Whoa, instant headache!

[The Torch]

I just got my first RBA - the Russian 91% and find making coils rather fun and easy since I work in electronics.

I'm getting 2 issues however:

Instant headache: I use the same 18mg juice than in my Aspire DBC tanks and whoa, I think I need to suddenly lower my nicotine content by half. Is this normal? I have to admit I am a little hung over and had a very slight headache when I woke up, but this is like an instant headache that I don't get if I go back to my Aspire, plus the throat hit on the Russian is now more than I really need. I'm also getting that morning cigarette buzz if I take 2-3 puffs in a row.

Tastes like heated cotton: the wick looks great (made from cotton they gave me at the vape shop) and my build looks exactly like in all the videos and pictures and I get a nice juice crackling when I vape it. The basic taste is there (although my juice was aired a little too long) but I do get a dominant taste that reminds me of heated cotton (if that makes sense) and that is kinda throwing me off a bit. Is this typical of tobacco flavors in an RBA? Could it be that the cotton is a little too compressed in the coil? Too much nicotine in my juice? Could it be that I am just too sensitive to the taste of cotton? I did take apart my first build to make a nicer one and there was no evidence of burning on the cotton, so I'm certain that is not the issue. Again, everything in my build is looking exactly the same as all the tutorials out there (except I'm not chasing clouds.)

My coil is 6 turns of 30 gauge Kanthal on a 7/64 bit reading at 1.5 ohms and sitting on top of a Provari between 3.7 and 4.0 volts.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[lavapr]

You will get a lot more vapor and nicotine from a rebuildable so you will probably want to lower your nicotine level. Try 6 mg now and I bet that will be sufficient. As far as the cotton taste you will get that for the first 10 or so drags. You can do a few things to reduce that which is to boil the cotton first and also when you first add new cotton soak it with juice and just burn it off a few times before assembling your atty and adding the juice.

Sent from my KFAPWI using Tapatalk

 

[The Torch]

You will get a lot more vapor and nicotine from a rebuildable so you will probably want to lower your nicotine level. Try 6 mg now and I bet that will be sufficient. As far as the cotton taste you will get that for the first 10 or so drags. You can do a few things to reduce that which is to boil the cotton first and also when you first add new cotton soak it with juice and just burn it off a few times before assembling your atty and adding the juice.

Sent from my KFAPWI using Tapatalk

Thank you! The cotton taste seems to have gone as you mentioned. And next chance I get I'll try the 6mg since I can always dilute with what I already have if that's not enough, but the throat hit does seem horrendous in comparison with the Aspire tanks if I take a similar drag (the Aspire feels like pure VG when I switch over). There sure is a lot of difference between tank systems.... boy is this far from the eGo-T crap

I'll also have to re-take my Avatar picture when I get all the parameters right

 

[caged]

18mg is extremely strong for an RBA. No doubt it's killing your throat. You might be getting mild nicotine poisoning as well. Lower nicotine juice will help ease the throat hit.

 

[Maurice Pudlo]

Cotton taste is not always accompanied by obviously burnt cotton, but as said above pre soak the wick, boil it if you feel the need, otherwise cotton usually produces a nice flavor and wicks quickly. It is pretty much the go to wicking material as it is readily available and very inexpensive.

Nearly any time you increase flavor and vapor production it is due to vaporizing more liquid per pull on the atty. A single pull on a dripper is using something like 3 times as much juice as a cheap clearomizer with a similar length pull.

Enjoy your new device.

Maurice

 

[The Torch]

I haven't had any side effects other than a headache (which goes after about 5 minutes each time) and extremely reduced need for vaping. It sure is economical at the moment, but I'll be putting something different in the Nautilus until I go to the shop to tell them they owe me a 10% discount on juice again for not questioning my choice in nic concentration. They'll probably even exchange my unopened juice bottles; that's how good they are and that's how much money I spent in the last 2 months.

I definitely need 9mg or less for the Russian -I should call it the Black Russian 91proof since it's like doing a shot of moonshine between the wine glasses I'm having at the moment! I can't taste much coming from the Aspire right now... Oh look, menthol!

 

[Necrotic]

I went from 18 mg to 12 mg and it works fine for me in my kayfun and Russian.

 

[Vermiform]

I'm in the same boat you are but it is getting better. I dropped to 6mg but it is still pretty harsh to me. Dropped down to a single coil build and it got less so. Airflow makes a tremendous difference as well. An airy draw seems alot less harsh to me.

 

[caged]

I haven't had any side effects other than a headache (which goes after about 5 minutes each time) and extremely reduced need for vaping. It sure is economical at the moment, but I'll be putting something different in the Nautilus until I go to the shop to tell them they owe me a 10% discount on juice again for not questioning my choice in nic concentration. They'll probably even exchange my unopened juice bottles; that's how good they are and that's how much money I spent in the last 2 months.

