but vaping 100% VG on those just seems to wreak havoc on my lungs (so I "don't do that")
I have no problem doing cardio at the gym, or walking my dog in the cold wintery air. It's not nearly like when I was smoking menthol analogs and dry hacking every few minutes, or having that scary heavy lung feeling after a long night of chain smoking "up all night" hanging out with friends.
I do think that some VG juice bases are "better" than others. Not sure if it's that the ones that don't make me cough have more distilled water in the mix.

My opinion on this whole thing is, if what you're vaping makes you cough, try a different base mix, or different hardware, or both. A bad cough is well... bad.

 

[Beans]

I got the slime a few months back with a sinus infection too, nothing bad just the clear coating we've heard about. I cut back on the VG in my juice, started back on the allergy meds and got the dust bunnies out from under the bed and it went away in 2 weeks......So I never know what to think about it. The fact is physically I feel great and my breathing is so much better than before my quit I'm just going with it. I do occasionally worry about the VG but heck.. Im turning 40, smoked 1-2 ppd for 27 years and already have lung disease. If I can get another 15-20 years out of this bag of bones I'll coutunt myself lucky. I have no delusions on where my health lies at this point, I'm just happy I can finally enjoy it.

 

[Dieseler]

Smoked for almost 40 years similar with wife and started to the cough especially when trying to sleep.
Wife would constantly cough during daytime with cig in hand.
We found vaping in May of 2011 and both of us lost the cough.
I vape 100% pg and drop a few drops once in a while of vg with a syringe in my tank.
I find the VG builds up and i will then cough and have since eased up on it and vape very little with it.
My wife uses all Pg and has no cough at all im happy to say.

 

[DaveP]

I'd go back to all PG if I were you. My Pulmonary doctor couldn't believe people were really vaping VG. He said get off it and get off now. He was very animated for an otherwise mild mannered guy. He said vaping VG is just like coating your lungs with oil. Needless to say, no more VG for me.

I noticed one Juice Vendors today state on their sites that VG is "FDA approved". I think that's deceptive just to make a buck, because vaping VG is certainly not FDA approved. I think it's time for the FDA to step in and do something.

PG and VG are both water soluble. VG is derived from plant sources and PG is derived from petroleum (crude oil). Petroleum is a combination of plant and animal remains that are liquified over eons. Does either sound completely safe?

Anything that is water soluble can be expelled from the lungs. Oil is a dangerous thing in the respiratory system, since it can't be easily combined with phlegm and expelled. It's the reason that oil based nose drops were outlawed 40 years ago. Both PG and VG have some level of irritability and allergic reactions to those who are sensitive. Excessive use can be irritating and is a sign that we need to put it down periodically when that happens.

 

[rolygate]

I'd go back to all PG if I were you. My Pulmonary doctor couldn't believe people were really vaping VG. He said get off it and get off now. He was very animated for an otherwise mild mannered guy. He said vaping VG is just like coating your lungs with oil. Needless to say, no more VG for me.

This person's reaction is understandable but seems to indicate a lack of knowledge of the issues. Glycerine is not an oil and is approved for inhalation in pharmaceuticals, and is apparently being used more frequently for new medical inhalers than PG is. PG is still used in some asthma inhalers, and for the nebulizers used by lung transplant patients, though perhaps because its bactericidal and virucidal performance is outstanding as much as anything else.

Dow Chemical make all possible grades of PG and VG, and advise that their synthetic (not vegetable) glycerine is the best choice for inhalation.
OPTIM - The OPTIM Advantage | The Dow Chemical Company
OPTIM - The OPTIM Advantage | The Dow Chemical Company

In fact they advise that glycerine is chosen for inhalation, not PG.

Also, Intellicig were the first manufacturer to produce glycerine-only e-liquids, and their materials and facility are overseen by university staff advised by international academics. If glycerine were not a good choice for inhalation they would not be using it.

There are 70 years of research data on the inhalation of PG, and one fact is that no one has ever been shown to have died from inhaling it or even ingesting it in large quantities. It can also be injected into the bloodstream without incident (it's used for injectable medicines, where the drug does not mix with water). Some are intolerant to it, but that would apply to just about anything. There is far less research on the inhalation of glycerine but current feeling seems to be that it is just as safe, and has less potential for tolerance issues. Dow would not back it if there were any chance of its safety profile being debatable.

So on balance, 'VG' is at least as safe as PG but if you wanted to avoid colds, flu, or even some real nasties in the atmosphere, PG might be a better choice, since although Optim glycerine is described by Dow as having bactericidal properties, it is generally recognised that PG has outstanding capabilities in this area.

