Hi! Newb here with a problem

[dekalbave]

Well, first off, hello all. I'm glad such a forum exists.
The problem I'm having can't be unheard of. I bought my first e-cig last week, it was delivered on-time and all. I chose one with carts with 16mg tobacco flavoring. I screwed the cart onto the charged battery, pushed the manual button, and the vapor that came out choked me and made me cough like crazy. I guess I should mention here that I smoke a pack a day of Pall Malls, so I'm confused. Oh, and I let my mother try it, she's been smoking for 60 years, and she had the same reaction I had, so I doubt it is just an individual "thing", or sensitivity. So my question, after reading the FAQ posted above as a sticky, is what the heck do they put in the e-liquid, and has anyone heard/read/know of anyone coughing and choking from it? What might be the most likely cause, as the Pall Malls aren't exactly easy on the lungs so, as I said, just call me "confused" right now.
Thanks.

 

[player30]

That is very common when you first start vaping; in fact I sometimes still do first thing in the morning. Try pulling the vape into your mouth & then inhaling and see if that helps.

 

[Padre]

Brand new attys have some type of nasty primer fluid for shipping. This needs to be cleared before anything good comes out. Clear by vaping but not inhaling for a few puffs, or put the threads of the atty between your teeth and blow until your ears hurt! Blow into a paper towel and you will see that primer coming out.

 

[phorbin]

It is entirely possible that you are allergic to PG but its probably more likely just that your body is accustomed to inhaling smoke. Water vapor is obviously not the same thing as smoke and your lungs aren't adjusted to it. I had the same problem (and I'm sure quite a lot of other people did too). You will probably cough a lot in the first few weeks. At first its a result of your lungs adjusting to the vapor, shortly thereafter they will be starting to repair themselves and you will cough up some rather unpleasant stuff. Don't panic, this is normal. As I said, its your lungs healing and its a good thing. Also, don't be surprised if in the first couple weeks you get a few pimples also called "Quit Zits". They result from your body expelling toxins that have accumulated in your body via cigarettes. again, this is pretty normal.

If you have what you feel is excessive hacking or other side effects, or if any of the normal side effects persist, then take precaution and see your doctor.

One other thing, drink plenty of fluids. PG and VG are "humectants" which means they pull moisture from the air around them, and as a result can dry out your throat. Keep plenty of water around.

 

[chimney55]

It's way more common than you think. I don't know that I've ever seen anyone try out an e-cig for the first time that didn't start coughing. You learn to adjust your draw. (and you might be sensitive to PG.) I've smoked almost 40 years, but I had to learn how to inhale when vaping. There's a learning curve.

 

[Frick]

Brand new attys have some type of nasty primer fluid for shipping. This needs to be cleared before anything good comes out. Clear by vaping but not inhaling for a few puffs, or put the threads of the atty between your teeth and blow until your ears hurt! Blow into a paper towel and you will see that primer coming out.

This is my experience exactly. New attys are disgusting unless they're blown out first, and then puffed on (only drawing vapor into your mouth and blowing it out without inhaling) for a bit first.

Also, priming your atty can help, after blowing it out and puffing on it.

What kind of e-cig did you get?

 

[skivy2]

Cough when first vaping is normal. You will get used to the length of draw you need.

 

[Zurd]

Try taking slower and shorter puffs. Try some low nicotine liquid. It do takes a while to get adjusted, keep on smoking those cigarettes and sometimes puffing on your ecig until you get the hang of it. I didn't had too much trouble adjusting but I gradually stoppped smoking in 6 weeks, so I had plenty of time to learn how to vape.

By the way, what's the brand of your ecig ? If you have an atomizer, definitely blow the primer in it and it takes almost a day to "break" it so it performs well, and if you have cartomizers maybe it's the filler that you taste and makes you cough.

 

[jj2]

You'll find some links here that might help in your new adventure.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...670-quitting-smoking-vaping-side-effects.html

 

[dekalbave]

Thank you all so very much. Problem solved! As suggested, I blew out the cart, screwed it back on, and then, as further suggested, took about five or six puffs into my mouth without inhaling. That seemed to do the trick. Mouth is just a little more dry than with tobacco, but that was predicted here also.

Wow, I never expected so many responses, and so quickly no less. Just glad now I can become part of the vaping community.

Oh, and to answer the question, I bought the manual starter kit. with 2 manual batteries and 10 carts, along with a 10mL bottle of refill liquid. Don't know if you were asking the vendor's name, or if I'm even supposed to post that here.

Again, thanks!

