What Does Tongue Bite Feel Like?

[bnichols23]

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........

 

[pipestud]

Wu wiw know wen wu du.

 

[sandollars]

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..

 

[hauntedmyst]

Imagine taking a sander to your tongue and then trying to sooth it with ghost pepper hot sauce.

 

[Parsimonious Piper]

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.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

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.

 

[anotherbob]

if you aren't sure yet, you can get a metal scouring pad and vigorsly scrub your tongue with it for about two minutes. Worst part is the inability to taste properly for a few hours.

 

[olkofri]

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]

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]

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

 

[Stickmaker1958]

Can be Worse than a hot chocolate burn. Depends on if you stop smoking for a day or two.

 

[nunnster]

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

 

[jmsmitty6]

Like I made out with an operational belt sander

 

[mso489]

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.

 

[luigi]

It's unpleasant but still much better than a hangover.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Yes, 'bite' is a misnomer, but it has been made far too common that it's too late to get pedantic about it.

A bit like calling flavored tobaccos "aromatic".

 

[olkofri]

A bit like calling flavored tobaccos "aromatic".

Yeah, quite a number of VAs actually have a nice aroma.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Yeah, quite a number of VAs actually have a nice aroma.

Straight Orientals can be potpourri.

 

[Cj dawe]

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

 

[ontheroadagain]

Newbies,take my word, you better keep away from smoking Mc Barens Virginia nro 1 and Scottish Mixture for the few first months

Yep, but if you can learn to go slow and real easy on the draw it'll be ok, even with the infamous Mac Baren blends.