QUICK LINKS
- Can You Vape Too Much?
- The Potential Side Effects of Vaping Too Much
- Are There Serious Side Effects From Vaping Too Much?
- Can You Vape Too Much CBD?
- Does The Type of CBD Affect Your Vaping Dosage?
- Can You Reduce Vaping Side Effects?
- Does Vaping Affect Your Teeth and Gums?
- The Benefits of Vaping
- Is Vaping Right for Me?
- When Should You See a Doctor for Vaping Side Effects?
- Final Thoughts
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Vaping is less harmful than smoking, but it still has risks and limitations.
- Over-vaping can lead to nicotine overdose, which can cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.
- Vaping can cause addiction, especially for people who are not former smokers.
- To reduce the risks associated with vaping, it is recommended to follow the usage instructions and avoid excessive use.
Millions of people worldwide have started vaping in recent years. Although solid evidence suggests vaping is safer than smoking—it’s not entirely safe. There could be side effects if you vape too much and use the wrong vaping device.
There are so many different vape products on the market, so it’s easy to get lured potential side effects of vaping too much. Unless you only use zero nicotine vapes, you also run the risk of taking in too much nicotine.
In this article, we will discuss whether it’s possible to vape too much and how to avoid it:
Can You Vape Too Much?
People vape for many reasons, including quitting smoking. Many people believe vaping is considerably healthier than smoking, which is true. However, you can feel negative side effects—which we’ll discuss later in this article—when you vape too much.
You may have heard of the phrase chain vaping, which—like the phrase chain-smoking—means you’re vaping too much. So what constitutes vaping too much? It depends on the individual. You’ll probably know when you’ve vaped too much because you may experience extra coughing, dry mouth, decreased energy, and lightheadedness.
Now let’s discuss the common side effects of vaping too much:
The Potential Side Effects of Vaping Too Much
1. Dry Mouth
One possible side effect of vaping too much could be a dry mouth. If you’ve ever felt a dry mouth when you’ve vaped, you may wonder why? The reason could be in two of the ingredients: vegetable glycerin (VG) and propylene glycol (PG). They can cause dry mouth because they are hygroscopic; this means they attract and absorb water molecules.
Prolonged exposure to VG and PG—like when you use a sub-ohm device—could increase the likelihood of experiencing dry mouth. If you suffer from dry mouth, drink plenty of cold water, suck on ice lollies or ice cubes, drink unsweetened drinks, chew sugar-free gum, and use lip balm if your lips are also dry. Most importantly, don’t worry; a dry mouth is harmless.
2. Coughing
If you’ve just begun vaping, you may experience more coughing than usual. In most cases, this is benign; vaping can produce a stronger cough than tobacco, and it’s often a scratchy and chesty cough. If you’re new to vaping, it may take some time to get used to it. In addition, your vaping experience can differ depending on your vaping device and the tank.
The two primary devices are direct-to-lung (DTL) and mouth-to-lung (MTL). Mouth-to-lung (MTL) is almost the same as smoking a cigarette. You inhale the vapor into your mouth before drawing it into your lungs. On the other hand, direct-to-lung (DTL) goes straight to your lungs before you exhale it. Direct-to-lung (DTL) vapes often use weaker e-liquids, such as 3mg or less. However, using more than 6 mg of juice may cause extra coughing.
Don’t worry if you’re coughing more when you first start vaping. You could try changing your vaping device or your E-liquid. If your cough remains consistent or worsens over a prolonged period, you should contact a GP for advice.
3. Headaches
Let’s face it: nobody enjoys experiencing headaches. Still, they’re one of the most common side effects of quitting vaping or smoking. Although vaping is unlikely to directly cause headaches, you may experience them if you’ve recently quit smoking and switched to vaping because you’re removing the nicotine from your body.
Another common cause of headaches is dehydration. However, you can prevent headaches by drinking plenty of water during your vaping sessions.
4. Lightheadedness
There are so many benefits from vaping instead of smoking—including affordability, health, and smell. However, because there’s no inbuilt cut-off when you vape, it can be simple to overestimate your nicotine consumption. As a result, you could vape too much and cause lightheadedness.
Another reason for lightheadedness could be from hyperventilating. Taking many doses from your vaping devices could increase the likelihood of dizziness. So you should always leave time between each drag. Maybe try also using a no nicotine disposable vape every now and then to lower you nicotine intake.
5. Decreased Energy
Nicotine can be a weird drug. Sure, it’s a mild stimulant when you’re tired—but it may also cause tiredness. If you feel fatigued and believe it’s because of your vaping habit, it might be the comedown from smoking too much nicotine.
It’s similar to drinking caffeine. If you consume high levels of caffeine, you may feel the caffeine crash after the stimulation wears off. You could decrease the amount of vaping if you feel regular fatigue.
6. Chest Pain
Chest pain? It’s never a pleasant thing. You could experience chest pain from smoking and vaping too much. Many heavy smokers regularly feel it. If you’re new to vaping, your lungs may become irritated and cause chest pain. If so, you may want to cut down on vaping or push through it until you become used to vaping.
