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captaincob

Lurker
Nov 27, 2015
3
0
I've been smoking a pipe for about 6 months now, and I've never got any kind of effect resembling anything that people describe as "tongue bite" at any time, no matter how hard and hot I smoke. Never had any issue with my tongue or mouth at all. But, I do occasionally receive a different kind of unpleasant side effect. I like to smoke my pipes down to the bottom, usually (I was raised never to waste nuthin'!), and once in a while, down at the very bottom of the pipe, I get this very intense and painful sensation in my throat and chest, which I can only describe as being a cross between heartburn and nausea. It burns in my chest, at the base of my throat like heartburn, and I suddenly get queasy like I'm ALMOST nauseous. My mouth begins to salivate and I start to swallow impulsively, like I do when I get nauseous. It's not QUITE nausea, but it leaves me worried that I'm about to get that way. Does anyone else every get this feeling? It doesn't seem to make a difference whether I'm using one of my cobs or my briar, and I haven noticed it happening more with one type of tobacco then another (although the choices are very limited around here, and so I almost always stick with Captain Blacks, which I don't mind at all, even though I suspect it's what would be considered strongly "aromatic" and thus prone to cause bite). It does seem somewhat more common if the pipe has burned hot, like when it's windy outside, but that's not universal. It would be nice to know what this effect is and if there is any way to avoid risking it other than emptying my pipe out before all the tobacco is burned up. I guess it might have something to do with nicotine or other chemicals coating the inside of my throat and making it burn, or for some reason I'm getting the same exact effect as tongue bite, only for some reason in my throat and not my tongue. It's really unpleasant, and kind of ruins the experience. It seems like it happens a lot less as I get more practiced in packing the bowl correctly and keeping it burning right, although it doesn't seem to matter whether that particular bowl burned especially wet or not.

And yes, I keep my pipes pretty clean; run a cleaner through them after every bowl, as a rule.
Thanks in advance.

 

warren

Lifer
Sep 13, 2013
11,699
16,207
Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK
Sounds like the first time I gave some "Red Man" a swallow instead of the spit. You really do not want to be swallowing tobacco juice.
How many bowls a day are you smoking?
I think you are over smoking, too fast and sucking too hard. Slow down! It's not a competition. The pipe shouldn't be getting hot. There are members who smoke Captain Black with nary a problem. Don't blame the tobacco for your lack of technique. You are still learning. Your second to the last sentence is insightful. Load carefully and smoke the same way for a while. It'll take a while, there is a learning curve but soon it will become second nature.

 

cynicismandsugar

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 17, 2015
773
4
Springfield, Mo
I agree with Warren... slow down.
Sometimes, when attempting to polish off the last doddle at the bottom of the pipe, a smoker will speed up their draws, in an effort to keep their tobacco burning and smoke flying. A quick cadence can cause (among other issues) a sudden nicotine buzz, which, in some people can cause dizziness, nausea, and/or a lump-like feeling in the throat (that can, at times, feel like the beginnings of heartburn). I've run into similar symptoms during the course of my smoking (pipes and cigars) adventure.
Try slowing down... sip instead of puff... enjoy the long, smooth ride through tobacco country. Also, as horrifying as it sounds, try leaving a bit of doddle at the end of a smoke, once or twice, and see if that helps.
If you do get an overdose of vitamin N: Try a spoon full of honey or sugar -- this has helped me in some cases. Sometimes a surgery beverage has also helped... Other times, I've just had to wait it out, which can take a day or more, in extreme cases.
I hope this advice helps, and that you're back up, enjoying your favorite blends in no time!

 

deathmetal

Lifer
Jul 21, 2015
7,714
32
This reaction can also happen from slow puffs on damp tobacco, like when a smoker re-lights a dead cigarette that has stayed in an ashtray in a humid climate.

 
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peteguy

Lifer
Jan 19, 2012
1,530
906
Certain Burley gives me heartburn like I have never felt. I only smoke anything with Burley in it in a very small pipe, like Dunhill size 2, until I am sure it won't bugger me up.

