Very sore throat, couple questions

[Robolsson]

Okay first of all i'd like to say i'm pretty sure this is not completely vaping related and that I believe vaping is simply making an illness i've acquired more painful.

So i've been vaping for about 2 and a half weeks now, and I got sick around a week ago with a very sore throat. Though the quick test came back negative for strep, but she put me on azithromycin anyway to avoid the long test as I don't have health insurance and it's expensive. I seemed to feel a little better for a couple days but now it's back in full swing, possibly even more sore then before. It's very hard to even vape as all my juice and carts are 24mg of nicotine and I was simply wondering:

Did I overdo the nicotine level? Could this be what's upsetting my throat? I didn't want to smoke any cigarettes at all once I started vaping and I did smoke a pack of newports a day so I went pretty high with 24mg but I already feel like I could be vaping on 18..I have a large variety of juices already (probably 16+ flavors..) otherwise I would simply buy the juices in 12mg and mix half and half.

Would mixing straight PG or VG with my existing juices simply dilute the nicotine level and presumably throat hit? Or would it also kill the flavoring ratio of the juice?

Last but not least..In terms of pain reduction, how effective is vaping when not inhaled into the lungs?

I'm having a hard time forcing myself to vape since it hurts, but at the same time im getting really irritable because I haven't had nicotine all day .

 

[evilfrog]

I had this happen a couple days after I switched to vaping, but it faded fairly quickly. I recommend lowering the nic level and making sure you drink more liquids -- at least that's what worked for me. Keep bottles of water handy everywhere you vape and make sure you use them!
As far as mixing: VG is supposed to reduce throat hit, so adding a little might help (I've never noticed a huge difference but YMMV). I sure some mixologist will come and answer that

From what I understand we absorb the nicotine in the vapor almost entirely through the membranes in the mouth, not the lungs. So switching to a cigar-type vape should work as far as nicotine delivery goes.

If all else fails get the gum, the patch, or some snus to keep yourself dosed until the problem subsides.

 

[telsie]

I doubt it's the nic level hurting your throat. Most likely it's a combination of things: quitting smoking, starting vaping, PG, and having a bit of a throat sickness going on. Adding a small amount of VG to the liquid will make it a bit cooler and smoother tasting — easier on the throat in my experience. But if you use straight VG, you will be diluting your flavor and nic strength. If you can buy some VG locally, though, it's certainly the quickest and simplest solution. If you find that works well for you, then you can see about ordering some flavored VG. Another easy trick that can also help is to sort of block the vapor with your tongue as you inhale. That prevents it from hitting your throat as strongly.

 

[Krisb]

One of the effects of quitting cigs is a sore throat. All the tar, etc. In cigs actually creates a layer on the lining of your throat. After quitting, this layer erodes and can feel very raw. This does go away and the length of time will be different for everyone, from a day to a couple weeks. Mine felt horrible for over a week, to the point i really felt I had strep. Drink plenty of water and cough drops can help, very important to keep your throat moist. Mouthwash can also be helpful. A quick Google search for effects of quitting may be helpful. I nearly gave up vaping, it just wasn't enjoyable because of the pain, so glad I didn't! Once this went away I have never been happier!

*Droid

 

[Robolsson]

Okay, thanks for all the info everyone I definitely don't plan on returning to cigarettes, I figure all of this is simply a result of me starting them in the first place. How much water do people actually drink? Is .5ml every 2-3 hours enough? It definitely seems to hurt less if I drink in excess.

What type of local store would sell VG liquid?

 

[Satans_Monkey]

If I could add to this I'm experiencing (on a minor scale) similar things my throat feels rather dry and irritated even after I drink water I only notice it when I vape is this a common issue? Does it go away? It's a little annoying having a tickling in my throat that I can't get rid of.

 

[telsie]

I think you can buy USP grade VG (glycerin) at Walmart or a drug store. Not sure on that, though. Maybe someone else can chime in on that.

With water, it's not like you need to gulp down a gallon or anything, just make sure you drink a bit extra throughout the day to keep your throat moist. This is especially helpful early on when you're detoxing from cigarettes and adjusting to PG. For most people, the irritated throat thing goes away within 2-4 weeks.

 

[Krisb]

You have to remember, that PG actually absorbs water thus making your mouth feel dry. Yes, it does go away (the pain). Chloreseptic spray and cough drops were very helpful to me! There is no hard and fast rule as to how much water, just keeping it moist. Here is an excerpt from a site I found:

Physical Symptoms.

During the quitting process people should consider the following physical symptoms of withdrawal as they were recuperating from a disease and treat them accordingly as they would any physical symptoms:

Tingling in the hands and feet
Sweating
Intestinal disorders (cramps, nausea)
Headache
Cold symptoms as the lungs begin to clear (sore throats, coughing, and other signs of colds and respiratory problem)

 

[HippyJeepChick]

it may be sinuses draining also. That happened to me a couple weeks ago. went to the doctor and it was a viral infection of the upper respiratory. Doctor gave me the same meds as you and told me to also take Zyrtec D to dry up the drainage. It was at least 5 days before the sore throat went away totally but I could finally sleep after 2 nights on antibiotics. Had these symptoms 3 or 4 days before I went to the doctor. Every time in the past when I would quit smoking I would always get the quit flu. Miserable for a week or so with all the common cold symptoms and some body aches, itching, etc. Hopefully this will pass for you. Could be the e-juice you are vaping as well. I started with 18mg and I knew when I OD'd on nic. Throat starting closing up a little, jittery but tired at the same time, dry throat and insomnia. I cut down the nic level and made sure I drank plenty of water and now have no problems. It's been 2 1/2 months now with vaping and no smoking and I finally have clear sinuses and my doctor said my lungs were clear. Still hacking up a little stuff from 17 years of smoking but very little now.

