Think I'm Allergic -- Back to Analogs

[bcme]

Ok so I have been off e-cigs for several days now and went back to smoking analogs. My chest doesn't hurt during the day, but at night (say 9 PM), it starts in again. It's like a dull pain and sorta radiates to my back. I am also kinda short on breath (my lungs always feel "full"). I have anxiety issues, so when this starts happening, I get all anxious and my heart starts racing and I begin freaking out (lol). Part of it is the pains, but the pains sorta bring on my anxiety which makes it worse. I think the pains are real and not just "stress" because I can be sitting back relaxing when they begin happening.

I went to the doc about 2 weeks ago when this first started happening. They did a full blood workup and said I have no cardiac condition. The doc did a chest X-ray and she said she saw some "irritation" in my lungs and thought it could be a touch of bronchitis. She asked me why my eyes were so bloodshot. In any case, she gave me an antibiotic injection and sent me home. I also tested negative for pneumonia so we ruled that out.

I do have asthma (or I did as a kid) but as an adult I very rarely have any issues with it (usually it only acts up around cat dander) so I don't know how that plays into all of this. Also, for the past two weeks my eyes have been bloodshot. This usually only happens to me when I am around something I am allergic to (like cats).

At any rate, this is why I am thinking I do indeed have an allergy to something in my e-liquid. I think I also understand why it only happens at night -- that's when my wife gets home and begins vaping. After a couple of hours of her vaping, I start to get the chest pains. Or, it could be completely coincidental, I don't know.

This all really sucks because when I vaped I had no desire to smoke, but the pains and worry are not worth it. I will have to use the pach I guess. I quit for a full year one time with the patch, but started smoking again one night when I was at a night club drinking.

So, just putting this out there for anyone else who might have experienced similar symptoms. I don't know if it's the PG, VG or flavorings, and I really don't feel like experimenting to find out. Also, since e-cigs are so new, there isn't a lot of research behind them. Most doctors look at you like you have two heads when you tell them you are vaping. This, to me, is a problem and I really hope we can get some funding for some real research.

At least with analogs I know what I am getting. Sure, I am getting a slow death, but at least I know I can do it in comfort. lol

I had/have asthma with COPD. Flavors bother my lungs. I vaped hazelnut once, loved the flavor and throat hit but after a few hours my lungs felt liked I'd smoked 3 packs of cigarettes. You may want to look at the juice your using?

 

[madqatter]

Depending on who you get your juice from you may be able to check the sweetener too. Most use stevia AMD you can get that at walmart in the sugar isle.

I know stevia isn't the problem because I use that in other applications without any issues.

If for some reason it is the nic you would need to try lower nic levels and see if its just too high.

I'm already down to 8mg or less, and usually less. The challenge test for this (later today) will be very easy.

Keep in mind while you are working on this pg will increase the throat and lung hit of nic.

"Throat hit" and "lung hit" are the dimensions of vaping I care least about, so losing that would be no worry for me.

 

[GraCnT]

The OP is using e-liquid that is 30/70 PG/VG. Why are people suggesting to use an even HIGHER percentage of VG?

To the OP....

I'm vaping 4 1/2 years. I have the same heaviness in the chest when I use some 100% VG liquids. My symptoms are not nearly as bad as yours but I do feel it. I wouldn't call it an allergy. My advice is opposite of what I've read in this thread. Try some e-liquids that have little to no vg

I agree with this very much!! I began with high vg 70/30 & 50/50 vg pg juices and I too had that heavy chest feeling. I felt like I couldn't fill my lungs with enough air. ... It was terrible
I use 80/pg/20 vg now and I feel better. I'd even go lower vg in the future when I diy. I've read of some having this problem with vg. Maybe try a higher pg juice before you give it up.
Please try anything before going back to the coffin nails
I sincerely wish you the best of luck!!

 

[DruidPriest]

The OP is using e-liquid that is 30/70 PG/VG. Why are people suggesting to use an even HIGHER percentage of VG?

To the OP....