On a personal note I've vaped 100% VG for several years and my lungs have never been clearer. The choice of brand might be important though, there is far more potential for variance in quality or suitability for purpose in VG than in PG.

 

[UnFettered_Soul]

I've used 100% VG and some juices with some sort of PG/VG mix.
Using any of them, I would get a cough now and then if I were chain vaping and/or using some type of carto.
I have recently switched to all organic juice, still with a PG/VG mix and use strictly atomizers.
Even with chain vaping I don't get a cough nearly as often.
I won't say it's the switch to all organic, or the switch to all atomizers, because I have no idea, but I only get that cough every great now and then.

 

[markfm]

People have varying reactions to PG and VG. I'm a mutt, can vape either, but I do prefer more in the 65 - 70% PG zone. While I've never had a vaper's cough, and the slight, though real, smoker's cough went away soon after I switched to vaping, I find that vaping really high VG I get a bit of "heaviness" when running, which went away when I switched to higher PG. Winter, I'm doing an hour a day brisk pace on an exercycle, will vape a bit while cycling without anything at all negative happening.

The worst thing I get from vaping is hoarseness -- the humectant properties of both PG and VG are real, need to drink water. The hoarseness goes away instantly, it literally is just dry throat.

 

[SpiderMo]

I've been vaping for 8 months and from time to time still have that smokers cough but know where near what I had when I smoked.

 

[Johner]

I had this same problem but not before and not after I quit vaping a certain verdors eliquid. This eliquid, while quite tasty had a negative affect on my lungs and throat. It very much reminded me of actually smoking. As soon as I switched, the problem went away. Perhaps it is your eliquid as in my case.

 

[Seattle40]

I rarely put my PV down, I use 100% VG. The only thing I have found is that if I don't drink enough fluids, I get that dry tickle cough at the throat hit spot.

 

[the_maiden_fair]

Just my ...I have vaped exclusively for 8 months. I always hacked gunk when I was a smoker. I never had the clean out period after quitting. I coughed some when vaping, but adjusted my liquid accordingly. Now that winter has hit, I find I cough a lot but only when vaping or when I get a cold. The cough is not productive. I think it is due to the extreme dry environment now, and will subside once spring arrives. I am not worried about the cough, as it doesn't bother me much, and only happens when persistently vaping. I do have a productive cough when I first get up (think I have nasal drip issues while sleeping). I don't get a sore throat or cough too hard, so I am not worried. I have found others have this dry environment cough issue as well. I feel it could just be the climate. I am glad you have a productive cough, since I never did, I worry that my lungs haven't cleaned themselves yet, but I do breathe better, don't get winded as easily, so I guess my body was constantly cleaning itself when I was a smoker.

 

[TruSound]

I went from 2 analog packs a day for 30 years to NONE the day after picking up the vape, it took only a couple weeks for my smokers cough and all day throat phlem to dissapear.

I'm using 100% VG at about 4-6ml a day.

 

[ndnshift]

I have found others have this dry environment cough issue as well.

more 2 cents... i do know that hardly anyone, myself included, drinks enough water on a regular basis. we all need to have a good water bottle and truly fill and chug that thing many times throughout the day. having said that, the same thing goes for anyone... whether trying to loose weight, be healthy, or deal with vaping 5ml of VG at 6v, water is good for you

i would always drink lots of coffee at work, and then have a sparkling water soda can (talking rain, since they are free at work) or two and think i was getting water that way. for the past 3 months, i've had a 20oz really nice and expensive water bottle that is completely spill proof. it gets filled up about 6 times a day... no more yellow pee i can't emphasize how much better overall i feel. even though i've always worked out, my pudgy belly is pretty much gone, no coughing or throat issues, and i feel about 10 years younger. it's hard to get in the habit of drinking so much water, but once you do, easy to keep up. also, i used to have 2-4 micro brews after work, for the alcohol and taste, but i find myself watching TV at 10pm with nothing but my water bottle laying on the couch and a darwin, usually only having a single beer after walking through the door... easy to see why the belly went away

 

[mostlyclassics]

nectarguru (OP), I did go through the lung-cleanout and "quitter's flu."

I'm almost 11 months into vaping, but every so often (maybe twice or thrice per week) I'll still hawk up a truly monstrous lung-oyster. Compared to the actual smoker's cough I uised to have, I regard it as no big deal.

I have noticed that when I vape a lot of my icicles-dangling-from-my-sinuses menthol concoction, I about double my lung-loogie output. Maybe it's your favorite flavor(s) which are causing your cough?