Tinnitus and vaping

[Yngwie007]

Hi!
First I want apologize in advance for errors in writing if any. English is not my first language. Tinnitus and vaping relation now becomes big mistery to me. I know there are many threads about this problem already but i found that every case have some slight variations. I know also for 100% that my tinnitus is triggered by vaping. I never had problem with this in my whole life. Firstly I vaped 50/50 PG/VG ratio and it's started almost immediately. After that I raised VG to 70/30 and 80/20 VG/PG ratio. It was'nt really making any difference. Then I discovered e-juices with max VG (some small amount of PG is possible in flavours) and only one that reduced my tinnitus to minimum was one from ePipe Modes, Pipe Sauce line exactly. It was fine but tinnitus was still present in background. Then i decided to try 100%VG e-juice from local manufacturer here in my country but i had suspicions that they are not using natural flavours. And my doubts were correct. After using this e-juice ringing in my ears become even louder than before. So I camed back to Pipe Sauce and things went back to normal with tinnitus reduced to minimum. Discovery of Velvet Cloud manufacturer was big hope for me. They claim that their juices are 100% natural. Because I'm usually not fan of flavours at all, I ordered their 100%VG unflavoured e-juice with natural nicotine flavour. And tinnitus become louder almost instantly, inside one hour after first vaping. This is so much confusing. Everywhere on internet it stays that PG can be ototoxic, that nicotine is stimulans and can also cause this ringing. I'm using only e-juice with 3mg nicotine level and I'm not chain vaper (don't have time for vaping all day). I'm only using basic starter device (Aura Mini) because it is enough to my needs. Velvet Cloud is excellent e-juice. I like slight throat hit, more vapor, no extreme chemical flavours, actually no taste at all and it works with Aura just great. But tinnitus is again louder and now I'm quite puzzled what's wrong in this whole story?? I shall order Pipe Sauce e-juice once more and test tinnitus level after again.

 

[glointhedark]

I will check to see if my daughter has any ideas about this. She is a Doctor of Audiology, and has worked with patients who have tinnitus. It may be a while until I can get back to you on this, since she has to go to work in the morning, and it is 1:33 am here in California, but I will ask her.

You may also want to try lowering your nicotine. If you need to, you can mix 3 mg nicotine eliquid with 0 mg nicotine in the same flavor to get 1.5 mg nicotine. Or you can see how you do with 0 mg nicotine.

 

[Yngwie007]

Okay thnx! Looking forward to her answer. Sometimes I think that 100% VG juices vapor is to thick and maybee because of that causing some additional pressure in eustachian tube. But I'm not expert on that field so it's just guessing. Although nicotine level I've used in Pipe Sauce line is also 3mg and causing just minimum tinnitus or sometimes no tinnitus at all, I shall try your advice and experiment with nicotine level.

 

[Bunnykiller]

nicotine causes it... I tried 100VG ( Humco) with nothing added and my ears didnt react ... but anything with nic in it and the ears scream!!

 

[BrotherBob]

Welcome and glad you joined.
Might like to read:A list of symptoms when quitting tobacco and changing to an ecigarette
PG and tinnitus
A very small number of people with pre-existing tinnitus report that vaping of PG-based refills negatively affects their condition: the tinnitus worsens. It is extremely hard to put any kind of hard number on such an effect but it must be in the region of 1 in 10,000 persons or less. This effect is believed to be due to an ototoxic effect of PG for some people and the likelihood that vapour will permeate the ENT region including the inner ear. The solution would be to change to an all-glycerine refill, which at 2015 are becoming easier to find.

 

[Yngwie007]

Okay.. so I'm experimenting again until I order 0mg nicotine from Velvet Cloud. My friend ordered Pipe Sauce at the same time but stronger in nicotine level (6mg). I borrowed one tank of Long Bottom Leaf from him with higher level of nicotine than I've used. And guess what? Tinnitus is again reduced to minimum, almost gone and it happens permanently. So I have 100 % organic VG unflavoured juice with 3mg nicotine level from Velvet Cloud which increases my tinnitus on verry loud and annoying level on the one side, and at least 95% VG juice with NON organic flavourings, some small amount of PG possible and 6mg nicotine level causing almost none tinnitus on the other side??? I'm vaping Sauce Pipe 6mg juice all day and tinnitus is almost gone. A bit intriguing...

 

[FishingBuffalo]

Do you mouth to lung or direct lunging your vape. Describe the vape gear you use. What wattage are you running.

 

[Yngwie007]

I'm using Aura Mini starter kit with 0.5 ohm coil. I'm using both vape techniques but mouth to lung slightly more. Aura has adjustable top airflow and allows both. I know it's just starter kit with not much options. I'm thinking of upgrading to Cuboid Mini (I dont like big stuffs) because it has much more options regarding to the settings and coil resistance. Is it problem with my device maybe? I'm not chain vaper because don't have so much time. I like short vaping sessions when have time. Max 5min. Do you recommend Cuboid Mini or maybe some other device in that range? I want good device which will have more coil resistance options and will allow to use both vaping techniques smoothly. Okay, maybee mouth to lung more. Thnx!

 

[Continuity]

Did you come to vaping from smoking tobacco?

What I'm really asking I suppose, is whether you had any tolerance to nicotine before you started vaping.

If you were nicotine-naive, then it's quite possible that it's the nicotine that's causing the tinnitus.

To do a process of elimination, which I see you've started - get some cheap VG and PG bottles from Amazon or similar (should cost you around USD$10-12 for big bottles of both) and try vaping pure VG and pure PG on their own, and see how you get on.

