I can't breathe for two to four days after each PEG incident.

[firsttriplet]

I'm new here. My allergist diagnosed me with a PEG and PG allergy (a couple months ago) after I had an incident because I used mosquito bug spray when I went camping. At that time, I already knew I couldn't take any kind of pills for headaches or migraines and I haven't been able to take antibiotics for several years. Therefore, I knew it was the bug spray that caused the breathing issues because I knew I hadn't taken any pills. However, my allergist doesn't do the patch testing. It was just a process of listing the inactive ingredients in medications I'm allergic to and finding the common denominator.

Within a month after being diagnosed, it went downhill quickly. All I have to do is breathe a cleaner, perfume, or air freshner and I can't breathe. However, I do not have anaphylaxis like most people here are posting. My breathing problem is more in my lungs. It's like I can't take a deep breathe or even a full breathe. And unfortunately the breathing problems can last two to four days. There is nothing that stops it. I just have to wait it out which means I lose those two to four days of my life because I can't function.

I went to Mayo Clinic In Rochester Minnesota one year ago. They ruled out asthma (which was what I was diagnosed with over two years ago). But they couldn't tell me why I wasn't breathing - just that I didn't have asthma. My heart and lungs were fine.

I'm trying to get back into Mayo Clinic now so they can do a glycol patch test and find me an allergist that has seen patients with this kind of allergy. Unfortunately, it's a five hour drive for me. I live near Chicago Illinois and I can't even find a doctor here that has had a patient with this allergy. I want a doctor that will know how to answer my questions - not a doctor that has to do a bunch of research before he answers my questions.

Fortunately for me, I don't seem to be affected by eating foods with PEG in them- at least for now anyway. I'm sure that is in my future! As of now, it's only touching/breathing or taking pills/antibiotics that affect me.

Here's one of my biggest concerns now - is the PEG ruining my lungs by breathing it (since I don't have anaphylaxis)? Because sometimes it just can't be avoided when I go out in public. Has anyone every heard about the lungs being damaged?

[kerrykuzak]

I'm so sorry you're having these terrible reactions to the glycols. You will be okay and your body will repair itself IF you stay clear of ALL glycols in any concentration. Write me at [e-mail] if you want a paper I wrote about living with this PG/PEG allergy.

[River-daughter]

My understanding is that PG is in foods but PEG generally isn’t, although PEG is present in many medications (and is not always listed, it’s a common ingredient in pharmaceutical inks and coatings). I also recommend reading Kerry’s paper, as I found it massively helpful when I arrived here.

I have a PEG allergy (I’m not allergic to PG), and while it is an ingredient in scents and surfectants I have not personally experienced the specific lung issue you describe. However, when I have had large exposures to PEG in this form (aerosolized carpet cleaners, for example), my symptoms tend to last for days on end and yes, it completely flattens me to bed-ridden. So far there’s not much I can do about it, but my allergist has suggested taking an antihistamine (Claritin 24-hour is PEG free, but I don’t know if it’s PG free as well) to help manage or prevent reactions. Maybe you could discuss something like this with your allergist as a potential solution for when you know you might have an exposure?

If they’ve checked your lungs and given them the all-clear, that’s a good sign. Wearing a high filtration mask (such as a surgical mask or multi-layered cloth mask) in crowded places where you’re at high risk of breathing in someone’s perfume at close range might help reduce your exposure as well. An excellent general question for your allergist would be whether inhaling chemical allergens can irritate lungs to the point of concern. This might be a question you can even ask a Mayo Clinic nurse over the phone, if you’ve already been seen as a patient. I hope this helps.