Hi All, New with a Problem

[TamiP]

Hello,

I've been reading here for a couple days. I wish I had stumbled on this forum before I fell for the "free kit" ad from e-cig, but I got it in the mail, and I'm not unhappy with it in general. I did call customer service and cancelled the subscription for the cartridges, and have since ordered a vapornine nebula with some extra juice. I haven't received that yet, but I have a problem, and I haven't seen anyone addressing this yet. I tried to search for it, but didn't come up with anything.

When I use the e-cig, I almost always gag on the vapor. Has this happened to anyone else?

I did experience some of the "side-effects" mentioned in other posts like dry mouth (severe) and a very very mild headache the first day, but that hasn't been as bad the last day or so. But it almost never fails, when I can manage to get any kind of throat hit, I gag on it and start coughing hard.

I've been an "analog" (that just makes me laugh) smoker for decades, and smoked a pack and a half a day regularly of full-strength non-menthol cigarettes, so it's hard to imagine anything making me gag like that, but this does.

Is this normal? Is it something you have to get used to or am I having a reaction to PG (I am not sure I'm using the right abbreviation here).

 

[marlou]

Hi TamiP. Welcome to ECF.

Many of us experienced the coughing when we first starting vaping. It goes away. For me it lasted about a week. Taking shorter drags helps to keep you from coughing.

I've never used the Nebula, but it's a KR808D-1. I use that same type of pv, the Volt. These new generation KR808s are really great pv's, imo.

If the batteries for the Nebula are autos, be sure to take the carto off the battery when you fill or top it off and check to make sure it's not over filled. If you get juice in the battery you can kill it. Watch videos for filling cartos and you'll soon have the hang of it.

The reviews I've seen for the Nebula are good, I'm sure you will love it. Good luck to you with your switch to vaping.

 

[TamiP]

Hi Marlou

Thanks for the answer. I am very relieved to know that it's not uncommon, and that it will go away. Thanks for the tips on refilling. I've watched a few videos and I'm anxious to give it a try. I like the condom method, it looks really easy. Of course, that's just "looks like" we'll see which method I favor in actual practice. LOL

Tami

 

[Lisa66]

Welcome to ECF, TamiP.

It may be due to the type of juice you are using and the PG/VG ratio of the juice. It may also be due to the particular flavorings used; for instance, I'm a little bit more sensitive to cinnamon - however, not to the point of gagging! From what I understand, true sensitivity to PG or VG is rare but possible.

If you are experiencing "severe" dry mouth, you are probably dehydrated and need to drink more water. The dryness may extend to your throat and could be the reason you are gagging - not sure.

 

[bigtiime]

Welcome to ECF TamiP. This is a very common problem with many who switch to the PV from analogs. Remember, your body and mind will go through detox and you can expect changes to happen. Nicotine is not the only chemical we get addicted to when smoking. You'll still be injesting nicotine but not the other chemicals. Give it time you'll do ok.

 

[marlou]

Hi Marlou

Thanks for the answer. I am very relieved to know that it's not uncommon, and that it will go away. Thanks for the tips on refilling. I've watched a few videos and I'm anxious to give it a try. I like the condom method, it looks really easy. Of course, that's just "looks like" we'll see which method I favor in actual practice. LOL

Tami

The condom method is very easy. You just want to lower the carto into the liquid slowly, to give it a chance to be absorbed from the bottom. It's also important after the carto is filled to wipe the thread end of it to clean off the liquid.

When your Nebula arrives and you try it, let us know how you like it. You may have additional questions then too. Be sure to ask them here on the forum, someone will help you. That was good advice you got about drinking plenty of water, it will keep you from getting a dry mouth.

 

[TamiP]

Thanks again, Marlou,

and EVERYONE for the great replies.

It is wonderful to find such a supportive forum with people willing to answer us noobies.

An additional question I just thought of (my head is reeling a little. I've been reading things on here, and some of it seems easy and at the same time--rocket science).

I bought some very strong nic level juice with the order coming. I have been thinking I'll probably need to cut it, and at first that seems easy, but reading all the DIY threads kind of makes my head whirl.

Is it as easy as playing around with a few drops of the full-strength juice and a few drops of PG and VG? Or do I have to add things like water and alcohol too?

Secondly, I read the warning at the top of all the DIY threads and I'm a little spooked now. The e-juice I'm getting is just the typical refill stuff, not full strength nicotine or anything but is it safe to handle, or do I need plastic gloves when mixing even this stuff, and worry about it getting on my skin etc.

 

[marlou]

Thanks again, Marlou,

and EVERYONE for the great replies.

It is wonderful to find such a supportive forum with people willing to answer us noobies.

An additional question I just thought of (my head is reeling a little. I've been reading things on here, and some of it seems easy and at the same time--rocket science).

I bought some very strong nic level juice with the order coming. I have been thinking I'll probably need to cut it, and at first that seems easy, but reading all the DIY threads kind of makes my head whirl.

