Horrific Sore Throat

[coreyart]

I'm one of those inevitable noob users that is posting yet another thread about their sore throat about a week after transitioning off of analogs.

HOWever, I'd like some clarification if anyone can offer it... I haven't lost my sense of taste (aka "Vaper's Tongue") that I've heard inevitably happens. I'm not working off some residual layer from the tobacco (at least from what I can tell). I haven't burned the tip of my tongue.

What I'm experiencing feels like a pulled muscle in my tongue, my tonsils/mucous membranes are sore, and the back of my throat is incredibly sensitive, requiring regular sprays of chloraseptic and Tylenol to deaden the pain. I'm assuming this all goes away eventually, and it would be stupid to stop vaping since it would simply invite the same symptoms back once again.

I am wondering if this indicates one of three things: a) my vapor temp is too high and I'm actually burning my throat (I'm using an eGo-C with rebuildable e5 cartomizers at 2.4 ohms resistance and I cannot adjust it with this rig),

or b) perhaps my nicotine levels are too high (i'm using 11mg) since I used to smoke about half a pack of Marlboro Menthol Lights a day.

or c) perhaps it is the VG juice I'm using and I should switch to PG or a PG/VG mix.

I've been scouring the forums looking for solutions, and drinkin' plenty of water. None of what I've discovered has addressed whether to "power through it" or pull back and rest the throat. I'm assuming that there are solutions to the temperature issue (with a different setup like variable batteries and upper/lower coil placement, etc) and I'm gonna investigate the lower nicotine content issue and the VG issue first as those are currently within my control without investing more money into a different kit/setup/rig.

But I'm wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this, and if taking these measures is simply a waste of time and money (and I should simply wait a week to see what happens while suffering through what feels like the complete "scalding" of my throat--haha!) or whether they had experienced similar feelings and found a solution through their own research that I haven't stumbled upon yet.

I am really enjoying vaping. I don't personally feel I'm "over-vaping" like a lot of noobs do at first--I've had to be careful as the pain in my throat increases shortly after puffing. I've not lost flavor sensation at all.

Perhaps I'm simply being impatient and not realizing this is actually the tobacco withdrawal symptoms that everyone mentions. But, man, it hurts like a *&%$# !! Haha!!

Thoughts?

 

[adam13omb]

Before I started vaping I tried to quit several times on my own. Those times before were met with failure due to many of the symptoms you're describing. I don't think your withdrawal should be nearly as intense as you're still getting nic from your vaping device. If you feel as though you are vaping too much then definitely back off on it a bit and see how your throat feels. Worse comes to worse hit up your physician; you shouldn't let anything go unchecked for too long. Better safe than sorry. Good luck!

 

[lilmrsyeti]

I've only been around for a week..but my first thought to you...if you are saying you drink plenty of water...how much do you actually drink? I say this because before I ever started vaping, I was a BIG water drinker. I broke the habit of Cokes about 5-6 months ago and I drink over 8 glasses of water a day just trying to curb my want for a Coke. Started Vaping and my throat got to hurting really bad, and my mouth stays dried out...so I upped my water intake after a few days of Vaping to about 10 glasses of water a day (if not more) The sore throat finally went away, but still having the dry mouth. In all honestly, I would have thought 8 glasses a day was enough and not have upped my intake, but my mouth stays so dry I can't help but drink more Water.

I really don't see how 11mg would be too much...but then again, it could be.

Are you using 100% VG juice or a mix? Couldn't really tell by what you wrote. I know a lot of people have said their sore throats went away after lowering their PG amounts. It was the PG hurting them.

I personally have upped my PG from 50% to 65%...sore throat or not...I have to have that Throat Hit if I'm going to stay off Cigs.

Hope it all works out for you!!

 

[2nd chance]

I'm one of those inevitable noob users that is posting yet another thread about their sore throat about a week after transitioning off of analogs.

HOWever, I'd like some clarification if anyone can offer it... I haven't lost my sense of taste (aka "Vaper's Tongue") that I've heard inevitably happens. I'm not working off some residual layer from the tobacco (at least from what I can tell). I haven't burned the tip of my tongue.

What I'm experiencing feels like a pulled muscle in my tongue, my tonsils/mucous membranes are sore, and the back of my throat is incredibly sensitive, requiring regular sprays of chloraseptic and Tylenol to deaden the pain. I'm assuming this all goes away eventually, and it would be stupid to stop vaping since it would simply invite the same symptoms back once again.

I am wondering if this indicates one of three things: a) my vapor temp is too high and I'm actually burning my throat (I'm using an eGo-C with rebuildable e5 cartomizers at 2.4 ohms resistance and I cannot adjust it with this rig),

or b) perhaps my nicotine levels are too high (i'm using 11mg) since I used to smoke about half a pack of Marlboro Menthol Lights a day.

or c) perhaps it is the VG juice I'm using and I should switch to PG or a PG/VG mix.

I've been scouring the forums looking for solutions, and drinkin' plenty of water. None of what I've discovered has addressed whether to "power through it" or pull back and rest the throat. I'm assuming that there are solutions to the temperature issue (with a different setup like variable batteries and upper/lower coil placement, etc) and I'm gonna investigate the lower nicotine content issue and the VG issue first as those are currently within my control without investing more money into a different kit/setup/rig.

