how do e-cigs make you feel?

[vr9vr]

Hello, I wanted to see how some of you experienced e-cig users feel after vaping. I've tried a couple of different 808-style kits and some disposables of various nicotine contents, as well as one with 0 nicotine. Every time after taking a hit, I immediately feel a strange kind of buzz. The best way I can describe it is a kind of blurring of the edges of perception or a mild cognitive dissonance. It's not some serious thing but I find it unpleasant enough to not want to use e-cigs.

I smoke cigarettes and I don't really get a buzz off of them anymore except maybe the first one in the morning. What I smoke for is the enjoyment of the 'throat hit' and the sensation of smoking. Obviously to a regular cigarette smoker, smoking isn't something you do to get 'buzzed' as you would with drinking or otherwise. From my experience these e-cigs get you a certain kind of buzz, whereas I would just like to enjoy the throat hit from them without any feeling of disarray or intoxication if that makes sense.

I've asked about this a few times before and haven't gotten much of a response other than 'PG allergy' or 'nicotine withdrawal.' I'm not in nicotine withdrawal and I can tell that the effect is definitely an effect felt right after hitting an e-cig, including one with 0 nicotine. I haven't tried 100%vg yet so we'll see.

Anyway I wanted to see how you experienced users feel when vaping and if you experience any level of intoxication. I would like to make e-cigs work but it just doesn't seem very feasible for me with this. After taking a couple hits I always feel pretty weird. I've had apollo disposables, njoy kings, blu disposables, and a smokeless image 808 starter kit.

 

[Katya]

Interesting.

The risk of being allergic to propylene glycol is very low, but some investigators believe people with eczema have a >2% chance of developing allergies to propylene glycol. If you have or have had an allergy to propylene glycol, it is very likely that you would already know about it, as such a large number of products that most of us use on a daily basis contain propylene glycol, such as deodorant, shampoo, and hair and skin products. The few people who have an irritation towards propylene glycol have found success using Vegetable glycerin as an alternate to propylene glycol in their e-cigarette.

Side Effects

The most common noted side effect of inhalation of e-liquid containing propylene glycol is a dry mouth, sore throat, and increased thirst. These symptoms usually last just a few days to a week as the body gets used to the propylene glycol. These symptoms can be elevated alleviated by drinking more water and liquids then than usual for the first few weeks of using your e-cigarette.

From: The safety of propylene glycol (PG) when inhaled through an electronic cigarette. Studies on the effect of the inhalation of propylene glycol through a personal vaporizer.

[Corrections mine. ]

By all means, try VG, but, honestly, I do not believe that any "kind of blurring of the edges of perception or a mild cognitive dissonance" can be caused by inhaling PG, VG, nicotine and/or a hint of food flavoring. But that is, of course, way outside my area of expertise.

BTW, I feel perfectly fine when I vape. I like the hand-to-mouth action, I enjoy the nicotine without all the poisons present in cigarette smoke, and I like fun flavors, like menthol, coffee, ylang-ylang, lotus flower and boba's tea with lychee.

Good luck!

 

[Kent C]

If you're getting a buzz on 0 nic, then you must have some reaction to PG or the flavoring. Too much nicotine causes hiccups (a pre-vomit reaction) and more than that will cause vomiting and other symptoms, but with 0 nic - it's the PG or your hyperventilating. I don't think I've ever seen the symptoms you mention and I've been here nearly four years. Perhaps ecigs are not for you. If I had those symptoms when I started out, I would have gone no further.

 

[rolygate]

An interesting reaction to ecigs that I have not heard before. It seems that you are saying that using an ecig makes you feel strange, and this applies whatever brand or model you use, and whatever nicotine strength including zero. It does not apply with tobacco cigarettes.

Normally, an ecig user would not experience any notable changes of this type unless the nicotine strength is too high.

The only other thing that could be varied here, perhaps, is a change from PG-based refills to a glycerine-based type. The one factor that seems constant is inhalation of PG although I have never seen this type of reaction.

It would be interesting to know if your health is perfect, and what an extensive set of blood tests shows. People can sometimes have health issues that somehow impinge on e-cigarette use - one example is a thyroid problem of some kind. We have to assume you do not have any significant health issues and are not taking any medication as you did not state this.

This post should ideally go into the Health section, perhaps someone there can provide some input. Also, you would be able to update this post with any further information.

 

[vr9vr]

Thanks for the feedback. My description may have been a bit extravagant, the way they made me feel didn't cause any kind of mental disassociation or anything extreme. The best way I can describe it is just kind of a heavy feeling in the head/body after taking a few puffs and a general feeling of there being something in the vapor that is unnatural or synthetic if that makes sense.

I don't have any health issues. My friend had a blu starter kit that I tried recently which to my knowledge is 100% vg. I hit it a few times and didn't feel strange, so perhaps it was the PG. I'm waiting on the arrival of an ego/clearo kit that I'm going to try with some 100% organic vg juice and I'll let you guys know how it works out.

 

[vr9vr]

well my ego kit arrived today. I filled one up with 6mg organic grapefruit (100%vg) and another with a menthol peach 12mg (80%pg20%vg) I enjoyed the throat hit more on the peach but shortly after I had pretty much the same result. Not quite as much off of the grapefruit but more so after hitting the menthol peach. I hit it twice about 40 minutes ago and still feel a bit dull, not exactly a headache but a definite feeling of blurry/heaviness in the head.

