PG causing ear ringing/tinnitus?

[rdjg22]

I've been vaping like a champ for the last month, enjoying it thoroughly. Enjoying it so much in fact I invested quite a bit of money into different mods and tanks. I began noticing the last few days that I was getting mild dizzy spells even after cutting my nicotine down to 6mg last week, and a ringing in my ears that increased exponentially every time I vaped, to the point yesterday it was intolerable.

After reading online about other people having similar experiences (though many already had tinnitus before vaping) I went and picked up a bottle of 100% VG juice. Been smoking the VG all day and the ringing is still there but very mild, and now when I take even a single hit off of 50/50, 60/40, 70/30 I get almost immediate intense ringing in my ears, it's like an electrical hum. There's gotta be an explanation for this! 100% VG SUCKS.

 

[Papa_Lazarou]

It's more than likely the nic, not the PG. Nic and caffeine have both been linked to tinnitus symptoms. I know you mention lowered nic concentration, but the dizziness is a dead giveaway for higher nic titration - note that it's not so much the nic mg/ml, but the overall amount of nic consumed.

That said, people have reactions to PG, but most describe it as irritated throat and/or lungs with some coughing.

The only other thing I can think of is elevated blood pressure, which can affect hearing - possibly another reaction to the PG.

Chances are, though, that it's the nic.

 

[rdjg22]

It's more than likely the nic, not the PG. Nic and caffeine have both been linked to tinnitus symptoms. I know you mention lowered nic concentration, but the dizziness is a dead giveaway for higher nic titration - note that it's not so much the nic mg/ml, but the overall amount of nic consumed.

That said, people have reactions to PG, but most describe it as irritated throat and/or lungs with some coughing.

The only other thing I can think of is elevated blood pressure, which can affect hearing - possibly another reaction to the PG.


I considered that it could be the nicotine, but like I said, I've been smoking the VG all day without any ear ringing (or dizziness), but as soon as I vape a juice with any amount of PG in it the ear ringing returns.

Chances are, though, that it's the nic.

I considered that it could be the nicotine, but like I said, I've been smoking the VG all day without any ear ringing (or dizziness), but as soon as I vape a juice with any amount of PG in it the ear ringing returns.

 

[sedition]

Have you considered vaping through your mouth instead of your ears? I'm sorry, but there's no why I could hold that one in.. XD

It may be the actual physics of vaping messing about with your inner ear.. some people are REALLY sensitive in that regard. The first year lecturer in my audio engineering course years ago had demonstrable hearing damage simply from blowing his nose a little too hard during a cold. You'd be wise to go see an audiologist.

 

[rdjg22]

Have you considered vaping through your mouth instead of your ears? I'm sorry, but there's no why I could hold that one in.. XD

It may be the actual physics of vaping messing about with your inner ear.. some people are REALLY sensitive in that regard. The first year lecturer in my audio engineering course years ago had demonstrable hearing damage simply from blowing his nose a little too hard during a cold. You'd be wise to go see an audiologist.

Like I said, only happens when I vape with a juice that has PG so that rules out nicotine and the physics of how I vape (I actually adjusted the air flow the other day on my tank to fully open so I wouldn't have to pull as hard).

Researching a bit online and found that Propylene Glycol is ototoxic, and there's tons of people with the same problem.

http://archotol.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=607491

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...ing/510630-poll-tinnitus-increase-e-cigs.html

 

[Ryedan]

I considered that it could be the nicotine, but like I said, I've been smoking the VG all day without any ear ringing (or dizziness), but as soon as I vape a juice with any amount of PG in it the ear ringing returns.

I smoked for 37 years before switching to vaping and I've had tinnitus for probably the last 25 years. I have vaped from 70% PG to 95% VG and did not notice any difference tinnitus wise. I started vaping 18 mg nic, went down to zero, went back to some nic for a while and have now been at zero nic for months. Nicotine is what affects the tinnitus for me.