But I'm wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this, and if taking these measures is simply a waste of time and money (and I should simply wait a week to see what happens while suffering through what feels like the complete "scalding" of my throat--haha!) or whether they had experienced similar feelings and found a solution through their own research that I haven't stumbled upon yet.

I am really enjoying vaping. I don't personally feel I'm "over-vaping" like a lot of noobs do at first--I've had to be careful as the pain in my throat increases shortly after puffing. I've not lost flavor sensation at all.

Perhaps I'm simply being impatient and not realizing this is actually the tobacco withdrawal symptoms that everyone mentions. But, man, it hurts like a *&%$# !! Haha!!

Thoughts?

That could help you to switch to a different mixture and try sucking on a cough drop, I do that when I get a little sore throat.
I also saw someone mention Biotene dry mouth rinse and I tried that , it works really good for me.

 

[Silverdove]

I had that really bad too. But after drinking more water which put my diet coke amount down some it is better. Or it just resolved itself. I also cut back on the menthol that was my main vape at the time.

 

[coreyart]

I will definitely try more water--I assume 3 16 oz. bottles of water a day isn't enough, huh? : )

I started my first two days of vaping with 24mg of "Dry Menthol", and then switched to a Caramel Apple flavor of 11mg. Perhaps it was the first couple of days with liquid that was too harsh (the throat hit due to the purity of the menthol spike was exhilarating!), but it's been a week later and I'd have hoped my symptoms would have peaked by now and started to decrease. Hehe... Guess I'm wrong. : )

 

[understando]

Definitely try some different flavors and levels of nicotine. Also, I tend to get a bit of a sore throat from using an atty.

 

[jfalbanese]

not a big fan of VG myself. i tend to prefer PG based juices. i don't know about menthol so i can't tell you if that is your problem. i know in the beginning, when my throat got dry, i had a drink at hand to deal with the aftertaste. if after all other suggestions fail, then i suggest you stop for a period of time to see if your symptoms subside. good luck

 

[Altaire Versailles]

I had a bunch of crap happening like that, bumps on the roof of my mouth, sore throat, swelling in my nasal cavity when I started vaping juices I ordered with a lot of PG. went back to the vg I had been vaping and it got better almost instantly.

 

[Haktuspit]

I will definitely try more water--I assume 3 16 oz. bottles of water a day isn't enough, huh? : )

Recommended daily waiter intake is supposed to be your body weight divided by (2) and that's how many ounces you are supposed to drink. This recommendation has nothing to do with vaping, that's just in general.

I weight like 140 and drink between 70-100 ounces of water a day. I didn't drink anywhere near this before I started vaping. If I drink any less now I'll fell dehydrated, mostly in the back of my throat. And I use 100%VG.

PG gives you more "throat hit" and from my experience isn't going to help your problem at all. Try drinking more water.

 

[RosaJ]

I also had terrible sore throat and the reason was that I was trying to vape a nearly dry cartomizer/eGo C tank thinking I was saving money on ejuice. Also if you're using a clearomizer you may be getting dry hits and that will also burn your throat.

The ratio between your delivery system (carto/clearo/etc) has a lot to do with burnt ejuice. If your carto or clearo are low resistance, then lower your volts if you have a variable voltage battery device.

There's a learning curve to vaping. I hope you feel better soon!

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

I am wondering if this indicates one of three things: a) my vapor temp is too high and I'm actually burning my throat (I'm using an eGo-C with rebuildable e5 cartomizers at 2.4 ohms resistance and I cannot adjust it with this rig),

No. The eGo C fires at 3.3 volts and with 2.4 ohms would result in a cool vape. Are you chain vaping and/ or sucking hard?

or b) perhaps my nicotine levels are too high (i'm using 11mg) since I used to smoke about half a pack of Marlboro Menthol Lights a day.

Sounds like the right mg level.

Realize some have a sensitivity to certain flavors. I can't vape anything with the sweetener ethyl maltol otherwise I get mouth ulcers. Some are sensitive to PG awhile others are sensitive to VG.

 

[Vapian]

Something that I don't think gets considered a lot in these early sore throat cases is the biomechanics of vaping vs. smoking - in other words, the draw one takes and how one takes it.

This certainly may not be the case for you, but in my early days of vaping I wound up with several different types of cartomizers, atomizers, eGo tanks and so on ... and none of them draws the same as a cigarette. My lips, mouth, tongue and throat were going through the same motions, but often having to work harder to take a draw - or work to get used to airier draw - as compared to the same motions they'd been making for over two decades. It may not seem like that big of a deal, but I'm convinced that what leads to many early cases of sore throat. It just takes time to get used to the difference.

Anther issue that I know affected whether I had a sore throat early on was liquid sputter. Over-filling a carto or atty and/or running it a little to hot resulting in small drops of liquid being shot into the mouth or back of the throat. Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor and this small but more direct application of liquid (higher concentration than vapor) in the throat can easily lead to soreness.

Both are basically matters of experience and technique. If they are indeed contributing in your case, time and experience, finding the gear that works right for you, and perhaps a couple of changes in technique should be all it takes to get past it.