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Minor health question - throaty cough & gunk

Citrus

Citrus

Postman
Joined
Oct 28, 2013
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Apologies in advance for the icky TMI. Been off the stinkies for about two and a half months all told. The last few days I've been really phleghmy - coughing, but with no resistance or "bark", so not like an early morning smoker's cough, more to clear my throat. What's coming up is thin and tastes like...plasma, I guess? Or runny snot? (Sorry again for the TMI - I did warn you). You know, very faintly salty. It's clear, so I'm not worried about infection and there's definitely no blood in it. Do you think this is probably stuff like the cillia in my throat recovering? It seems like a throat thing rather than a chest thing. I'm just a little paranoid, because one of the reasons I decided to quit the stinkies was an increasingly persistent chesty cough (which has completely disappeared now). I'll take my own advice and get myself checked at the doc, but wanted to know if this is a reasonably common thing?
 
Sounds like you have a cold ;)
In all seriousness though, when was the last time you smoked?

You have to remember every time you have a cigarette it sets back the progress your body makes when it begins to heal from smoking. It takes about 12 weeks for your lungs to "clear out" all that crap and actually get to business on a more serious level. My OH had a phlegmy cough for around 12-16 weeks after he started vaping and hes not had a cold since. (Jan 2012 is our 2 yr mark)
 
Last time I had a cigarette was two and a half, coming up to three months ago - I switched right over to vaping and haven't been tempted since. And it's definitely not a cold, because I'm not all red of nose and grumpy of temperament - or no more so than usual ;-) But that fits in with the 12-16 weeks thing.

I'm not suggesting it's a side-effect of the vaping, incidentally (vaping is awesome and I'm borderline evangelical about it), just checking it's a normal part of clearing out all those accumulated years of gunge. I've never given up the stinkies for more than about six weeks or so before, so I'm into new territory. As long as it's all normal, I don't mind a wee bit of gunk!
 
what KMS said.

It's most likely your body getting itself back to how it should be and could well be your Cilia clearing out your airways properly and a perfectly normal part of quitting smoking. Check with your doc but it sounds fairly normal.

Oh and drink lots.
 
Have you recently changed ratios on your e-liquids? If you've upped your VG or PG this could be your body letting you know it's noticed the change.


If the phlegm is yellow to green tinge, you will have some kind of infection, bacterial or viral, most likely a very mild one and then it wouldnt be a side effect of the vaping and you are indeed ill. If its just clear gunk, then its nothing to worry about IMO but I'm no Doctor! :)
 
No yellow, green, brown tint or even opaque - just clear gunk. I'm pretty confident this is my body going "Hooray, at last! I'm going to just flush this equipment out a bit!" I'm trying a lot of different samples at the moment, so probably getting different PG/VG ratios - that could be a factor too.

Thanks for the reassurances, guys. I'll get myself checked out to be on the safe side, but only because I'm ultra-cautious. Pretty sure this is a good thing and a sign all those nasties are getting sent out of my system for good and the equipment is getting back into condition :thankssign:
 
Mate, just remember, you are no longer getting all that tar and shit in your lungs. When i switched to vaping i was blaming any little twitch on it, i have had no ill effects that i can blame on the vaping for 8 months....... i had coughing, phlem, spots, boil, sore throat, runny bum etc etc.......give it a few months then start thinking about maybe being ill. as KMS said 'i'm no doctor' and i dont know of any on this forum but plenty have more time served than me and will gladly give their opinion. You only need to ask.
What is known is that when you give up smoking/ swap for vapor there are things that go on that cant always be explained. some get colds, some get the shakes, some get sick and i'm sure some show symptoms of having aids,...... guess what, no matter what symptoms you have, its all good and you have lowered your chances of getting cancer.
 
Thanks, Rexer :-) Believe me, I'm not putting down vaping in any way - I know full well that any ill-effects aren't a result of the vaping, but a result of a big change in what I'm putting into my body, and hopefully my body working out all those nasties from the coffin nails.

Orrrr a result of all the crap I've put into my body for the last eighteen years. I KNOW it's really unlikely for someone to contract a smoking-related disease at 33, but it worries me intensely. I'm a bit neurotic, so that's why I'm fussing. You'll learn that I'm a bit of a hypochondriac...which just goes to show how addictive the stinkies are. A hypochondriac, worried every day, still smoking 'em for nearly two decades!

I do really appreciate the support and encouragement :-)
 
Citrus said:
Thanks, @Rexer :-) Believe me, I'm not putting down vaping in any way - I know full well that any ill-effects aren't a result of the vaping, but a result of a big change in what I'm putting into my body, and hopefully my body working out all those nasties from the coffin nails.

Orrrr a result of all the crap I've put into my body for the last eighteen years. I KNOW it's really unlikely for someone to contract a smoking-related disease at 33, but it worries me intensely. I'm a bit neurotic, so that's why I'm fussing. You'll learn that I'm a bit of a hypochondriac...which just goes to show how addictive the stinkies are. A hypochondriac, worried every day, still smoking 'em for nearly two decades!

I do really appreciate the support and encouragement :-)
Click to expand...

I was the opposite of you, when i swapped i started getting all sorts of things happen to me, i got sore throat and instantly blamed it on PG intolerance, this alone has cost me as i was avoiding 70/30 juices thinking i was allergic to PG. 7 months on and i bought some generic e liquid of unknown mix that has been my all day vape for a couple of months and guess what, turns out to be 70/30.

Everyone is different and diverse and take to different flavours/ mixes in a different way. sometimes this can be frustrating and other times this can add to the excitement factor (american for fact errrrr)

Basically the only advice you should be seeking is on equiptment, anything about juices is purely subjective and what some love others will hate
 
Thanks. I'm still using a basic ego+CE5 at the moment, though I'm getting some evods in the post soon. Who knows whether I'll venture further into the shinies...and who cares, so long as I'm healthy? Thanks - I really do appreciate it <3
 
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