 

blackbeard

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 13, 2015
706
0
While I don't have this problem....hiccups and burps happen at least once a month.
Try running a cleaner in while your smoking it, remove some of those "juices" hanging out. Maybe when the draw is completely freed you're pulling in all of the moisture, any of your pipes have a stinger?

 

kaan

Lurker
Nov 20, 2015
49
0
I suffer from acid reflux and if i smoke fast i can feel the same way as you sometimes no matter i am smoking a cigar, pipe or a cigarette. Taking time and smoking slowly and drinking some water while smoking my pipes always work for me and as a beginner i leave last bit of tobacco unsmoked in the bowl. If those wont help i may have to drink my anti acid liquid a little and i am ok. Vitamin N overloading doesnt bother me much as i quit smoking cigarettes recently and i am somewhat immune. If those complaints are caused by acid reflux, my words can help but i dont know what to do with the nicotine buzz.

 

shawnofthedead

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 5, 2015
249
5
Most likely nicotine overdose. I also get that "heart" feeling when smoking, but only when smoking Dunhill blends; no other blends, no matter how strong they are, affects me in this way. I also don't get any nausea these days. Makes me wonder why.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
What jumped out at me is your misguided thrift. This old nonsense about smoking every bowl down to white ash is just silly. Sometimes it happens, and that's fine, so long as the bowl tastes really good all the way to the white ash. Otherwise, as soon as the smoke begins to sour, let that bowl go out, clean the pipe, and pack a different pipe, or re-pack that one if you are continuing to smoke and don't have quite a few pipes to smoke. The dottle (unsmoked tobacco) has served as a bed and filter and has not been wasted. But the whole point here is to have an excellent taste experience. I would take a few days off smoking to see if you are having reflux problems without smoking, the resurgence of acid up your throat. Your doc can likely recommend a non-prescription acid control pill like a generic Zantac or similar item from the drugstore. If you resume smoking, pay attention, and when the flavor goes harsh, sour, or stale, get rid of what's left, period. This is a pleasure, not a punishment. Folks on Forums can attest that I am one of the more budget-conscious Forums members, so I'm not just recommending wasteful spending here.

 
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captaincob

Lurker
Nov 27, 2015
3
0
Thanks for all the responses. Anyway, I'm pretty sure it's not a nicotine buzz; I smoke cigarettes too (but much fewer than before), and I can smoke a pack in a night when I'm out with friends (although I rarely do), and nicotine has never bothered me. And when it does, it usually means a light head and a weak feeling, not a queasy stomach and heartburn (more like acid reflux, like Kaan mentioned). I said it feels LIKE heartburn, but it's not the same; it's always queasy stomach and burning esophagus, together. The onset is rapid, and it goes away within a few minutes, both symptoms together. I never have a problem with heartburn at any other time (or at least very rarely), so it's obviously something to do with the pipe, and it's only towards the bottom of the bowl. I like to take long walks or hikes, and I'll pretty much smoke one bowl after another for several hours while I'm walking. It doesn't usually bother me, but every few days, I'll get that effect out of one of the bowls. But the next I pack up, it's fine. It's weird, which is why I was asking. I guess a lot of it was just wondering if I was the only person effected like this or not. I guess I'll just have to give up on smoking the whole pipe to the bottom; Yankee habits die hard though. And Sherlock Holmes always saved his dottle and dried it on the mantlepiece to smoke the next day. =) But he didn't smoke it to the bottom, so maybe he knew something, eh?

