Vaper's tongue and long term vspers

[Spazmelda]

Another thread today inspired this question.

I've been vaping for almost 2.5 years now. I had, iirc, two bouts of vaper's tongue in the first 6 months or so, but haven't had it since. (Vaper's tongue is the temporary condition of not being able to taste juice flavors, all flavors taste bad, have no taste, or taste about the same). I'm wondering if my experience is common or uncommon.

So... If you have been vaping for a while, do you still get vaper's tongue (assuming you ever did)? Do you get it more, less, or about the same as you did in the beginning? If you still get it, does it last longer, shorter, or about the same time as it used to?

 

[Thrasher]

once it passed I never got it again, i believe its just your tastebuds repairing themselves and getting used to things with flavor again, lol

been vaping 2 years now.

 

[Spazmelda]

once it passed I never got it again, i believe its just your tastebuds repairing themselves and getting used to things with flavor again, lol

been vaping 2 years now.

That's kind of where I'm leaning too, but I'll definitely be interested to see if anyone responds who has had vaper's tongue get worse or more frequent as time passes.

One thing I have noticed is that my preference for flavor percentage has gone way down. When I started DIY juices, I'd use about 20% flavor and a lot of sweetener and had to slowly decrease it. Now I use maybe 5-10% total flavor an much less sweetener for my DIY liquids. I have no idea if that is related in any way to the phenomenon of vaper's tongue.

 

[Robino1]

I got it about 3 months into vaping. It lasted about a week. I've been vaping for 1 year 3 months and have not gotten it again. I do stay hydrated, but made sure I was hydrated when I was just starting out. I had read about vapors tongue while I was still lurking ECF and trying to learn before getting my first ecig.

I do believe it is a combination of quitting smoking and possibly the very hot vapor that skims across our tongues as we try to capture the subtle flavors in the moist air. I used to put my tongue in position to have the vapor directly cross the tongue. Now I press it down and let my mouth fill with the vapor and then enjoy the flavors as the vapor swirls. I don't know if that has helped prevent getting it again or not. It could be I'm just lucky. I've also become a cool vapor person. I use a top coil device, 2.4 head but at 3.3-3.5. Rarely do I go higher.

I also wonder if higher nic also affects the tongue negatively. I know when I was ready to drop down in nic, my tongue would let me know. Simply by the harshness of the nic on my tongue. Just thinking out loud now

 

[TheJakeBailey]

This is encouraging! I've been at it for almost 5 months. I had one BAD round of VT about a month in and was very discouraged until I found out what it was. Have what I hope is a lesser bout of it over the last couple of days, but I had my B&M mix me some stronger cinnamon, and I'm getting by on that.

 

[Anjaffm]

Hi and thank you for the explanation.
I had been wondering what "vapers tongue" was (not beng a native speaker or participaing in ECF from my vaping beginner's stage)

My experience was like Robino1's. I got vapers tongue when I had been vaping a short while. The advice I received was "vape menthol for a while, it will clear your palate", and that worked for me. I never got it again.

What I still have, once in a while, even after 2 years of vaping, is a sudden urge, like "Bah! Enough sweet stuff! Gimme my beloved small sweet-flavored cigar flavor, as in NOW!" Especially with a glass of red wine. Well, that urge can easily be satisfied with a little strong cigar flavor liquid, mixed with caramel flavor - and you can definitely taste that

And I also agree that decades of smoking somehow deaden one's sense of taste. And that it takes some time to come back.

One thing I have noticed is that my preference for flavor percentage has gone way down. When I started DIY juices, I'd use about 20% flavor and a lot of sweetener and had to slowly decrease it. Now I use maybe 5-10% total flavor an much less sweetener for my DIY liquids. I have no idea if that is related in any way to the phenomenon of vaper's tongue.

May this also be connected with the sense of taste returning?
The mixture of 2/3 strong tasting tobacco liquid and 1/3 sweet liquid (vanilla, caramel) that I vaped at the beginning of my vaping "career" would take my socks off now I still love the mixture once in a while, but not in these percentages.

 

[SissySpike]

Same for me had it just the once and then never again. I like reading all of the remedy's people have for VT. It dose make a person uneasy just starting out and one day with no warning your taste bud go!

 

[CES]

Now that you ask, I'm trying to remember the last time i had vaper's tongue. I never really had it badly, but i think part of that is because i switch flavors quite frequently.

The flavors i enjoy have changed drastically since i first started vaping. Initially i needed menthol/mint flavors, then desserts, now I like fruit flavors, and can't stand menthol/mints and rarely like dessert flavors.

 

[Ryan1888]

I have only had it bad once - where every juice tasted the same, it was horrible. That was about 6 months into vaping.
Every now and then I won't be able to taste a certain liquid for a few days but I think that is more down to my taste being too used to a certain e juice. Switching flavour normally does the trick.

 

[Don Robertson]

I have been going through an episode where everything burns the daylights out of my throat and the vape tastes GREAT for the first few 'hits' and then --- either very little taste or nothing at all. I had no idea until just now and when I put it out the question a couple weeks back the replies ranged from, "too much nicotine" .... "allergy to VG or PG" .... "bad juices - perhaps from China". Nope - local B&M - at a small fortune of course and they 'guarantee me' they use all the wonderful USA, FDA, BSA, NAACP, NYPD and other made-up funny letter ingredients.

Perhaps I do have the dreaded 'Vaper's Tongue'! I know my taste buddies HAVE CHANGED simply because a long time favorite "Big Mac with EXTRA sauce" once again tastes wonderful from the FIRST bite of the FIRST burger to the last bite of the THIRD burger! And the FRIES ..... ahhhhhh lordie ..... amazing again - even the second box! So, perhaps 'Vapers Tongue' is the culprit!

