Confused Newbie

[Avanna]

Hi!

I've been reading here since I quit (2/22/2011) several weeks ago and just created the account today in the hopes that maybe someone can answer questions I can't find the answers to.

When I first quit, I started on those Logic disposable e-cigs. At $10 each, I decided to invest in the Tornado tank from Totally Wicked instead. I ordered 36 mg. juice. Big mistake #1. Then ordered 18 mg. flavored kinds. Then realized I was probably allergic to this stuff and ordered 11 mg. VG stuff from Johnson Creek.

I figured I might be allergic because I had these types of symptoms from PG-based products:

1. Dry mouth (sometimes affecting swallowing reflexes altho I could swallow fine)
2. Slight tightness in my chest w/ a sort of hot flash type of feeling
3. Itchiness

At first I thought these were symptoms from quitting smoking, but then after reading here and other places, I think it may have been the PG? I am a little lactose intolerant but never had a reaction this bad to anything before and that's why I ordered this latest batch from JC instead.

I just received my VG-based juice from Johnson Creek today so I guess I have to give it time to see if it was the PG, but does anyone know how long that should take to get PG out of my system?

I seem to be making all the wrong choices and spending a lot of wasted money on things I should have asked questions about from people who know far more than I do about this stuff. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Does the above sound like common allergic reactions people have reported and do you think it's the PG I was using?

 

[swedishfish]

I think I read that 10% of people are allergic to PG. If you rub a tiny amount of juice on your arm do you get any kind of reaction?

 

[Avanna]

I think I read that 10% of people are allergic to PG. If you rub a tiny amount of juice on your arm do you get any kind of reaction?

My skin itchies, yes. But also in places that I know no juice got near. Like my left ankle has a slight red rash and I know it's come and gone since vaping. Also, if a little tiny bit of juice gets on my tongue, it's more than just dry throat for me. It affects the reflex to swallow even though when I force myself to swallow, I can do it just fine. So I'm thinking.. allergic reaction.

 

[dormouse]

You could be allergic to PG even though concert fog and inhalation therapies in hospitals use PG.

It's more likely the nicotine rather than the PG. Nicotine is a skin irritant. 100% PG does little to buffer its irritation and that's why PG lets through the most TH (as well as the most flavor). Most people vape blends like 70pg/30vg, or 80pg/20vg for more TH, or 50/50 for less.

Re dryness/itchiness, vaping can be more drying than smoking. Remember to drink fluids.

 

[swedishfish]

It does sound that way. If I were you I'd definitely wait till the VG juice comes in. Boy that really stinks! But it seems that a lot of vendors carry 100% vg now.

I've also read that some people have a reaction to an ingredient in the juice. Boy, I'm going to make you paranoid now! I can't remember now what the ingredient was but maybe someone else will remember.

 

[Chi-TownTx]

I am not allergic to PG (actually prefer it to VG) but i do have a reaction to JC's PG line (get a buzz/headrush). Would use the VG for sure if i were you and maybe buy a small 5ml bottle of PG from a different company. This way you can kind of test to see if their PG has any effect on you as well.

 

[CBB]

100%PG is harsh, you may not be allergic to it but just sensitive PG tears up my throat and makes me a bit itchy but a 70/30 blend doesn't bother me at all.

 

[Avanna]

Thanks a lot for all the advice! It gets to the point for me that I'm just not sure whether it's all the nasty stuff that happens when you quit smoking or whether it's what I'm vaping now. I'm confused. I know my body is totally confused!

But as for the VG juice from JC, that came in the mail today and I'm vaping it tonight. I'll post back tomorrow and let you know if I have any of these symptoms still or any new ones or whether any of the old ones disappeared.

I should also say that these symptoms didn't happen all at once either. It seemed like they built up to this point over a course of several weeks. So it's hard to say whether it's the juice, withdrawals from regular cigarettes or what.

Rather than throw out the entire investment and put up with nicotine withdrawals too, I decided to give it one last ditch effort and get the VG juice and register here and start asking some questions from the experts. I definitely feel better than I did smoking, though, crazy reactions and all.

 

[EvilGnome6]

I think my symptoms were pretty similar to yours. After about a week of vaping PG juices, my throat was so sore I could barely swallow.Within a day or two of switching to VG (I ordered a Red Oak sample from Johnson Creek), the sore throat felt much better and it was completely fine after a week.

 

[dormouse]

18mg nicotine in 100% VG made my tongue sore, my throat sore, my gums bleed. Some people actually get sore lungs from med or high nic in 100% PG. But I had no problem with 18mg in 70pg/30vg.

 

[swedishfish]

High nicotine makes me lose my voice.

 

[Stosh]

One thing to mention, drink a lot of water, and I mean lots. The PG or VG will dry you out, it's important to keep hydrated or the dry mouth, and irritation will surely follow. I've used 36mg when I first quit, and it will tear up your throat a bit at first, I was able to get past it but it is stronger than most use, if you can beat the urges with less, go for it!!

 

[Avanna]

Well, it's my first day on VG-only 11mg. juice that I purchased from Johnson Creek.

I'd like to thank everyone here! I drank sips of water all day. I washed my hands carefully after filling the cartridge and cleaning out my atomizers. I also cut the vaping time down a little because what I'm hearing in this advice is GO SLOWER!

I have to say, although I'm not crazy about the taste of this stuff (using something called Swiss Dark Chocolate), my tongue feels much better and I'm swallowing without that annoying reflex problem which you all pointed out was probably from being too dry. I have no chest twinges and no hot flash-type twinges either (that was strange).

So overall, I'm very relieved and thankful for the advice! I'll give it a few days and try the blend of PG/VG I also ordered from JC. The advice on these forums to order only from reputable companies couldn't be said enough, thanks. I'm tossing all those flavors I ordered that have no ingredients on them. Who knows what I was vaping. And yes Stosh, while the 36 mg. from TW didn't give me those reactions (the flavored ones did from elsewhere), that 36 mg. stuff really IS "totally wicked". Tears your throat up and made me higher than a kite.

I'm feeling so much better today and still getting a little nicotine fix. I'm happy! Thank you ALL!

 

[swedishfish]

Great news!

 

[EvilGnome6]

I have to say, although I'm not crazy about the taste of this stuff (using something called Swiss Dark Chocolate), my tongue feels much better and I'm swallowing without that annoying reflex problem which you all pointed out was probably from being too dry. I have no chest twinges and no hot flash-type twinges either (that was strange).

Good to hear! I wasn't a fan of most of those Oak Creek flavors even though they all seemed well done. The Tennessee Cured and JC Original are the only ones I'd definitely buy again. I'm still undecided on the Swiss Dark. It tasted more like Swiss Miss instant hot cocoa than a chocolate bar. Not a bad flavor, just not what I expect it to be.

Island is pleasant if you like a tropical fruit mix. It's not appealing to me but they did it well. The other three were kind of harsh for an all day vape. Valencia is very acidic, the cinnamon of Marcado is overwhelming after a while and the mint in Wisconsin Frost gets to be excessive.

Anyway, those are just my subjective impressions of those flavors and you may end up really liking the ones I didn't and vice versa. At least none of the juices tore up my throat like the PG based ones did.