e-cigs (vaping) is amazing but.....

[iamstucifer]

i just got my e-cig yesterday and have been using it since i finished my last analog cig this morning .... i was hoping for a better feel to it ... the taste is amazing and i haven't had a craving all day but i have found that if i use my e-cig for a little while (a few minutes max) my throat feels a bit scratchy and my chest feels a bit tight. is that normal or no?

 

[jameth]

Your body will go through some transition as it attempts to expel the tar and other toxins your throat and lungs have been holding onto for so long.

I'll bet you will start noticing overall improvements in all aspects of your health in the days ahead, I know I did!

 

[WalksWithWiFi]

you could be having a reaction to the PG in the juice...you could be having a reaction to the nicotine...
a lot of factors.
Happened to me with some juices.

 

[Mindfield]

It can be normal. What type of E-cig, what liquid, and what strength? You probably need to adjust one, two or all three to tweak your experience. There's almost guaranteed to be a combination that's perfect for you, but it may take a bit of time to find it. But in the mean time it's very easy to find a combination that is at least acceptable if not pretty good.

Dry, scratchy throat is very common though. The liquid base is usually propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG) or a mixture of both, and both substances are very hydrophillic (they absorb water). It's always advised to drink more water and keep hydrated, as vaping will dry you out more than smoking.

 

[Renzuli]

With me , it was too much nicotine . But then , I tend to chain vape . As soon as I dropped the nic. level , my chest pains , went away . Not so harsh , on the throat either .

 

[iamstucifer]

the model i have as far as i know is a lot like the KR808D-1 ...... i got it from juicyvapors.com its a smoov 65mm thats all it said when i get it ... uses cartos ... nicotine level i selected was under medium i think at 14mg in a 3mL bottle .... that may be too high im not sure

 

[LadyWeeps]

Those symptoms are very common. I felt like I needed to clear my throat all the time for the first few weeks of only vaping. The chest "heaviness" lasted a bit longer but did go away. Other people have posted about the chest issue with varying responses. Just my opinion, but I don't think it is anything to worry about. I can take really deep breaths now without any crackling or feeling the need to cough.

 

[WomanOfHeart]

I think that both PG and VG would be better described as being hygroscopic rather than hydrophillic. They attract moisture from the surrounding air, in this it would be your mouth, and dehydrate the mucous membranes. Increase the amount of water you drink and suck on some hard candy to help ease the soreness.

 

[birdbrains]

The first weekend I got mine I was vaping 100% PG juice and it absolutely destroyed my throat. Switched to 100% VG and 50/50 PG/VG to recover and have never gone back to a 100% PG juice. Very much prefer heavy VG juices.

 

[Mindfield]

the model i have as far as i know is a lot like the KR808D-1 ...... i got it from juicyvapors.com its a smoov 65mm thats all it said when i get it ... uses cartos ... nicotine level i selected was under medium i think at 14mg in a 3mL bottle .... that may be too high im not sure

Ah yes, the Smoov. Supposedly a decent unit but I don't know a whole lot about it. Nonetheless Juicy is a pretty decent place to shop -- tons of flavours, some good, some not so good. Coincidentally I have my second shipment of flavours from them awaiting me at home as we speak. You probably chose either 18mg (medium) or 12mg. Whether or not that's too high depends on your tolerance, but that's generally considered on the low-ish side. Did you get all PG, reduced PG, or all VG?

But others are right, too -- it could be your body starting to rid itself of the toxins and crap from cigarettes. Everyone goes through that "purging" period that may include any or all of: Increased throat clearing/phlegm production, excess oil production and acne on the face, shortness of breath, and other lovely symptoms. For me, I didn't get the acne or shortness of breath, but I definitely got the lung purge, though mine was relatively mild and steady for several days.

 

[iamstucifer]

i got the reduced PG ... i may have to try 100% VG next time .... i didn't do enough research before i got mine .... i am noticing now that i needed to check into it more .... though im glad i found this forum in just a few short hours it has been very helpful to me .... also how do you add the smoke free counter at the bottom of your posts?

 

[Roach]

good advice so far.

I've found that sometimes I'm chain vaping not because I'm have a nic fit but just because it's something to do with my mouth and hands. If that's the case I don't inhale. Just take a couple puffs into my mouth. My throat feels better and I'm satisfied.

