Still Confused

[Mystic Meep]

Hi Everyone,

First I would like to thank everyone who has given me such good advice on my beginning journey to vaping. There is so much to learn and everyone has been overwhelming nice and so very kind. Thank you very much.

I am 64 with COPD and have been vaping about 3 weeks. I have 2 Mods, 3 MTL tanks and one DL tank. I purchased the two Mods, one being a SMOK G150. The others were so kindly and generously donated to me by fellow members. The problem I am having is that for the last week I have been coughing a lot more and wanting to smoke cigarettes more frequently than when I first started vaping. I am afraid of aggravating my COPD instead of helping it. I desperately do not want to go back to smoking cigarettes. The juice I am using is a low ml of nic and I am currently using the MTL tanks. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am feeling quite dumb that I just can't seem to get it right.

I would also like to tell all my fellow Floridians to please be safe during this hurricane and Good Luck.

 

[Bonskibon]

Hello Jamie, it is possible that your lungs are just getting rid of all the junk in them. I'm not a Dr. and if it gets to concerning to you then a Dr. visit may be in order. I just know that for many after quitting smoking they will cough up a lot of crap. I personally did not, but I guess we all "detox" differently. Just don't smoke, hang in there!!!

 

[Coastal Cowboy]

If you are using low nicotine juice in your MTL tanks, you are probably not getting enough nic to stave off the cravings. Some coughing is normal. It's a transition.

 

[Bonskibon]

Was also just going to suggest more nicotine.

 

[Trigster]

Hi Jamie...Tell a bit more...I get the "Hacks" when I get the Volts/Watts too high...I'm strictly a MTL kind'a guy and my "Sweet Spot" depending on the particular tank/coil is about 4.3v / 11.5w...I use coils in the 1.5ohm range...Trig

 

[Topwater Elvis]

What is the pg/vg ratio of the liquids you're using?
When you say MTL 'tanks', what airflow setting? at what power level? & what resistance head?

Even now I still have the desire to smoke cigs, sometimes the cravings are quite intense.
For some folks quitting the smokes isn't easy no matter what method is used and vaping isn't a magical cure / switch that can be just turned off when it comes to cigs.
At 3 weeks most likely your body is still going through an adjustment period & screaming for the chemical soup cigarets contain.

 

[Terry Koontz]

I agree with all the replies.
Higher nic.
Lower wattage.
Adjust airflow.
Tweak all of these to find your sweet spot.
I went thru the same issues you are having.
I still smoke a few cigs each day.
I’m getting somw WTA liquid to see if that gets me off cigs.

 

[stols001]

Also, with COPD and the coughing, like I mentioned, perhaps there's a sensitivity to PG or VG, or the need to not fully inhale into the lungs during the transition period to minimize lung irritation. I'm wondering if Jamie has a PG or VG sensitivity (we've been PMing) and maybe some direction/ideas about that are in order?

I have PG sensitivity, and the more I vaped, the more I coughed, so yes, some coughing was normal, but for me it was MORE than what would've been expected for detox and only when I vaped, so if folks have ideas about that.... ??

Anna

 

[Terry Koontz]

Also, with COPD and the coughing, like I mentioned, perhaps there's a sensitivity to PG or VG, or the need to not fully inhale into the lungs during the transition period to minimize lung irritation. I'm wondering if Jamie has a PG or VG sensitivity (we've been PMing) and maybe some direction/ideas about that are in order?

I have PG sensitivity, and the more I vaped, the more I coughed, so yes, some coughing was normal, but for me it was MORE than what would've been expected for detox and only when I vaped, so if folks have ideas about that.... ??

Anna

Everything you said makes sense to me.
She definitely should do MTL.
And try different liquids.

 

[Cosmic_Glaze]

What nic level are you using?
It might be the low nic that has you craving for the evil cigs. Increasing your nic can increase the Throat hit which might cause more irratation. Some people prefer using "Nicotine Salt" based eliquids because of high amount of nic but the nic salt ejuices are very smooth and easy on the throat. The salt liquids can go up to 45mg nic (only to be used in MTL tanks) but I would start on the lower end like a 24mg.
I like CRFT Mint ejuice. It is spearmint flavored, it's more like a gum than a menthol. There are many other flavors out there as well from tobacco to fruit and deserts.

 

[Winchester]

Hi Jamie,
Hang in there! The first two months are a long hard up hill ordeal! I remember it well! What saved me was this forum and all the nice people that gave me the support I needed so badly. Please don't give up now! We are her for YOU!

 

[dsites]

Hi Jamie .... Like others, I recommend a high enough nicotine level that it kills the nicotine craving. With COPD, it's worth talking with your doctor ... coughing up phlegm after quitting smoking might be a good thing. As always, Anna has good insight into this. Best wishes on this!