However, your chest pain could be a result of high nicotine strength, vaping at too high of a temperature, or vaping cinnamaldehyde. You should change your nicotine strength or try a different e-liquid if you believe these are the cause of your chest pain.
7. Weight Changes
Many things—including serious illness—can cause weight loss. So you should always be wary if you begin losing weight without any real explanation. However, in some cases, nicotine can cause weight loss because it can work as an appetite suppressant. Therefore, you may witness a loss of appetite and weight loss if you’ve started vaping.
However, appetite suppression caused by nicotine subsides quickly once your body becomes accustomed to nicotine consumption. Consult your GP if you continue to lose weight after vaping for a considerable period.
8. Vapers Tongue
Vapers’ tongue often occurs when you vape too much. Many vapers describe it as a sudden loss of ability to taste vape juice. There’s no need to worry if this has ever happened to you; it’s harmless.
That said, you should stay hydrated to reduce the likelihood of vapers’ tongue. Your taste buds function best when you’re fully hydrated.
Are There Serious Side Effects From Vaping Too Much?
Although the side effects above are relatively harmless, there could be more severe side effects from vaping too much. For example, severe lung illness has been reported in people who vaped unlicensed cannabis products.
However, you can prevent these serious side effects by purchasing from reputable brands. There have been zero reported serious side effects from vapers who purchased from reliable brands.
Can You Vape Too Much CBD?
Yes. It’s possible to vape too much CBD. However, the side effects are likely to be harmless. Common side effects include headaches, fatigue, lightheadedness, upset stomach, diarrhea, and general disorientation.
If you vape too much CBD, it’s important to stay relaxed. Take a cold shower, go for a walk, and stay positive. The side effects should wear off within a few hours. Unlike when you consume too much THC, the side effects aren’t as debilitating.
Does The Type of CBD Affect Your Vaping Dosage?
Another crucial thing to consider is the type of CBD you consume. The main types of CBD include broad spectrum, full spectrum, and isolate. Full and broad spectrum CBD provides the encouraging effect, so you might find they’re more potent and effective for you.
Another thing to consider is your body weight. The lighter you are, the smaller your CBD dosage should be. For example, you should aim for around 12mg of CBD if you’re between 80 and 150 lbs and want a low dose. If you’re over 240 lbs, you’ll need at least 22.5 mg for a low dose.
Remember, if you’re vaping CBD, you might not need as higher a CBD dosage because of the greater bioavailability of vaped CBD.
Can You Reduce Vaping Side Effects?
If you feel side effects from vaping, you might be able to reduce them by changing your vaping device, e-liquid, etc. However, there’s no way to completely remove the potential side effects of vaping.
You should undergo a process of trial and error to determine what minimizes your side effects. In addition, you should avoid flavored vape juices because unflavored vape juices are less likely to contain toxic flavoring agents.
Does Vaping Affect Your Teeth and Gums?
Vaping can have negative effects on your teeth and gums if you’re not careful. For example, one study from 2018 found that e-cigarette aerosols can make your teeth more prone to developing bacteria.
In addition, another study from 2014 found that vaping may cause gum, mouth, and throat irritation. As a result, it’s important to take extra care with your teeth if you vape regularly. Contact a dentist or GP if you think vaping could be damaging your oral health.
The Benefits of Vaping
In this article, we talked about the negative side effects of vaping too much. However, there are many benefits to vaping instead of smoking that may outweigh the downsides. Here are some of the main benefits:
- Vaping is safer than smoking – Although vaping is never completely safe, it’s safer than smoking cigarettes.
- Vaping is cheaper than smoking – If you’re looking to save money, vaping is a better option than smoking cigarettes.
- Vaping can help you quit smoking – There’s no easier way to quit smoking than transitioning to a vaping device.
There are also some surprising benefits of nicotine.
Is Vaping Right for Me?
After reading about all the side effects, you may wonder if vaping is right for you. Truthfully, vaping is much safer than smoking, so you should always consider switching to vaping if you’re a heavy smoker.
What’s more, you can remove most negative vaping side effects by buying the best e-liquids and CBD, using the best vaping devices, and regularly maintaining your vaping devices.
When Should You See a Doctor for Vaping Side Effects?
Most vaping side effects are harmless, so you don’t need to see a doctor. You should adjust your nicotine consumption, change your vaping device, or switch the settings. However, some vaping side effects—such as a continuous cough—could be a sign of an underlying health issue.
If your symptoms don’t clear up, you should always contact a doctor to be on the safe side. They can determine whether your nicotine habit is causing the issue or not.
Final Thoughts
Remember, vaping is safer than smoking—even if there are some side effects. Most vaping side effects come from nicotine, but some may come from vaping.
Always remember that vaping is never completely safe. You should always consult a medical professional before you start vaping, particularly if you’ve had prior chest issues.
The vaping industry is young; there hasn’t been extensive research on the side effects. We will bring you more information on vaping side effects as research advances.
If you are a smoker looking to transition to vaping, then you might want to read our article on what to expect when you quit smoking and start vaping.