Coughing on Inhale - Help Please!

[TheFossil]

Hello, All,
I am a newb and have been lurking here since I got a Smoke 51 Duo as a birthday gift in Dec. It works OK, although I'll be changing hardware soon. Here's my problem: I have been refilling the carts, which came prefilled with a very weak juice, with 24 mg juice. The guy at the mall kiosk told my daughter this would work, and it seems to. Also, I need the strong juice because I am a two-pack-a-day smoker. With the e-cigs, I had gotten down to 6 analogs a day and was well on my way to quitting; but then all of a sudden, each inhale started making me cough violently. This is not "clearing your lungs" coughing; it's "sandpaper on the vocal cords" coughing. Any ideas about what might be causing this and/or how I might stop it? Am I putting in too much juice (~4 drops)? Or might it be the PG in the juice? (I don't have any other symptoms of "PG allergy" as I've seen it described on ecf.) I'm really desperate because I need and want to quit smoking, and I really enjoyed vaping until this problem started. Thanks in advance for any and all help!

 

[WomanOfHeart]

Vaping takes time to get used to, just like it took time to get used to inhaling cigarette smoke. The inhale technique is a bit different when vaping, though. Try taking long, smooth drags rather than trying to suck on it like a cigarette. I always thought of it like sipping on a glass of fine wine.

You might also be getting a very strong throat hit because you're using a very high nicotine level and I would assume your juice is 100% PG based. That combination is going to be harsh. Using juices that have a mix of PG and VG will help. VG will smooth out the harshness and produce more vapor.

Vaping is also dehydrating so make sure you're drinking plenty of water.

 

[kardenm]

I had this problem to some degree. Higher nic equals more throat hit (th). More VG in the mix gives LESS TH.

Lots of variables like PG/VG ratio, type of atty, brand off juice, nic content, etal.

Gonna take some experimentation.

Start by getting some glycerin (VG) from drug store and add some to your juice.

Also, I found that juice which made me cough at first doesn't now. You may get to point where you like the "bite" in your throat.

I'm still pretty new to this myself so there is lots I haven't figured out yet. Don't give up. You just have to find the right combination of hardware, juice, technique, etc.

 

[Pip-Boy]

More experienced vapors probably have a better idea than me. but let me present my thoughts from my experience. Since cutting down to 6 analogs (congratulations) a day, your lungs have started to heal, and have become sensitized to anything but air in the lungs. You are likely inhaling vapor as you did analog smoke (draw in mouth, inhale in mouth, exhale). What worked for me is that I draw in through my mouth, puff out vapor and inhale through the nose. Like a pipe smoker, I puff. The nose is design for inhalation, it is a chemical sensor, filter, and moistens the air as it enters the lungs. So I inhale smaller quantities but vape longer to get my nic fix.

On the topic of PG v VG, not sure that is a contributing factor. I Myself am just now testing vg juices. GL

 

[dopeh]

You get used to it and it goes away. Lasted only 1 day for me, but my wife still has it after 3 days. Just vape through it like you smoked through it when you started analogs.

 

[Phreaker]

Could it be the cart is getting dry? If that filler start to heat up it makes be cough and it doesn't taste very good either.

 

[dormouse]

24mg is already a decently strong juice. What do you mean you got a stronger juice? How strong? Do not vape anything like 48mg - that is for mixers who dilute it to reasonable strengths.

And it matters more what you smoked (full strength, lights, etc) than how much because you will probably smoke at least as much as you vaped.

What juice is making you cough? What flavor, brand, what PG/VG ratio? Like if you bought Chinese 100% PG base juice yeah that certainly might make you cough. If you bought a very spicy flavor, you are gonna cough. If you bought a too high nicotine that might make you cough too because nicotine is harsh. And some flavors are just harsher than others. You could try removing the cartomizer from the battery and blowing through it into a tissue - if there is juice in the air tube it could make it harsh. And sometimes cartos get singed inside and taste burnt and there isn't a lot you can do about that. If it's PG juice then try some nice US juices instead, with maybe 30% VG in them (i.e. 70pg/30vg)

(I was going to suggest you buy a different ecig because Smoke51 charges an outrageous $50 for a battery but I see you are)

 

[Godzilla]

I coughed (or almost rejected) the vapor for the first couple of weeks, especially first thing in the morning. This should pass.

