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Steeping for a time can definitely smooth out a mix, I'd think. I don't know the science involved, I just know it does.
BTW, have you seen your doc yet? I'm just wondering because sometimes it's easy to blame vaping for something that might be completely unrelated, like a cold. After smoking with pneumonia for 18 months, when I got my first cold, the symptoms were so (comparatively) mild that I almost couldn't figure it out (I didn't get bronchitis or pneumonia, either, which was probably the first time in years). So, I'd say, maybe a check-in would be in order?
You say you've done DIY a while is this a new brand of nicotine (or maybe even, just younger?) If it's a different brand of nicotine, it's certainly possible that could be affecting things.... Steeping may help.
With that said, if you rule out other variables (such as becoming PG or VG sensitive which it seems you've done nicely as you are currently vaping 0 nic with no problems) and you really need the nic to help with your ADHD, I'd say nic salts may just be for you, if you are beginning to find regular nic too harsh. Many, many DIY companies will send a small free sample to try, so that you can find out if they work better for you than regular nicotine, and you really have nothing at all to use by requesting a sample amount to try in your DIY mixes.
I could NOT handle a harsh throat hit when I got here, and I found using nic salts in DIY tremendously helpful, and I vape (MTL) at 18 mg/ml nic, and I get no harshness whatsoever. I use Nicotine River for my nic salts and I have been consistently pleased with them.
Best of luck, and I hope you find a solution that works well for you. It would be great if steeping solves the problem, but if it does not, you do have other options.
Best of luck, and I hope you resolve the mystery!
Anna
BTW, have you seen your doc yet? I'm just wondering because sometimes it's easy to blame vaping for something that might be completely unrelated, like a cold. After smoking with pneumonia for 18 months, when I got my first cold, the symptoms were so (comparatively) mild that I almost couldn't figure it out (I didn't get bronchitis or pneumonia, either, which was probably the first time in years). So, I'd say, maybe a check-in would be in order?
You say you've done DIY a while is this a new brand of nicotine (or maybe even, just younger?) If it's a different brand of nicotine, it's certainly possible that could be affecting things.... Steeping may help.
With that said, if you rule out other variables (such as becoming PG or VG sensitive which it seems you've done nicely as you are currently vaping 0 nic with no problems) and you really need the nic to help with your ADHD, I'd say nic salts may just be for you, if you are beginning to find regular nic too harsh. Many, many DIY companies will send a small free sample to try, so that you can find out if they work better for you than regular nicotine, and you really have nothing at all to use by requesting a sample amount to try in your DIY mixes.
I could NOT handle a harsh throat hit when I got here, and I found using nic salts in DIY tremendously helpful, and I vape (MTL) at 18 mg/ml nic, and I get no harshness whatsoever. I use Nicotine River for my nic salts and I have been consistently pleased with them.
Best of luck, and I hope you find a solution that works well for you. It would be great if steeping solves the problem, but if it does not, you do have other options.
Best of luck, and I hope you resolve the mystery!
Anna
Hi @Mel B, and welcome to ECF!
Sorry, I'm a bit late to the party (your thread) that I have just read through. I have a couple of questions if you don't mind:
1.) How long have you been vaping?
2.) Have you always used nicotine in your e-liquid; or is this the first time?
3.) Did you use nicotine-containing products prior to vaping? (cigarettes, pipe, cigar, chew, snus, ???) You mentioned using nicotine in lieu of caffeine (coffee), and I was wondering if you had previously used nicotine in any form.
4.) You mentioned you made a 30mL batch. How full did it fill the bottle? (to the brim, overflowing, up to the neck, left a significant gap, ???)
5.) where/how have you stored the mix after you made it?
6.) What was the PG/VG ratio you mixed?
7.) What is your nicotine concentrate base? (PG, VG, or some PG/VG ratio)
8.) How did you store your nicotine concentrate prior to mixing with it? (room temp., freezer, refrigerator)
Sorry for the "twenty questions" (okay; I know there are only 8
); but three thoughts are running around in my mostly worthless head:
Questions 1-3 have to do with your potential sensitivity to nicotine. If you are not used to nicotine; then perhaps 3mg/mL is indeed too much for you, and reducing concentration might help.