Is it as easy as playing around with a few drops of the full-strength juice and a few drops of PG and VG? Or do I have to add things like water and alcohol too?

Secondly, I read the warning at the top of all the DIY threads and I'm a little spooked now. The e-juice I'm getting is just the typical refill stuff, not full strength nicotine or anything but is it safe to handle, or do I need plastic gloves when mixing even this stuff, and worry about it getting on my skin etc.

What is the nic level in the juice you ordered? It may not be as strong as you think it is. Most people start with a fairly high nic level and then lower it when they're ready to.

If the nic level really is too high for you and you like the juice, an easier way is to get the same juice in a low nic level and mix the two. If you ever need to do that someone will help you with how to figure out which nic level would be necessary to bring it down to the level you want. If you thin the juice with pg or vg it will dilute the flavor.

 

[TamiP]

I bought 25mg turkish tobacco flavor. The e-cig I have now comes with 11 mg cartomizers, and I felt they were a bit mild so thought I'd up it, but now think maybe 25 is a bit high. I won't know for sure until I get the juice though. But I've also been interested in the mixing until I read that disclaimer about the dangers. LOL I thought it would be fun to "cook" my own using flavorings and such. I still think it would be fun, but I'm worried about the dangers. I just watched a vid on YouTube of someone (can't remember the name) mixing and not even wearing gloves when handling the nicotine (although did suggest it was a good idea), so maybe it just needs regular caution.

 

[mynameisrob]

You can just add some PG or VG to the juice to lower the nicotine level, but keep in mind that doing that will also dilute the flavor as well. PG is thin and gives better TH and flavor, but produces little vapor. VG is thick and produces a lot of vapor, but dulls TH and flavor some. Thats why most people prefer a combination of the two, like around 80PG/20VG or 70PG/30VG. 30%VG or less is much more carto friendly and wont clog them up as fast as a thick higher VG juice will.
If your going to add PG or VG, I would add PG so if doesnt make your juice thick, but VG is fine as well. If it is thick, you can add a few drops of distilled water to it to thin it out some, but remember doing that will also dilute the flavor.

As far as handling liquid, you have nothing to worry about. Premixed juice is fine to get alittle on your hands and it wont hurt you. You will also prob get alittle in your mouth at one point or another which is okay too, it just tastes absolutely awful. You def dont want to drink it or bathe in it, but a little bit on you is okay.
What IS dangerous though and what your referring to is the nicotine liquid, which is used to make your own juices. Premixed juices have the nicotine liquid already diluted down alot so its okay to get alittle on your hands. When you make your own juices though, you have to add the nicotine in yourself and the nicotine liquid alone is very concentrated. That is what you can not get on your skin and that is why its best to always wear gloves when handling nicotine base bc it absorbs through the skin and getting some on you can be very dangerous.
So for the premixed juices your buying, its okay. You should try to still avoid getting the premixed liquids on you, but if alittle bit gets on your hands, or a carto or atty spits alittle into your mouth, you will be fine.

The best and easiest way to lower the nicotine level of that juice without diluting the flavor is to just buy a lower mg of the same juice and mix them together. That will lower the nic level, without diluting the flavor.
What mg liquid did you get?
For example, if you have 24mg and want to lower it, buy 12mg of the same juice and if you mix them 50/50, the end result will give you 18mg, without diluting the flavor.

Oh and as far as it being harsh and making you gag, like others said that will subside after you get used to vaping. Drink alot of water bc vaping dehydrates you which will cause the dry mouth.
And while your getting used to vaping, for now to help ease the harshness and the vapor making you gag, try taking smaller hits and them hold the vapor in your mouth for a second, then slowly inhale it into your lungs. That should help some

 

[TamiP]

Thank you so much for that helpful mixing post Rob. I am really looking forward to this new adventure. As for the gagging, I've been following the advice of taking lighter drags, and holding it in my mouth a second longer, and it has helped a lot. I haven't gagged much at all this morning. I'll also make sure I'm drinking enough water throughout the day, although the drymouth thing didn't bother me much this morning. It was the first day, and yesterday morning I woke up with cotton mouth. After that it went away pretty much. Maybe a little mild dry mouth yesterday, but I didn't wake up with cotton mouth again this morning (thankfully, lol).

You guys rock!

 

[Corley]

Being new myself, I am very hesitant to try mixing my own. We are on our 4th company for nic juice, trying to find flavors we like that vape well. Most are "vapable" but nothing with the Wow factor yet. I did manage to get a bunch of e-juice on my fingers once trying to fill a cart on a mistic, and it made me nauseous and my heart raced, so if I did mix my own in the future, I would certainly wear gloves.

As for the coughing...yep, I went through that as well. Thankfully that is gone now. (Off analogs for just over 3 weeks). Had a nosebleed once too, so it must be very drying to the sinuses, so I agree with increasing your fluid intake. I've also gotten the dreaded headache from vaping too much high nic juice, so I am trying to back off a bit while containing my cravings at a reasonable level. I think there must be a definite art to all of this. Good luck!

