I've injured myself.... please help!

[vixelyn]

Hello!

I finally took the plunge and made the switch from cigarettes to vaping two and a half weeks ago. It went really well -- I managed to get on to vaping very quickly and had no desire to go back to cigarettes.

However, I am now smoking again because vaping burnt my tongue over those 2 weeks pretty bad. I am letting it heal then I will attempt to go back to vaping, but hopefully with more information as to not have this happen again.

I started with a Vuse with nicotine. After about a week and this 'vapers tongue' not going away (perhaps I had already burnt it at that point? I don't know... I think I did.) I went to a vape shop, told them my issues and they sold me a Havok with 10mg juice.

I preferred the 0.6 ohm so I stuck to that with the airflow all the way closed, vaping a 50/50 salt nic juice at 20 wattage. I liked this very much, however my tongue was just getting worse. I went back to the shop and got a 70vg/30pg freebase at 3mg nic. No dice. Pain was just getting so, so bad.

I went to a dentist who diagnosed me with 'burning mouth syndrome', which is a debilitating disorder that lasts for years. I came home and went, 'It's probably more likely that I actually HAVE burnt my tongue."

I've done some searching for others who have burnt their tongues vaping, and these are the two conclusions I've come to:

1. I'm heating up my juice so much that I'm not inhaling vapour, I'm inhaling steam -- which is burning my tongue. I'm vaping a 0.6 ohm at 20 wattage, airway closed, with long draws. Is this possible?

2. I'm allergic to PG. I've looked up PG allergies and I haven't seen them cause a burnt tongue per se, but I don't know. Also, I vaped over 7 years ago before I became pregnant and I never had this issue. I also have read that you can develop allergies at any time.

I'm going to go back to the vape shop tonight and either get a vape that does not heat up as hot, or find a vape that does pure VG. Is there anything else I'm missing? Do these scenarios make sense? Does anyone know what's going on here?


Thanks!

 

[MC5]

Nobody here is qualified to give you medical advice, but the one thing I noticed in your post it that you have the airflow closed, which makes the vapor much thinner and hotter. Increasing the airflow will cool the vapor, and combining that with shorter draws, should help a great deal. Good luck figuring this out.

 

[nadalama]

I agree with @MC5's statement about the airflow - vapor can get mighty hot if the air is completely shut down - but the only Vuse I've ever used was a cigalike (looks vaguely like a cigarette), and it didn't have any airflow adjustments, so if that's what you were initially using, then air wasn't the initial problem.

It sounds like a chemical sensitivity to me, but that could be to PG, VG, flavoring, or nicotine. What level of nicotine have you been vaping? Did anything improve when you switched from 50/50 to 70/30? (Sounds like it didn't.) Have you tried more than one flavor of e-liquid?

For what it's worth, vaper's tongue is not a burn, it's an inability to taste vape flavors. Usually that can be remedied by just vaping something different for a little while, especially like a mint/menthol, coffee, or cinnamon flavor.

I'm trying to remember if I thought 20 watts was hot back when I was a new-ish vaper. I probably did, but devices back then were a lot different. Maybe your vape store can sell you a mouth-to-lung device (you inhale from it more like a cigarette, take the vapor into your mouth, and then inhale it all at once into your lungs) that can run at 12 to 15 watts, with low-ish nicotine juice (9mg or less) mixed at 50/50 PG/VG, in a gentle flavor like a vanilla custard, and see if that works better. You still will probably be better off to wait a few days and see if your mouth gets better, and I'd try to put down both the vaping AND the smoking until things improve.

And also like @MC5 said, we can't give medical advice, so please don't take this as gospel.

 

[CaFF]

I don't know anything about that device, but if it runs on Salt Nic...well..that could do it. Stuff is powerful.

I got some for DIY stocking up, and I gotta be really precise with it...dab too much and it does feel like it's burning my throat. This coming from a guy who started in 2012 on 48mg regular nic juice...in a 14650 powered 'vape pen'.

I vape 14-15mg even now, but it's all DIY 80/20 ratio of VG/PG using regular nicotine solution and on mods with rebuildable atomizers. Not too high of a power for the resistance or the amount of nic. ;-)

Most doctors don't understand vaping, and most vapers ain't doctors...

 

[Vape Fan]

I vaped over 7 years ago before I became pregnant and I never had this issue.

I'm not suggesting try what you vaped before,..yet
But what type/strength, flavor, etc of juice were you vaping back then? Is there something about the flavor your using now that you might have a reaction to?
And what device did you use 7 yrs ago?
Just wondering what any differences look like.

Also, RDL restricted direct lung vaping might work out better.
.6Ω @ 20w is something I would RDL, not closed airflow/MTL.
RDL/DL = less likely that the vapor OR juice is going straight to tongue.
Maybe you can't handle the vapor those settings are putting out? because your not used to it? Have you tried that same .6 @ 20w but w/af opened some? or opened some with a little less wattage?
And just pull a little vapor so you don't cough from too much vapor, a couple few days and you start get used to it,,,,
like when we choked down our first cigs till we got used to it

 

[Vape Fan]

Wouldn't ya know...FDA's very first PMTA approved vaping device would be the most likely culprit....

Vuse

 

[vixelyn]

Ahhh, thank you so much for all the info everyone!

I started at 18mg with the Vuse, went down to 10 when I switched to the Havok, then 3. I really don't need much nicotine -- I was smoking matinee ultra lights.

I have NO idea what I vaped way back when.... it was a really annoying device that was not easy to work, had no settings... it was very 'you got what you got'. Obviously it didn't stick -- went right back to smoking after I gave birth instead of going back to vaping.

