So far so good but Ouch.

[fuser]

Hello forum, good to be here (Nanaimo, BC). So I am 5 days in (last actual smoke was Friday morning) and I have had one hell of a time the last two days, especially Monday (well even today kind of sucks but better). I assume I went through some serious withdrawal, even using the e-cig (confusion, dizzy, weak, felt like I weigh 100lbs). I also didn't realize vaping can really dehydrate you, which I've never been very good at. Glad I joined, this forum has already answered some questions I had.

Cheers.

 

[Mapultz]

Some of those symptoms could be too much nicotine, or just the dehydration. What mg liquid are you using? I hope the symptoms go away soon - remember to drink drink drink! Happy vaping!

 

[Romano Cheese]

Welcome @fuser to the forums. Most definitely up your water intake. Also @Mapultz has a good point about the high nicotine levels causing some of those symptoms.

 

[AllElseFailed]

I was thinking the same thing...sounds like it could be too much nicotine to me.

 

[Robert Cromwell]

Hang in there. what nic level and gear are you using? I started with cigalikes and microtanks and needed 18 mg for the first few weeks.
Then dropped to 12 mg for about month and have stabilized at 6 mg most of the time but use some 12 mg daily as well. Primarily I use the 12 mg first thing in the morning and when short vape breaks are all I have like lunch at work and such.

 

[AndriaD]

Welcome to ECF, fuser! It does get easier.

But if you've struggled with hydration before vaping, now it can be a serious problem -- I've struggled with it for decades, mostly thanks to my asthma medication being a potassium thief -- and serious dehydration can play hell with your electrolytes (like potassium!). After I'd been vaping for a couple months, suddenly I had ankles so swollen they became "cankles", and feet so sore and lumpy and swollen, I could barely walk. What fixed it for me was a) coconut water daily -- it's got a ton of potassium; b) decreasing my caffeine intake by about 80%; and c) using my husband's "Lite Salt" instead of regular salt -- it's 50% potassium chloride -- and the problem disappeared.

Welcome!
Andria

 

[fuser]

Thanks for the welcome. I thought about it maybe being too much nicotine too but I was a half and pack a day. I am currently on an 18 MG ejuice. I actually have to pick up more (not so much because I vaped it but I have butter fingers). Perhaps I should try a lower dosage.

 

[suprtrkr]

Before you go lower, tell us what gear you are using. 18 is not necessarily too much for a 1.5 PAD smoker, but too little can send you back to tobacco, like it or no. I was a 1.5 PAD smoker, and 18mg where I started, staying there for a month or more. Dehydration sounds a more likely culprit right off the bat, especially if it's common for you. For me, at least, too much nic gives me headaches and nausea, symptoms you don't mention. Welcome to the board, 'gratz on getting off the sticks, and hang in there with us. It does get easier, I promise. We'll help you work through it a much as we can.

 

[fuser]

Thank you suprtrkr - I used the attached, a EVOD-2. I should mention that I have felt nauseous, taking a few bouts of dry heaves. Also, I have heard quitting smoking can play havoc with sugar levels, I took a bad turn last night breaking out in sweats, shaking and overall lethargy until I consumed a can of tomato soup.

Thanks again!!

 

[Vanzza]

Stay with it. I had a sore throat for a month and increased my water intake to 2 liters/day. Now I'm proudly on my 80th day smoke free... It gets easier and better trust us

 

[ddirtyvapes]

Wait a second, pack and a half or half a pack? A little unclear! (You said "half and pack a day" and I can't tell if you meant "half a pack" or "half and a pack.") And 18mg might be too much if it's the latter, probably not if it's the former.

 

[Sir2fyablyNutz]

I was a 2 pack a day smoker of "lights" and started at 12.

 

[Rixsta]

Good luck, congratulations and welcome

 

[fuser]

Sorry, I was a 1 and a half packs a day.

 

[suprtrkr]

Thank you suprtrkr - I used the attached, a EVOD-2. I should mention that I have felt nauseous, taking a few bouts of dry heaves. Also, I have heard quitting smoking can play havoc with sugar levels, I took a bad turn last night breaking out in sweats, shaking and overall lethargy until I consumed a can of tomato soup.

