If you have tinnitus (ringing in your ears)... Propylene Glycol is ototoxic.

[MaryAnn]

Hi there. In 2011, I was looking for posts about this because when I started vaping, I had massive ringing in my left ear only. Here is what I discovered.

Using cartomizers that have a tight draw meant that I was applying more pressure when I was inhaling. This also occurs when I use automatic batteries without a very sensitive switch. I found that a few things have reduced the ringing drastically or down to nothing at all.

Finding cartomizers or other devices with a loose draw. Using manual batteries. Holding my nose and giving a light blow to release the pressure in my ears. Massaging at the sides of my nose and at my ears to relieve the pressure.

These things work for me. Everyone is different though. Just wanted to share my experience in case someone finds this years from now.

Mary Ann

 

[VapieDan]

I have tinnitus from taking antibiotics years ago. It died down considerably after a few months, almost disappearing. It still acts up when I take aspirin or listen to loud music for too long. I just want to say, in my experience, I had a huge, almost immediate return of the ringing when I vaped 50/50 and 70/30 juices. In case anyone is wondering if their symptoms are due to vaping, I came to the conclusion that it can't be the nicotine. When I smoked, and when I drink coffee (still do), I never got symptoms. I researched the other ingredients and found a site with a study done on the ototoxicity of propylene glycol: Ototoxicity of propylene glycol in experime... [Am J Otolaryngol. 1980] - PubMed - NCBI

Since I switched to 100% vg juice, the problem has gone away drastically within just three days. I am sitting in a quiet room and can hardly hear the ringing anymore; it is very faint. I will continue to use vg-only juice and if it goes away completely (as it usually does, for me) it's a success story. Just wanted to offer my advice to anyone who is having this issue.

Wow! Now that you mentioned it the ringing has reduced significantly! Have had the problem for over 20 years. Did not realize it was ecigs. Thought it was on it's own

 

[Katmandu]

In 3 years of vaping I have not had either an increase nor a decrease in the ringing in my ears. It's there - always is, presumably always will be.

When your mom tells you to turn down the music because it's too loud, listen to her, you'll thank her later.

 

[Giraut]

I've had a bad case of tinnitus since coming down with meningitis 30 years ago. Got lucky, some people lose their limbs with that disease. I just lost silence. Forever. Vaping doesn't seem to make mine worse. Finger crossed, as I'd hate to discover it does and have to give up vaping.

 

[Giraut]

I've had a bad case of tinnitus since coming down with meningitis 30 years ago. Got lucky, some people lose their limbs with that disease. I just lost silence. Forever. Vaping doesn't seem to make mine worse. Finger crossed, as I'd hate to discover it does and have to give up vaping.

Replying to myself here...

Bad news: my tinnitus has increased BIG TIME since I've started vaping. It's slowly increased for the past few weeks, and I started noticing it more and more, but I've been waiting a while to see if it was temporary, or if it was an effect of me thinking about it (tinnitus gets worse when you pay attention to it).

But now I just can't ignore the problem anymore. The volume has gone up dramatically, and now I can tell with complete certainty that it's not just psychological. Not saying it's definitely the vape, but I haven't experienced such a rapid and constant increase in my tinnitus in many years, and now it's happened just after I started vaping. Can't be a coincidence...

So, I'm off the vape completely for now, to see if the tinnitus goes down. Hopefully I haven't made the problem worse permanently And hopefully I won't start smoking again, either

If my tinnitus does return to pre-vaping levels, then I may order 100% VG liquid and give it another go. If not, well vaping will turn out to have been the most serious stupid mistake I'll have made in my life... I hope not, as I like it very much and it keeps me off cigarettes.

This sucks ......

 

[Utew]

Interesting thread and it seems that everyone's experience is at all points of the compass. But I had to chime in as I have noticed a decided lessening of my tinnitus, since I have been vaping the last few months.

Hadn't really thought about it until this thread popped up. But it was a constant when I smoked (or nearly so) and I hadn't realized that it had mostly gone away. It's one of those things that I have/had learned to ignore. No clue whether vaping is the reason for the reduction, but I can't point to anything else in my life that I have changed recently. Things that make you go hmmm...

 

[Utew]

Giraut, I seriously hope that vaping is not the event causing your problem to increase. As you say tinnitus tends to get worse, when you focus your attention on it. Let's just hope that in your case, it's just an aberration and not a direct effect of your vaping.

All the best.

 

[oldleatherlungs]

Well, this is an interesting thread.
I've been vaping for about 6 weeks and over the last couple of weeks I've noticed a marked increase in my tinitus, which I suffer from time to time in my left ear. I'm normally slightly deaf in that ear and my deafness has increased quite dramatically recently, to the point where I think I need to consult a doctor.
The symptoms of my deafness are like having a blocked inner ear, which I can sometimes clear by holding my nose and trying to blow out through it, followed by a yawn - this sometimes causes my ear to pop, which is a great relief.

You don't have to have a perforated eardrum to get PG into the inner ear; it's connected to the back of the throat by the eustachian tube, which normally drains any excess fluid from the inner ear, but would seem to me to be a route for the PG to gain access.

