Dead Tastebuds

[flippinbird87]

Last week when I started to smoke my pipe again, I scorched my tongue. I haven't been able to taste anything substantial since. I was wondering if I should put the pipe up and wait for it to heal, (how long does this usually take?) or will it heal even though I still smoke the pipe? I am using the pipe to get off the nails and I really don't want to wind up back on them. Thanks guys. -flippinbird87

 

[rmbittner]

I've certainly had "tired" or "overworked" taste buds from a pipe, but never anything to this extent. You could probably continue to smoke a pipe -- tongues are pretty resilient muscles -- but I wonder how much you'll actually enjoy those bowls? It would just be a way to keep you smoking something other than a cigarette.
This isn't wonderfully helpful, but you might want to pick up a Peterson pipe with a steck (some call them P-lip) bit. These bits have an opening at the top of the stem, rather than the end, and they direct the smoke to the roof of your mouth rather than your tongue. That would give your tongue a break while still affording you the pleasure of smoking your pipe. But, of course, there's the expense of a new pipe.
Good luck! And welcome back to the hobby.

 

[pruss]

Any chance you can "patch" for a spell until your tongue feels better? I initially thought about suggesting a nic-replacement gum, but then thought better of the chemical soup caused by the gum being let loose on your sore tongue. The good news, mouth injuries tend to heal up quickly.
Sorry 'bout the burn. That sucks... :wink: or not as the case may be.
-- Pat

 

[hfearly]

Ouchy, scorchy tongue sucks! Some tips to reduce the evil tongue bite:
1 - Use a 'filtered' pipe (9mm filter / Savinelli with Balsa Filter / Brigham with Maple Rock filter) as it takes out much of the moisture and chemicals from the air stream.
2 - Use a cool-burning natural tobacco blend. I'd suggest Dunhill Nightcap if you like campfires, MacBarren Golden Extra if you like Burley, or MacBarren Navy Flake if you like sweet Virginia with a little honey flavoring.
3 - Smoke sloooooooooooowly. Take a tiny sip and count to 15 in your head, then take another. If that's not enough to keep the tobacco lit, either sip harder or smoke faster (count to 10)...
4 - Dry out your tobacco for half an hour before filling the bowl. Greatly helps some of those nasty humectants to evaporate, instead of getting fired up and putting a chemical burn to your mouth.
5 - Pair your smoke with Green Tea, or coffee.
6 - Refrain from smoking a pipe too much until your mouth heals. Like you wont go scratch a wound every hour you shouldn't keep on burning your tongue. Give it a day or two rest and then start again. Keep it to two bowls a day to give your pipe and your mouth adequate recovery time.
7 - Gotta get through the tongue burn. Every new pipe smoker experiences it. You'll build up a resistance pretty fast. Takes about two weeks I'd say. After that it's smooth sailing ;-)

 

[cortezattic]

FWIW, I heard that the tongue is among the fastest healing of body tissues. The cornea of the eye is another,

but I don't recommend sticking your pipe there. Which reminds me, maybe you can switch to a churchwarden which

produces a cooler smoke stream. A calabash would do as well. Might be a good excuse to go out and buy such pipes.

 

[spartan]

In time you will learn to pack the pipe better, and smoke slower, or angle the stem in your mouth so it's not hitting the same spot again and again and again while you're smoking hotter than the sun.
A drink with the pipe helps very much in the beggining months of pipe smoking while you learn what not to do lol.
I've had tongue burn maybe 2 or 3 times as I was begining to learn the ways of the pipe.
I do recommend that you drink plenty of water and let the pipe rest until your tongue heals.
hfearly's advice is pretty sound, but the reason you're drying the tobacco would be because it's too wet, and you're puffing harder to keep it lit. So now you're blasting your tongue with hot steam. Drying will help it stay lit, so you wont have to puff as hard and often.
Good luck!

 

[flippinbird87]

Wow, thanks for all the tips everyone!

...but I wonder how much you'll actually enjoy those bowls? It would just be a way to keep you smoking something other than a cigarette.

I am in this situation right now. It really sucks because I don't get to enjoy the flavors of the tobacco that I am smoking. It feels like I am wasting my tobacco.

Anyways I think I might just give it some time to heal without the pipe, I will go as long as I can without it then wait as long as I can again. I will definitely look into some cooler smoking blends too, as I think the culprit is the VA/PER blends I have been smoking (does this make sense?)

Thanks again everyone, I have a lot of info to take into account. -flippinbird87

 

[rmbittner]

I think the culprit is the VA/PER blends I have been smoking

I actually can't smoke blends with perique in them (unless it's a microscopic amount). I get a sensation like needles in my mouth after even one or two puffs. I chalk it up to a body chemistry/allergy reaction of some kind, but I think it's pretty unusual, judging from the fact that so many pipe smokers love perique. (I too like what it does to a blend, but I can't get past the needles.) But maybe you're in the same boat. I had chalked it up to simple tongue bite before I figured out what was going on.