I'm vaping 4 1/2 years. I have the same heaviness in the chest when I use some 100% VG liquids. My symptoms are not nearly as bad as yours but I do feel it. I wouldn't call it an allergy. My advice is opposite of what I've read in this thread. Try some e-liquids that have little to no vg

I agree with this very much!! I began with high vg 70/30 & 50/50 vg pg juices and I too had that heavy chest feeling. I felt like I couldn't fill my lungs with enough air. ... It was terrible
I use 80/pg/20 vg now and I feel better. I'd even go lower vg in the future when I diy. I've read of some having this problem with vg. Maybe try a higher pg juice before you give it up.
Please try anything before going back to the coffin nails
I sincerely wish you the best of luck!!

Statistically speaking PG sensitivity is more common than VG sensitivity.

Slim and simple EVOD tank, eGo Twist 1100 mAh battery. DruidPriest

 

[madqatter]

Just thought I'd put in a quick note for anyone who's not been following this thread:

I am not the OP and I am never ever ever going back to cigarettes, regardless what allergies or sensitivities may appear.

I posted about my issues and challenge testing in this thread because it seemed relevant to the general theme.

 

[JeremyR]

Yeah you can vape the vg straight. It's usually called anhydrous glycerine. Definitely try cigar type drags. Puff Into mouth a few pulls then short inhale or no inhale at all.

 

[madqatter]

A quick update for anyone who was curious about my challenge testing...

I got some 100% VG, unflavored and without nicotine, from the pharmacy. Vaped a couple tanks of it. No bad reaction. I actually felt better. VG is definitely not the problem.

I got out some 100% VG, unflavored WITH nicotine, that I had ordered a while back. Vaped some of it. No bad reaction. Neither VG nor nicotine is the problem.

Getting a little impatient, and remembering that a local B&M had some Velvet Cloud juices, I stopped by and picked up a bottle. It's 100% VG with nicotine and flavoring. Vaped it. No bad reaction.

This led me to think that PG really might be the culprit. I was reacting badly to too many juices with very different flavors for the problem to be just one kind of flavoring. And I thought the sweetener problem was less likely than PG, even though I know someone who's had that problem.

So I started reading about PG sensitivity on various websites tonight and made a discovery. Not only did my symptoms line up with the descriptions found on various health & wellness websites, I discovered that PG is a common ingredient in some deodorants (thankfully not all of them!).

I've has a problem for years with certain deodorants irritating my skin, causing inflammation, itchiness, and skin peeling. So I decided to follow that lead. I know that Tom's of Maine deodorant is one causes me serious skin irritation, so I ran a search for "Tom's of Maine, deodorant, propylene glycol." And I immediately got this hit:

Propylene glycol helps form the base for our deodorants.... Propylene glycol is considered a safe and appropriate ingredient not just for cosmetic products, but also for ingested products like food and pharmaceuticals. It is on the US Food and Drug Administration's list of ingredients which are Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) and is recognized by the World Health Organization as safe for use.... The concentrated form of the ingredient can, however, cause temporary reddening, stinging or swelling when it comes in contact with the eyes or skin. This indication does not mean that a product formulated with the ingredient will have irritating properties. We feel confident that research and a long history of safe usage have shown propylene glycol to be a safe and appropriate ingredient in a deodorant product such as ours.

Well, obviously PG is totally safe for many users, whether they're getting it in deodorant or vapor. But it doesn't work for me. The aforementioned symptoms are exactly the ones I get when using Tom's of Maine deodorant or when vaping juices containing PG. So it's PG-free for me from now on!

I share this story to encourage vapers, if they have any problems, not to give up, but to try to get to the bottom of it. Now I can keep on vaping!

 

[JeremyR]

I'm so glad you stuck with it! Im 100% vg too just because I know what pg is.

happy vaping. You will always find answers here don't be afraid to ask

 

[Hulamoon]

To the OP: Hmm...I've never heard of bloodshot eyes, and certainly not one person's secondhand vapor causing chest or anything else pains for someone else. Really, one is much more likely to be knocked dead by another's halitosis.

