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Constant itchy feeling in throat that makes me feel like I always have to cough.

Ihurt profile image
10 Replies

Hey everyone.

I am kind of new here. I have not been diagnosed with anything, but had a reaction to something a month back. I have quite a few disabling painful conditions, one being a bladder condition called Interstitial Cystitis. I have tried all treatments they offer for it to no avail. My doctor recommended I try medical cannabis as they offer it here where I live in Illinois. I went to the dispensary and the man talked me into buying this thing called a cannabis oil vape pen. He said it was very safe( he said way safer and healthier on the lungs than smoking is). I was against smoking because I watched my mom die of lung cancer that was caused by smoking cigarettes for years. He assured me this was safe and benign. Anyhow, he explained to me how to use the device as I had no idea how to use a vape pen. Long story short, I went home that night and decided to try it. I did exactly as he said, but immediately after I breathed in I started coughing like crazy! Also it felt like someone poured hot acid down my throat and into my chest! It was so awful and so scary. I called the medical dispensary back after the coughing calmed down and I could talk again. I explained to the manager what happened. He immediately apologized saying the man who told me how to use it should have told me to ONLY take a small puff of it! Well, the customer service guy who explained to me how to use it told me to take a nice breath in and hold it for a second. He should have told me to take a small puff only from what the manager said. Anyhow, he said it should pass in a few hours. Well I did not start feeling better for a couple days. This happened on a Sunday and I did not start feeling better until Tuesday. Then on Thursday I felt bad again. I ended up going to the Emergency room. The ER doctor listened to my chest and said it sounded clear. He also did a chest x-ray and it was normal. He said he believed what I had was Aspiration Pneumonitis. He said basically the stuff sent a mist into my chest when I breathed in and it irritated the hell out of everything. He said it should get better in a week or so. After 5 days I did start feeling better and for about two and half maybe three weeks I felt back to normal. Then on this past Wednesday I had a tickle in my throat that made me cough a little and within a couple hours I felt icky again, like just irritated in my upper chest and having this itchy feeling in my throat( it it that hive itch as I like to call it that makes you want to cough all the time). My hubby and I ended up going back to the ER again on this past Friday. The ER doc I saw this time listened to my lungs and chest and said everything sounded very good. He said he wanted to re-do the chest x-ray just to be sure no infection set in though he did not think so since I sounded clear. The chest X-ray came back clear. He said he felt maybe there was some superficial irritation still going on and that might be what is causing me to have this itchy feeling in my throat and making me feel like I always have to cough. When I do cough, it is not a hacking cough, it is more of a single cough to clear my throat and there is no mucus coming up. Though I do feel some mucus down in my throat that is probably dripping from above( maybe a slight post nasal drip?? Not sure though. I have NEVER had any kind of coughing or respiratory issues before using that stupid Cannabis vape oil pen. I am worried that maybe something happened or got damaged. I asked the ER doc if it could be a infection in the upper airway like the windpipe and that a Chest x-ray would not see that. He said usually there is other symptoms with an infection like Fever and that I would be coughing up stuff and he would likely hear cackles or something when listening to my chest. He said there could be superficial irritation though. I don't get why I would go back to normal and then three weeks later I just get a tickle in my throat that makes me cough and now I am crappy again. I got that tickle in my throat Wednesday Night and felt bad so went to the ER this past Friday and it is now Sunday and I still have that constant itchy feeling in my throat that makes me feel like I always have to cough. What could this be?? How can I have this feeling but yet when the doctor listened he said it all sounded clear and the x-ray was normal? I am worried using that cannabis oil vape pen could have damaged something. Also due to having the single coughs to clear my throat so often because of that itchy feeling, my throat is irritated because of that I am sure so I feel kind of this burny irritated feeling in there as well. I am drinking lots of water to keep things moist in there. I just cannot tell if this itchy feeling is coming from my throat or my windpipe. I mean if an infection with bacteria/fungus had set in my windpipe how would I know it? The ER doc claims there would likely be other symptoms like Fever and stuff coming up and he would hear it when listening. Does anyone know what this could be? I mean if I could describe the feeling, it feels like it literally itches in there. Not scratchy like when you catching a cold, I mean itchy like a mosquito bite and it gives than constant sensation that I need to cough. There is No wheezing or anything from what the doctor said though. I am miserable and worried that something bad has happened from using that Cannabis oil vape pen! I only used it once and I cannot believe it has caused me all this grief! Praying it did not cause permanent damage somehow. :(

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Ihurt
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10 Replies

Hi I can't believe that one vape can cause all this trouble and I think it must be a coincidence. If you have had tests and they are all clear then maybe it is anxiety causing your symtoms? I am not sure how we can help you as this is a site for people who suffer from copd and other lung conditions.

