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Very strong allergic reaction on box mod.

Okay, I'm still narrowing down the criteria but at least I seem to be heading back to the zero state.

For 3 months I was doing fine with my E618 pipe (1.5 ohm, unknown watts) vaping around 1ml/day 18mg 50/50 increasingly flavored juice. (Latest version is around 16% flavor in PG so adjust accordingly). Then I got an authentic Kangertech mini, vaped the same juice at 20W with the built in 0.5 ohm coil and itched like crazy that night. Getting through maybe 2-2.5ml/day. The next day, I switched to Immortal Fog's Beast (70/30 - the real version of what I had been vaping) at 35W and the itch was just as bad, if not worse. Thinking it might be a PG allergy, I drained the tank and switched to unflavored 100% VG (plus slight residue and 5% vodka I found in the fridge to thin it down) for a couple of days. Broke out in a rash across arms, torso and neck - no improvement. Finally, I switched back to the 618 with the original juice and it seems to be calming down.

Eczema is not a new problem to me and this is a bad time of year but this kind of instant flare up is always associated with some kind of exposure and, as illogical as it seems, so far the only connection seems to be the subox mini or at least the switch from the 618.

Anyone come across this before? Any ideas as to how to narrow it down once I get through?
 

stevegmu

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Alcohol and nicotine are bad for eczema. You are getting more nicotine and vaping alcohol...
 

AmandaD

Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
As you say, exzema is bad at this time of year. It's possible the flare up is a coincidence? I have a teenage daughter who is suffering terribly at the moment, and she doesn't vape.

Go back to your original setup and see if it improves again. Your juice consumption is higher in the new equipment, so it's possible it's associated.
 
I'm usually in tune with how my body's doing. It's an equilibrium so it never really goes away and you can feel how it's doing. It's been in check for several years and the reaction was severe and on the very day I started with the box. It also continued every day I used the mod (regardless of what I was vaping) and, although there are no outward changes yet until I recover, I can feel the improvement now that I've switched back to the 618 so that's a double correlation and it's extremely unlikely to be a coincidence.

I put 5% alcohol into 15ml which, although I'm vaping and not drinking, is minuscule. I may try distilled water in the next one. I also dropped the dose to 10mg in the VG/Alcohol mixture to try and compensate for the increased consumption. I really need the nicotine but I guess the next thing to try would be 0mg/95%VG/H2O as soon as my skin has returned to normal. I have heard that Soy VG can cause a reaction. Anyone know where I can get Coconut oil VG or equivalent if I still have problems?
 

AmandaD

Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
I'm usually in tune with how my body's doing. It's an equilibrium so it never really goes away and you can feel how it's doing. It's been in check for several years and the reaction was severe and on the very day I started with the box. It also continued every day I used the mod (regardless of what I was vaping) and, although there are no outward changes yet until I recover, I can feel the improvement now that I've switched back to the 618 so that's a double correlation and it's extremely unlikely to be a coincidence.

I put 5% alcohol into 15ml which, although I'm vaping and not drinking, is minuscule. I may try distilled water in the next one. I also dropped the dose to 10mg in the VG/Alcohol mixture to try and compensate for the increased consumption. I really need the nicotine but I guess the next thing to try would be 0mg/95%VG/H2O as soon as my skin has returned to normal. I have heard that Soy VG can cause a reaction. Anyone know where I can get Coconut oil VG or equivalent if I still have problems?
I believe RTS carries coconut based VG.

The only thing that makes sense is that your new box is giving you more power, and you're vaping more!
 
More power and more flavor! I'm certainly getting through more (2.5ml/day instead of 1ml) but that certainly doesn't seem particularly excessive. Even at 18mg nic, that's only 5 average US cigarettes. It is completely bizarre that the only common factor is the device used. The 618 does have a "suck" switch so each pull does take in less vapor.
Once my skin's recovered, I'll take a more methodological approach and narrow it down. Thanks for the VG link.

*Edit* Actually, there is another possibility. The flavor and quantity is so much higher because I'm vaping with more power (is 35W on 0.5ohms high?) It was great in that I got FLAVOR rather than just a pleasant aftertaste but that may be producing different products.
 
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snake94115

Diamond Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Alcohol and nicotine are bad for eczema. You are getting more nicotine and vaping alcohol...
Anybody got some crow handy?
Believe it or not...I agree with that 1000%.
Doing anything that will dry you out will make it flare up.
That includes vaping.
Normally I recommend cleaning with dirt cheap vodka but because it sounds like you have severe eczema maybe you should try vinegar and distilled water.
Drink lots of water* with maybe a bit of orange or lemon juice in it.