 

[WomanOfHeart]

Remember the first time you ever smoked a cigarette, how you coughed until you thought you might puke? Same thing with vaping and it happens to a lot of us. It happened to me when a coworker let me try his PV. The inhale technique when vaping is different. It's like the difference between sipping on a glass of fine wine and trying to suck a thick milkshake through a straw. If you take the milkshake route it will just end poorly.

Make sure that you drink plenty of water! That will help with the dry mouth and sore throat you might get. Vaping is dehydrating because both PG and VG pull out moisture.

 

[Padre]

You need to be a little careful with your terminology. Don't want you to get steered in the wrong direction.

We said blow out the atty (atomizer) and you said you blew out the cart (cartidge)
The cart holds the liquid which is then wicked to the atty which vaporizes this liquid into the vapor that is full of flavor and nicotine. If you blow out the cart, you are removing the liquid and the atty won't have anything to vaporize.

you need to blow out the atty (the part with threads that screws onto the battery) to remove the nasty fluid. when that fluid is gone, it's ready to wick the good fluid from your cartridge.

just trying to make things clear as mud!

 

[WomanOfHeart]

just trying to make things clear as mud!

LOL! And we all know that the tech and terminology of vaping is already clear as mud! Don't blow out your cartridge. That's just results in a big mess and great sadness. Then again, make sure that you hold a tissue to the threaded end of your atomizer BEFORE and WHILE you blow it out or the result will be the same. Believe when I say that I speak from experience. I tried blowing out an atty over the sink once. Juice went everywhere BUT the sink.

Go ahead. Point and laugh. It was the last time I ever made a noob mistake like that.

 

[Rxgy]

I apologize for jumping in here. This is my first post / reply and my ecig stuff hasn't even arrived yet. But the question (actually the replies) touched on something I hadn't been able to figure out since skulking around in these and other forums.

I have managed to understand the device and how to load it, blow out the initial stuff on the atomizer (though I'll probably forget), and push the button to initialize the process but;

I've seen "puffing" and "inhaling" seemingly used interchangeably. From this post and thread it sounds like generally, once used to the vapor one would inhale directly into the lungs? When I smoke I'm pulling a mouthful then inhaling into my lungs. So people who use these generally pull / inhale directly into the lungs, by-passing the pull into the mouth I'm accustomed to?

I ask because I want my foray into Ecigs to be as successful as possible. If the nicotine hit I need from this device requires a direct inhalation into the lungs I will anticipate developing that ability. My trying the Ecig is not meant to permanently replace smoking with an Ecig, though that seems much preferable to continuing to smoke traditional cigarettes. I need desperately to quit smoking cigarettes and if I can eventually do that and also put down the Ecig, so much the better.

I've been smoking for 40-some years and at my age it is really showing. I'm embarrassed to have my more and more frequent wheezing heard by those around me, even before my failing ears hear it. I'm taking to swigging Robitussin to minimize the wheezing and to produce a productive cough. And otherwise my cough is often and routine. My energy and wind are almost nonexistent, it's costing me a fortune, it more and more makes me a pariah around all the non-smokers (nearly making me a criminal if I smoke in the wrong place), and my grandchildren are soon becoming of an age where a tired and winded grandfather will no longer be able to participate in the increased activities they're gearing up to. Smoking has slowly but with certainty, eroded my health to the point where I am actually becoming scared.

So, quitting is mandatory. It is a necessity. I realize it will become the death of me in one form or another, and more quickly than I bet I realize.

Sorry. Rambling on. I didn't mean to make this sound like my last will and testament. I truly appreciate having found this forum and the supportive folks who frequent it. It's been a wealth of information and provided the last of the little "clicks" I needed to make the "plunge" into Ecigs and hopefully a better, healthier and more enjoyable life. Thank you.

 

[mlinky]

I pull the vape into my mouth first, and then inhale...same as I did with cigs.

Oh, and I was a 40 year smoker, who didn't really want to quit until I took a hit off my first pv and realized it was possible.

 

[dekalbave]

Padre,

Thanks for the clarification - er, I think. I guess I'm confused because my cartomizers seem to be a single piece, they look like a cigarette filter, with threads that screw onto the battery at one end, and a piece of white plastic with a hole in it that one pulls the vapor through. So where exactly is this atty, and the wick attached to it? Thanks.

 

[Padre]

Well, I dont use cartomizers so I can't answer this one for you.
A cartomizer is a one piece system that has the cart and the atty built into one. The system I use is a 2 piece, an atty and a cartridge that come apart. I don't know if the cartomizers have that primer fluid in them.