I definitely need 9mg or less for the Russian -I should call it the Black Russian 91proof since it's like doing a shot of moonshine between the wine glasses I'm having at the moment! I can't taste much coming from the Aspire right now... Oh look, menthol!

A headache is a sign of too much nicotine. If you keep pushing it, you will start feeling ill.

 

[The Torch]

A headache is a sign of too much nicotine. If you keep pushing it, you will start feeling ill.

Not to worry, I'm not pushing it, just couldn't resist the occasional drag with the new toy, but I put it aside for something I'm used to for now.

I went from 18 mg to 12 mg and it works fine for me in my kayfun and Russian.

I was already considering going from 18 to 15mg before I got the Russian, so 6 or 9 mg would make sense in my case.

I'm in the same boat you are but it is getting better. I dropped to 6mg but it is still pretty harsh to me. Dropped down to a single coil build and it got less so. Airflow makes a tremendous difference as well. An airy draw seems alot less harsh to me.

Don't tell me you were making dual coils on a Russian!! Airflow does make a difference in TH, but I really need lower nic else I can't taste the juice anymore.

 

[caged]

Trust me, I know the feeling.

 

[The Torch]

Trust me, I know the feeling.

I take it you have kept going on when you should have reverted to your previous system. The headache is just too unpleasant to keep pushing in my case, so I'll probably plan a quick drop to the shop tomorrow since I already have plans for Saturday.

 

[Vermiform]

Not to worry, I'm not pushing it, just couldn't resist the occasional drag with the new toy, but I put it aside for something I'm used to for now.



I was already considering going from 18 to 15mg before I got the Russian, so 6 or 9 mg would make sense in my case.



Don't tell me you were making dual coils on a Russian!! Airflow does make a difference in TH, but I really need lower nic else I can't taste the juice anymore.

Oh mo, not a Russian..yet. I'm making dual coils on a couple Igos and a stillare. And yes you definitely need lower nic. I have 18mg for my aspires and 6mg for the drippers.

 

[The Torch]

Oh mo, not a Russian..yet. I'm making dual coils on a couple Igos and a stillare. And yes you definitely need lower nic. I have 18mg for my aspires and 6mg for the drippers.

My head was definitely banging the message in, but I did need some confirmation, thanks.

I almost bought a stillare, but thought WTH would it be good for if I have to build dual 3 ohm coils? (like that's not what's on an Aspire DBC) Well, I admit I just wanted a Russian 91%, but a Stillare should be next on the list before or after a mech unless nicotine overdose get me to quit everything altogether and buy a new car instead!

 

[Vermiform]

My head was definitely banging the message in, but I did need some confirmation, thanks.

I almost bought a stillare, but thought WTH would it be good for if I have to build dual 3 ohm coils? (like that's not what's on an Aspire DBC)

That's what I thought at first too. I figured if I could just get the ohm load on a dual coil setup to 1.6 then it should be close to my aspires. Wrong! 3 hits later off of my 18mg juice and I'm dizzy as hell and coughing like I never gave up analogs!

I think what really turned the corner for me was picking up a flavor that I had not vaped before in 6mg. I originally tried 6mg in my everyday juice flavor and because it didn't taste the same I was put off by it.

 

[Jugband]

When I used stock tanks I was vapeing 12mg but when I switched to RBA's I went down to 6mg. Didn't notice a change at all. Recently I found an old bottle of Boba's Bounty it was 12mg. I love that juice! I figured what could it hurt? I loaded my Reo and RM2 built to 1ohm, a few pulls later my head was spinning! As much as it pained me I had to toss that bottle.

 

[The Torch]

@ Vermiform: Yea, total coil surface will make a difference, not to mention wicking surface.

@ Jugband: thanks for confirming this with the reverse experience. Can't wait to get a juice that will work nicely in my new toy!

 

[Maurice Pudlo]

Love my STILLARE, I will admit to rocking a 0.25 ohm dual setup though. It's nice and easy to setup, I don't know if I could rock a higher ohm build on it though.

Maurice

 

[vassilbg]

I did the same thing. Went from 12mg to 6mg when I got my KFL+, and honestly, I'm looking at dropping to 3mg... yeh, its THAT good. Not to mention with Cellucotton wicks, you get more flavor, TH, and nic hit, its almost necessary for me.

 

[Trisha Donoflio]

Perfect! Thank you! I had the issue with Organic Cotton and I'm down to 6mg. I also boiled it just in case and there was a wicked white powder film of Hydrogen Peroxide I'm guessing because that's what it was bleached with. Now vapes great!