Your lungs aren't so fragile that they can be damaged by this oil which is readily on sale.

Ihurt profile image
Ihurt in reply to

Thanks for the reply. Believe me, I am shocked all this happened as well. Maybe I took in too much when I used the vape pen. The guy at the medical dispensary gave me the wrong instructions on how to use it. He told me to take a nice breath in and hold for a second. After the whole incident I called them and the manager said the guy told me the wrong instructions and should have told me to only take a small puff. I guess that is what is scary, I mean I do not know how much I took in that I should not have.

I definitely have some anxiety due to all this, but I really do not think that it would cause the itchiness in my throat and the cough. I felt back to normal after the whole incident for almost three weeks. Then I got a tickle in my throat the other night which caused me to cough and gag and now I am miserable all over again. When I sleep the itch kind of calms down. When I wake up it gets bad again. It feels like I have a hives in my throat( I don't have hives though, it just feels itchy like a hive feels) and that is causing me this constant feeling to cough and clear my throat.

The ER doc mentioned seeing an ENT doctor but I am not sure what they would be able do, especially if the irritation is in my windpipe. The ENT doctor I believe only deals with the ears, nose and upper throat. I am just wondering if an infection in the windpipe could have taken hold, like a fungal or bacterial infection.. I do not think a chest x-ray could see an infection in the windpipe. I mean honestly, I know this was medical grade cannabis oil but you wonder, how safe is it? I mean could there have been some kind of contamination ( mold of bacteria in it)!?! They claim it is tested for these things before they even put in on the market, but you just don't know. I would think I would be back to normal after a month though. Just hoping this did not cause any permanent damage.

in reply to Ihurt

Hi it can't be the 1 deep breath which is causing all this as I am sure you won't be the first person to have done that. Like you said it has been passed for use, and it wouldn't have been if it wasn't considered safe.

I think you need to look elsewhere for an explanation. x

Jojo176 profile image
Jojo176 in reply to

I agree with coughalot2 , whilst I sympathise with your tickly throat I see you have had plenty of examinations /tests/checkups and all clear!

Toci profile image
Toci

See the replies you received here.

healthunlocked.com/blf/post...

tisBAme profile image
tisBAme

hi if I was you eh, I would go back and ask for a full blood count as one vape personal experience of which ive never used any of it can not cause this ,but ive known others what have used it and been fine really, if your still not happy you can ring the british lung foundation up Monday morning and speak to a qualified nurse, or were you hail from go to them and say ok my lungs are ok eh so why have I problems I need a answer ok , say it like you mean it ,

tisBAme profile image
tisBAme

projectcbd.org/article/how-... hi it might have not been the oil it might have been the vaper pen as most r from china I wunt say no more there, but the oil I doubt it really as ive known people who have vaped longer than one puff and no ill effects , might be the luck of the draw as with people with lung disese some get it others don't , see you doc is your best bet eh, or join a site what nos bout this sort of thng eh . cannaibis uk have a site look it up and ask them eh , hope you get sorted though ,

Ihurt profile image
Ihurt

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate the replies. TisBAme, yes, I have read things about the pens like you were saying. This one I purchased said there were No other ingredients, just 100% pure organic nectar oil from cannabis plant. No propolyene glycol or anything like that. Now for the pen itself that is used to administer the stuff, yeah, that was made in china and likely not regulated at all. The oil itself was made in the US where is supposedly underwent tests for purity and to safety to make sure there was no mycotoxins in it. Not sure what to think though. really do not know what to think. I am from the US in Illinois. Sadly even when I went to the Emergency room, the doctors there did not know much about the cannabis oil vape pens. They said it is still rather new so they were not much help as far as that was concerned. Thanks for the suggestions, I appreciate it. I have been all over online looking for anyone else who has had my same reaction and cannot find anything really. If it does not get any better I will likely go see an ENT first and see what they suggest. Thanks again for the advice and replies.

starveycat profile image
starveycat

Just a thought have you had your vocal chords checked ?

Kerrieblue profile image
Kerrieblue

Just a thought, sometimes oral thrush can cause this horrible tickly throat. Try some Daktarin gel, available over the counter. Can't hurt!

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