 

[Shannon65]

If you inhale as you take a drag it can be a bit harsh if your liquid is harsh. Try taking a SLOW drag first and then inhaling the vapor after you stop taking the drag. That might help.

 

[dormouse]

If your ecig uses cartomizers (disposable combined cart with internal atomizer, in one piece that screws onto the battery) then I recommend 80PG/20VG juices. The 20% VG will remove some of the irritation of nicotine (nicotine is a skin irritant). It will also dull the flavor and TH a bit but not too much. And I find lighter clearer juics are less likely to leave carto-clogging sediment.

If you use a separate atomizer and a stuffing&plastic cartridge, then you can try 70PG/30Vg and 50/50 (I find those slow the drag of my cartomizers).


I would not put 100% VG in cartomizers. It is generally too thick and won't keep the stuffing wet enough quickly enough to prevent singeing. You can use it with an atomizer as long as it is thine enough to wick as fast as you vape it (if it is too thick, then add a few drops of distilled water to your juice bottle)

 

[Sedateme]

I haven't gotten my ecig kit yet, but I have quit smoking a few times. Every time the lung purge was pretty bad, but I worked in a bar 5 nights a week and smoked close to 2 packs a day. When I quit, every morning I would have a coughing fit when I woke up. I sounded like an old man about to die. It took a few weeks for that to subside. Like others have posted it could be the juice as well, but I bet a good part of it is your lungs clearing out.

 

[Mindfield]

i got the reduced PG ... i may have to try 100% VG next time .... i didn't do enough research before i got mine .... i am noticing now that i needed to check into it more .... though im glad i found this forum in just a few short hours it has been very helpful to me .... also how do you add the smoke free counter at the bottom of your posts?

As was suggested, don't use 100% VG with your Smoov. It uses cartomizers, and pure VG is thick -- too thick to wick properly in most cartomizers, so stick with the reduced PG. (I think it's 20% VG, but don't quote me on that.)

This place is definitely a gold mine of information, and extremely active with loads of helpful people. You can get one of those counters to put in your sig once you have 15 posts. A lot of vendors have them; mine is from provape.com, but most if not all of them should be clickable and will take you to the vendor that made that banner, so if you find one you like click on it and it should let you fill in the info and get the code to put in your sig.

 

[MissC]

I'm dripping Tasty Vapor's Ultimate Vanilla into my carts at 12mg 70pg/30vg and it's a heavenly concoction. On a reg 510 battery taste and vapor are awesome. It's a great strength and flavor for making the switch to vaping from analogs. Since I'd cut down to ultra light analogs before switching over to vaping this time (2nd go at it) the 12mg of nic is too strong and I've ordered some 50/50 pg/vg to cut it with from ECE.

 

[iamstucifer]

is there a good website to get better options on 70/30 and 50/50 juicy vapors doesn't appear to allow you to do that ... at least it didn't on the starter kit .... im sure there are hundreds of places to get good juices at but i have no idea where to look

 

[Miss Wiz]

i just got my e-cig yesterday and have been using it since i finished my last analog cig this morning .... i was hoping for a better feel to it ... the taste is amazing and i haven't had a craving all day but i have found that if i use my e-cig for a little while (a few minutes max) my throat feels a bit scratchy and my chest feels a bit tight. is that normal or no?

You've been given some good responses but one other thing to look out for is "vaping dry". I don't know what kind of cart or cartomizer you are using but some hold much more than others. If you've been vaping all day you might be running dry on the eliquid.

If you have a cartomizer that runs dry you could be burning the filler along with the small remaining liquid. Try another cartridge or refill the one you are using and see if this changes anything. Do you have the type of cart that lets you see the liquid inside? Those are very helpful.

 

[iamstucifer]

You've been given some good responses but one other thing to look out for is "vaping dry". I don't know what kind of cart or cartomizer you are using but some hold much more than others. If you've been vaping all day you might be running dry on the eliquid.

If you have a cartomizer that runs dry you could be burning the filler along with the small remaining liquid. Try another cartridge or refill the one you are using and see if this changes anything. Do you have the type of cart that lets you see the liquid inside? Those are very helpful.

no i don't have one that allows me to look at how much is in there ... i was looking at those today it would be very helpful for now i can't see how much i have left ... i tried changing to a new juice and it was worse with the new one so im guessing its just a mix thing that i haven't gotten right yet