Itchy Skin, Rashes: PG Allergy

[sidetrack]

+1 for the itchies... It started on the bottoms of my feet then moved to my scalp then my stomach area and bottom. Now recently has moved to my arm pits. I notice it mainy late evening?? It's not unbearable but a nuisance. Where possible I load up on cream and that seems to stop it. I have DIY'ed for 5 mo and have only used VG. for the past month. Just went nic free 9 days ago and still get the itching! I guess the next thing will be no flavors and then no vapeing? Bummer...........

 

[KJT2011]

Well I am happy to report to say that I had no hives yesterday and no reaction!! I vaped NN fire & ice which is 60PG/40VG as opposed to the pineapple from VB which is 30PG/70VG. When I got the hives I had only taken about 5 puffs of the pineapple and about double of the fire & ice (which I had tried before and had no problems with) so I'm going to say that it was the higher ratio of VG that made the breakout happen. I am going to continue to vape the fire & ice today and hope that they stay gone! I am taking medication for the hives so I hope that they don't come back after I am off of it lol

 

[SammySweetheart]

I am so happy to hear this. Good for you! I can't wait for my vg juice to get here. I hope it works for me!

If not... dang it..... Sammy's gonna be havin a SALE!!!!

 

[aland]

You are so right about listing ingredients. The lack of real knowledge about the liquid we vaporize to inhale is inexcusable. And some here think regulatory agencies should just let things slide as they are now? Not a chance. Not even the RIGHT thing to do.

Like you, I sometimes have to pop a Benedryl in order to get some relief and sleep.

Where is the listing of side effects required for ingestion of drugs that produce effects like those we're noting here? Our practice screams for regulation, since manufacturers have so long ignored common sense practices like a child-proofing, tamper-proofing, toxic warnings, ingredient listing, possible side effects, warnings to pregnant women, cautions about pet dangers, etc, etc, etc.

They let us down until fear forced a few to spend pennies for child-proofing vials, but it has been far too little, far too late.

You are 100% right on!!!

 

[Rocketfish]

Makes a lot of sense actually, I had a rash that I was told was everything from excema to ringworm near my armpit, I stopped using deoderant(gross) and it went away. I found one product that works but sucks(axe spray) and one that doesn't. Tabac deodrant, a bit more money, but smells lovely, and I don't get the same reaction. I would suspect that it's overall exposure, and that as was said, vaping PG was the last straw. I'm allergic to petroleum from too long in factories, and its the same, a certain threshold of exposure and I become oversensitive for a time, perhaps cutting out all other PG intake, and then adding PG based vapes and flavors back over time would allow people to continue vaping without reaction. It could also be the VG, I started originally with Innovapor juices, while I didn't get any itching, I noticed my skin became extremely sensitive, and prone to reactions, similiar to dermographica or whatever it's called where you can draw on your skin with fingernails, and it will swell into the pattern, it was ridiculous! I've been vaping TV 90/10, and get occasional itching on my skin. It really depends on the flavor too I've noticed, I was much more itchy vaping atomic cinnicide, and I found that after switching to other flavors(mostly a mix of TV tobacco and geofs blend) the clear phlegm has gone away.

I'm wondering if it could be flavorings for me too, so far my rashes have subsided for the most part, though I get minor itches occasionally, I always seem to get frustrating acne for the first month or so of vaping.
If it is flavoring, perhaps avoiding inhalation to the lungs could be a solution to let you vape flavors without the reaction?
I wonder if something could be changing the PH on your skin? I get the same reactions from work if I'm not careful from the washing liquids we use(very alkaline)

Allergies are frustrating, sometimes I get an itchy throat after eating, but have never figured out what the heck causes it!


EDIT: If I get some free time I'll see if I can bug my doctor into doing allergy testing on me, I suspect a lot of it was cinnamon for me, I got acne around my mouth, when I quit vaping that, it cleared up. Might as well use the free healthcare! lol.

 

[SammySweetheart]

Update.... I received my VG 0 nic butterscotch juice from clouds of vapor. True that VG mutes the flavor. But overall, the flavor is still delish! Received my blanks from V4L and filled my own. Groovy!

V4L batts suck too much air, but other than that...... an enjoyable vape. Tried V4L mocha vg cartos as well. Rockin! Tastes like hot chocolate!

3 days in a row vaping. No chest hives yet.......

But then, it took over a month for the PG sensitivity/allergy to rear its ugly head, so I won't start dancing in the streets yet.

A good start though.... I am hopeful.

