What's This Sticky Residue In My Nostrils?

[lightandmind]

I stopped smoking over two months ago and I've been trying various juices from all sorts of vendors, and regardless of which juice or how I vape it, I randomly get a very sticky mucus that lines the walls of my nostrils that I fear is some sort of juice build-up caused by the vapor or something, and I'd like to hear from former smokers to see if it's just a short-term side-effect of having made the switch from analogs.

 

[Jethead]

We call them boogers....

 

[yzer]

Smoking caused much of the mucous membranes in your nose to shut down. You had much less mucus in your nose when you smoked and it was stained black or brown by tobacco tar. Use of VG in e-liquid will help keep mucous from drying out and hardening in your nose, giving you taffy-like, white, plastic boogers. Booger fans can play with these super boogers much longer than ordinary boogers.

 

[jeffd]

that's quite an analysis. similar plastic properties as margarine minus the yellow coloring?

 

[lightandmind]

Smoking caused much of the mucous membranes in your nose to shut down. You had much less mucus in your nose when you smoked and it was stained black or brown by tobacco tar. Use of VG in e-liquid will help keep mucous from drying out and hardening in your nose, giving you taffy-like, white, plastic boogers. Booger fans can play with these super boogers much longer than ordinary boogers.

Lol, thanks for the head's-up. So, does that mean that it's only a temporary thing?

 

[GalenCopes]

Thought it was a booger, but its snot!

Galen

 

[yzer]

I learned to live with it. I may blow my nose a little more often now than I used to when I smoked. If you find a build-up of this stuff get a little water in your nose while showering. That will clear it out. Or, use a bottle of saline solution nasal spray available from drug stores, like this...

CVS Saline Nasal Spray - CVS pharmacy

 

[John Alexander]

Shoot me, but I lol'd at the snot/booger jokes.

 

[Johnnie Price]

I find it's worse with a high VG, so I stick to an 80/20 mix. It doesn't feel as oily.

I also find VG to make my mouth feel dryer. Don't know why, and it goes against common wisdom, but there it is.

 

[lightandmind]

So, it's pretty much a permanent side-effect of vaping then? Does anyone know if it's mostly mucus or actual juice residue? It's pretty sticky, like dried up juice, and that freaks me out a good bit. Is anyone else actually concerned with this same buildup composting within the lungs? This must surely lead to some pretty bad longterm side-effects, right? If any of the grown-ups care to chime in on what could potentially be a serious health concern, that would be awesome.

 

[Chef Vper]

Im not sure if its permanent, but when i first started vapeing i coughed up a bunch of ick, that went away but will say then when i exhale out my mouth i do get some cool mist build up with flavor that stays on the stach

 

[glasseye]

I don't know why you'd leap to the conclusion of pretty bad long term side-effects. The body is a pretty amazing thing and pretty good at getting the unwanted/needed ummm...things out of it either through the skin or otherwise. Drink more water, you're still detoxing from cigs. Now there are some bad long term things.

 

[p-doze]

Good luck, Ralphy. If your nose starts bleeding, it means you're picking it too much. Or not enough.

 

[yzer]

So, it's pretty much a permanent side-effect of vaping then? Does anyone know if it's mostly mucus or actual juice residue? It's pretty sticky, like dried up juice, and that freaks me out a good bit. Is anyone else actually concerned with this same buildup composting within the lungs? This must surely lead to some pretty bad longterm side-effects, right? If any of the grown-ups want to chime in on what could potentally be a serious health concern, that would be great.

Those are good questions. I had trouble inhaling PG. I found it much too harsh compared to cigarette smoke. I learned to vape by holding vapor in my mouth and exhaling through the nose, bypassing the lungs. I got plenty of nicotine that way.

Last summer, after a couple of vaping months down the road I developed sores and zits inside the nostrils. I was using a commercial flavored 80/20 PG/VG juice. I found this development rather alarming and ordered some nicotine VG base. I started using my DIY unflavored VG and the nose issues vanished. To this day I don't know if it was the PG or flavoring (or both) that caused my problems.

Still, I only inhale vapor once in a while. VG is very smooth to inhale but I just don't feel any desire to inhale to the lungs. Several ECF posters have reported that they find high percentage VG leaves a heaviness in their lungs and have opted for PG/VG blends.

 

[Talyon]

I'm NOT a Doctor, but I haven't seen even 1 article from anywhere or source stating that eLiquid well contest in your nostrils or lungs, or anywhere cept maybe your fingers while filling an addy, don't worry mate, please read around lots of science out there and I'm here.

 

[yzer]

I haven't heard of any problems with e-liquid in the lungs, either. The cilia in the bronchial tubes and lungs clean out mucus and any other contaminates. On the other hand the nose is subject to drying out and irritation from anything from dust to pollen and requires occasional maintenance.

 

[lightandmind]

I don't know why you'd leap to the conclusion of pretty bad long term side-effects. The body is a pretty amazing thing and pretty good at getting the unwanted/needed ummm...things out of it either through the skin or otherwise. Drink more water, you're still detoxing from cigs. Now there are some bad long term things.

If I had already leaped to that conclusion, then I probably wouldn't even be on here asking about it. Guess I'm only concerned because the body seems to do such a very bad job of expelling tar, carbon monoxide and about a billion other substances from itself. I think that drinking more water is some pretty great advice for the body, with or without vapor being introduced to it.

I haven't heard of any problems with e-liquid in the lungs, either. The cilia in the bronchial tubes and lungs clean out mucus and any other contaminates. On the other hand the nose is subject to drying out and irritation from anything from dust to pollen and requires occasional maintenance.

Not THAT sounds like some very usable information, thank you!

Last summer, after a couple of vaping months down the road I developed sores and zits inside the nostrils.

Same here!

 

[DC2]

Does anyone know if it's mostly mucus or actual juice residue?

I would imagine it's a combination of the two.

It's pretty sticky, like dried up juice, and that freaks me out a good bit.

The more you stay hydrated, the less sticky it will be.

 

[MikenGA]

Does anyone know if it's mostly mucus or actual juice residue?

My suggestion is to taste a drop of your eliquid, then eat a booger to compare flavor. If they taste the same, it's probably juice residue. Otherwise, itsnot.

 

[BostonVape]

the comments in this post just made my day.