I can't say I noticed any difference when I switched from a 50/50 salt to a 70vg/30pg freebase, but my tongue could have been so bad at that point that it didn't matter.

For what it's worth, I went back to the vape shop tonight and talked to a new woman about my issue. I told her I wanted to try a vape with a regular 'ohm' that definitely doesn't get too hot, because I think that might be the culprit. I'm not sure what she sold me, but she said it's a starter vape that's better than the Vuse because I deal with the coils myself. She said she wouldn't be surprised if the burning started with the Vuse, but this one should rule out if the problem is a heat issue. I know it's a very popular vape company because as soon as I saw the name I recognized it from these forums.

I also told her I might not be vaping properly and that may be contributing to the problem. I press the 'vape' button on the Havok just to see the screen turn on, and she said I really shouldn't do that. I also press the button early and let go late .... and she said she was starting to see the problem. She taught me how to vape properly (suck first, press the button, let go of the button, then inhale).

Apprehensively, I've tried the new vape a bit the past hour.... i taste absolutely no flavour on a 6mg nic 70vg/30pg salt on low setting with the airway half-open. My husband tastes it just fine. I think this is because my tongue is still healing? Though, as soon as I take a drag it's INSTANT cotton mouth. I'm hoping this is just normal and not an indication of an allergy?

I'll keep updating if anyone is interested, and keep listening if anyone can find any additional insight. Thanks so much!

 

[nadalama]

Ahhh, thank you so much for all the info everyone!

I started at 18mg with the Vuse, went down to 10 when I switched to the Havok, then 3. I really don't need much nicotine -- I was smoking matinee ultra lights.

I have NO idea what I vaped way back when.... it was a really annoying device that was not easy to work, had no settings... it was very 'you got what you got'. Obviously it didn't stick -- went right back to smoking after I gave birth instead of going back to vaping.

I can't say I noticed any difference when I switched from a 50/50 salt to a 70vg/30pg freebase, but my tongue could have been so bad at that point that it didn't matter.

For what it's worth, I went back to the vape shop tonight and talked to a new woman about my issue. I told her I wanted to try a vape with a regular 'ohm' that definitely doesn't get too hot, because I think that might be the culprit. I'm not sure what she sold me, but she said it's a starter vape that's better than the Vuse because I deal with the coils myself. She said she wouldn't be surprised if the burning started with the Vuse, but this one should rule out if the problem is a heat issue. I know it's a very popular vape company because as soon as I saw the name I recognized it from these forums.

I also told her I might not be vaping properly and that may be contributing to the problem. I press the 'vape' button on the Havok just to see the screen turn on, and she said I really shouldn't do that. I also press the button early and let go late .... and she said she was starting to see the problem. She taught me how to vape properly (suck first, press the button, let go of the button, then inhale).

Apprehensively, I've tried the new vape a bit the past hour.... i taste absolutely no flavour on a 6mg nic 70vg/30pg salt on low setting with the airway half-open. My husband tastes it just fine. I think this is because my tongue is still healing? Though, as soon as I take a drag it's INSTANT cotton mouth. I'm hoping this is just normal and not an indication of an allergy?

I'll keep updating if anyone is interested, and keep listening if anyone can find any additional insight. Thanks so much!

I'm thinking the cotton mouth is a sign that you're a little dehydrated, and that can most definitely happen with vaping. Be sure you drink enough, and drink liquids that don't contain caffeine.

 

[Bliss Doubt]

Burning Mouth Syndrome apparently is one of those modern mystery disorders. It may not have anything to do with vaping or smoking. I found these things:

Burning mouth syndrome - Symptoms and causes

www.mayoclinic.org

and from what Wiki says I'm wondering if the OP is getting it from post-partum hormone re-balancing:

Burning mouth syndrome - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

This is my go-to health site. I have always found answers here when I was out of my mind with worry over a health issue:

Natural Remedies for Burning Mouth Syndrome

Burning mouth syndrome can often be treated with natural cures, like baking soda, B complex, and dietary changes.

www.earthclinic.com

I hope it helps.

 

[MyMagicMist]

I agree with @MC5's statement about the airflow

I third it.

Also, RDL restricted direct lung vaping might work out better.
.6Ω @ 20w is something I would RDL, not closed airflow/MTL.

Yes. I'm seconding that.

Wouldn't ya know...FDA's very first PMTA approved vaping device would be the most likely culprit....

Vuse

*nodding*

I told her I wanted to try a vape with a regular 'ohm' that definitely doesn't get too hot, because I think that might be the culprit.

FWIW, I can sub ohm down to about a 0.25 ohm coil without the vapor being too physically hot. Then, I use about half open airflow on RDAs & only run an average 24 W on mechanical mods. Found I prefer 0.30 to 0.50 ohm coils. I vape in the "style" of RDL (Restriced Direct Lung). HTH

Also drink some water. If you think you've drank enough, drink twice what you've drank already. Ergo, you normally drink 2 cups per time, drink 4 cups. Being dehydrated can cause more than folks think. Your mouth may be telling you the vapor is drying you out.

 

[VapeOn1960]

Others have covered everything I would have mentioned. In general, always have airflow, take shorter vapes and pause between vapes (all of this keeps the coil cooler... and the vapor) Take sips of water while you vape. I hope you sort this out.

 

[VapeOn1960]

BTW, we sometimes get posts about health issues from vaping and suspect they are just trying to bash vaping (or it has nothing to do with vaping but they got it in their head) I honestly feel you are genuine and hope we can help you.

 

[VapeOn1960]

You might want to check into what is called "oral thrush"