 

[Tracy68]

Now now, think positive Sammy! I reckon you'll be ok. The VG really does dull the flavour though hey.

 

[SammySweetheart]

I am making a point of vaping the VG at least a few times a day. The chest hives are still fading so far. When I vape my 0 VG juice and V4L cartos, no redness on the hives which are (at this point) barely noticeable.

Only after a hot bath or shower do I even see them right now.

I would be a happy woman if this trend were to continue.

I will update as I experience stuff.

The lack of flavor is somewhat annoying to me. The V4L mocha VG cartos have a decent flavor. The clouds of vapor VG 0 nic butterscotch juice... depends on what 808 I use.

 

[SammySweetheart]

Update

Sad to say that the VG is giving me hives as well. Only now they are worse than the PG ones. I have to assume its the flavors. I am vaping mocha VG from V4L and 0 nic butterscotch juice from clouds of vapor.

I can't imagine vaping something with no flavor. I am using the V2's and V4L 808's. Read somewhere (was it Tracey?) where the nickel in the cartos was the issue?

I give up

 

[Tracy68]

One more thing to try - if you can rule out the nickel thing.
I know it's SO unsatisfying but why don't you try vaping with no flavour whatsoever.
Maybe take a bit of a break to let your body settle down and try unflavoured and see what happens.
I'm so sorry for ya.
It's incredibly frustrating and so not fair when most everyone else seems to do ok.

 

[Natalia]

Update

Sad to say that the VG is giving me hives as well. Only now they are worse than the PG ones. I have to assume its the flavors. I am vaping mocha VG from V4L and 0 nic butterscotch juice from clouds of vapor.

I can't imagine vaping something with no flavor. I am using the V2's and V4L 808's. Read somewhere (was it Tracey?) where the nickel in the cartos was the issue?

I give up

Hi Sammy. I'm not sure if your allergy is PG, but if it is Velvet Vapors has all PG free liquid, including the flavorings.

"PG-Free
We are pleased to offer more than 40 flavors that are PG-Free, containing zero propylene glycol. See the PG-Free section."

Link

 

[SammySweetheart]

Thanks Natalia but the issue is beyond that now. I vaped PG and pure VG, I get hives no matter what. I won't vape zero flavor as I don't vape that much as it is. I would try it in the interest of science however. I am suspecting its flavors. But Tracey, you got me curious about nickel now. Is there nickel in my 808's?

 

[Natalia]

Thanks Natalia but the issue is beyond that now. I vaped PG and pure VG, I get hives no matter what. I won't vape zero flavor as I don't vape that much as it is. I would try it in the interest of science however. I am suspecting its flavors. But Tracey, you got me curious about nickel now. Is there nickel in my 808's?

Hi Sammy, they're not zero flavor, they're flavors that contain no PG at all. Maybe I misunderstood.
LINK, just in case.

 

[calico21]

Thanks Natalia but the issue is beyond that now. I vaped PG and pure VG, I get hives no matter what. I won't vape zero flavor as I don't vape that much as it is. I would try it in the interest of science however. I am suspecting its flavors. But Tracey, you got me curious about nickel now. Is there nickel in my 808's?

My sister is allergic to nickel! How do you do with costume jewelry? Gold or silver plated? The plating is usually covering a nickel type base. If it turns green really fast( I mean like in a day) and you have any swelling it could be a nickel allergy and a doctor can test for it. Then maybe look for a drip method where your juice doesn't have time to react with the metal as much. Let us know on this. I wouldn't want to change my sister to vaping if this is the case.

 

[Tracy68]

Sammy, I don't know about the nickel. You'd probably have to ask some of the more knowledgeable technically minded menfolk around here or else contact the place where you got yours from and ask about exactly what is in the workings of your particular PV.

 

[SammySweetheart]

I dropped a line to my favorite rep from V2 tonight and picked her brain about whats in the 808's. Will prob hear from her tomorrow.

Almost gave in and had an analog today. Bad Bad Sammy. But I didn't. I will hold out for a solution. Or quit altogether. Gonna have a lot of batts and cartos to pawn off on people lol

Natalia that link didn't work for me. So you mean they have flavors that don't have PG OR VG in them? Cause I am getting hives with either that I vaped.

