I need some insight and advice - brand new vaper

[knox_d]

Well I just got my Vapor King from V4L yesterday, which I have been very excited to get. I know smoking analogs is killing me, so I'm desperate to try vaping to let my lungs have a break. However I was very disappointed to find that I cannot vape any of the cartomizers I initially received; when I take a single small puff, it hits my throat like a ton of bricks, sending me into a coughing fit. All of my carts are 24 mg. For comparison, I normally smoke about 1.5 packs/day of marlboro light special blends.

So I'm guessing I need to try a much lower nicotine level. But does it seem weird that someone who smokes the regular cigarettes I do, would find the vapor from these 24 mg carts so harsh that they cannot even use them? Its somewhat concerning to me.

I would appreciate any perspective someone might have to offer on how strange or normal it is that the 24 mg is so harsh to me. Also I would appreciate any advice regarding what nicotine level would be my best bet for my next purchase of carts, based on my intolerance of 24 mg. I'm very anxious to try vaping, but so far, I can't do it at all, because I absolutely cannot tolerate the harshness of my current carts.

I appreciate any help you have to offer.

 

[Strigoi]

there is a "technique" to inhaling e-cigs. you can't take a drag like you do on a normal cigarette.

try taking a long, slow drag into your mouth and then inhaling it. if you aren't doing it that way already it will probably help. it also just takes some getting used to. my roommate can barely take a drag off my Chuck without coughing and he uses a standard 510 all the time. it rarely makes me cough since i use it constantly.

think back to the first time you smoked a cigarette, i doubt it went very well.

 

[Automaton]

Hey knox, welcome to ECF!

You know a BIG part of why it feels so harsh to you?

Because you smoke.

The cilia in your throat are damaged from smoking, and when they get hit with vapor, or steam, or other slippery gasious particles, your brain thinks you're drowning, because there's no cilia to catch it.

Try yawning in a really hot shower. I got the same coughing fit from that that I got during my first couple days of using e-cigs.

Although the high nicotine level may also play a part - 24mg is too much for me, and I was a 30-a-day full-flavor smoker.

Try 12mg and 18mg. Take slow, gentle drags into your mouth, and then when you're done with the drag, breathe it into your lungs.

Start with short drags, and gradually get longer as your throat gets used to it.

 

[knox_d]

I am taking a very small puff, and after the first time, I'm being very careful not to hit it very hard. I know when I first smoked a cigarette, way back many years ago, it made me cough. But I would not have thought that I would go back to that experience when starting with an e-cig. Should I expect it to be this harsh at first? I would not have thought it would take getting used to along those lines. But if it does it does.

Would you think that my experience indicates I need a much lower nicotine level? Thanks again for your feedback.

 

[NewLou]

Hey, d, welcome to the wonderful world of vaping. In addition to the great advice Strigoi gave about inhaling, I just want to mention that some flavors can cause more throat hit, or seem more harsh. What flavors did you get? For some reason, the grape flavor (which I really love) causes me to cough sometimes, and makes my throat feel scratchy or tight.

You may benefit from trying a lower nic level; 18 mg would be good to try. Hold on to your higher mg. cartos, though, because they come in handy if you are having urges for cigarettes.

Hang in there!

 

[~Shado~]

Mistress hit it on the head!!

Start by taking smaller hits until you are a bit more accustomed to Vaping.
And some flavors can hit harder than others.

Also....some folks are a bit allergic to the PG used....I myself can not use 100% PG...I need it cut to about 70%PG and 30%VG...

 

[lopster]

When I started I had the same problem. I switched to full vg and it made it a lot better. And also drink water. It wets your whistle. For me after about a week it was no longer a problem for me. I smoke 30 nic juice with no problem now. The wife takes a tiny puff off mine and coughs. Just takes some getting used to.

 

[knox_d]

Thanks everybody!

I will take all of this advice to heart. And I definitely plan to try some lower nicotine juice. I have some on order which is 12 mg, from Halo. I have also ordered blank carts from V4L, so I'll be trying to fill carts and try a lower nic juice all in one shot.

I was just worried what it meant that it hit me so hard. I think I must usually take pretty small drags on my cigs. The feeling I get from the e-cig is like if I took a really long hard drag, getting the cig really hot, with very thick smoke....that's how the e-cig is hitting me. So lower nicotine is my next thing to try. But at least I'm not going to panic about why its so harsh; I'm just accepting it.

Thanks again everybody.

 

[quasimod]

I think you should try some all-VG juice, just to see if it's the PG that's making you cough. Some people can't tolerate it.

 

[OldDragon]

I find some juices in cartomizers can hit hard and get almost hot enough to burn my lips, the air flow is some times quit abit more that thru a cart. So I take less of a drag and not as often when using a cartomizer. Could also be having a reaction to the juice.

 

[arcangel]

Welcome. I agree take smaller hits. It is a different method you will soon become very used to.

 

[knox_d]

Cool. Thanks for all the great answers. I'm going to focus on finding juice that is based on all VG (vegetable glycerine I think), and also focus on getting lower nicotine juice. Does V4L carry any juice which is all VG?

 

[knox_d]

Oh, and to answer an earlier question, I got the flavors: menthol, Kamel-8 and sour green apple cobbler (a free sample). I've tried them all, and they all gave a similar experience with the big harsh hit.

 

[Automaton]

Yup, here is V4L's VG selection:
Nobacco E-Juice 5ML VG for Vapor King E-Cigarettes

Try getting a 5ml bottle of 12mg and a 5ml bottle of 18mg. Try smooth flavors - creams, nutty, maybe peppermint.

 

[stalnakerz]

So far, I have to agree with everyone here, but would like to add that you may want to try different flavors too. The flavorings could be giving you that feeling.

Personally, when I got my starter kit, I couldn't do the tobacco flavors or mint as they made me cough badly. But I ordered some cinnabomb and a few other "lighter" flavors that I was able to vape consistently. Even now after months of vaping, I just mixed up a batch of DIY watermelon and it's giving me a little of that feeling.

 

[knox_d]

This forum is very cool. I'm really impressed how nice people are, and how informative and helpful it is. Thanks everyone!

 

[stalnakerz]

This forum is very cool. I'm really impressed how nice people are, and how informative and helpful it is. Thanks everyone!

Things like this is what make ECF such a wonderful forum. Even though we may have differing opinions on what brand or model of PV to use, we are all dedicated to helping people at least have an option to use something that has a few chemicals in it (PG/VG/Nicotine/flavoring) vs. over 4000 chemicals. Not to mention all those B.S. taxes on cigarettes for B.S. purposes that we are no longer supporting.