Have you ever walked into a steam room and at first, cough. Its from the moisture in the air that you are not used to . You will definitely get used to it. I use only 80% pg, but higher vg has a lot less throat hit. Most vendors let you customize this option.

 

[TheFossil]

Thanks so much to everyone! I have modified my inhale technique as suggested, and that helped some. Also, I am determined to take the advice offered and "live with it it" for the time being. Based on your advice, I ordered a mini-sample kit with VG juice; these are tiny amounts, so I can experiment with mixing them with PG on the cheap until I figure out what I need. Also, I ordered the Joye 501 starter kit. I'm very optimistic that with the juice experiments and better hardware, I'll be back on track. It seems to me that I have to draw really hard on the Smoke51 when I inhale - could be part of the problem. BTW, the juice I have is Chinese with no brand name - the bottle just says"atomized e-juice." In the meantime, as I said, I'll adapt and endure! Believe me, the motivation is there. Earlier this week, I went back to analogs-only for two days, and I feel awful. Also, I had to start using my Spiriva inhaler again - when I was mostly vaping, I didn't need it. Again, many thanks!!

 

[quovadis]

I have been vaping for years. Sometimes when my cart/atomizer runs a little dry, i take a hit and it irritates my vocal cords and throat.
Other than that, i would try a VG based juice, they are smoother than PG. I would change juice entirely as well as the atomizer.
If you want to find the cause, you need to eliminate the probabilities.

 

[908Tracy]

I am happy to hear that you are keeping up the good fight. I too coughed violently at first so hang in there. this part of your post...

but then all of a sudden, each inhale started making me cough violently. This is not "clearing your lungs" coughing; it's "sandpaper on the vocal cords" coughing.

....made me LOL!!!! (because I can relate, and that's exactly how it felt!)

Keep us posted as you go along, we care! =)

 

[Jenn1181]

Could it be the cart is getting dry? If that filler start to heat up it makes be cough and it doesn't taste very good either.

I was going to mention the same thing. I find, even with dripping, if an atty runs dry the vapor causes a very annoying, dry tickle in the back of my throat.

 

[dormouse]

If you are using cartomizers (the mouth part of a 2-piece e-cigarette) then 4 drops is not enough and you may be getting singed stuffing taste and that certainly would make you cough. A cartomizer should be kept pretty wet for best life and many cartomizers hold 1ml total (about 20 drops). But rebranders like SMoke51 might sell them with hard caps or even hard glued caps that keep them from being filled the correct way so people use other methods.

And BTW - I wouldn't use ejuice that isn't marked well. There are so many good US juice vendors like FreedomSmokeUSA (use code freedomsmokeusa for 10% off) and Backwoods Brew and others.

If you are using carts (the mouth part of a 3-piece) you put in enough to make it look damp but not so much that it will spill out.

 

[CASEACE79]

It seems to happen to most of us. I switched to VG and it went away. I can vape both PG and VG now without smoking. Try keeping a glass of water around. Strange how vapor is so dry? I still get a bit of cotton mouth when chain vaping.

 

[DaveP]

50/50 up to 70/30 pg/vg mix is a good place to start. You still get good taste and a smoother vape. Backwoods Brew juices are all 70/30 and smooth with LOTS of vapor. FreedomSmokeUsa is another that lets you pick the mix when you choose the flavor.

 

[Phreaker]

Yeah, I really noticed how dry my throat was when I first switched over too. Now, after a month, I don't really notice it nearly as often. I'm probably not vaping as much. It was new, I wanted to stay off tobacco, and I had a whole bunch of flavors to try. I think I vape at about the same rate I smoked currently.

As others have said, the juice can make a big difference. The stuff that came in my kit in prefilled carts from China had a real strong throat hit. My first juice that had at least some VG was much smoother.