 

[Ardeagold]

Cartomizers are an atomizer (atty) and a cartridge all in one. You can also refill those, but how is different depending on what type they are.

I also draw into my mouth and then into my lungs...always did with a cigarette too. Also, if your liquid is high PG (propylene glycol) versus VG (vegetable glycerin), it's more harsh IMO, but some love it because it gives a stronger throat hit. The VG is smoother, gives less of a TH, yet more vapor. Most have a mix of the two, and the percentage of either can be adjusted based on your preference, depending on the vendor you get it from. Some juices from certain vendors, aren't as "designer" oriented. There are juice (e-cig liquid) vendors that only sell juice, and with most of those you can adjust strength of nic, PG and VG percentages, and sometimes even strength of flavor. There are so many yummy flavors to try that you'll find yourself like a kid in a candy store!!

It just takes time and a bit of practice.

Also have either you or Rxgy gone to the "stickies" at the top of this forum (the New Members Forum) and read through them? There are a lot of videos there and information on e-cigs and "how to" information!

Best of luck to both of you! I haven't wanted a real cigarette since I started. Puffed a couple of times a few days in and they were so awful I tossed the cigs, and haven't looked back. I'd been smoking 1 1/4 pack a day for 32 years.

 

[dormouse]

If it has screw-on carts (those are called cartos or cartomizers) then your PV is probably either an RN4081 (a number of rebranders use them) or a KR808D-1 (also used by some rebranders). If you find your vendor charges outrageous prices for spare batteries (anything over $20 is outrageous) then it will be helpful to you to find out what model you really have.

 

[Padre]

I apologize for jumping in here. This is my first post / reply and my ecig stuff hasn't even arrived yet. But the question (actually the replies) touched on something I hadn't been able to figure out since skulking around in these and other forums.

I have managed to understand the device and how to load it, blow out the initial stuff on the atomizer (though I'll probably forget), and push the button to initialize the process but;

I've seen "puffing" and "inhaling" seemingly used interchangeably. From this post and thread it sounds like generally, once used to the vapor one would inhale directly into the lungs? When I smoke I'm pulling a mouthful then inhaling into my lungs. So people who use these generally pull / inhale directly into the lungs, by-passing the pull into the mouth I'm accustomed to?

I ask because I want my foray into Ecigs to be as successful as possible. If the nicotine hit I need from this device requires a direct inhalation into the lungs I will anticipate developing that ability. My trying the Ecig is not meant to permanently replace smoking with an Ecig, though that seems much preferable to continuing to smoke traditional cigarettes. I need desperately to quit smoking cigarettes and if I can eventually do that and also put down the Ecig, so much the better.

I've been smoking for 40-some years and at my age it is really showing. I'm embarrassed to have my more and more frequent wheezing heard by those around me, even before my failing ears hear it. I'm taking to swigging Robitussin to minimize the wheezing and to produce a productive cough. And otherwise my cough is often and routine. My energy and wind are almost nonexistent, it's costing me a fortune, it more and more makes me a pariah around all the non-smokers (nearly making me a criminal if I smoke in the wrong place), and my grandchildren are soon becoming of an age where a tired and winded grandfather will no longer be able to participate in the increased activities they're gearing up to. Smoking has slowly but with certainty, eroded my health to the point where I am actually becoming scared.

So, quitting is mandatory. It is a necessity. I realize it will become the death of me in one form or another, and more quickly than I bet I realize.

Sorry. Rambling on. I didn't mean to make this sound like my last will and testament. I truly appreciate having found this forum and the supportive folks who frequent it. It's been a wealth of information and provided the last of the little "clicks" I needed to make the "plunge" into Ecigs and hopefully a better, healthier and more enjoyable life. Thank you.

I was in the same place as you. I needed to quit. I tried before but just couldn't do it. When I found the pv and did some research, I told myself that I was going to make it work, no matter how hard it seemed to be in the beginning. The research showed that a lot of people switched and that let me know that it was possible. I did it too. It was trying the first couple of days, but then I figured it out and now I enjoy vaping the way I enjoyed smoking. Some of my friends have tried vaping and they just didn't stick to it. I wasnt going to let that happen. I said Just do it. Glad I did because it has been the best for me. I haven't touched a smoke since the first week I got my eGo in October and don't really find that I want to. Once you get past the learning curve, and you tell yourself that it has to work, you'll find it is even better than smoking. No smelly hands, clothes, hair, car etc. and cheaper too. The biggest thing is to find the right pv and the right juice. Some of the juices out there are not very good, but when you find that right one, man is it good! Good luck, stick with it, and in a couple weeks or months you will be amazed.