 

[DustyZ]

The sad fact is that Tinnitus has many different causes and is extremely hard to pin-point a cause, there is no one size fits all cure for this condition sadly. But if this works for others I am happy for you. I have had no luck with anything to get rid of mine it's like having a Cicada living permanently in my right ear, sometimes not overly bothersome other times can't hear anything but that damn noise.

 

[patkin]

I would suspect the flavoring rather than the base. I have lived a horror story with sweeteners. I suffered with tinnitus so badly it kept me from sleep which then caused depression due to sleep deprivation and broken sleep patterns. I suffered with this for many years. When perusing a diabetic forum (I am one) I came across someone who pinned theirs down to aspartame. I drank diet colas with that in it... not many but one or two a day. Well, I quit drinking them and in one month's time my tinnitus was gone lessening in volume during that month so I knew I was on the right track. It seems the more aspartame consumed, the longer it takes as it stays in body tissues. Now I'm not bashing aspartame because not everyone has this problem with it and other sweeteners cause it in me also... even the herb Stevia. Now that its been cleaned out of my system for many years, just the amount in a stick of gum accidentally consumed with give me nearly instant tinnitus. When I first started vaping I was getting it back and pinned it down to sweeteners in the juices. Now I'm very careful and shy away from sweet ones unless the vendor knows for sure what sweetener is in it. BTW, one has to be careful even DIYn because some vendors say the sweetener is sucralose but don't know it also contains other sweeteners as sweeteners are strange in that using two different ones will boost the overall sweetness that only one doesn't do... different taste bud I think. Having had a bad experience with that I now only buy one that says 100% Sucralose.

Anyway, I've never had a tinnitus problem with either plain base nor combinations of them... just flavorings.

 

[patkin]

The sad fact is that Tinnitus has many different causes and is extremely hard to pin-point a cause, there is no one size fits all cure for this condition sadly. But if this works for others I am happy for you. I have had no luck with anything to get rid of mine it's like having a Cicada living permanently in my right ear, sometimes not overly bothersome other times can't hear anything but that damn noise.

That's exactly how I described mine. Do you know how many people have no idea what a Cicada sounds like? Mine was like a whole tree of them on a balmy night.

 

[r77r7r]

I vaped 50-70%PG for 1 yr and then someone posted about this and BAM it's driving me crazy now, lol. Didn't notice it much until I read that post.

I worked in a very noisy factory for years prior and did notice it on occasion at home. I had a couple of hours on a nice summer nite this year when it stopped- Sweet.

We have Cicadas here, yeah, that sound All the time would be intense.

 

[DustyZ]

That's exactly how I described mine. Do you know how many people have no idea what a Cicada sounds like? Mine was like a whole tree of them on a balmy night.

Actually yes, many people don't know what they are. lol They had come out here a few months back and it's not funny but kinda in a way, as when they are out and making there noise it doesn't affect me as much due to the fact that I hear them all year round, others just ask what is that god awful noise. Sometimes it gets so bad I can't tell the difference between them and what is going on in my right ear, it's a very aggravating condition when it get's that loud, other times I barely notice it due to having it for years and have gotten used to it, but when it gets very loud such as it is at this very moment it can be most unbearable at times.

 

[DustyZ]

I vaped 50-70%PG for 1 yr and then someone posted about this and BAM it's driving me crazy now, lol. Didn't notice it much until I read that post.

I worked in a very noisy factory for years prior and did notice it on occasion at home. I had a couple of hours on a nice summer nite this year when it stopped- Sweet.

We have Cicadas here, yeah, that sound All the time would be intense.

When it's loud it is most annoying. I never did like that sound that they made as a kid each year, now I hear it all the time.

 

[r77r7r]

Maybe it's just the people I'm around usually, but around these parts they call them Locusts. I try to tell them different, to no avail.

 

[patkin]

Nah, ya can't tell em or explain the Cicada sound. Maybe they would have to see one... usually the dried out shell of one... to get it. Locusts just look like giant grasshoppers to me.. but Cicadas... man they're uuuugly.

 

[Way2Gone]

Every now and then I will get a little ring in my ears, nothing too bad and severe just for like a second or two. Would this be from PG? I started vaping like 3 months ago and I don't vape full time just every now and then. I have mostly been vaping a 60 PG / 40 VG ratio. I am not 100 percent sure but i never remembered having a ring in my ear until after i vaped for my first time. Now you can't quote me on this because I am not 100% sure although I am about 65% sure so closer to sure than not sure... What are your opinions on this? It happens every now and again.

 

[patkin]

It happens just every now and then to people who don't smoke nor vape even children. My hubby doesn't smoke, vape or drink and he gets it now and then. I took one of my grand daughters to the doc with it when she was 11. With these people its temporary and fleeting. Doctors don't know what causes it and have no treatment for it of course.

 

[Way2Gone]

It happens just every now and then to people who don't smoke nor vape even children. My hubby doesn't smoke, vape or drink and he gets it now and then. I took one of my grand daughters to the doc with it when she was 11. With these people its temporary and fleeting. Doctors don't know what causes it and have no treatment for it of course.

So basically I don't have nothing to worry about. I mean I don't think its a really a big deal after just reading what you said. Thanks for the advice.

 

[rondaum]

I just started vaping a little over a week ago and the ringing has definitely gotten more noticeable, that actually what I was trying to look up when I found this thread. Gonna try and find a way to make it at least be less noticeable.