Allergic to PG -and- VG :(

[schotzzie]

Having smoked a pack of Marlboro Lights every day from age 19 to 46, and hating myself every day for smoking, I was so thrilled when a friend turned me on to vaping. Two weeks after enthusiastically embracing it, using Ripe Vapes products, I had these symptoms:
--Constant, worsening ringing in the ears
--Massive ear infections, both ears, with vertigo
--Lymph notes in my neck so swollen it hurt to swallow
--Severe cystic acne, and elsewhere on my body, infected cysts, with green pus, on small wounds on my finger and knee

I studied up online and realized PG was likely the culprit, and that it might well be killing my immune system. I quit vaping. Returned to smoking. It took about three weeks to heal up.

Then I switched to Virgin Vapor 100% VG, and to be safe, bought all new equipment. Now I'm having the Same Exact Symptoms.

I am distraught. I have searched for so many years for some answer to smoking. I am so addicted, I can't quit. As I get older, I'm developing all kinds of strange allergies; latex, my seatbelt, Chantix, etc. I feel like I should just keep smoking and schedule regular CT studies of my lungs..... ugh! I'm crying in frustration.

Any thoughts??

 

[Topwater Elvis]

Have you considered seeing a Doctor?
Go over all your symptoms with a medical professional able to diagnose & treat.

 

[stevegmu]

I think it is possible some people just can't vape. My sister can't eat anything with gluten...

 

[schotzzie]

Have you considered seeing a Doctor?
Go over all your symptoms with a medical professional able to diagnose & treat.

Oh, definitely considering a doctor's visit, yes. But I want to gather as much info as I can first... I'd be very surprised if a doctor knew much about vaping, unless someone on here might know an MD with some experience with these issues? So I thought I'd reach out for help, scientific articles about it? Something I can share with a doctor.
Thanks for your reply!

 

[schotzzie]

I think it is possible some people just can't vape. My sister can't eat anything with gluten...

I'm thinking I'm one of those who just can't vape.
In a way, finding out I'm allergic to PG was a cloud with a silver lining. My shampoo was turning my eyes red, now I know why. I threw away half of the soaps/shampoos/beauty products in my house b/c they all have PG.
Now I'm reading food labels and finding PG in lots of things, like salad dressing!

 

[VNeil]

Have you tried UNflavored juice? Maybe mix your own, with just VG + VG based nic. Just so you KNOW there isn't anything else in it. I don't know anything about Virgin Vapor, this is just the Hail Marry Pass I would try if I had your problem and wanted to vape.

 

[schotzzie]

Have you tried UNflavored juice? Maybe mix your own, with just VG + VG based nic. Just so you KNOW there isn't anything else in it. I don't know anything about Virgin Vapor, this is just the Hail Marry Pass I would try if I had your problem and wanted to vape.

I haven't tried that, but I think I'm going to run that idea by the doctor (I'm shopping for one now, in another window).
Thanks for that idea. It could be flavorings. Fingers crossed.

 

[stevegmu]

It could well be the nicotine, though. Nicotine can exasperate tinnitus...

 

[Mad Scientist]

Oh, definitely considering a doctor's visit, yes. But I want to gather as much info as I can first... I'd be very surprised if a doctor knew much about vaping, unless someone on here might know an MD with some experience with these issues? So I thought I'd reach out for help, scientific articles about it? Something I can share with a doctor.
Thanks for your reply!

Find an Allergist | ACAAI

First off I'd go with unflavored -- you might be allergic to something in the flavors. Next, an allergist doesn't necessarily need to know anything about vaping to diagnose an allergy to a substance. There is some sort of skin sensitivity pin ..... test that will reveal an allergy to pure VG or PG.

 

[catsitter]

Also check out the symptoms of quitting smoking - some of what you've got there sounds like it might be severe forms of some of those symptoms. There's a thread here somewhere... Ah, here we go:
A list of symptoms when quitting tobacco and changing to an ecigarette | E-Cigarette Forum

 

[VNeil]

Also check out the symptoms of quitting smoking - some of what you've got there sounds like it might be severe forms of some of those symptoms. There's a thread here somewhere... Ah, here we go:
A list of symptoms when quitting tobacco and changing to an ecigarette | E-Cigarette Forum

That would be a drag to be allergic to not smoking

 

[Amraann]

I do not have any advice about what to try. But your symmptoms sound like an infection and you need antibiotics to clear that.
Not a dr but cysts like you described as well as your other symptoms need antibiotics. Please go see a Dr sooner rather than later.
It may just turn out that you have an infection and vaping has nothing to do with it.
Feel better soon!

 

[Racehorse]

Then I switched to Virgin Vapor 100% VG, and to be safe, bought all new equipment. Now I'm having the Same Exact Symptoms.

