Cough only when vaping

[MrSlowly]

Hello ladies and gentlemen of the board!

Well, question here, in case anyone has any insight. I've been vaping for a year and half. Never, not even when I first started, had I had the usual vaper's cough. Now, it's been about four months, I always cough when I vape, and ONLY when I vape. It's a "tickle" when I draw the vapor, I cough near every time I draw and it stops there.
Curious thing is, I do sneak a cig from time to time and the "analogs" don't... tickle and I don't cough.

I have the avocado right now but I've tried my old nautilus 2 as well as my Baby Beast, still the same. I make my own juices and have tried various different combos, high VG, high PG, mostly VG, mostly PG, no change whatsoever. I've also tried ready-made brand name juices, still the same. I tried different coils as well, again, nada.

I haven't been to the doctor because the cough does not persist and doesn't seem serious enough. I can't detect any signs of inflammation, soreness or any other signs that could mean trouble (I'm a nurse). It "tickles" my throat when I inhale the vapor and I cough at that time but that's where it ends.

Has anyone had this happen to them? I'm terribly perplexed...

Many thanks in advance.

 

[93gc40]

Build wattage and juice nic and pg levels... high power plus high air plus high nic plus high PG equal coughing....


Try turning the wattage down or sucking softer.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk

 

[MrSlowly]

I'm actually pretty low on all accounts. I vape between 3.5 to 5.5mg nic juice, my coils are about 0.3Ω and I fire pretty low, usually not going above 2V (~12W). PG right now is at 20% IIRC. My... sucking is pretty tame, I was a DL vaper pretty much from the start and never really "hoovered" it.

 

[Fredman1]

Maybe just for interest sake try mtl to see what that does...?

 

[MrSlowly]

I have, with all available heads. No change there, either. I've tinkered with every airflow setting, done MTL, nothing changes. As soon as I draw, cough. Quite bothersome.

 

[Fredman1]

That is a head scratcher to me to..something is definately irretating your throat..maybe the nic you use in your diy?

 

[Coyote628]

For me, its the nic that tickles or even burns a bit in the back of my throat that will make me cough but this only happens first thing in the morning, sometimes. And every now and then at other times. But not as a regular thing.

 

[stols001]

Are all your coils kanthal? Metal irritation/sensitivity can be a thing that develops over time.

IDK, sensitivities generally can also develop over time. I was never PG sensitive until all of a sudden, I was. That or, something happened.

I would try (unless you want to go to a doc, which honestly might not be the WORST idea) maybe vape unflavored 100% VG (no nic) then add nic, then add SOME PG (and I'm PG sensitive over 10% but fine below that so for me there is indeed some "arbitrary" sort of limit I can deal with, sounds like it's not the heat or going nuts with the nic. I might suggest some of your flavors for DIY might have gotten bad, so don't start with ANY flavoring.

I would try each one like 2 weeks at least, as if you vary too much too soon, you are going to probably not allow yourself enough time for you cough to die down, etc.

Maybe get some new coil heads, IDK. But approach it very strategically, and make only ONE change at a time in all seriousness.

Cigarettes have something called humectants (and probably other stuff too, that keeps the tobacco moist and helps it slidddee down your throat.) If you are smoking at ALL, I'm going to say that could be cofounding things though, because there can be some residual irritation FROM smoking that is causing the cough, which is why I hate to say, "Don't smoke cigarettes and try vaping 100% VG, or at least nic salts maybe if you are nic sensitive and DON'T think you can do straight up VG) but I am going to say it. As well as try some other metals.

And I'm also going to say go see a doc in case it IS something widely unrelated and some docs will do allergy testing but this also sort of sounds like a SENSITIVITY. Like for me, metals, I can only wear really high quality gold or silver things, without developing some horrible contact rash on my skin, only that's easy enough as I hate jewelry so I don't wear anything but a wedding band, but that's easier than like, vaping pure VG for 3 weeks which I understand may be the suck, and I'm not exactly breaking out it full contact hives if someone hands me a copper bracelet but I will if I wear it for 2 weeks, kind of thing.

So you may have to do a few horrendous "elimination" type experiments, but they are probably doable and they are probably things you CAN do if you want to enough.

I didn't really enjoy finding out I was PG sensitive and that vanillas make me hoarse, but I am glad I FIGURED it out. Etc.

Good luck,

Anna

 

[Bunnykiller]

you are dual using.... ciggies and vape dont mix. It will take about 2-4 hrs of straight vaping ( no ciggies) to retrain the throat to accept the vape... take smaller inhales and if the urge to cough comes up, fight it hold it keep it in. eventually you can get back to a non cough vape session

 

[Dconnor]

^^This. I had a relapse to cigarettes and when I went to dual using, the vape was causing me to cough. Never happened to me before the relapse. Didn’t matter what % Nic or setting on mod, Once I finally put the cigs down, I was cough free in a day or two. I wrote it off to the cough suppressant and other chems in the smokes. Not sure what the actual cause was, but cough free now and using the same liquids I always have.

 

[Janusz]

It can be phlegm build up in your throat... Vapor creates bigger pressure than smoke and that pressure tickle mucus in your throat causing you cough...it happens sometimes to me... I would gargle with warm water and salt, eat some spicy food (horseradish or hot chili peppers), drink hot liquids... to loosen mucus... maybe it will help.

 

[Fredman1]

Come to think of it.. I went through a coughing period to.... a while ago. Never really bothered me as it was so slight. All good lately though...

 

[chellie]

I sometimes cough and when I do it is time to change my cotton or coil. I now use RTA's or RBA's and as soon as I start coughing --even if the taste is still OK - it ends up there is gunk on the coils because I vape mainly vanilla and coffee flavors that quickly build up.

 

[Myk]

Even though your wattage is very low, have you ever tried TC? I couldn't DTL until TC no matter how mild the build was. If you can try it try it with the lowest possible temperature to get vapor. If that solves it I'd say it was aldehydes or other similar things that are causing the tickle, just enough to irritate at the moment.