Questions 4-8 have to do with possible issues with effective mixing/integration of the nicotine (how well it mixed throughout the total volume). If it didn't get mixed together thoroughly (you mentioned adding the nicotine "later"); it could have left you with "hot spots," or portions of the e-liquid with concentrated nicotine.
Question 6-7 also had to do with possible PG and/or VG sensitivities. Okay; this one may be a bit of a long shot; but, for me... as a nearly 4 year vaper, who always needed to feel the vapor deep down in my lungs/chest (and therefore a direct-to-lung type of vaper), I started having "off" feelings. A heavy chest; a morning cough (similar to when I smoked), and ringing in my ears (I am in my mid-fifties; so this isn't new... but worse). Not being sure; I decided to try a few things:
First, I heard PG "might" exacerbate ringing in the ears, so I moved to max VG (the only PG came from flavoring). Ringing got slightly better; but cough/heavy chest got worse.
Then, I tried higher PG. Cough/heavy chest got better, but ringing in the ears was back to were it was before (no worse, though no better, in spite of being higher in PG than I had previously tried).
Then, I upped my nicotine content, to try and reduce my overall vapor consumption (thinking this would reduce both VG (heavy chest) and PG (ringing ears) consumption). And, it "seems" to have worked, at least in the short term. My total liquid consumption has dropped equal to my nic increase (tripled my nic, from 6mg/mL to 18mg/mL; and my volume has gone from 15mL/day to 5mL/day). My chest feels better, I have no more morning coughs, and my ringing ears are better (also aided with a dietary change). This is only after one month plus; so long term benefits still remain to be seen.
There remains one element I still want to implement; moving from a direct-to-lung (DTL) tank (the only style I currently own), to a mouth-to-lung (MTL) tank. Budget, and my own indecisiveness, are the hold-up on this final piece of the puzzle. (I hope; maybe; sorta; kinda; I-have-no-freakin'-clue
)
PLEASE, keep us in the loop, and let us know what your solution is. We are glad you have chosen to be a part of our community!
Sorry, I'm a bit late to the party (your thread) that I have just read through. I have a couple of questions if you don't mind:
1.) How long have you been vaping?
2.) Have you always used nicotine in your e-liquid; or is this the first time?
3.) Did you use nicotine-containing products prior to vaping? (cigarettes, pipe, cigar, chew, snus, ???) You mentioned using nicotine in lieu of caffeine (coffee), and I was wondering if you had previously used nicotine in any form.
4.) You mentioned you made a 30mL batch. How full did it fill the bottle? (to the brim, overflowing, up to the neck, left a significant gap, ???)
5.) where/how have you stored the mix after you made it?
6.) What was the PG/VG ratio you mixed?
7.) What is your nicotine concentrate base? (PG, VG, or some PG/VG ratio)
8.) How did you store your nicotine concentrate prior to mixing with it? (room temp., freezer, refrigerator)
Sorry for the "twenty questions" (okay; I know there are only 8
); but three thoughts are running around in my mostly worthless head:Questions 1-3 have to do with your potential sensitivity to nicotine. If you are not used to nicotine; then perhaps 3mg/mL is indeed too much for you, and reducing concentration might help.
Questions 4-8 have to do with possible issues with effective mixing/integration of the nicotine (how well it mixed throughout the total volume). If it didn't get mixed together thoroughly (you mentioned adding the nicotine "later"); it could have left you with "hot spots," or portions of the e-liquid with concentrated nicotine.
Question 6-7 also had to do with possible PG and/or VG sensitivities. Okay; this one may be a bit of a long shot; but, for me... as a nearly 4 year vaper, who always needed to feel the vapor deep down in my lungs/chest (and therefore a direct-to-lung type of vaper), I started having "off" feelings. A heavy chest; a morning cough (similar to when I smoked), and ringing in my ears (I am in my mid-fifties; so this isn't new... but worse). Not being sure; I decided to try a few things:
First, I heard PG "might" exacerbate ringing in the ears, so I moved to max VG (the only PG came from flavoring). Ringing got slightly better; but cough/heavy chest got worse.