Sounds like for you PG is a big factor. I've never heard of PG doing this, but everyone is different. I make my own juices and still use a couple that are close to 100% VG (minus a couple percent for PG flavorings) for maximum vapor production. I thin it slightly with distilled water so it wicks better. Flavor is slightly muted and VG adds a sweet note but I can get around that pretty easily by changing my recipes to suit the PG/VG mix.

 

[rdjg22]

I smoked for 37 years before switching to vaping and I've had tinnitus for probably the last 25 years. I have vaped from 70% PG to 95% VG and did not notice any difference tinnitus wise. I started vaping 18 mg nic, went down to zero, went back to some nic for a while and have now been at zero nic for months. Nicotine is what affects the tinnitus for me.

Sounds like for you PG is a big factor. I've never heard of PG doing this, but everyone is different. I make my own juices and still use a couple that are close to 100% VG (minus a couple percent for PG flavorings) for maximum vapor production. I thin it slightly with distilled water so it wicks better. Flavor is slightly muted and VG adds a sweet note but I can get around that pretty easily by changing my recipes to suit the PG/VG mix.

If you've had tinnitus that long you probably wouldn't notice if it was affecting it. I'm not saying it's going to affect everyone, but according to the simple googling I've done it's known to be ototoxic. I've never had ear problems until the past few days.

 

[The Torch]

I had started reading a book on tinnitus and alternate medicine. They seemed to indicate that most cases are caused by stress, muscular tension or some form of hypertension. They suggested massaging the skull, jaw and the back of the neck as well as neck stretches. To tell the truth, this worked well for me, mostly the neck exercises and massaging, so I didn't bother finishing the book (which kept on delving in sources of stress like an irate boss at work).

I'm not saying it is the same for you, but since I found they were right on at least one point, perhaps you should hop on the self-service tension machine before and after vaping PG as an experiment. I know I did feel my blood pressure go up a bit when I first started vaping. I suspect nicotine content could also have an effect on blood pressure, but that is an unscientific opinion based on how I feel when I vape too high nic content.

 

[rdjg22]

I had started reading a book on tinnitus and alternate medicine. They seemed to indicate that most cases are caused by stress, muscular tension or some form of hypertension. They suggested massaging the skull, jaw and the back of the neck as well as neck stretches. To tell the truth, this worked well for me, mostly the neck exercises and massaging, so I didn't bother finishing the book (which kept on delving in sources of stress like an irate boss at work).

I'm not saying it is the same for you, but since I found they were right on at least one point, perhaps you should hop on the self-service tension machine before and after vaping PG as an experiment. I know I did feel my blood pressure go up a bit when I first started vaping. I suspect nicotine content could also have an effect on blood pressure, but that is an unscientific opinion based on how I feel when I vape too high nic content.

If it only happens when I vape a juice with PG in it then it's not caused by anything else. I have $150 worth of juice with PG in it that I love and can't use it or it starts back up...so it has nothing to do with stress or nicotine. Been vaping 8mg VG all day and no symptoms.

 

[Kanthal]

I get Tinnitus at random times even before I started vaping. I haven't noticed it happening any more or less since I started vaping. I figured my tinnitus was due to age and caused by many years of clubbing and raves. I've had it for years and I just ignore it when it happens. It doesn't bother me nor does it affect my hearing. I can still hear just as good as I did before I got it.

 

[Ryedan]

If you've had tinnitus that long you probably wouldn't notice if it was affecting it. I'm not saying it's going to affect everyone, but according to the simple googling I've done it's known to be ototoxic. I've never had ear problems until the past few days.

I can make the noise significantly less by staying away from nicotine. On a scale of 0-10, where 0 is no noise, I never get below about 2. If I vape 18 mg nic, or smoke, it goes up to what I consider 7, which is quite loud (to me), but not 'deafening' (that would be a 10). When I've been vaping zero nic for a while and the noise is at 2 it doesn't matter how much PG I vape, though I've never tried 100% PG to see if that makes it worse. Any more than about 50% PG irritates my throat so I stay away from that.

