Citric Acid

[GatorVapyr]

Just started vaping this week and am waiting for the sore throat, that seems typical of many new users to subside. I'm vaping Blu (make fun of me it's cool ) which uses USP glycerin rather than PG or VG:

Ingredients: Distilled Water, Nicotine, Natural & Artificial Flavors, USP Glycerin, Citric Acid (from the website).

Given that my juice is non-PG/VG, I began looking up citric acid (found in citrus, perfectly fine to eat for most people), which has been tested as a tobacco substitute in inhalers and used as a cough stimulant in studies (and produces other nasty effects at doses that are likely much, much higher than contained in my juice http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9923494). It looks like inhaled citric acid can be irritating and produce allergies. Do all juices contain citric acid? Am I missing a bunch of info already posted on the effects citric acid (didn't come up on a search)? I realize that the "natural and artificial flavors" could be irritating, but just curious.

 

[telsie]

Hey, I'm a vaper of almost two years and I recently got some Blu cartomizers, so I'm not going to make fun of you

Just so you know, glycerin is VG (VG = vegetable glycerin) and USP just means it's pharmaceutical grade (USP = United States Pharmacopeia). All I know about citric acid is that it's a preservative. I don't know if all pv juices contain it, but I think it's a pretty common ingredient. Most people experience a little throat irritation in the first few weeks that they start vaping (then it passes). I wasn't even aware citric acid was a possible reason for that, though. I guess I can still learn something new after all this time!

My suggestion is to just see if you're still having throat irritation after two weeks. Most likely you won't be. If you are, then maybe look into finding a juice with no citric acid (if their is one). And you know to drink more water, right? It'll not only help with transitional throat irritation, it'll help counteract any dryness you experience early on from vaping and it'll help with the smoking detox.

 

[GatorVapyr]

ROFL! Thanks for clarifying the VG part =).

And of course i just now find the link to the description.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/diy-e-liquid/52669-pg-vg-labeling-purity-please-read.html


I've been drowning myself with water, which may be why it's only a little bit sore. My chest feels a little dry too which made me wonder what the heck might be causing it, (feels more like a wee bit of an allergic reaction). Citric acid seemed plausible but who knows. I feel wonderful aside from the sore throat, however.

 

[telsie]

Hey, don't water-board yourself

Drinking extra water does help, but it won't get rid of all the dryness and/or throat irritation you might experience early on. For some people, it's smooth sailing from the first vape; for others it takes a few weeks to adjust. I was one of the latter and those first few weeks were a weird combination of OMG I QUIT SMOKING euphoria, combined with the absolute misery of detoxing from cigarettes, while also adjusting to vaping. Once you get past all that, though, very few people seem to have any issues with vaping. So hang in there — it's worth it!

If the throat irritation and/or dryness does persist, you could try a PG formula instead to see if that works better for you. Blu doesn't sell PG-based cartos, though, so you'd have to shop around or buy liquid and refill them (something you might find yourself doing eventually regardless).

 

[phantom2x]

It's a natural preservative, derived from fruits and/or vegetables.

 

[kinabaloo]

Citric acid could be a source of carbon monoxide in vaping. Thermal breakdown ~150C. It is feasible that a dry residue of the acid could form and then decompose.

 

[kelleymcm]

+1 on the soreness is just a part of changing from cigs to vaping.
but if it does not pass...
try different juices &/or nic strength &/or flavorings &/or company's......

I don't think all juices have citric acid in them ???
then again I DIY since most of the commercial stuff was causing my issues ...But I have some commercial juice that is/was fine. (all vg tho)

I know that I have...

PG issues ....
itchy sore throat,the higher the pg level the more it feels like my throat is swelling shut,Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) resolves this so it is an allergy thing IMHO.

And citrus issues.....juices high in citrus flavorings,lemon,lime,orange,etc...Irritates my mouth & throat

Cinnamon & high voltage beats me up too ....so any of the above is possible .

It's just Hit & Miss, if your prone to allergies or have other sensitivities...
you just have to keep trying different stuff.

It helps if you keep notes. especially if you are going to explore the world of juice

Maybe start with empty carto's & find a juice that sounds good that you can get in 100%PG & 100% VG ...then try each separately ...then in a 50/50 mix...then ...etc.
Till you find what works for you .

good luck