Bona Fide PG allergy?

[sacricide]

well after giving my 50/50 a longer test run, it seems that i do in fact get pretty bad dry/sore throats from even light vaping, regardless of my water intake, even small vapes at low volts too. the following result after stopping is a few days or so of coughing that keeps me up late at night because my throat has a itchy sensation. i almost puked last night i was hacking so hard from that little itch back there. i honestly doubt hydration has any role here. the sides seem to last like 2-3 days after use and sometimes get worse the 2nd day. its pretty weird considering i was fine when i started a 5-6 weeks ago...i had no such issues till now. but i cant touch a vape like this. i cant get any sleep! lol

what do you guys think? has there really been a TRUE list of allergic reactions to PG. is it still pretty much heresay? ive been hesitant to order VG but ill prob get a sample of it when my symptoms are gone. and see if it improves

 

[markfm]

Check in the Health and Safety forum area.

Yes, there are real sensitivities, they can be to PG, or VG, or flavorings, any mix of the 3. In the flavorings realm it may be to a particular class of flavorings (e.g., most banana), or to chemical flavorings (e.g., you can't vape a synthetic banana, but an all organic banana flavoring is okay). With PG or VG some people need to be at 0PG or 0VG, while others can vape up to a threshold (say up to 20%PG, but not higher).

I'm a mutt, can vape pretty much anything, but at 0PG I feel a little heaviness, particularly noticeable when running. Personally I'll tend towards 50 - 75% PG, a range that just works well for me, is trivial for me to mix. My sister is PG sensitive, can't vape it, also reacts to PG in things like skin lotions (e.g., vaseline intensive care has PG).

I got into 0PG DIY because of a friend on ECF who had both PG and general chemical sensitivities, needed PG-free blends with organic flavorings. A couple years back such eliquids were really hard to obtain, so DIY was pretty much necessary.

While PG is the normal bear, VG sensitive people also exist, symptoms can range from minor (my slight heavy sensation running) to really noticeable (headache, welts).

If the sensation starts quickly after vaping, and isn't too horrible, you can easily test for if it is VG sensitivity by trying some no nic VG. Glycerin USP Skin Protectant is available at Rite Aid and CVS, near the bandaids. A squat, clear, 6 ounce bottle of it costs about $5, and the ONLY ingredient listed will be Glycerin 99.5%, possibly with the word "anhydrous". Put a little in a small bottle, add some distilled water ($1/gallon grocery store stuff) to thin it, shake and vape. You won't get your nic, flavor is kind of bland, but it'll tell you if you're okay with VG. If you have ANY negative sign, immediately stop vaping it, you're VG sensitive. If you have no bad signs, then go for some VG eliquid, possibly also try for some that has organic flavorings.

 

[sacricide]

i see, thanks ill have to try getting a small bottle from the store first before messing around with buying anything else. i got these particular bottles from myvaporstore so im not sure i could figure out what flavorings are used, id imagine they are chemical.

 

[sacricide]

so i did try the VG from rite-aid as a test. and well...it feels like i have a mixture of bronchitis, and a dry throat similar to strep. these symptoms only seem to arise about 24 hours later. im not totally sure if perhaps i have something else going on outside of the VG or PG irritating my lungs or throat.

im not sure ill be able to figure this out. its so abrupt. ive been vaping fine for about 4 weeks

 

[Dana A]

Have you tried lowering your nic a bit? Too high of nic did that same thing to me at first till I lowered it.

 

[Caridwen]

Is it like that with every flavor? A member here reported something similar once and was able to narrow it down to a banana flavoring.

 

[sacricide]

well like i said, i have pure VG from rite-aid (99.5%) with nothing in it what so ever. i just used it a few days to test it out and see what would happen. and so far its just making my cough worse, not instantly but 24 hours later it wasnt fun, im hacking like i have tuberculosis last few days. So i dont think it was the flavoring or nicotine or maybe even the PG...if this does this again. I MAY HAVE NO CHOICE but to wait out these symptoms completely because im aggravating it trying the VG. I even have that itch in my throat that bothers the hell out of me when im trying to sleep at night. its pretty odd...i think i end up with these symptoms for like a week believe it or not. its been 2 days so far since i touched anything. still feel the same

 

[Caridwen]

So, you think it might be due to VG?

 

[sacricide]

its really hard to say...it would either be the VG, or another factor?

and to add to the mystery...i wonder if i could be allergic to both! lol...that would be depressing, but seriously wouldnt be funny. ive been worried it may be the case. Ill have to try SUPER small exposures to each one, one at a time, and wait a day to see what i notice since it seems the worse parts show up a while later rather than immediately.

 

[markfm]

You might be vg sensitive, but still okay for pg. A friend can't handle more than a few % vg in their eliquid.

 

[sacricide]

is there a similar product that comes in the form of PG? that i can go pickup later on somewhere locally? like the VG skin protectant from rite aid

 

[sacricide]

i just realised maybe there is the potential effect from the silica wicks? ive been cleaning the nova heads for like 4 weeks now...dry burning them i wonder if particles are arising from the wicks?

 

[markfm]

Plain pg is less readily available than vg. For testing you just need a bit of it. It is available from shops that sell diy supplies, such as:
http://www.shop.goodprophets.com/product.sc?productId=248&categoryId=23

I believe dekang pg eliquid is non VG. You could get a bit of it from the same place:
http://www.shop.goodprophets.com/category.sc?categoryId=55

You can contact gp to make sure it is low/no vg. They are an ecf supplier:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/good-prophets/

Dirt2suck would be the person to pm.

(other places carry this stuff, gp is just one that I get consistently good service from)

No clue on the wicks, but you might want to switch to a standard filler carto, or clearomizer, or atomizer, while debugging this. Pretty sure gp Carries those items, too, if you don't have any on hand.

It could also be something extraneous, like a standard bug that is made worse by inhaling anything. Please see a doctor if you have anything ongoing, the info I'm providing is strictly related to vaping, things to debug sensitivities.

Good luck!