 

[juicejunky]

When I get a long lasting sore throat, I always get a new toothbrush. It often helps.

 

[Lisa66]

When I get a long lasting sore throat, I always get a new toothbrush. It often helps.

+1. It's very common to keep reinfecting yourself if you don't.

 

[Robolsson]

+1. It's very common to keep reinfecting yourself if you don't.

Maybe i'll try this..it's been 3 weeks now with this awful sore throat and after two different cycles of antibiotics im pretty sure its not strep. It's getting to the point where i'm vaping so little because my throat hurts that i'm seriously considering just smoking again because even when I was sick I would still smoke cigarettes..I dunno I honestly just don't want this sore throat anymore and I have no idea how to make it go away. I thought I might simply need more water but the past 4 days i've been strictly making myself consume atleast 3 liters of water a day and it's definitely not any better.

Could I be allergic to PG or would I be noticing other side effects if I was?

 

[Empress Kitty]

Maybe i'll try this..it's been 3 weeks now with this awful sore throat and after two different cycles of antibiotics im pretty sure its not strep. It's getting to the point where i'm vaping so little because my throat hurts that i'm seriously considering just smoking again because even when I was sick I would still smoke cigarettes..I dunno I honestly just don't want this sore throat anymore and I have no idea how to make it go away. I thought I might simply need more water but the past 4 days i've been strictly making myself consume atleast 3 liters of water a day and it's definitely not any better.

Could I be allergic to PG or would I be noticing other side effects if I was?

It may be more of a PG sensitivity than an actual allergy. Some people have throat/mouth/skin irritation from PG, but an ALLERGY would be more severe. Rashes blisters shortness of breath on up to anaphylaxis (if allergy is severe enough)

Try lowering PG and upping VG maybe a 50/50 or a 60-80VG/40-20 PG (PG for TH and flavor and to thin the very thick VG) start with a 50/50 and keep titrating until the sore throat goes away IMO Or try a 100% VG and add a few drops of PGA/Everclear/Vodka to think it if needed.

~Kitty

 

[Cigarman]

From what I understand we absorb the nicotine in the vapor almost entirely through the membranes in the mouth, not the lungs. So switching to a cigar-type vape should work as far as nicotine delivery goes.

I would like to learn more about this bit of info, I always thought it was absorbed via the lungs. I'm off to do more research.
btw, I find that I sip water all day and leave it in my mouth for a bit to keep my throat moist. Seems to help.

 

[Kbut655]

Kitty has it,
add the VG to dilute your 24mg nic juice.
The VG smooths the throat hit and reduces the nic.
Nicotine does irritate the throat more when vaped than when smoked as it is absorbed through the mouth, throat and nasal passage.
When smoking, the nic is absorbed and stored in the lungs.

If you do have a throat infection the PG and nicotine will irritate the problem. Let your doctor know that you are using a PV with nicotine.

Hopefully you feel better soon.

 

[Robolsson]

It may be more of a PG sensitivity than an actual allergy. Some people have throat/mouth/skin irritation from PG, but an ALLERGY would be more severe. Rashes blisters shortness of breath on up to anaphylaxis (if allergy is severe enough)

Try lowering PG and upping VG maybe a 50/50 or a 60-80VG/40-20 PG (PG for TH and flavor and to thin the very thick VG) start with a 50/50 and keep titrating until the sore throat goes away IMO Or try a 100% VG and add a few drops of PGA/Everclear/Vodka to think it if needed.

~Kitty

I'm gonna go pickup some pure VG ASAP, it's definitely not as sore as it was but i've been taking about 8 advil a day for almost 2 weeks and I really try to avoid advil as much as I can. The juices with higher PG ratios definitely irritate my throat more. The reason I went with higher PG ratio juices is because I had read that VG is thicker and can have problems in the cartomizers I use, but at this point im just trying to get back to the same level of comfortability i had in the first week or so with vaping.

I think all of this was a combination of coming off Newport's which are definitely known as a harsher brand of cigarette, combined with me being sensitive to PG..I've been worried i'd have to stop all together because my friend started vaping about a week after me and hasnt had any of these problems so I guess its just the fact i'm more sensitive to PG and I smoked harsher cigarettes.

 

[Robolsson]

I would like to learn more about this bit of info, I always thought it was absorbed via the lungs. I'm off to do more research.
btw, I find that I sip water all day and leave it in my mouth for a bit to keep my throat moist. Seems to help.

I unfortunately have no research but when I was getting to the point where I couldn't vape and I was seriously craving nicotine I was doing cigar-type inhales and my cravings did subside after a point.