Oh, and I didn't mean to blame the tobacco; I love my Captain Blacks (which is good, because it is all that the local store carries), I just know that when new smokers complain about tongue bite, they often advise that they switch to a less aromatic tobacco until they get more practice with it. I have little to compare it too, but I suspect Blacks is pretty aromatic, and so might be more prone to effecting people than certain other types. I may be totally wrong there though. It works well enough most of the time (although I made the mistake of trying the cherry flavored one once; tasted like a urinal cake and ruined my pipe forever). Oh well; live and learn. As for smoking too fast, I usually try to avoid it (although hardly puffing on it at all will just put the thing out more often than not). But since I'm usually outside when I'm smoking, if there's a breeze, it creates an artificial draw on the pipe. This helps keep it going, but it can also make it burn too hot and fast if it's too strong. If it's really gusty, I have to keep my hand closed over the top of the pipe, or even stick it inside my shirt or jacket to protect it as well as I can. Because it can burn REALLY hot, if you let it. I let a sea breeze get the inside of a cob so heated up the first time, I couldn't put it out. It caught the inside of the pipe smouldering, and made it swell and crack (not right away, but I'm pretty sure that was the root cause). I finally snuffed it out by blocking the ends with my fingers and snuffing it out from lack of oxygen, which was difficult because of the heat. Lucky it was just a cob! Bringing that up reminds me of something else I was going to ask though...anyway, I digress. :roll:

 

blackbeard

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 13, 2015
706
0
although I made the mistake of trying the cherry flavored one once; tasted like a urinal cake and ruined my pipe forever
If it's a briar pipe; a salt treatment, and a week or two of rest time will take care of that.
Hope you get everything sorted. Try not to stress so much and relax. If my pipe goes out around 3/4 of the bowl, it's done for me. Very few smokes happen to work out with me smoking to the end. Also welcome to the forum.

 

deathmetal

Lifer
Jul 21, 2015
7,714
32
I said it feels LIKE heartburn, but it's not the same; it's always queasy stomach and burning esophagus, together.
This will sound stupid, but please verify that you are not swallowing the smoke. I have done this once before, and it creates an unpleasant sensation. It's also very easy to do, especially with high volume smoking devices.

 

jvnshr

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 4, 2015
4,616
3,868
Baku, Azerbaijan
Does anyone else every get this feeling?
@captaincob, yes, I did. It is not nicotine buzz. I also suffer(ed) from acid reflux as Kaan. First of all let me explain you few things I found.

Some info:
When smoke from tobacco has a higher degree of alkalinity, it will produce painful irritation of the tongue, regardless of its temperature. A principal cause of alkaline smoke is a tobacco containing little or no sugar, such as Burley. Soil chemistry where the tobacco was grown can also influence the pH of the leaf. Virginias and other tobaccos with high sugar content generally produce an acidic smoke, which is easier on the mucous membranes and tongue. However, if combustion temperature goes too high, then the hydrocarbons (especially sugars) join with oxygen to form water and turn neutral, thus leaving the alkaline components to predominate in the smoke.
Furthermore, aromatic tobaccos such as Captain Black may have some kind of chemicals in them. When burned they also affect the pH level of saliva, mouth, esophagus, etc. Also
Nicotine, a key part of tobacco, is thought to relax the ring of muscle in the lower esophagus that keeps acid in the stomach, where it belongs. Smoking can also cause your mouth to make less spit, which might mean more heartburn symptoms.
Personal experience:

When I smoked Captain Black Regular and Cherry (yeah, yeah big mistake) for the first time, I also had the same feelings as you stated above. Until now, only Captain Black blends made me feel like that.
Solution:

1- Always drink something while smoking a pipe. Drink water before starting smoking. Stay away from alcohol while smoking.

2- Never smoke too hot. Smoking hot not only increases heart burn, but also influences the tobacco taste negatively.

3- Drying Captain Black Regular worked for me (I threw away the Cherry). Try tobacco more on the dry side.

4- As mso stated, "the dottle (unsmoked tobacco) has served as a bed and filter and has not been wasted". Stop smoking as soon as you start feeling the heartburn and pack a new fresh bowl.
Hope it helps. Cheers.

 
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jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,570
27,077
Carmel Valley, CA
Another alternative as you get to the bottom and the taste starts to falter: breathe gently through the stem to keep the ember going softly. This will dry the pipe and your next smoke can be all the sooner in that pipe. Just don't over do it and start burning a hole in the wood.

 

okiescout

Lifer
Jan 27, 2013
1,530
6
I'm thinking its the "nicotine buzz"
That is how it hit me,Hawk.

I use to experience that occasionally on an empty stomach with some strong cigars. Back when I smoked cigars :roll:

 
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