 

[Grimwald]

I'm 65 with COPD. My pulmonologist says that quitting smoking 5 years ago was the best thing I could have done.

3 weeks and you are still likely craving cigarettes. Getting over that will take time. Also, you will likely need higher nic levels at time.

I find I do better with mouth-to-lung vaping at lower watts. Nautilus or even older Protank style vaping. Higher VG liquids give me a heavy lung feeling so I stick with 80%PG/20%VG liquids.

 

[stols001]

Grimwald, thanks for replying, I don't know much about COPD or vaping so I wasn't really sure whether to direct Ms. Jamie to more PG or more VG.

Jamie, I still think you'll have to experiment with your PG/VG ratio to figure out what's going to work best to actually allow you to vape at nic high enough to resolve SOME of the cravings, though all posters are correct, detox isn't easy or pretty, but there is NO time frame you HAVE to put on it. Just keep vaping, experimenting, and you'll hit on the answer. Even if you stop at vaping much of the time and smoking 1 or 2 cigarettes a day, it's still a harm reduction win!

Anna

 

[tckenno]

Grimwald: posted “I find I do better with mouth-to-lung vaping at lower watts. Nautilus or even older Protank style vaping. Higher VG liquids give me a heavy lung feeling so I stick with 80%PG/20%VG liquids.” That sounds like very good advice from someone in a similar situation. Not just the higher PG ratio ejuice, but the low power/MTL style of vaping as well.

It has been 20 months since my last cig but at the time of quitting I had been a pack a day smoker for over 20 years. My first juices were 18 and 24 mg nicotine with a MTL setup-1.5 ohm coil, 8W power, vaping 3-4 ml ejuice daily. The 24 mg juice was a Cinnamon Redhot flavor and the tank with it served as my final backstop before reaching for the cigarette pack. It got used multiple times those first few weeks but it never failed me in halting the jitters. IMO if you are still craving nicotine Jamie, boost your juice strength until you can trust vaping to satisfy the nicotine urge. One way to do this is to get same juice in different strengths, say a 12 mg and a 24 mg then mix to make nic strength you want. A 50/50 mix will be 18 mg 75/25 15 mg etc, and the 24 mg juice will get used even if you never vape it at full strength. Syringes work great for this task and it is also a good introduction to DIY. Once you get nic dialed in you may want to repeat process with PG/VG ratio as Grimwald looks to have done.

Others have probably mentioned this but always have a complete backup rig ready to go if your primary vape fails for whatever reason. You never want to be forced to light up on account of a blown coil or drained battery. I’ve read where people have put a drop of ejuice on their tongue periodically in a pinch and gotten by but geesh it’s not something I’m keen on trying...

 

[fifamymaingame]

Lower watts close airflow smaller draws

Mom has coped and on my box mod she dies but on her 7 11 one she's fine

 

[Maestro]

Vaping will not replace your cigarettes or reduce the urge to smoke. It simply supplies nicotine so you don't go squirrely, same as gum or patches. But you're not getting the rest of the stuff cigarettes give you, so you will crave them. It passes. Just vape through it and think of something else.

I don't believe that nicotine by itself is the big addictive culprit that it's been hyped to be. Know anyone who's addicted to nicotine gum? It's the other chemicals and gases that you really crave. Ask any ex-smoker and they'll tell you that they occasionally still get a craving. They get less frequent over time, but you'll always have them.

 

[stols001]

I actually do know someone addicted to nicotine gum. She's a former smoker who went through a stressful period and decided to pick up some Nicorette and couldn't stop using it. She chewed it like it was going out of style... Not really in regular contact with her anymore (this was when I was on the East Coast and before vaping was really a thing) I wonder if she's discovered vaping?

Anna

 

[redeuce]

I actually do know someone addicted to nicotine gum. She's a former smoker who went through a stressful period and decided to pick up some Nicorette and couldn't stop using it. She chewed it like it was going out of style... Not really in regular contact with her anymore (this was when I was on the East Coast and before vaping was really a thing) I wonder if she's discovered vaping?

Anna

A very good friend of mine stopped smoking with nicotine gum in 2001. He lives now in TN. He's still chewing the gum!

 

[stols001]

I have to admit I quit for 6 months on the gum, but I actually imported a case of it from somewhere in Russia? I think? It was a long time ago, so I was not about to pay Nicorette prices. Whether they had heavy metals in them or contaminants or not, I can't say. But it was really difficult the whole time, and I had to knit like crazy to keep my hands busy. Not nearly as satisfying as vaping, LOL.

Anna