Allergic to Vaping?

[richt]

Hi all...any advice you have would be greatly appreciated! ???

I have been vaping now for the past four weeks and I have had no problems at all (bar the odd frustration with flavours, carto's and my ever decreasing bank balance). However, over the past three weeks my partner has been complaining of hay fever/cold/flu like symptoms (runny nose and eyes, sore throat, headaches etc).

At first, we both thought she had bad hay fever and didn't think anything of it. She has taken all types of hay fever medication as well as cold/flu relief tablets. Three weeks later, she is still as bad as ever. What is worse, she says that her symptoms go away when she is at work (and not around me) but gets increasingly worse when we are together at home and I am vaping around her.

Trust me, she doesn't mind me vaping....anything opposed to smoking rollies...even to the extent we have blamed the symptoms on the dogs, a new throw we bought for the sofa, moving to the country and there being more pollen in the air etc....almost anything but the vaping.

Tonight however pretty much confirmed that it (was) me vaping as she was fine all day until I started vaping in the living room...her eyes were absolutely streaming with tears and she was sneezing really bad.

I'm frustrated because I don't want to stop vaping but it is now affecting another persons health (plus I just purchased more batteries and liquid ). Anyway, I have read that people sometimes have allergies from the PG but that is generally those who are doing the vaping. I do vape predominately 70/30 (PG/VG) mix and that is what I like. I have tried lower mixes (50/50) but it just doesn't do it for me.

Sorry for the long post, but any help/advice would be much appreciated! Has anyone else ever experienced something similar? I'm not ready to give up and go back to the rollies just yet!

[Perpetua]

It's a new one on me Richt . . . if it was your partner doing the vaping, I'd say she was sensitive to PG or a flavouring.

Have you tried all VG juices, although even they contain a small amount of PG as that's what the flavouring is carried in . . . it could be a certain element in your flavour, that she's sensitive to as well, as there's bound to be some contained on exhaling.

I'd do a bit more elimination, before you banish yourself to the garden for a vape.

[Queenie Bee]

New one on me to I know the pollen count is really high at the moment so my question is does your wife work In a town / city and do you live somewhere green? It could still be the hay fever and excessive sneezing can cause rinoitious ! Has she tried a nazzle spray?

[Karma]

My hubby, who doesn't normally suffer from hayfever is experiencing really bad hayfever symptoms at the moment

I'm wondering if in your wife's case it's to do with being in the country? We think about being in the countryside as being pure and green when in reality, that's not always the case. most farmers still use lots of pesticides, fetilisers etc.

also, rapeseed feilds are notorious for causing hayfever, we think that's the problem with hubby as he drives 20miles through the countryside to work where there are loads of rape feilds that are ripening at the moment

I know PG and certain flavourings can cause allergic reactions to vapers but most of these are inhaled and I really don't think that much gets into the atmosphere

I don't really know what to suggest, antihistamines aren't really helping my hubby at the moment.

Probably the only thing you can do is start vaping outside or in another room, see what happens then slowly introduce vaping around your wife again. Try the same again with different juices, ratios of PG/VG to see if you can find the culprit

Although, I really do think it's something in the air. When hubby came in last night, I was sneezing and eyes streaming for over an hour, as bad as he was, then both of us were ok again. it was like he'd brought something in with him

[OneDay]

I'm no doctor but I have to agree with previous posts. I believe only about 3% of vapers are allergic to pv, and I have never heard of anyone suffering from second hand vape. It might be worth spending one evening vaping outside, keep the house clear of any vapour, and see if she still suffers

[womble]

Jun 18, 2012 21:15:48 GMT OneDay said:

I'm no doctor but I have to agree with previous posts. I believe only about 3% of vapers are allergic to pv, and I have never heard of anyone suffering from second hand vape. It might be worth spending one evening vaping outside, keep the house clear of any vapour, and see if she still suffers

I'd have to agree with that, either try vaping a VG only juice one night, or go outside for a vape.

I've heard figures of about 4 or 5 % of people are allergic to PG, although I guess there will be varying levels of allergicticity. ( I just made that word up )

[Queenie Bee]

Fantastic vocabulary womble

[dogwalker3]

Just a thought, do you have the automatic type air fresheners around the house and had a new fragrance ?, theres some that really irritate my throat and eyes.

[Chrissie]

I'd also be very surprised if your partner is allergic to you vaping. Out of interest, is she allergic to most cosmetics, mouthwash etc? They & so many other everyday things contain PG.

[hissie]

I can only agree with what others have said. It's sounds very unusual that your wife could be allergic to vaping. I really don't think it's been a topic that's ever come up on this forum, so it is nigh on impossible to offer any advice.

[Anne (fuzzy)]

I don't get hayfever and don't have a cold, but have been sneezing a lot for the past few weeks too.
Wonder if there's a pepper factory been blown up somewhere in the UK. ???

[domesticextremist]

I'll keep an open mind. I would suspect wither PG or
one or more flavourants.
I know some will give me a sneezing fit, others have
also made people around me start sneezing, so it's not
impossible that someone could have a strong reaction.

[foxy9212]

I have shocking hay fever at the moment as the pollen count is high but vaping certainly doesn't make it any worse. I take antihistamine tablets to control the symptoms and they work pretty well.

My son's fiancee has very severe asthma and has to keep well away from smokers but she has no problem at all with either my son or me vaping around her.

As others here have suggested, it might be a plan to exhaust all other possibilities before consigning your e-cigs to the bin. I understand PG is used in inhalers and also in hospital ward air-conditioners to help stop the spread of infection, therefore allergic reactions to it must be quite rare.

Fox

[richt]

Hi Guys - many thanks for all the replies - it is much appreciated.

Well, my partner is still sneezing and still has all the symptoms of the last few weeks. I've decided to trial not vaping around her for a couple of days and see if that makes any difference. Hopefully it will for her sake at least.

As I say, she is very pro me vaping so doesn't want me to pack it in and go back to the nasties. It would be just my luck if it did materialise that she was allergic to second-hand vape though.

Keep me posted if anyone has any other advice...

[Perpetua]

There is another option of course . . . which I shan't mention Richt.

Seriously, hope your Partner's symptoms settle down.