Pepper up Your Tobacco and Relieve a Cold

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

New Cigars




PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Status
Not open for further replies.

4dotsasieni

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 6, 2013
756
6
Now this is going to sound really off the wall, and before we begin, I want to stress that these statements have not been evaluated nor approved by the FDA, IRS, ICE, Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, or the National Model Railroad Association.
I came down with a bad cold. Nose running, sneezing like crazy, non-stop. I ate some Mongolian Beef for lunch, which I like highly spiced, so I squeezed a bunch of the seeds from those giant red chili pepper pods which usually come with such dishes.
Within minutes my mouth was pleasantly on fire (maybe not so pleasant for those of you not used to peppery foods)and my sneezing, nose running and other unpleasant symptoms had stopped. The effects lasted about an hour, and it was a great relief from a day of suffering.
Well, of course, being a pipe smoker, and no doubt being in a somewhat more than usual dazed state of mind from the cold, I thought, "What if....."
So I squeezed out a bunch more pepper seeds, and carefully mixed them in a with a bowl of 4noggins' superb Button Bay. Lighting up, I sat back and waited for results. Other than a bit of snapping and crackling, the blend tasted and acted as usual, but within a few minutes, I once again began to feel a pleasant warmness in my mouth and nose (yes, I retro-haled; well not exactly, 'cause I'm not sure exactly how to do that*, but sticking the P-lip stem into alternate nostrils achieved the same thing).
It's possible that the effect my not be that different from tobaccos with a heavy dose of perique, but, in any case, I had an hour's pleasant smoke, and several hours' relief from the worst of the cold symptoms.
Obviously, this is not for everybody, and one note of caution: BE SURE TO THOROUGHLY WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER HANDLING PEPPER SEEDS -- you do not want to rub your eyes with traces of capsicum on your hands.
*Will someone please instruct me in how to properly retro-hale (that is, breathe the tobacco back out the nose) without having to first inhale into the lungs? Thank you. Oh, by the way, I think I'll call my new blend "Dr Pepper."

 

murf

Can't Leave
Mar 1, 2013
446
1
I like the name.
I just figured out how to retrohale, so let's give it a shot.
Fill your mouth with smoke. Bring your teeth back together slowly as you exhale through your nose. It's important to make the space in your mouth as small as possible while exhaling through your nose.
Hope this helps

 

4dotsasieni

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 6, 2013
756
6
Thanks, murf -- I'll try that.
One other note of caution - in small shanks/stummels/stems, the pepper seeds may block the space, so you might want to grind or pulverise them first in a grinder or mortar & pestle.

 

lucky695

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 2, 2013
795
143
almost like you are going to swallow it, move it to the back of your mouth and push out your nose. do this... take in a breath...exhale into your mouth until your cheecks puff out...HOLD IT. let the rest of your air out of your lungs through your nose... Now you still have puffy squirrel cheeks.. you should be alble to let that air out of your nose... it will take a few tries to get it right but will get you there, and if my calculations are correct and you try that pepper thing with a retro puff... you will feel the fire...

 

spartan

Lifer
Aug 14, 2011
2,963
7
Smoking pepper seeds... I thought you were squeezing the oils out of them, which is interesting.
But mixing full seeds and then smoking them along with your tobacco?
You're a brave man lol Glad to hear it worked for ya.

 

teufelhund

Lifer
Mar 5, 2013
1,497
3
St. Louis, MO
Interesting; not sure if I'm willing to risk it. Capsacin is no joke... I still remember how painful it was getting pepper sprayed for training (Before anybody gets the wrong idea) I would rather be tased again...

 

kashmir

Lifer
May 17, 2011
2,712
64
Northern New Jersey
I'd be careful smoking seeds. Since some carry noxious chemicals, such as poppy seeds, morning glory seeds, almond, apricot and apple seeds. Pepper seeds I think would be OK as they're routinely consumed orally. But smoking? For colds, and bronchial infections in the kids I use an old Russian remedy. Take a large jar and cut up some white onions, add a few table spoons honey. Let sit a couple days room temp. Decant liquid. It'll taste sweet, and is very effective nipping colds early on, especially in kids.

 

4dotsasieni

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 6, 2013
756
6
Thanks for all the comments (and the helpful instructions on retro-haling).
The pepper seeds really didn't change the taste of the tobacco much at all. I think the effect is just that of "counter-irritation" - does anyone remember those old toothache poultices you placed between the offending tooth and your gum? Worked the same way.
In my household, for prevention of colds (when you fear you've been exposed) a simple and inexpensive Chinese herbal remedy called Gan Mao Ling has been very effective for us for years. When you actually have caught a cold, either more Gan Mao Ling or another remedy called Yinchiao tablets work very well. Available at Chinese herbal stores and online. All natural -no harmful additives in either, in our experience.
This time the cold caught me by surprise, so I tried the peppers, and am taking the Yinchiao.

 

javajunkie

Starting to Get Obsessed
Feb 26, 2013
160
2
So, yeah, having a history of asthma and being hideously succeptable to mace-like compounds (chemical deterrent kind, not anachronistic melee kind), your pepper puff scares the jeebus out of me! But the spicy food nut is filing this away for future use. A good plate of Asian or Indian cuisine can bust a hole through a sinus blockage. And, you know, be delicious at the same time.
As for the retrohale: try holding the smoke in your closed mouth, as if you were just focusing on the flavors and texture, and then, while the mouth is closed, push air out of your lungs through your nostrils while pushing your tongue up to the roof of your mouth. Like a bellows, it reduces the volume of your oral cavity and forces any gas out any available opening, in this case your nostrils. It is really a back brain thing, very difficult to explain but very easy to do. Oh, and big tip, PLEASE try this with only partial mouths full of smoke! It is very cool to do, and really adds another layer to the experience, but if you are not used to it, it can be a bit much.
Now off to raid the spice cabinet. First cinnamon, now chile! o)

 

cortezattic

Lifer
Nov 19, 2009
15,147
7,637
Chicago, IL
A teaspoonful of white, coarse ground horseradish is what I use to open congested sinuses and alleviate itchy eyes

and nasal passages. Actually, I don't get head colds all that often, and I attribute that to pipe smoking!

 

rhogg

Can't Leave
Jun 14, 2011
443
2
This is priceless. Did you actually put the stem up to a nostril and inhale? This would make an excellent youtube video. If it weren't for people trying new things, and thinking outside of the box the world would be rather boring. Congrats on your new discovery!

 

4dotsasieni

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 6, 2013
756
6
"Did you actually put the stem up to a nostril and inhale? This would make an excellent youtube video."
Yeah, I actually did put P-lip to nostril(s) and inhaled. Easy to do with the little P-lip hole. But I think I'll pass on the video.
Besides, now that my more knowledgeable forum friends have taught me the proper way to retro-hale, I've done that a couple of times successfully, just now with some Irish Oak, which seems too have cleared out the passages wonderfully. Thanks, guys!

 

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
4dot, that is wild. I love spicy food but would have never thought to do that. I am glad to hear the experiment went well for you. When ever I get a head cold, I take a bottle of saline spray and flush my nose a couple of times an hour all day and night, after a couple of days of that it usually knocks it out.
Good advice about handling pepper seeds, I once was cutting up a bunch of jalapeno's and was not thinking when I scratched my nuts, talk about a nasty burn. I had to jump into the shower and soap up real good before it went away. Never did that again. My kids were laughing their asses off.

 

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
bob, I know that zippo fuel feeling, when I was a kid, I filled my zippo too much and then put it in my pocket, burned my leg real bad. I can imagine the pain of getting it somewhere else, must have been brutal.

 
Status
Not open for further replies.