I do know that dropping from 36mg/ml Nicotine to 18mg/ml was an absolute MUST after about two weeks of vaping. I couldn't stand the "burn and cough" I suffered; yet it did nothing to help 'taste'. Naturally I had bought 200ml of various juice when the 'sales' hit at Thanksgiving and now I have to cut it 50% more with VG so I don't spend all day hacking!

From Senility Central...... Old Man Don

*** Naaaaa ...... "FIRST bite of the FIRST burger to the last bite of the THIRD burger ..... and second box of fries", you ask???? Just me trying to be dramatically humorous! I stop after .............. TWO of the Mac's!

 

[Robino1]

Cutting your liquid with VG is going to dilute flavor also. Keep that in mind. Getting the same flavor in a much lower nic and mixing them will keep the flavor while lowering nic.

Example: two 30ml bottles each. One at 12mg, one at 6mg. Will bring you to two 30ml of 9mg.

 

[Zealous]

I think I've gotten it when I first started vaping. But these days I think the only experience i have similar to it is when I burn my tongue with coffee (which unfortunately happens a lot since I have a really good coffee cup that keeps my coffee very hot for a long time lol). When this happens I change drip tips for a while. I have found that having a drip tip that directs the vapor farther back on my tongue helps.

 

[Christopherja]

I had it on and off in the first few months, and the only thing I've changed is my hydration levels; this has been the experience of a few of my mates now as well.

In short, I've found that if I stay hydrated - even if I never switch flavours, or use hot peppers, or [insert strange remedy here] - I never have a problem with "the tongue".

At least 3 litres a day (6 water bottles, roughly) seems to do the trick

 

[mandi0808]

I seem to get it almost every evening around 8pm if I've been chain vaping all day.
It usually goes away by morning, but it's been pretty bad this week, since I also have a cold. I can hardly taste anything right now.
Hopefully the cold will go away and it won't have as many issues with it.

 

[Dzaw]

i get something like it, but have never -really- had vapers tongue... I think...

I did have one stretch where juices that I loved had turned nasty, I mean, really nasty... But that only lasted for 2 days, I hesitate to call that vapers tongue, since I just switched to some meh flavors that hadn't seemed to change, and all was well.

However, with some of the very strong flavors I like, if I vape on them for longer than a day or so, I almost stop tasting them. That's my cue to change to some lighter flavors for awhile. Then, when I switch back it's like BAM!.

 

[MissMcVayp]

I am very curious about this. I am 2 and a half weeks into vaping. Form the get-go I can only taste the flavours if I let out some vapor and inhale it. After the first initial 3 puffs or so my tongue feels like it does if you eat too-hot pizza and the cheese gets stuck to your tongue (burned, lol). At the vape store they had to put extra shots of sweetener into the juice I bought so I could taste it, and then I only taste it for a little while. But this has been going on since I started vaping 2 and a half weeks ago. Is that vape tongue? Will it go away and I will be able to actually taste the vapor and not just smell it? I'm not actually sure I have EVER tasted the vapor.. just smelled it....

 

[Thunderball]

I got it about 3 months into vaping. It lasted about a week. I've been vaping for 1 year 3 months and have not gotten it again. I do stay hydrated, but made sure I was hydrated when I was just starting out. I had read about vapors tongue while I was still lurking ECF and trying to learn before getting my first ecig.

I do believe it is a combination of quitting smoking and possibly the very hot vapor that skims across our tongues as we try to capture the subtle flavors in the moist air. I used to put my tongue in position to have the vapor directly cross the tongue. Now I press it down and let my mouth fill with the vapor and then enjoy the flavors as the vapor swirls. I don't know if that has helped prevent getting it again or not. It could be I'm just lucky. I've also become a cool vapor person. I use a top coil device, 2.4 head but at 3.3-3.5. Rarely do I go higher.

I also wonder if higher nic also affects the tongue negatively. I know when I was ready to drop down in nic, my tongue would let me know. Simply by the harshness of the nic on my tongue. Just thinking out loud now

Your sexy when you talk vaping......

 

[Kandicat]

Going through a bad bout right now. My delicious chocolate tastes like nothing. My old stand by tastes burnt, and it is not. I know I am dehydrated and the coffee e-jkuce I tried did not help. That one is definitely going by by. I guess I will stick to drinking coffee. I have one that tastes good. I guess I will stay with that one for a while and pound water. I do have some menthol stuff. i guess I can try that trick, although I have never tried it.

 

[ancientgeek]

I have been vaping for 10 months. No vaper's tongue, but about 4 months in, I developed a cough similar to a smokers cough (not as deep as when I smoked and it occurs only when I am vaping). I've spent the last 5 months trying different things to alleviate this cough. I have reduced my nic level to 6 mg, increased the vg to a 50/50 mix, and cut my favorite juice by 2/3 using my 50/50 unflavored PG/VG mix. This has helped tremendously, though I am going to try lowering the nic to 3 or 4 mg.

I get no coughing on a straight 50/50 unflavored mix, but I still want a little flavor. I no longer like the full strength flavors I previously vaped all day (Atomic Cinnacide or Vanilla). My present all day vape is the cut down Vanilla.

 

[Coelli]

I've only been vaping since last week but have definitely had this off and on for short periods. A juice will taste AWESOME, then later that day I can't taste it at all or it tastes off, then later it will taste good again (same tank). I was glad to learn here that it's not just me.

I just wanted to say though that I don't think it's necessarily related to quitting smoking - I haven't smoked a cigarette in almost 14 years, so my taste buds were already well and truly adjusted to not smoking.