So for me variation in nic intake gives me a range of 2 to 7. PG between 3% to 50% does not affect me that I have ever noticed. I certainly would have noticed a significant change like I noticed with the change of nicotine intake.

I did a quick Google of ototoxic and I see that substances that are ototoxic are associated with tinnitus however I see no data that indicates that they cause tinnitus all the time. It was just a quick read of a couple of pages though

FWIW, I'm 57 years old and my hearing is probably 90% as acute today as it was 30 years ago. I know that because I've been regularly tested at work through that time. I can hear the proverbial pin drop in the next room no matter how loud the tinnitus is and forget about whispering around me, it doesn't work

As I said, I believe your tinnitus is sensitive to PG unlike mine. We're all different and react to substances differently. I hope you figure things out for yourself and end up with the best outcome for you

 

[Ryedan]

If it only happens when I vape a juice with PG in it then it's not caused by anything else. I have $150 worth of juice with PG in it that I love and can't use it or it starts back up...so it has nothing to do with stress or nicotine. Been vaping 8mg VG all day and no symptoms.

 

[rhelton]

I experience this also. I have always associated it to nic, and came up with the conclusion that I have a more efficient delivery system of the drug by vaping.

 

[TikPandora]

Lower your PG a bit. I don't like VG myself, but I didn't really notice a big difference when I changed slowly to a higher concentration of the stuff.

But really, you should see a doctor about that :O

 

[FlamingoTutu]

I can make the noise significantly less by staying away from nicotine. On a scale of 0-10, where 0 is no noise, I never get below about 2. If I vape 18 mg nic, or smoke, it goes up to what I consider 7, which is quite loud (to me), but not 'deafening' (that would be a 10). When I've been vaping zero nic for a while and the noise is at 2 it doesn't matter how much PG I vape, though I've never tried 100% PG to see if that makes it worse. Any more than about 50% PG irritates my throat so I stay away from that.

So for me variation in nic intake gives me a range of 2 to 7. PG between 3% to 50% does not affect me that I have ever noticed. I certainly would have noticed a significant change like I noticed with the change of nicotine intake.

I did a quick Google of ototoxic and I see that substances that are ototoxic are associated with tinnitus however I see no data that indicates that they cause tinnitus all the time. It was just a quick read of a couple of pages though

FWIW, I'm 57 years old and my hearing is probably 90% as acute today as it was 30 years ago. I know that because I've been regularly tested at work through that time. I can hear the proverbial pin drop in the next room no matter how loud the tinnitus is and forget about whispering around me, it doesn't work

As I said, I believe your tinnitus is sensitive to PG unlike mine. We're all different and react to substances differently. I hope you figure things out for yourself and end up with the best outcome for you

Pretty much ditto for me. The higher nic was really annoying for this. Never heard of anyone having PG affect them like this but you learn something new every day here. rdjg22, such a shame about all that juice but at least you nailed down your problem quickly. Many people aren't that lucky.

 

[Kanthal]

Guys and Girls plz remember this... Even though vaping is much safer than real cigarettes, Nicotine constricts the blood vessels which increases the risk of forming a blood clot (DVT). I had a blood clot in my leg in March and decided to quit smoking and start vaping. I was not aware that it was the nicotine that had caused my DVT.


(It wasn't only the nicotine that caused it. I guess me sitting in a car for many hours with my leg fallen to sleep could have also been a factor.)

 

[The Torch]

If it only happens when I vape a juice with PG in it then it's not caused by anything else. I have $150 worth of juice with PG in it that I love and can't use it or it starts back up...so it has nothing to do with stress or nicotine. Been vaping 8mg VG all day and no symptoms.

My post might come across a tad confusing, but most of the info I gave was for background and for other people who might need to hear it. My only suggestion for you is to just see if there is a link with blood pressure going up when you vape PG as there is a plausible link.

