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The Nicotine Sickness Action Plan
When I first started smoking cigars and a while thereafter, I struggled with what smokers call "Nicotine Sickness". Most people have experienced it in one form or another, and unfortunately it can quickly turn a would-be cigar enthusiast off to the whole hobby. Here I will share some information to help cope with and avoid this unfortunate side-effect of a wonderful hobby. This is not intended to be a fool-proof plan and it will take some tweaking depending on your body size and tolerance, but I hope the tips help keep you enjoying cigars instead of regretting them.
1) Be mindful of the cigars you choose to smoke. You wouldn't give a glass of cask-strength whisky to a 100 pound woman, so why would you let a new or low-tolerance smoker have a Camacho? It is true that different cigars can have vastly different levels of nicotine, and you should pick your cigar accordingly. I know someone who got sick from a Drew Estate Java Maduro. Ask your local tobacconist or a knowledgeable friend for recommendations on a smoke with less nicotine. Don't be fooled by color - darker smokes don't necessarily have more nicotine, nor do Maduros. Also - don't mistake body for nicotine content. There are some light bodied cigars out there that have a ton of nicotine, and some medium to full bodied smokes that wouldn't hurt a fly. I have included a partial list of smokes at the bottom that a new smoker should generally stay away from, but rely on the advice of friends to select a stick suited to your particular tolerance. 2) Water It has been said over and over that you should drink something sweet if you are starting to experience nicotine sickness, but I have never see this to actually work. The best thing I have found to curb the effects of nicotine sickness, which are nausea, 'the shakes', dizziness, and pale color (among others), is water. As soon as you start to experience the symptoms of nicotine sickness, you would do well to drink (chug) ten to twelve ounces of water. Nicotine, as any other drug, circulates in your blood and the fastest way to decrease the side-effects is to dilute the drug with water. Water will absorb into your system much faster than a sugary drink and get to work in a matter of minutes. 2.5) Eat Something! I can't believe I forgot this one! (Thanks RX2010) Having something in your stomach will help buffer the effects. Doesn't necessarily matter what it is, but get a good meal in your belly before lighting up that stogie. 3) Don't nose smoke Indeed pushing some of the cigar's smoke out through your nose allows you to taste many more facets of the smoke, but the nicotine you get from a cigar is absorbed through your mouth's mucous membranes. These are pretty thick when compared to your nose's mucous membranes, and when you put smoke through your nose you are not only letting it pass over the extremely thin and blood filled membrane of your septum, but you are giving the smoke much more surface area through which to absorb. Its tempting, but don't do it! 4) Smoke outside Enjoy your cigar somewhere outside where you won't be sitting in the smoke and inhaling it constantly. Your lungs allow for nicotine to pass directly into your blood stream, which is why inhaling cigar smoke is such a bad idea for someone who does not have an insane nicotine tolerance. Just because a chain-smoking cigarette smoker can inhale a cigar doesn't mean you can or should. 5) Spit Gross, maybe, but spitting may be your best ally. There is nicotine dissolved in your spit, so before sipping water after every puff (which is advised) to cleanse your palate, hawk a little loogie on ground so you don't swallow your spit with the water and thus absorb the nicotine in your stomach. 6) Stop Smoking Finally, and probably most importantly, as soon as you start to feel sick, put your cigar down. I know that it is a shame to let a great cigar go to waste, but it certainly is better than huddling over the toilet and vomiting because you didn't want to let a great cigar go to waste. Nicotine takes a few minutes to absorb into your system through your mucous membranes and as such it will get worse before it gets better. This being the case - as soon as you feel woozy or nauseated, put the stick down. I would also suggest standing up every five minutes or so while you smoke to see if you are getting dizzy, which is hard to gauge sitting down. I hope this information is helpful and allows you to enjoy this fine hobby without regretting any part of it! -Mark Cigars to stay away from if you have a low nicotine tolerance: Anything by Camacho, Tatuaje, or Illusione Arturo Fuente Aņejo, Opus X, and Hemingway, Don Carlos Joya De Nicaragua Antaņjo and Celebracion 5 Vegas Black and Miami |
Re: The Nicotine Sickness Action Plan
Adding to that list is the Don Carlos Edicion de Anivarsario
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don't forget, EAT SOMETHING!
