My experience so far...

[GreatGrumpus]

Hello!

I just started vaping about a week ago. After a few weeks of research, I decided on a Joye 510-T and got a bottle of DeKang menthol 18mg/ml juice along with it. I was smoking about a pack a day Salem UL 100's for 25 yrs. The 510-T works awesomely. Battery seems to last about a day, but I'm still smoking analogs (maybe 10 a day), because I don't know if it's the menthol juice, or something unrelated, but I am having irritation of my eustachian tube(tube from middle ear to throat). Also, I may have ordered too high a nic level, as I sometimes have slight chest pain as if I'm ODing on nicotine when I hit the 510 too much.
I just ordered some 6mg/ml juices from Ms T's and hope this will help both issues.
Any comments/suggestions would be great!

 

[WomanOfHeart]

Welcome to ECF!

My first advice to you is going to be go see your doctor about the irritation in your ears. It's probably an ear infection and unrelated to e-cigs, but you should get it checked anyway!

Which nic level are you currently using? 6mg is extremely low and it's unlikely that that alone is causing an OD of nicotine. However, you're still smoking, so it might be that the reason for the chest pains. You could be getting too much nicotine, too fast. Cigarettes deliver nicotine much more quickly than e-cigs. Again, go see a doctor about this to make sure it isn't something more serious.

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

Hello and welcome to ecf....DeKang juice can be pretty rough on some people... You will love mrs. T's....also, I hope you got at least 2 batteries so you can charge one while still using the other......
It is probably not the nic that is causing the irratiation....it might be the pg that the juice is made with....
You will know when the 6mg arrives and you want more that 10 cigs...time will tell.....
the objective for the ecigs is to satisify the nic cravings so if you are still smoking analogs(cigs) them 18mg doesn't seem high enuff....just my 2 cents.

 

[GreatGrumpus]

Welcome to ECF!

My first advice to you is going to be go see your doctor about the irritation in your ears. It's probably an ear infection and unrelated to e-cigs, but you should get it checked anyway!

Which nic level are you currently using? 6mg is extremely low and it's unlikely that that alone is causing an OD of nicotine. However, you're still smoking, so it might be that the reason for the chest pains. You could be getting too much nicotine, too fast. Cigarettes deliver nicotine much more quickly than e-cigs. Again, go see a doctor about this to make sure it isn't something more serious.

I am currently using 18/mg/ml menthol juice. I read that this is approximate to full flavor, and I smoke Ultra-lights, therefore I think I may be getting too much nic. I have no problems when smoking analogs only, no pain or anything, but if I start hitting the 510, I get the reaction. Also, I read it may be a allergy to the PG juice or the menthol in the juice may be irritating, so I ordered VG/PG cola flavor and peach flavor juice at a lower nic.

 

[BardicDruid]

I'd say your chest pain is from smoking and vaping at the same time, try to stick just with the e-cig and leave the analogs alone. If your puffing the e-cig constantly and still wanting analogs you may need to increase the mg from 18 to 24. When I first starting vaping I was using 24mg but over time I've got it down to 12mg.

 

[GreatGrumpus]

Hello and welcome to ecf....DeKang juice can be pretty rough on some people... You will love mrs. T's....also, I hope you got at least 2 batteries so you can charge one while still using the other......
It is probably not the nic that is causing the irratiation....it might be the pg that the juice is made with....
You will know when the 6mg arrives and you want more that 10 cigs...time will tell.....
the objective for the ecigs is to satisify the nic cravings so if you are still smoking analogs(cigs) them 18mg doesn't seem high enuff....just my 2 cents.

Yes! my kit came with 2 batts and 2 attys. I hope to drop the analogs and just vape all the time with some good flavored juice. that should help me drop the analogs altogheter. My main thing is the hand to mouth thing, and with just enough nic in the juice to quench the nic craving, I hope it will be all good.

 

[WomanOfHeart]

I am currently using 18/mg/ml menthol juice. I read that this is approximate to full flavor, and I smoke Ultra-lights, therefore I think I may be getting too much nic. I have no problems when smoking analogs only, no pain or anything, but if I start hitting the 510, I get the reaction. Also, I read it may be a allergy to the PG juice or the menthol in the juice may be irritating, so I ordered VG/PG cola flavor and peach flavor juice at a lower nic.

You really can't base the nic level of your juice by what you smoked. I smoked a pack to 2 packs of Ultra Lights and started out with 18mg juice. I was nearly pulling my hair out and still smoking, so I bumped to 24mg. **BAM** No more cravings and no more cigarettes. PG is harsh on it's own and I don't know many people who vape this straight. Most of use a mix of PG/VG. Also, the incidence of true allergic reactions to PG or VG is very low. I believe that it's less than 10% of the population. Both are used in many, many other products, including toothpaste, soaps and food.

I'm inclined to agree with Bardic that the problems you're having are being cause by vaping and smoking at the same time.

 

[Ralikar]

Was doing 3 pad UL and 16 was too high for me if I chain vaped. Juice is personal choice but I use chocolate truffle and peach from Johnson Creek and I really like it better than the flavored cartos and Chinese juice I had. I realized last night that my throat wasn't as dry as on other juice and I didn't get the sinus problems and crappy feelings I had vaping lots of prefilled flavor cartos.

Also understand it's the mg/time not just the mg--if you chain vape 6 thats not the same as a few puffs of 18. I'm having problems (I posted in another section) because I chain vape at 5.5 and it's still too much. So realize that the overall effect is mg/time and if you plan to chain take that into consideration.

 

[JustaGuy]

Hi GG,

Be careful smoking and vaping simultaneously. I did it when I was switching and the nic "piled up", felt chest tightness. Try VG based juice if your throat is irritated. Above all (other than WOH's Dr advice), drink LOTS of water!

 

[dormouse]

I think in 100% PG 10-12mg is more like ultralights. 16-18mg more like lights (what I smoked and where I started), 24mg more like full strength. But 100% PG juice lets through the most of nicotine's TH and irritation (and nicotine is a pretty strong skin irritant). PG also let through the most flavor, and it is thin so cartomizers and tanks like it, but makes thinner visible vapor. 18mg in 100% PG will give more TH than (for example) 18mg in 70PG/30VG.

 

[Astronomer]

I was a menthol smoker, I shopped around till I found what I like

Blue Mist Vaping Robacco Menthol 80/20 PG/VG mix

of course everyone’s taste will be different, have not touched a cigarette in well over 4 months now

Best of luck to you!

BlueMist Vaping Supplies

 

[GreatGrumpus]

Thanks for all the great advice!

 

[reprisal]

I'd recommend buying a sampler pack of juices from a site that lets you customize each of the sampler bottles. Try a variety of pg/vg concentrations and nic concentrations to find your sweetspot (mine happens to be 70pg/30vg 24mg).

 

[swedishfish]

You might like the menthol at Backwood Brew. My neighbor smoked Salem lights and I got her the light menthol. You can select how much menthol you like.

Get a bottle of 12 & 18. You can always mix them together to get higher or lower nicotine. You might have had issues with the harshness of the juice as opposed to the nicotine content.