I can make the noise significantly less by staying away from nicotine. On a scale of 0-10, where 0 is no noise, I never get below about 2. If I vape 18 mg nic, or smoke, it goes up to what I consider 7, which is quite loud (to me), but not 'deafening' (that would be a 10). When I've been vaping zero nic for a while and the noise is at 2 it doesn't matter how much PG I vape, though I've never tried 100% PG to see if that makes it worse. Any more than about 50% PG irritates my throat so I stay away from that.

So for me variation in nic intake gives me a range of 2 to 7. PG between 3% to 50% does not affect me that I have ever noticed. I certainly would have noticed a significant change like I noticed with the change of nicotine intake.

I did a quick Google of ototoxic and I see that substances that are ototoxic are associated with tinnitus however I see no data that indicates that they cause tinnitus all the time. It was just a quick read of a couple of pages though

FWIW, I'm 57 years old and my hearing is probably 90% as acute today as it was 30 years ago. I know that because I've been regularly tested at work through that time. I can hear the proverbial pin drop in the next room no matter how loud the tinnitus is and forget about whispering around me, it doesn't work

As I said, I believe your tinnitus is sensitive to PG unlike mine. We're all different and react to substances differently. I hope you figure things out for yourself and end up with the best outcome for you

my theory is that nicotine is a stimulant, which should make the heart pump faster, raising blood pressure. It's just my theory and only worth no more than that, but I personally do feel higher blood pressure when I vape higher nic content.

Guys and Girls plz remember this... Even though vaping is much safer than real cigarettes, Nicotine constricts the blood vessels which increases the risk of forming a blood clot (DVT). I had a blood blot in my leg in March and decided to quit smoking and start vaping. I was not aware that it was the nicotine that had caused my DVT.


(It wasn't only the nicotine that caused it. I guess me sitting in a car for many hours with my leg fallen to sleep could have also been a factor.)

Do you have a source for this? No doctors have ever mentioned anything like that to me, yet this is the second time I read such a claim after many years of reading articles. There is no doubt that cigarettes will eventually make arteries harden, thus raising blood pressure, but up to last week I have never heard that the nicotine was THE culprit for this.

 

[Criticool Hit]

that sounds 100% like a mini nicotine high. I drip at 3mg. If i drip even at 6mg i get all flush and woozy and i do get the ringing.

 

[FlamingoTutu]

I had a stent put in my shoulder. That blockage was blamed on smoking. Recently found out I need work on an artery in my leg which was also blamed on smoking. Now I learn that I have very high cholesterol, in my case a hereditary problem and that's what is causing the problems. Seems like it's easy for them to blame it on smoking if they aren't too worried about finding the root cause. And yes, nicotine is a a vascular constrictor, something to definitely keep in mind.

 

[The Torch]

I had a stent put in my shoulder. That blockage was blamed on smoking. Recently found out I need work on an artery in my leg which was also blamed on smoking. Now I learn that I have very high cholesterol, in my case a hereditary problem and that's what is causing the problems. Seems like it's easy for them to blame it on smoking if they aren't too worried about finding the root cause. And yes, nicotine is a a vascular constrictor, something to definitely keep in mind.

In my experience, doctors will blame the very first factor they can identify that >>could<< be linked to a specific condition without looking further. As a service engineer, I tend to do the same. Everyone on the blasted planet does this! I never trust the first opinion anymore and strive to be put in front of a specialist as much as possible. General MD's think they know everything, while they only know the surface of things. As it was put to me in clear terms by a service engineer supervisor; some people master a 3 mile wide knowledge that goes 3 inches deep, while others master a 3 mile deep knowledge that is only 3 inches wide. You need the BIG picture to get anything right, not the first or second opinion. Third time is not always the charm, trust me... I've even known people who knew people who had to go 10 different routes before one person went "all you need to do is this" (one of those people is me... wrist problems solved in 2 days with one stupid easy exercise no one knows about..)