When you first make the switch to e-cigarettes and move away from traditional cigarettes, you may notice something odd. After the first few days it might seem like using e-cigarettes somehow makes you feel worse than the cigarettes ever did. The truth is, these are all signs of smoking withdrawal in general, and typically not caused by vaping itself.



While the timing might seem like many of these things came on when you started vaping (or shortly afterwards), the truth is e-cigarettes probably didn’t cause these things. There are a number of physiological changes people go through when they go off cigarettes.

The nicotine in e-cigarettes can help stay the hand of the nic fits. But not all the symptoms are caused by the nicotine itself. Here are 8 fairly common things you might run into and attribute to e-cigarettes, but are actually your traditional cigarettes getting back at you for leaving them.

1. Coughing / Cold-like Symptoms

This is probably the number one complaint of people recently switching to e-cigarettes. Within a few days of giving up cigarettes, you may find yourself coughing more than you ever did smoking the coffin nails.

This is the simple act of your lungs waking up and expelling all the extra freeloaders cigarette smoke has deposited in there. Smoking deadens your lungs reflex to purge itself of foreign contaminates. Once you stop actually smoking, your lungs begin to recover this reflex.

As a result, your body begins the process of purging all that junk that has collected. The body’s way of doing that is to make you cough. In addition mucus may build up which leads to symptoms like that of a cold.

These symptoms may last for a week up to a month, but will eventually subside. Of course, you should consult with your doctor if you think the coughing has gone on for an extended period.

2. Headaches

Similar to the coughing brought on by the absence of contaminates, some people also report headaches after they’ve taken up e-cigarettes. Much like the coughing fits, this is caused by the contaminates in the cigarette smoke.

There’s a number of chemical changes going on here that contribute to headaches. However one of the biggest factor may be the changes in oxygen levels. When you smoke, you’re inhaling a great deal of carbon monoxide with the other pollution found in the smoke.

Carbon monoxide lowers the oxygen level in your blood. e-Cigarettes do not contain carbon monoxide (or several thousand other things). As a result, your brain and circulatory system are now getting more oxygen than it is used to which can result in headaches among other things such as tingling in the extremities.

3. Bad Breath, Dry Mouth or Sore Throat

This item is a little different from some of the others you’ll find on the list. This item is a smoking withdrawal symptom as well. However, it is caused by dehydration which vaping tends to exacerbate.

The vapor that e-cigarettes emit remove moisture from the surrounding air. This also includes the moisture in your mouth and throat. In short, e-cigarettes will dry you out.

Fortunately, this is an easy enough fix. Drink plenty of water to stay good and hydrated. Unlike many of the other symptoms, this one won’t go away, you’ll always need to make sure to keep your fluid intake going.

4. Unusual Taste Sensation

If there’s one theme that’s been running throughout this article it’s that cigarettes mess with your body. Most symptoms are a result of your body trying to right itself.

Taste is no exception. Smoking plays havoc with your sense of taste.

I’ve covered this one pretty extensively in another eCig 101 article about being unable to taste e-liquid. As your taste buds regroup, they may become over-sensitive and the result is things just taste funny to you.

Another explanation is that some things really do taste funny and you just didn’t notice until now. You will eventually grow accustomed to your new sense of taste.