 

[SeanInSoCal]

I'm not sure if this thread is still active but I started having some kind of allergic reactions a month ago which was about two months into vaping. It started as itching mostly on my hands and feet and eventually spread to all over my body. I also started breaking out in hives as well. The itching is quite different from what you get from bug bites. It's more like prickly itching or burning sensation and it's not constant. In other words, it comes and goes and when a random part of my body starts to itch, I also break out in hives locally on that spot and it eventually goes away and so does the itching. I've never had any allergy, so I didn't really know what it was. I came up with possible causes and the only thing I changed over the past months was that I started vaping and I came across a few threads related to allergic reactions on ECF.

Now, I've not been vaping in about a week but the symptoms are still there and I wonder how long allergic reactions typically last? Should I give it a little more time or see my doctor again? I saw him when I started having itchy skin and got blood test done to make sure I don't have any internal disease but I didn't ask him about any allergy 'cause I wasn't breaking out in hives at that time.

Anyways, if any of you guys who figured out why you were having your symptoms, please come back and share.

 

[kinabaloo]

Read through most of this thread and as it has not developed much thought I'd look into it a little.

In summary, I suspect the difference is not so much that some peple have a PG allergy/intolerance and others do not, but that the difference lies in underlying histamine biochemistry differences to what is a mild irritant to everyone (as are a great many things).

The symptoms (rash, hives, sinus and nasal discharge, throat swelling, sleep disturbance, fuzzy mid / headache, ...) all closely match histamine release so that looks to be the mechanism (as it is, at least in part, for many allergy reactions. For example hayfever; symptoms are more generalised with PG allergy as the allergen gets into the bloodstream whereas pollen stays in the airways). Histamine is involved in creating the inflammatory immune resonse and is released by basophils and mast cells. There is good evidence that PG entering the blood stream can cause histamine release. In fact, in most people. The difference between people lies in the fact that most people manage histamine release well and do not get the symptoms to any great extent. Many factors could influence this, including diet (high histamine foods, histamine-inducing foods (such as citrus), low levels of some nutrients), bad gut bacteria, yeast infections/overgrowth, substance abuse (including alcohol and probably tobacco smoke), heavy metal build up (particularly, but not only, mercury and arsenic), under-methylation due to genetics, ...

No simple or general solutions, but some pointers that could help some people improve their tolerance in cases where the symptoms are not too bad, by trying to manage their general histamine levels and ability to dampen spikes in those levels. The following links might be of interest :

Roo's Clues: An Overview of High Histamine (also called Histadelia)

http://www.allergyuk.org/fs_histamine.aspx - low histamine diet

Reducing PG exposure from toiletries and cosmetics is also advisable (this could be considerable in amount), as is general lowering of toxin exposure and perhaps some detox regimes.

Finally, I suspect that some flavorings and colorings are also implicated.

 

[foobar1234]

woke up this morning and found itchy rash under my armpits / inner thighs / wrist / elbom. I suspect it's from vaping. It's concerning that I've only been vaping for 2 weeks (70 / 30 mix) and it wasn't until today that i broke out. reading this thread suggests that the reaction seems to have a delayed effect. is this the case? one thing that i did different last night is I changed to a different flavor. but, i'm not sure whether the reaction is because of the flavor change or if it's just vaping in general. again, since people have reported these delayed reactions i can't attribute it to a particular flavor. can anyone comment that has had these breakouts as to 1) how long they last and 2) where you able to narrow it down to a particular flavor? oh yeah and 3) how long did it take for the breakout to occur? just a note, when i woke up, i had the red bumps on my armpits and as i continued vaping throughout the day i got them on my elbom / thigh area. anyone with similar experience? edit #1: I just read the "A list of symptoms when quitting tobacco and changing to an ecigarette" posted in the health forum and one bullet that caught my attention was: "Some flavorings are obviously going to cause a reaction in a percentage of people because of the type of flavor and its known issues - cinnamon is an example. Some will have a reaction to it and this must be expected." In fact, it was a cinnamon flavor that I had switched to the night before breaking out. Could this be in fact the flavor that is causing the issue? edit #2: this is 2:30 the following night of my breakout. i am in SO MUCH PAIN. the pain woke me up and now I can't fall asleep. the hives have now spread to my hands an feet which in addition to being itchy are also swollen and tender to the touch. that means it hurts for me to walk. i'm going straight to the hospital in the morning, this is insane. the hives have not gotten any better. how is this warning that PG is allergic not a #1 NEW USERS BEWARE post? how can people sell PG without this warning? short of death, this is a VERY serious reaction. edit #3: went to the doctor, i was prescribed steroids for three days+. i can hardly walk due to my swollen feet. i cringe with each step. Can't wait for this to get better.