What Does Tongue Bite Feel Like?

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bnichols23

Lifer
Mar 13, 2018
4,131
9,554
SC Piedmont
On a hot summer day, the sun flaying the flesh into red meat, a pipe full of Virginia #1, puffing as the exertion of stacking bricks makes my heart race, and I reach for an ice cold Mt Dew... sip... burn, the eyes fill up with tears and the wave of pain works its way out your arms and legs. it's not bad... at times, it can even feel kinda, I wouldn't say good... maybe an experience.

Tongue Burn is different. I actually split my tongue down the center in the beginning. It's not just a chemical thing. It is a mixture of steam, heat, and acid. I cooked my sinuses also when I split my tongue. I couldn't smoke for a month, and I was gargling with aloe juice several times a day. That royally sucked.

Owwwwwwww........
 
I have never experienced thermal burning of my tongue with a pipe but I have most definitely experienced chemical burns on the tongue. As others have said, the Aromatics can be brutal but if you dry them out, it softens the effect however, it also makes the aromatic lose some of its flavors so it's a Catch-22.

I highly recommend a slower cadence, Drink frequent sips of water, if you develop moisture in your pipe while smoking, get out a pipe cleaner and clear it. If it gets in your bowl, the results can be painful on your tongue. The dryer the smoke the less propensity the chemicals will react with your tongue.

Oh, and don't smoke if you already have a canker sore from nuts or melons or ??. I learned that one the hard way too. It takes forever to heal..
 
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Parsimonious Piper

Can't Leave
Oct 12, 2019
324
898
Usually get bitten when I go over 4 bowls on a weekend day. Weekdays I only have a chance for a bowl in the morning and sometimes another after work. Never bites when I don’t overdo it.
 
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Reactions: Casual
Jan 28, 2018
12,952
134,607
66
Sarasota, FL
I can get a bit of a chemical bite from Latakia blends. I'm not sure of the details or why it works but rubbing a bit of apple cider vinegar on my tongue, on these occasions, seems to negate the chemical reaction. As mentioned, Biotene helps but is by no means a complete cure. I speculate the primary thing Biotene does is help stimulate saliva production. If the burn is bad enough, use one of the off the shelf topical ointments to relieve the burn. Gargling with some salt water and/or some baking soda rinse can help with a Virginia blend burn (most common and is likely due to the acidity of the Virginia).

As most often said, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you have a chemical reaction to a certain blend, avoid it. Dry your tobacco. Use a pipe cleaner to soak up moisture before it can turn to steam. Smoke slower.
 
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olkofri

Lifer
Sep 9, 2017
8,033
14,644
The Arm of Orion
Yes, 'bite' is a misnomer, but it has been made far too common that it's too late to get pedantic about it.

Still, it's best to know the difference between real bite and tongue burn. Javan did the work for you: Tongue Bite vs Tongue Burn.

I hardly ever get bite, but last Sunday I was getting a very mild cramp half a bowl into MB's 7 Seas Black. It went away as soon as I stopped smoking.
 

sparrowhawk

Lifer
Jul 24, 2013
2,941
219
Awful. I was still learning to smoke a pipe, and selected Captain Black Gold when I experienced it. It's like your tongue was sandpapered, and I almost gave up pipe smoking because of it, thinking, "If pipe smoking causes this, forget it!" Then I discovered this forum, and learned that CB has a tendency to cause tongue bite. I tried a different tobacco, and the bite departed. These days I still smoke aros, like Q-1 or better still, Trout Stream, with no bite.
 

seanv

Lifer
Mar 22, 2018
2,958
10,405
Canada
Had it once but didn’t realize until I brushed my teeth that night. It burned and made my eyes water like crazy. It was terrible. Lesson learned
 

nunnster

Starting to Get Obsessed
Apr 17, 2019
141
62
Depends on how bad you gone and bit the ol tounge. It can range from a mild irritation with muted flavors from foods all the way to an uncomfortable, achey and swollen tounge that feels like pain and sandpaper in the mouth that takes a week or so to heal. Atleast that's what I've experienced
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Worst cases from premium holiday aromatic blend, likely from the flavoring. Stings and burns, and not just the tongue. Then when you brush your teeth with minty toothpaste, you get the worst of it again. When I went to non-aromatics, even fullest strength, the problem subsided or went away. Dryer tobacco is kinder too.
 
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Cj dawe

Lurker
Nov 3, 2019
7
6
Ive honestly never experienced it in 30 years ...but if any of my bowls start to get barky I usually slow myself down,and maybe lay it aside for a few minutes
 
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