 

[misterlowercase]

I had the same problem when I started because I was also kickin' the nails and still trying to have a "cigarette satisfaction" with a pipe, I got tongue burn so bad I thought I had 3rd degree burns or something for real, but it does go away and if you keep at it you'll turn the corner when the pipe experience will transcend the cigarettes to the point where cigs taste like rubbish, especially if you're smoking factory-made FSC versions. Keep with it and the rewards will blow your mind.
I'm also sensitive to perique, I like low levels where it tastes like dried fruit, but high proportions give me that peppery assault I can't handle and almost emulates tongue bite.
A tobak that's slightly strong with shaggy cut may help you along because it burns easy and you tend not to overpuff --- try out some Gawith Hoggarth Kendal Kentucky.
Heed what hfearly & rothnh said above, for that is sage advice!
All I can say is keep at it and it'll all come around, before long you'll have your packing & cadence down proper and everything will be as it should!

 

[cigrmaster]

I think everyone here has experienced tongue bite of some kind and it is a problem in the beginning. I second the Biotene suggestion and rest. Like Bob, I have a chemical reaction to a certain tobacco, red virginia's in too large an amount feels like acid burning my tongue the minute the smoke hits it. Hopefully your tongue bite is not one of these types of chemical reactions, if it is then you will need to seek out blends that do not have that particular leaf in them.

 

[hfearly]

Anyways I think I might just give it some time to heal without the pipe, I will go as long as I can without it then wait as long as I can again. I will definitely look into some cooler smoking blends too, as I think the culprit is the VA/PER blends I have been smoking (does this make sense?)

Perique is quite peppery on it's own and surely not for everyone. In combination with a Virginia, maybe even a red Virginia, you are very likely bound for disaster as a new pipe smoker with such a blend. Especially if you are prone to smoking fast. Even more experiences pipe smokers with years under their belt can literally get burned by these blends.
It is extremely easy to overheat a Virginia such that it scorches you if you don't smoke it carefully and with great attention. I remember my first steps into VaPer territory and getting whipped (back then with St. James Flake and Reiner LGF).
At the same time, I also remember my first bowl of Dunhill Nightcap. For a long, long time I hated the 'old campfire' smell of English blends and wouldn't imagine going near them. On a business trip I came across a Nightcap tin in a B&M in the town I was staying at - it had just came in the shipment when I was browsing the pipe selection and was in a "what the hell" mood - you know ... away from home and business had went really well ... so I picked it up. Boy! had I known how cooling Latakia and Oriental tobacco is, how tasteful the smoke. I remember as if it were yesterday, how I was constantly checking whether the pipe was still lit properly as I couldn't feel any heat that I was used to radiating from the briar and yet it kept producing mouthfuls of creamy smoke. My love for English blends was born. And even today, every time I fire up an English or Oriental I'm surprised how cool smoking Latakia is in comparison to say Virginia tobacco, which is my other love.

 

[sjfine]

A week? Geez, even at the worst I ever blistered my tongue it was only about 2 days before it was completely healed.

A year later, and I still have scars from my first week. I've healed, but I have physical evidence of my ignorance.

 

[flippinbird87]

Wow there are a bunch of good ideas here! Glad this is helping others! I got a 20 pack of nicotine gum and I am using that till the end of the week. I already have more taste sensations in one day without the pipe! I will be very careful about the Va/Per blends and sip them slowly when I return to the pipe on sunday.

 

[flippinbird87]

My sense of taste came back today. It was heavenly to be able taste the wonderfulness of pipe tobacco again! :puffpipe:

 

[yadan]

"I have an issue with because two blends I had a problem with both listed Turkish specifically among their ingredients."
Turkish should not cause any problems since it is among the mildest of tobaccos. I've smoked pure Turkish and I can testify to that!
I haven't suffered from tongue burn for years, but occasionally I feel "smoked out." A few hours break with some coffee or whisky provides an excellent restart. ::

 

[badbriar]

Citrus juice - especially grapefruit will help heal that quickly.

 

[badbriar]

another thing to try is opening the tin and then closing in in a sealed baggie for a month or two - give it time to 'mellow'. I had that happen with a freshly opened tin of 965 - bit me like a rabid dog. A month later and that pit bull was a little lap dog - nice and cool. 965 is my favorite now - have a Pete 305 dedicated to that blend.

bb

 

[captainbob]

Tonque-burn is not pleasant. Take a couple days off smoking the pipe and then consider a new or completely dry and rested pipe. Perhaps, consider a different blend before returning to your favotite go-to-blend. If your tongue is very burnt, you simply must give those tissues a chance to heal. Several days (at the most) will take care of that.

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