If you want to try one more time, buy a sample from Heathers Heavenly Vapes PURITY line, which is 100% VG - including the base flavor - (which for many other liquids is generally treated with PG) You may be that allergic to PG - some folk are but as PG is in so very very many household items, this is quite a reaction. Where are you purchasing your juice from? Is it a brand name? And what PV are you using?

 

[Hulamoon]

Excellent! And like I just mentioned in my post above, there are a couple of places that sell true 100% VG lines where the base is also VG (vs PG) based for those to whom even a little PG is a big problem.

A quick update for anyone who was curious about my challenge testing...

I got some 100% VG, unflavored and without nicotine, from the pharmacy. Vaped a couple tanks of it. No bad reaction. I actually felt better. VG is definitely not the problem.

I got out some 100% VG, unflavored WITH nicotine, that I had ordered a while back. Vaped some of it. No bad reaction. Neither VG nor nicotine is the problem.

Getting a little impatient, and remembering that a local B&M had some Velvet Cloud juices, I stopped by and picked up a bottle. It's 100% VG with nicotine and flavoring. Vaped it. No bad reaction.

This led me to think that PG really might be the culprit. I was reacting badly to too many juices with very different flavors for the problem to be just one kind of flavoring. And I thought the sweetener problem was less likely than PG, even though I know someone who's had that problem.

So I started reading about PG sensitivity on various websites tonight and made a discovery. Not only did my symptoms line up with the descriptions found on various health & wellness websites, I discovered that PG is a common ingredient in some deodorants (thankfully not all of them!).

I've has a problem for years with certain deodorants irritating my skin, causing inflammation, itchiness, and skin peeling. So I decided to follow that lead. I know that Tom's of Maine deodorant is one causes me serious skin irritation, so I ran a search for "Tom's of Maine, deodorant, propylene glycol." And I immediately got this hit:

Well, obviously PG is totally safe for many users, whether they're getting it in deodorant or vapor. But it doesn't work for me. The aforementioned symptoms are exactly the ones I get when using Tom's of Maine deodorant or when vaping juices containing PG. So it's PG-free for me from now on!

I share this story to encourage vapers, if they have any problems, not to give up, but to try to get to the bottom of it. Now I can keep on vaping!

 

[Thais]

I've developed a cough as well, but no other symptoms. I'm hoping it's just a lung healing thing, because I've already purchased WAY too much juice to be allergic to PG Nooooo!

Well, hubby vapes, so it'll be fine either way. Keeping an eye on myself

Try the VG, it tastes great and SO MUCH BETTER than analogs

 

[corvett6200]

I have been vaping for 6 months, I had no issues until my 4 month into vaping. I started to vape bigtime, I got myself a good mod,
and like others started vaping 24/7. I got a rash, a rash that looks like jock itch, I have never had anything like that before. For 1 month it it not getting any better, I have spent $400 on medicine to help, and it will not go away. I love to vape, so I have not been able to quit, and so I am stuck. I just purchased all VG based ejuce, I will vape that for a week and see what happens. I also have the runs, it's bad. I
am going to just stick with VG and see if the rash will clear up. Let me tell you, just like a post I read earlier on this forum, when I vape,
I can tell my rash is getting hotter and hotter. and the guy also said taking a bath makes it worse, same here also. I hope soon that I figure out if its the pg, the VG or sweetener, or maybe ever the nicotine, who knows.

 

[corvett6200]

ps: if If I am aloud to put my email on this site, I would like to get emails from anyone who either has advice or help or has experienced the same rash. thanks corey hulkbadboy@gmail.com

 

[Hoot48]

Bummer....hope you can find an answer.

 

[madqatter]

I got a rash, a rash that looks like jock itch, I have never had anything like that before. For 1 month it it not getting any better, I have spent $400 on medicine to help, and it will not go away. I love to vape, so I have not been able to quit, and so I am stuck. I just purchased all VG based ejuce, I will vape that for a week and see what happens.

PG is a serious skin irritant. If you think it's PG, visit the PG allerigies group.

FL Lori's story of extreme symptoms can be found here.