Thanks again!!View attachment 474152

Ok, my friend, with that gear 18mg shouldn't be too terribly high for a 1.5 PAD smoker unless you never take it out of your mouth. But @ddirtyvapes has a point; it may be I have misread you about your smoking level. 12mg also would be in the reasonable zone for that level of smoking, although you might vape more. I also found, right at the beginning, I couldn't put the vape down because I needed the security blanket effect. I think I will now counsel you to try a bottle of 12 and see if it helps. You could also get one of each, filling 1 tank with 12 and the other with 18. Hit the stronger when you first get up, and any time the cravings are bad, and switch tanks to the 12 the rest of the time. Do increase your fluid intake and keep your blood sugar up. If it doesn't get better in a day or two, you should see a physician. Some people also have an allergic reaction to one of the components of e-juice.

 

[AndriaD]

And sometimes, how much or how long you smoked doesn't mean a lot... I smoked for 39 yrs, normally between a pk and a pk and a half a day, though for a few years (many years ago), I was up to 3+ pks a day... but I had to start out at 6mg, because anything stronger made me horribly nauseous.

It's very individual, how we respond to the nicotine of vaping...

Andria

 

[Inni]

Can anyone tell me why vaping makes you thirsty? I also noticed this, but I'm curious about why. And ... I've gone way down on my mg of nic since switching to the kangertech kbox mini - box type/ vs pen type --- since the hit was very harsh with my 12mg - 18mg liquid. What is the mg most like a regular tobacco cig? If you smoked 1 pack a day, how much nic were you getting?

 

[Mapultz]

Can anyone tell me why vaping makes you thirsty? I also noticed this, but I'm curious about why. And ... I've gone way down on my mg of nic since switching to the kangertech kbox mini - box type/ vs pen type --- since the hit was very harsh with my 12mg - 18mg liquid. What is the mg most like a regular tobacco cig? If you smoked 1 pack a day, how much nic were you getting?

PG and VG (the main ingredients in the juice) are both humectants, which means they absorb moisture. Hydrate hydrate hydrate!!

I don't know the official numbers, but it's hard to compare vaping mg to nicotine in cigs. I smoked about 1 PAD of light menthol cigs, and I started with 12 mg. That turned out to be a bit too high, especially since I tend to chain vape. I quickly dropped to 6 mg and that works perfectly. I keep some 12 around for times I need an extra kick.

 

[Mapultz]

Thank you suprtrkr - I used the attached, a EVOD-2. I should mention that I have felt nauseous, taking a few bouts of dry heaves. Also, I have heard quitting smoking can play havoc with sugar levels, I took a bad turn last night breaking out in sweats, shaking and overall lethargy until I consumed a can of tomato soup.

Thanks again!!View attachment 474152

The nausea really makes me think too much nic. How many milliliters of liquid are you using a day, on average?

 

[AndriaD]

Can anyone tell me why vaping makes you thirsty? I also noticed this, but I'm curious about why. And ... I've gone way down on my mg of nic since switching to the kangertech kbox mini - box type/ vs pen type --- since the hit was very harsh with my 12mg - 18mg liquid. What is the mg most like a regular tobacco cig? If you smoked 1 pack a day, how much nic were you getting?

PG and VG grab the moisture of your oral/nasal mucosa and allow you to exhale it as visible vapor. You will definitely need to increase water and other non-alcoholic/non-caffeinated beverages, just to keep up.

How much nicotine you absorb is dependent on a lot of factors: the power your battery is capable of delivering, the type and size and resistance of the coil itself, one's personal vaping style -- if you inhale slowly, hold it in mouth and throat for a bit before inhaling (or insteead of inhaling, like pipes and cigars), then exhale via the nose along with the mouth, you will absorb the maximum amount of nicotine. The absorption of vaporized nicotine is neither as fast nor as complete as smoked nicotine, so you may need more than you think, dependent on your hardware.

Andria