*I prefer

Penta Ultra-Purified Water
 

KY_Rob

Bronze Contributor
Member For 4 Years
OP, I was thinking pretty much the same thing for a while...this all went on for 6months +. Then, soon after a routine visit and blood test at the doc, I was prescribed levothyroxine due to hypothyroidism. Within a week of starting the synthetic thyroid hormone replacement, my eczema was nearly gone, and remains as such (and I haven't changed my vape habits at all).

I'm not suggesting you have a thyroid issue, but a visit to the doc might reveal another underlying cause. Your body is certainly trying to tell you something.
 
Well, as I was trying to use more VG (thinking it was the PG I was allergic to) the reactions just got worse. In a really bad winter (nothing like that for at least 5 years), my eczema will go from my face, to shoulders, to stomach. This is the first time it's got to my thighs within a week! (attached).
I'm having to limp by with minimal vapes until the Coconut VG arrives.
I ordered VG and Nic in VG from RTSVapes.com but I really don't like dealing with them. That I am someone over 18 should be apparent by my using a debit card without my having to enter a name and address "as it appears on a government issued ID" goes beyond age verification. The trouble with looking up details in centralized databases is that those databases look back! Fortunately, the name and address they verify is only associated with the email address and not the billing or shipping addresses so intrusive and pointless!
I'll swap out the coil when the new stuff arrives and keep you posted on the effects.
 

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It's been a month now and I'm having to blast it with Prednosone (so please ignore the complete sociopath who's going to inhabit my body for the next 10 days or so).

The original VG was soy- or palm-based (I'm assuming soy), the coconut base gives a reaction of around 2/10 to soy's 10/10 so I think once I'm clear again then I should be able to handle it. PG seems to help (if only by decreasing the amount of VG by 50%). I tried the 6mg solution but that means I have to vape 3x as much VG to get the same level of nicotine as 18mg so I'll probably push it back up. I'll keep you posted.
 

Zamazam

Evil Vulcan's do it with Logic
VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Member For 5 Years
Okay, I'm still narrowing down the criteria but at least I seem to be heading back to the zero state.

For 3 months I was doing fine with my E618 pipe (1.5 ohm, unknown watts) vaping around 1ml/day 18mg 50/50 increasingly flavored juice. (Latest version is around 16% flavor in PG so adjust accordingly). Then I got an authentic Kangertech mini, vaped the same juice at 20W with the built in 0.5 ohm coil and itched like crazy that night. Getting through maybe 2-2.5ml/day. The next day, I switched to Immortal Fog's Beast (70/30 - the real version of what I had been vaping) at 35W and the itch was just as bad, if not worse. Thinking it might be a PG allergy, I drained the tank and switched to unflavored 100% VG (plus slight residue and 5% vodka I found in the fridge to thin it down) for a couple of days. Broke out in a rash across arms, torso and neck - no improvement. Finally, I switched back to the 618 with the original juice and it seems to be calming down.

Eczema is not a new problem to me and this is a bad time of year but this kind of instant flare up is always associated with some kind of exposure and, as illogical as it seems, so far the only connection seems to be the subox mini or at least the switch from the 618.

Anyone come across this before? Any ideas as to how to narrow it down once I get through?
Did you drop your nic level from 18mg/ml when you used the Kangertech Mini? Remember, you were getting 4-6 times the vapor concentration than from your epipe.
 
Yes, I dropped it to 3mg, then 6 but I ended up vaping more to try and get the nic level which irritated my already inflamed skin. I still have a week's worth of 6mg mixed so I'll see how it goes with the Prednosone but I think I'm going to have to start at 18 and then work down if I get nic o/d symptoms. At least I can just add more juice to dilute it.

I've got to say, I'm really disappointed. I really like vaping and had some real doozies of flavors lined up to try. Maybe I can handle a few ml per week once I'm clear.
 

Zamazam

Evil Vulcan's do it with Logic
VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Member For 5 Years
yea, my sister has Eczema. It can be a real bitch once a flareup starts.
 

AmandaD

Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
My daughter just had an awful flare up away at college (stress probably). But a prednisone shot and some stronger antihistamines did the job within a couple of weeks. She doesn't vape, so I can't offer any advice on that end.
 

Skullzz

Blonde disaster
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ECF Refugee
I, like a fool, bought some bargain ejuice on ebay....terrible allergic reaction that landed me in the emergency room. I am VERY careful about where I get my juice now!
 

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