Apologies for the long post.
I had an absolute monster of a tongue bite last December into January. Like, brutal. Here’s what I did, and now I get little to none.
First off, give yourself a break like folks have said. Let it heal — however long it takes until you don’t feel anything. Avoid booze, carbonated drinks, spicy food, and those “nuclear” toothpastes or mouthwashes (the deep clean stuff). You’re just adding more irritants to an already pissed-off tongue.
What helped me most was packing lighter. Pretty much every blend I smoke (except shag cut), I use a gravity fill with a light rub and press to settle the tobacco. I try to keep my tobacco on the dry side. Sometimes I still screw that up because I have the patience of a toddler, but when I do it right, it feels like paper not crusty or dusty and has just enough moisture to bounce back a little when squeezed.
I’ve also slowed my cadence way down. When pipe folks say “sip,” they aren’t kidding. That one change was huge for me. I just take small sips enough for a little mouthful of smoke hold it for a second, then release or retrohale. I get a ton more flavor that way. I also sip water every few puffs.
If the pipe goes out (and it will), I don’t relight right away. I let it sit a minute or two, then light back up. That’s my whole session cycle now.
Lately with aromatics, I’ve even been able to puff along without relighting as much. Had a bowl of Lane BCA the other night that was basically a nirvana smoke.
Once I’m done, I brush my teeth and use that product @ChasingEmbers posted about. Absolute game changer.