 

[Yngwie007]

I've tried 50/50 VG/PG ratio and with strong flavour. That also caused extreme tinnitus. Then 80/30 VG/PG ratio with less strong flavour, tinnitus were reduced a bit. PG is like I'm sucking some chemical liquid. At least that's my feeling, I know it's subjective. So I decided to go with 100% VG flavoured firstly and then !00% unflavoured. Both has same effect and increase tinnitus to extreme level. That is the fact which is confusing to me. I shall experimenting more and take your advice. I was heavy smoker 15 years, almost 2 packs every day. For weekend even more (I'm also musician so alot of night shifts LoL). I'm clean from regular cigs now about two years, stopped with old school way, stopped suddenly, pretty much nerves lost during that. Since my job is stressfull and I'm back to music session's again more, there was tiny border to start regular smoking again. Every smoker understands that stress relief and pleasure which cigarette can give you. Even after few years of stopping you remember that feeling. And before 3 months I started with vaping and it is actually excellent replace for regular cigs. Used only 6mg or 3mg nicotine level which is simply enough for my needs. I can't stand smell of regular cigs anymore. They are disgusting. My only problem is tinnitus and I take it seriously. So I shall experiment some time with e juices and if it does not go away the solution is pretty clear. Completely remove anything related to smoking from my life. If vaping fails, I shall never go back to regular cigs never, never and never again. LoL

 

[Continuity]

Good for you on turning your back on smoking - I've been off tobacco for around 3 years now, and cigarettes smell disgusting and vile to me now as well.

So - you've found that your tinnitus is activated by 100% unflavoured VG *with* nicotine? So, we can safely say that it's the nicotine that's setting it off?

If this is the case, then you could vape high-VG juice (flavoured or unflavoured) with 1-2mg nic or even with no nic at all (which is what quite a lot of people vape now) and get satisfaction with no tinnitus with any luck.

 

[Yngwie007]

Yes, probably.. I'm ordering Velvet Cloud unflavoured 0mg nicotine juice to mix it with 3mg which I already have at home. And also try 0mg only. I shall post the experiment result when order comes. It takes some time, about one week when it comes to Europe.

 

[Continuity]

You know you can order pure PG and VG to most places for around $USD5-7 per bottle - big bottles, too.

I order mine from a place on Amazon that sells baking equipment and supplies - vaping isn't the only industry that these materials are used in.

 

[Imfallen_Angel]

I DIY and just spent the last week testing out things... 100VG, 0 nic, etc. and nothing changed... I hear the constant ringing constantly.

I've had at the most 3 moments that I had some quiet, but regardless if I vaped or not, with several and more hours in between, I see no difference.

In a way, I consider that if vaping was the guilty party for me, I'd wake up (after so many hours) and not have ringing, and it would start up while vaping... right? But not, I have the ringing all night, wake up with it, and it doesn't get worse when I vape as it's already at 11 most of the time.

And my quiet moments were in the middle of vaping. So again.. didn't change anything.

 

[Continuity]

So your tinnitus is just *there*? No triggers, from what you can tell?

EDIT - Have you tried anything that lowers blood pressure, like that weed they smoke for glaucoma or beta-blockers?

 

[Imfallen_Angel]

So your tinnitus is just *there*? No triggers, from what you can tell?

EDIT - Have you tried anything that lowers blood pressure, like that weed they smoke for glaucoma or beta-blockers?

For me, I always had it, all my life, and it's just been getting worse in the last few years, before I started vaping.

And no I don't do crap like weed, and my blood pressure is fine, it's been low almost all my life, if anything, it's lower than most (and has caused a few nurses to double check it more than once).

 

[Yngwie007]

I think someone should do some extensive study and research on vaping and tinnitus. There are alot of folks reporting issues with this stuff. I know and I'm sure 100% that my tinnitus was'nt here before, not even on minimum. The room was actually purely quite and peaceful. Now it's just this annoying ringing and sometimes I can hear it in conversation. It only started first week with vaping.

 

[Continuity]

Again, I'd think to check your blood pressure, Yngwie007 - I could see someone having raised BP from giving up smoking tobacco, and that could conceivably cause tinnitus to start, or at least bring it up to noticeability.

 

[glointhedark]

I finally had a chance to talk to my daughter, and she thinks it may have something to do with the ingredients. At this point, the only thing either of us can offer is to keep experimenting to see what is right for you.

The advice to get your blood pressure checked is also good, in my opinion. There are so many chemicals in cigarettes that may have been masking symptoms of quite a few underlying conditions when you smoked. Talk to your doctor to rule out any outside causes. If necessary, see an ENT (ear, nose, throat specialist).

I hope that you can pin down the cause of your tinnitus. Not knowing what is causing a problem is the worst. Once you can find out what the problem is, you can work on a solution.

 

[stalkster]

I'm kinda drunk and seen 100vg vs 100pg etc. Personally high flavoring can cause chest pain to me(since they come in pg 90% of the time) to me. Some recipe say 10%this 5%that 4%this etc, but I avoid vaping flavoring above 15%. Some of the best juices/daily vapes I tend to diy use in the 10-15% range. Flavor depends in brand ie Flavor apprentice Raspberry I need 5% vs. say Inw raspberry .5%, then again I'm allergic to high/well almost any VG around 20%. Cap custard may be stronger @10% but 3~6% is fine really.

You should make your own juice since VG seems a issue vs pg for me. Nic comes in VG or PG base, flavorings(95%) of time in pg, then buy pg to top bottle off. = 100% PG.