I am distraught. I have searched for so many years for some answer to smoking. I am so addicted, I can't quit. As I get older, I'm developing all kinds of strange allergies; latex, my seatbelt, Chantix, etc. I feel like I should just keep smoking and schedule regular CT studies of my lungs..... ugh! I'm crying in frustration.

Any thoughts??

First of all, virgin vapors is still putting flavorings in their ejuice. I can't vape ethyl alcohol so I could never vape their stuff.

Second of all, reading about other people's allergies doesn't tell you what YOURS are.

Vape 100% VG nic solution for a week. (unflavored)
Vape 100% PG nic solution for a week

IF both are okay, vape it 50/50.



then, add ONE flavoring and see what happens......something you think won't cause a problem (I can sort of sense these things in myself, it's intuitive) but for me banana always worked. or mint.

Then and only then will you know if you can vape.

If you are truly allergic to both PG and VG< then i suggest you get on SNUS. There is a big topic here on that (what's under your nose) Because vaping is NOT for everyone

Good luck

 

[AndriaD]

Having smoked a pack of Marlboro Lights every day from age 19 to 46, and hating myself every day for smoking, I was so thrilled when a friend turned me on to vaping. Two weeks after enthusiastically embracing it, using Ripe Vapes products, I had these symptoms:
--Constant, worsening ringing in the ears
--Massive ear infections, both ears, with vertigo
--Lymph notes in my neck so swollen it hurt to swallow
--Severe cystic acne, and elsewhere on my body, infected cysts, with green pus, on small wounds on my finger and knee

I studied up online and realized PG was likely the culprit, and that it might well be killing my immune system. I quit vaping. Returned to smoking. It took about three weeks to heal up.

Then I switched to Virgin Vapor 100% VG, and to be safe, bought all new equipment. Now I'm having the Same Exact Symptoms.

I am distraught. I have searched for so many years for some answer to smoking. I am so addicted, I can't quit. As I get older, I'm developing all kinds of strange allergies; latex, my seatbelt, Chantix, etc. I feel like I should just keep smoking and schedule regular CT studies of my lungs..... ugh! I'm crying in frustration.

Any thoughts??

The ear-ringing might actually be from the PG, I think it's a fairly common side effect. But the other stuff... seems like a massive purification process as a result of quitting smoking, nothing at all to do with vaping. The lymphatic swelling in your neck could be the cause of the ear infections, as the eustachian tubes may be closed off by that swelling. But the lymphatic swelling is strong indication of immune-system on hyperdrive, ditto the cystic acne. I've suffered severe cystic acne all over my body since I was about 10 yrs old, and it's actually improved drastically since I quit smoking, but it wasn't fast; I haven't smoked in just over a year, but it's only in the last several months that I've really noticed a difference.

When folks switch to vaping from smoking, there is a strong tendency to ascribe every little thing that then occurs in the body to the vaping, when it's actually the drastic effects of quitting smoking -- your body is purifying itself, at the same time as you are undergoing the hell of withdrawal, which makes everything seem a lot worse than it is.

But you definitely need to see a doctor anytime you experience severe lymphatic swelling; it's an indication that your immune system is fighting something with everything it's got, and it would be a good idea to find out what that "something" might be. Might not have anything to do with your habits at all, but some previously unknown condition, which smoking masks; when you quit the smoking, it shows up -- there are a LOT of chemicals in cigarette tobacco *designed* to cause your body to accept the toxins in cigarette smoke -- when you get rid of those chemicals, many awful and/or uncomfortable things may start happening.

Andria

 

[Racehorse]

In a way, finding out I'm allergic to PG was a cloud with a silver lining. My shampoo was turning my eyes red, now I know why. I threw away half of the soaps/shampoos/beauty products in my house b/c they all have PG.

I had similar problem.......but with coconut oil derivative that they put in everything now (even health food organic shampoos) when they decided to take "the bad stuff out".

As it turns out, the bad stuff I wasn't allergic to.......this cocomide betaine stuff is murder on my skin, I was getting eczema on my scalp and I have been UNABLE to find any shampoo w/out it.

I am not at all allergic to actual coconut oil, as I use it on my skin (the actual stuff used to cook with that is pure).

Then I also have an allergy to this other COMMON ingredient in skin lotions.......even the kind the top dermatologists have in their fancy offices...........as it turns out, I can slather down with aquaphor though. LOL Again, they took out the bad stuff and replaced with some other "better" chemical.

Heck, it's all just more chemicals anyway. I wondered why my skin always burned a little after I moistureized.......so I just never did/do. Now I know WHY.

Thousands of $$$ in allergy testing.......glad I did it though.

I found a few things on line that I can use by AUBREY..........that is the ONLY one and I loooked at labels of over 100 products.

 

[Coldrake]

First of all, virgin vapors is still putting flavorings in their ejuice. I can't vape ethyl alcohol so I could never vape their stuff.

Virgin Vapor's Absolute line is alcohol free.