First Time Blues

[CPMariner]

Hi folks

My kit (Smoke Tip) arrived yesterday, and I had some unpleasant surprises. I've been a heavy smoker for, oh, 50 years or so -not kidding- and consequently ordered the 16Mg "tobacco" variety with the hoped-for intent to reduce the nicotine level as I go along. But when I got my first E-cig hooked up, I took a "normal" drag... and darn near coughed up some of my lung tissue. After that, I moderated my intake to avoid the cough reaction, but that meant just "nipping" at it the point that there was no vapor exhalation at all.

Do you think my cough reaction is due to the nictotine level, or is that reaction normal?

Now, I promise you I didn't puff away at it like an analog cigarette, but still I felt somewhat queasy and a little dizzy after 10 or 15 minutes. Is that reaction expected?

I'm sure these matters have been the subject of many threads here (I looked, but couldn't find anything quite on point), so I apologize. But I'm not ready to throw in the towel!

Thanks in advance.

 

[jj2]

I've had a few converts that ran into this problem. I even had them try VG and a distilled water mix and they still coughed.
I did find in some cases that this helped: Cut a small piece of paper towel, wet it with distilled water, and put it over the filler.

This did not work all the time and they just had to work through it.
I know, that doesn't sound fun, but stick with it and eventually you'll get use to it.
I'm sure others will be by to give you a few more hints.

 

[908Tracy]

CPMariner,

No, Definitely do not throw in the towel just yet. A lot of people cough when first starting out vaping, myself, boyfriend, and Mom included! Our issue happened to be with mostly PG, as since I've switched to VG we cough a lot less. Also, something that isn't mentioned very often is that smokers cilia (fine hair like substance in our lungs, meant to protect foreign particles etc from touching the lung tissue) is damaged from our years of smoking. So when the vapor hits our lungs, the natural reaction is to cough. The good news is that cilia quickly repairs itself once we've stopped the analogs. So, that is one thing...

The dizziness COULD be too much nicotine, or it could be from hitting the PV too often. lol Same thing happened to me while first trying it out. You could get some VG from Walmart and add a bit to a small amount of juice and see if that helps. (diluting the nic level some)

Beyond that, try ordering some different PG/VG %'s and also some 100% VG along with various strengths of nic levels.

I am glad that you are not ready to give up. Keep on trying and I wish you luck on this venture. =)

 

[hairball]

Try drawing the vaper into your mouth first then inhale it. If you are straight inhaling, this could be leading to the coughing. I started on an ecig back in August using 36mg with problems. So I don't think it is the nic level. Also, your body absorbs the nic through your mouth and throat versus smoke going straight into your lungs and being absorbed their. I don't know if this is why you are getting dizzy but the mouth actually absorbs it slower but straight to your bloodstream.

Don't give up yet. It just may be a case of having to get adjusted to it.

 

[lampshadeburgler]

CPMariner -I also recently started "vaping" and coughed A LOT when I started. I also started with SmokeTip. I've only been at it for 26 days, but I don't cough anymore when I inhale... or when I wake up in the morning...or when I walk up a flight of stairs. I think there's a definite learning curve to this. I "taught" myself quickly, and I hope you will too. Also, you are not limited to the smoke tip cartomizers. I have also ordered from Vapor4Life. They have a few VG cartomizers and liquids. give some of those a try, maybe.


PS
I just read the post above me and now that i think of it, that's what i do. Kind of draw the vapor into my mouth and then breathe in so air mixes with it and it takes the edge off a bit.

 

[jonboyusmc]

Yep, don't give up on it yet. There is a period of adjustment, at least in my case there was. I also smoked analogs during the adjustment and now since I've gotten a big battery mod, I've been 100% smoke free for almost a week now. Like hairball mentioned, try the mouth draw. Sometimes the throat hit is too much with a regular lung draw. A few of my friends have tried my e-cig and they have ALL coughed and choked.

 

[csan1018]

I coughed a lot for the first two or three days after I started vaping. I'm not sure why either, but one thing that helped me was drinking something warm while I was vaping. Give it a try, it may help.

Good luck. I hope it works out for you.

 

[Athena Cherise]

I just starting vaping recently and I found that I needed a lower strength nicotine than I thought. I'm a fairly heavy smoker and the "medium" 11mg was just too much for me. I also had to put up with some coughing, but that was really secondary to the horrible sore throat I had. Just drink lots of water and push through and it will go away fairly quickly. PVs don't come with all of the extra chemicals that help anesthetize your throat. And now that you're not getting a daily intake of tar your lungs will start working to clear that junk out of there. It takes a little bit to really get used to it, it did for me anyway.

 

[Natalia]

Hi folks

My kit (Smoke Tip) arrived yesterday, and I had some unpleasant surprises. I've been a heavy smoker for, oh, 50 years or so -not kidding- and consequently ordered the 16Mg "tobacco" variety with the hoped-for intent to reduce the nicotine level as I go along. But when I got my first E-cig hooked up, I took a "normal" drag... and darn near coughed up some of my lung tissue. After that, I moderated my intake to avoid the cough reaction, but that meant just "nipping" at it the point that there was no vapor exhalation at all.

Do you think my cough reaction is due to the nictotine level, or is that reaction normal?

Now, I promise you I didn't puff away at it like an analog cigarette, but still I felt somewhat queasy and a little dizzy after 10 or 15 minutes. Is that reaction expected?