 

[mynameisrob]

Yes DIY is alot of fun, but can def be dangerous if you dont use caution and especially if you dont know what your doing.
Nicotine liquid is no joke and has to be handled very carefully. I would get comfortable with vaping before you consider making your own juices. And make sure you FULLY understand what your doing before you start trying to make your own juice. Read the DIY stickies and ask ANY and ALL questions that you have before you start, no matter how dumb you think the question may be.
Once you have a good understanding of DIY, you can buy your supplies and download a juice calculator which will do all the math for you. I use the E-JUICE ME UP calculator and it works very well. You put in all your components, what mg your nic base is and is it PG based, VG based, or a ratio. Then put what mg you want the juice to be and also how many ml you want the end result to be. Then you put in what % of flavoring you want and what the base of the flavoring is, and also put in what PG/VG ratio you want the end result to be, and the calculator will do all the work for you and tell you exactly how much of each thing you need to add to make the juice you want. Just always make sure you double check all your components to make sure they are right and then your ready to make that juice!
I also recommend using syringes or pipettes to measure each component so you ensure you are adding the exact amount of each part, especially for the nicotine liquid. Different dropper bottles can give different size drops and how many drops it takes for 1ml in one dropper bottle, might be completely different then the amount of drops it takes for a different type of dropper bottle. And with nicotine base, that can be very dangerous. Thats why I recommend using a syringe bc then your measurements are precise and you know your end result will be the mg that your want.
DIY can def be dangerous, but if you educate yourself before and use proper caution, you shouldnt have any problems and thats when it becomes a lot of fun

 

[dearme]

Corley, try mixing a couple of your 'just vapable' juices. Do a small test batch first, just in case you hate it, but you will find that sometimes making unusual combinations will make a surprisingly good juice.

 

[mattiem]

I think you are going to enjoy your nebula from VaporNine. I have been using one for about 2 months now. I actually bought the apex though because it has the 510 threading. I wasn't happy with the batteries that came with the kit so ordered 4 of the 78mm. They make your ecig about the same length as a 120 analog but seem hold a charge about twice as long as the 68mm (i think it is 68mm) that comes with your kit.

Yea!!!!! my hubby is building me my first mod. Can hardly wait to get my hands on it.

As to your question. I don't think you have to worry about getting pre-mixed nic juice on your hands. I think the warning was for raw nic. used for mixing your own. Just relax and enjoy. To much worrying will make you old before your time

 

[Corley]

I think I may be missing the "steeping" aspect as well. Yesterday everything tasted like burned peanuts. I have camel, menthol, reeses, wake-n-vape, fire-n-ice, cinnamon, cherry, watermelon, 555, Ry4, and a few others that I can't remember at the moment. For the most part, I have ordered sample bottles though, so that's the plus side. I wouldn't have a clue what to mix to make some of them taste good though. I guess with the tanks on my eGo-T, I could put a few drops of a couple flavors together in a tank, give it a try, and if it's horrible, wash it out and start over.

 

[mynameisrob]

Check out BlueMist Vaping. They are an awesome juice vendor and have a huge selection, over 250 juices and their prices are really cheap, $5 for 10ml and $10 for 30ml. I recommend getting some sample packs and you can pick which juices you want for a sample pack so you can try what you want. You can get all their juices in either 80PG/20VG or 100%VG(I recommend 80/20) and all their juices are made fresh. They offer extra flavor shots for .50cents more, and if you find a juice you really like, you can get a 180ml bottle for only $30, which is dirt cheap and an awesome deal.

I think they are an awesome vendor and especially for someone starting out and wants to figure out what they like bc they have a huge variety of juices and they are considerably cheaper than most juice vendors so you can try a bunch without spending a ton.
I also think they are an awesome vendor for anyone that thinks they might want to start making their own juices at some point, bc they sell the DIY flavoring of every juice they offer. So if you do decide you want to make some yourself, you can buy the flavoring of the juices that you like from them and make them yourself for even cheaper than their already cheap prices.
They also sell everything you need to start making your own for good prices. They have nicotine base in different mg and different size bottles, Kosher PG and VG for cheap, an array of different size empty dropper bottles to make juices in and also a variety of syringes, pipettes, etc to measure with, and then obviously they have a ton of flavorings. They also have some of the stuff that isnt a neccessity to make juice, but can help make juices better, like menthol drops and crystals, sweetener, ethyl maltol, T.A(tobacco absolute), and a liquid that gives the juice a cooling sensation on the exhale.
I bought all my stuff there and it was very affordable and makes great juice.

 

[Corley]

Wow, thanks mynameisrob. Haven't heard of them. My latest order (havent got it yet) was from ecblends. Fingers crossed.

 

[TamiP]

Thanks for that info too rob, I went and checked them out. Ordered a few flavors. Looking forward to it.

 

[mattiem]

+1 on Blue Mist. I love their juice. Am vaping some of it right now.