Then, I tried higher PG. Cough/heavy chest got better, but ringing in the ears was back to were it was before (no worse, though no better, in spite of being higher in PG than I had previously tried).
Then, I upped my nicotine content, to try and reduce my overall vapor consumption (thinking this would reduce both VG (heavy chest) and PG (ringing ears) consumption). And, it "seems" to have worked, at least in the short term. My total liquid consumption has dropped equal to my nic increase (tripled my nic, from 6mg/mL to 18mg/mL; and my volume has gone from 15mL/day to 5mL/day). My chest feels better, I have no more morning coughs, and my ringing ears are better (also aided with a dietary change). This is only after one month plus; so long term benefits still remain to be seen.
There remains one element I still want to implement; moving from a direct-to-lung (DTL) tank (the only style I currently own), to a mouth-to-lung (MTL) tank. Budget, and my own indecisiveness, are the hold-up on this final piece of the puzzle. (I hope; maybe; sorta; kinda; I-have-no-freakin'-clue
)PLEASE, keep us in the loop, and let us know what your solution is. We are glad you have chosen to be a part of our community!
not sure if it has been asked yet but did you make sure your nic base was well mixed/shaken vigorously before using?
your DIY might not be at the 3mg/ml that you think it is.
NM, i see IDJoel covered this in 4-8
your DIY might not be at the 3mg/ml that you think it is.
NM, i see IDJoel covered this in 4-8
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I'm new to vaping juices with nicotine as we have to import them here in Australia (which is legal) but we just can't buy it here. I've just started with 3mg juices and have found that I have to take shorter hits and gradually build up to larger hits. If I don't do this I cough up a lung. I never had the same problem with 0% nicotine juices that we can buy in Australia.
For a 30ml bottle of juice at 3MG nic I use a dropper and my calculator reads 20 drops = 1ml so my recipe states 18drops for a 30 ml. If you are getting a harsh vapes one thing you can do is add 3 drops of natural lemon juice in the bottle it smooths out the harshness or see if you can find a vendor that sells "smooth" that' what my friend uses to take the harshness out of his recipes or to tone down nicotine throat hit.
MeI B, don't think you ever said whether you are a former smoker or not. We do have vapers here who never smoked, but enjoyed vaping as a "hobby" or started because their friends vaped. Any amount of nic can be a stimulant to a non-smoker and can cause various body responses to the sudden introduction of nicotine. Just checking. I remember my first experience with cigarettes. There was ringing in the ears, dizziness, and a strange lung sensation from the smoke.
I fully agree with you Dave and that was one factor I hadn't considered before responding myself. Vaping has developed a cult like following that isn't exclusive to former smokers, it is a new means of socialization, and has a blended community similar to going to a bar even though you don't drink just because you like to sing at karaoke or love to dance. The beauty of vaping is that it is something that is both individual as well as communal, in that you can customize it to your personal needs and likes, yet you can gather with others and share the experience in a congregational manner.
These things can be mysterious.
Earlier this year I developed an itchy throat and dry cough. After a while I tried vaping unflavored juice and cough went away immediately. A few weeks later I gradually went back to flavored juice and the cough didn't come back.
Maybe I had some kind of throat infection. Maybe my throat just needed a rest from flavors. Maybe I was dehydrated or had spring allergies. Probably never know for sure.
Since getting rid of the nic worked for you it seems like that's the way to go. You could try going back to using nic after a while and see if the problem comes back. Maybe you just need a rest from it to let your throat heal up. We all react differently to chemicals.
Earlier this year I developed an itchy throat and dry cough. After a while I tried vaping unflavored juice and cough went away immediately. A few weeks later I gradually went back to flavored juice and the cough didn't come back.
Maybe I had some kind of throat infection. Maybe my throat just needed a rest from flavors. Maybe I was dehydrated or had spring allergies. Probably never know for sure.
Since getting rid of the nic worked for you it seems like that's the way to go. You could try going back to using nic after a while and see if the problem comes back. Maybe you just need a rest from it to let your throat heal up. We all react differently to chemicals.
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