I'm sure these matters have been the subject of many threads here (I looked, but couldn't find anything quite on point), so I apologize. But I'm not ready to throw in the towel!

Thanks in advance.

Hi CP, and welcome!

SmokeTip was my starter kit and I still use it. As a heavy smoker the 16 mg probably is not too high for you. The coughing could be due to way you're dragging and inhaling. You don't vape the way you smoke. Try one fast primer puff to heat the att in the cartomizer, and then do smooth long drags rather than quick hard ones. Also inhale into your mouth, and then your lungs. When I inhale directly into my lungs the way I would with a cig, I cough too.

As to the dizziness, watch the length of time you're vaping. IMHO 10 to 15 min. is a long time when you're not used to it. It is difficult to judge vape time because nothing is burning down, so you don't know when to "put it out". Try a few drags then set it down. Wait 10 minutes and do it again.

Hope this helps a little and once again WELCOME!

EDIT: Vaping is dehydrating, so drink plenty of water. Drag, drink, repeat.

 

[Sorrid]

My father couldn't draw on the ego I gave him at first either. Even the smallest amount of vapor would cause him to cough.
This passed quickly after a little while of using the ego and all was fine.

About 3 out of the 5 people I let try one of my PVs instantly coughed at the first few draws off a pv. after a bit they too stopped coughing. You'll be ok so just stick with it for a bit and you'll be off and running.

Oh! welcome to EFC!!!

 

[classwife]

Vapor hits the throat and lungs a little different than smoke. I coughed too till I "learned" how to vape.....into mouth then inhale....(we had to learn how to smoke too ) Keep at it, you'll get there !

 

[Sparks & Magic]

I just got the smoketip and a 510 kit... the 510 is so much better for me in terms of coughing... Also as others have said VG REALLY helped me with the coughing... GL and keep trying different stuff... I think finding your perfect vap may take a while...

 

[The Fog]

I am not familiar with this equipment. Does the atomizer come primed with primer? If so it is likely to be highly nasty. Try blowing through it into a paper towel about 20 or 30 times, then prime it with a few drops of your juice and vape.

And as was already suggested, until you get used to it you might want to draw into your mouth first and then inhale.

 

[Natalia]

I am not familiar with this equipment. Does the atomizer come primed with primer? If so it is likely to be highly nasty. Try blowing through it into a paper towel about 20 or 30 times, then prime it with a few drops of your juice and vape.

And as was already suggested, until you get used to it you might want to draw into your mouth first and then inhale.

SmokeTip is an auto kr808d-1 which comes with prefilled cartomizers. No atty so no primer

 

[The Fog]

SmokeTip is an auto kr808d-1 which comes with prefilled cartomizers. No atty so no primer

Ah thanks, just thought it might be worth a try.

 

[Natalia]

Ah thanks, just thought it might be worth a try.

Wish I'd have known about primer when I tried my first atty, it was so nasty! I thought I'd permanently burnt out my throat. Merry Christmas Fog.

 

[texasgranny]

Same exact thing happened to me...
Just for the first day or two, inhale into your mouth only, (not into the lungs like your analog)
Hold.....then exhale...then slowly over the next couple days, inhale a little more into the lungs.
By day 3, I could do a full inhale, just like my analog.

We have to adjust to the PG/VG thing. Perhaps if there are problems after day 3, then you might
need to reduce the PG factor in your juice (easy home remedy) or the nic, but I really think just
a little adjustment is all that is needed.

Good Luck and it is a GREAT journey you are on. Trust me!

Welcome and Merry Christmas

 

[Ardeagold]

Yep, happened to me too. It did go away after a while, but I found I can't use anything with a really strong PG content. I need a PG/VG mix. I can now handle 80% PG to 20% VG, but I've found I prefer the mix to be around 60/40 or even 50/50.

Good luck with your journey! It'll be great....really! And congratulations for making the decision to stop smoking!

Merry Christmas and Welcome!

 

[hushedpuppy]

Hello, CP, and welcome to the ECF! Congratulations on getting your kit and getting started!

Did you ever get your difficulties sorted out? Everybody has given great advice and I have nothing to add except to tell you what I did to get the hang of the mouth inhale thing. I read here on the forums how to inhale but just couldn't get it. I tried to do like somebody suggested, pull the vapor into my mouth like I was drawing a milkshake into a straw and then inhale. Still wasn't doing anything for me. Then I read how some people prefer inhaling straight to the lungs and I tried that. About killed myself.

I guess I'm a "monkey see monkey do" learner because here's what finally worked. I went to youtube and watched videos of vapers inhaling. While I watched them do their juice review of whatever, I didn't care what they were saying. As I watched, I puffed when they puffed, inhaled when they inhaled. That helped me get the rhythm of how you do it.

Don't give up! Let us know how it works out for you, ok?

 

[ShannonS]

It isn't the way you are inhaling or the PG or VG or nic amount. The model you have has a really strong throat hit and warm vapor which can be too much for someone who has been a heavy smoker for a long time. My experience is based on introducing smokers with end stage COPD to vaping.

50 years of smoking can make airways extremely sensitive. That doesn't mean they can't improve, but if every inhale is producing an intense coughing fit, you probably need the mildest throat hit and coolest vapor available while your airways heal up a bit.

I usually try to help people work with what they have on hand but if coughing is keeping you from vaping the 808, a cheap DSE901 kit will produce cooler vapor, which you might tolerate better while your airways and throat are healing. You will probably still cough some, but not as much as with the 808.

If money is a concern, I could probably help you out with a kit.