 

[rolygate]

Sorry to point this out but you need to eliminate things by only consuming, for half a day, or one day each, for example:
- unflavoured glycerine nic base only
- unflavoured glycerine + distilled water (zero nic)
- glycerine + flavours
- unflavoured PG nic base
- unflavoured PG base, zero-nic
- PG + flavours

I can't see how else to work out what it is that is causing the problem. It could be PG, flavours, glycerine, or a contaminant. You have to consume one thing only at a time until you know what is causing the issue.

 

[Maxwell_Edison]

I feel great. I stopped smoking Nov 4th 2010 with the ecig. Prior to that I tried for a year using nic Gum, nic lozenges and lastly Chantix. I started this effort to quit after my cousin, who was my age, died within two months after learning he had lung cancer that spread to his brain. So I REALLY wanted to stop, my cousin was just another in a long line of family and friends who'd died from smoking. Well I gave up trying to quit, and honestly figured I'd be a smoker till I died. To save money I was rolling my own.

I was asked by my doctor if I'd tried the ecig. I hadn't, but the seed was planted. Soon I bought a starter kit. After about 3 weeks of very minor tobacco withdrawl, I think because of all the other stuff in cigs, I've had 100% abstinance from smoking, and it's now been over 2 and half years. After my first month I had to wash my curtains and bedding etc to get rid of the stink that I could never smell myself as a smoker. Gradually food tasted better, I could walk further without getting winded, and the most amazing thing of all was that my mother, who has COPD and Asthma (she can't be around a smoker even outside at a distance) did not mnd the vapor while inside an enclosed car. She encouraged me to stick with it, as did my kids.

(I am at odds to explain why all the organizations and people who preached at me to quit smoking aren't as happy as those that really care about my health, namely my family, that I actually did stop smoking. This is the only negative side effect to the ecig I have, a severe allergy to ANTZ)!

 

[RosaJ]

Never had a buzz either with cigarettes or ecigs. Never looked at them as mind altering drugs. Maybe ecigs are not for you, you may want to look into snus.

You can test to see if you're allergic to vg or nicotine by buying glycerin from a drug store and distilled water from any grocery store. Mix it at 80 to 85% glycerin to 20 to 15% distilled water. Try it, and if you still experience the buzz, then it may be an allergic reaction to vg or nicotine.

Good luck!

 

[Stephenst4470]

Wow crazy symptoms. I've never had anything like that from ecigs, even 48mg gave me less "buzz" then a Newport Red.
I would think a severe allergy would be more likely to cause anaphalaxis, or some breathing impairment.

 

[vr9vr]

Interesting, I'm curious to see what kind of equipment/liquid you guys are using. The reaction that I get from e-cigs doesn't feel like some kind of allergy, and it's not severe. So you don't ever even feel light headed after smoking these?

 

[RosaJ]

Interesting, I'm curious to see what kind of equipment/liquid you guys are using. The reaction that I get from e-cigs doesn't feel like some kind of allergy, and it's not severe. So you don't ever even feel light headed after smoking these?

Nope, not me.

 

[rolygate]

So you don't ever even feel light headed after smoking these?

Nope.

Interesting, I'm curious to see what kind of equipment/liquid you guys are using.

Doesn't seem to be relevant as no one else reports this. Minis, APVs, zero nic, PG, glycerine - no reaction like yours. High (enough) nic - yes. But as you report this even with zero nic, that also appears not to be relevant.

 

[Katya]

Interesting, I'm curious to see what kind of equipment/liquid you guys are using. The reaction that I get from e-cigs doesn't feel like some kind of allergy, and it's not severe. So you don't ever even feel light headed after smoking these?

I have used all kinds of PVs, from the early mini auto batteries with cartomizers and atomizers all the way to eGo-C variable voltage batteries with top and bottom coil clearomizers and carto tanks. I don't think your reactions are related to the equipment you're using. Maybe vaping is just not for you, as others have mentioned.

The only negative reaction I've experienced was to too much nic (as in 24 mg/ml), like Roly pointed out. But I knew it right away.

Have you tried any kind of smokeless tobacco? Swedish snus, Ariva? It's all about harm reduction.

Good luck!

 

[wabbit]

I've experienced symptoms similar to those described, but haven't been able to pin them down yet. I have some lower nicotine juice arriving tomorrow, so I'll see if that does it. Since "lightheadedness" is a symptom of mild dehydration, I'll try to be more conscious of what liquids I'm consuming. The diet sodas and coffee that are my staple might not be doing the job.

 

[Cha0s13]

I also had the same symptoms when I firat started vaping, but they have subsided greatly over the weeks. I still get that feeling every now and then when I vape, but not as bad as when I first started.

 

[jamie]

I haven't tried 100%vg yet so we'll see.

In this thread where you also repeatedly asked people if they got a buzz or became intoxicated, and also said that other people who've tried your ecigs got a buzz from them, you posted:

I've tried 100%vg as well as pg/vg mixes.

I certainly can't know if you're disingenuous or just confused, but have to agree with the conclusion in the other thread, sounds like vaping is not for you. Or for the people you know.