before, after, during. Food will help to quell the sickness |
Re: The Nicotine Sickness Action Plan
I like your advice... but sometime you just have to push through it!!!:ss
The first time it happened to me, Bobarian said "Now that you finished your 6X60 Camacho Triple Maduro you need something mild to smoke!!!":r |
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I found that taking a teaspoon of sugar helps or drink root beer as it has loads of sugar. Food in the tummy is the best way to help fend off the over buzz.
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If you start to get the feeling of Nicotine sickness, plain sugar is the quickest cure. Candy is ok, but a couple of spoons of straight sugar will get into the bloodstream quicker and will reduce the effects.
There are a couple of other smokes to stay away from on an empty stomach: LFD Double Ligero El Cobre Litto Gomez Diez-IMHO the strongest stick out there, particularly the Chisel. |
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BostonMark, I think this thread would be helpful for people to know the culprits that seem to get many of us. You listed a few and here are a few more:
http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=2752 |
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the 5 vegas miami has done me in before...
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An LGD Small Batch number 2 almost killed me and a sugar packet saved my life. |
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This needs to be a sticky. Funny, the SECOND Opus X I had had me a bit dizzy and as much as I hated to stop smoking it, I only managed to get thru 1/2 of it before I put it down for good. No point in making yourself sick, no matter how much the stogie costs. My 1st Opus didn't bother me. I guess it should be added, then, that you may experience different levels of discomfort(or lack thereof) with the same cigar smoked at different times.
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AWESOME. good post man
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I made it alive through a JdN and a Chisel, and I thought I could make it through an Opus. Boy was I wrong.
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Great post, should be mandatory for newbies to read.
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I got The Sickness last night with a Camacho Corojo Scorpion, and you wouldn't believe how quickly relief came when I dissolved a couple teaspoons of sugar on my tongue. Part of the nicotine sickness is lowered blood sugar, so there's merit to the sugar theory. I was even more relieved when I followed up with a big glass of water. So, for me, two teaspoons of sugar and a big glass of water does the trick, but I'd rather just have a full stomach and not go through all that in the first place :tu
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sugar, sugar, sugar...
Works every time... |
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Maybe Mary Poppins was talking about cigars too..... "Just a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down..."
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Re: The Nicotine Sickness Action Plan
You know none of those things really seem to influence why I get "nicotine sickness". However, probably the single biggest factor is how I smoke the cigar.
Specifically whether I smoke it fast or slow. The faster I smoke a cigar, the more likely that I'll get sick. For example, I've smoked LGD Chiesel, 601 Green, Tatuaje, etc... without any problems (and I always smoke my "strongest" cigar in the morning before breakfast and just with a cup of coffee) and I snork all my cigars these days. But the last time I did get sick (to the point where I was really, REALLY close to heaving) was with an Oliva V, which is hardly a heavy weight (medium/full in terms of strength), but because it was so damn tasty, I was puffing away at it. By the time I hit the 1/2 mark, I was feeling it. So #7 should be: Smoke at a slower pace. |
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Good info. Thanks for sharing.
I have never had any nicotine issues with the Hemingways, though. Actually consider them to be pretty tame. Those Litto Gomez Diez, though -- wow! I love 'em, but they are strong. |
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I think there is a little confusion surrounding the whole Nicotine Sugar relationship.
Although a quick hit of sugar will sometimes in some people help in the "Nicotine Sickness" it doesn't actually have a counteracting effect as some people believe. Nicotine actually causes reduced pancreatic activity which lowers the insulin released in your blood stream thereby causing increase glucose in the blood (temporary hyperglycemia). The best ways to counteract the hyperglycemia are some of the ways that the OP mentioned. Hydration and a good meal of complex carbs being the primary ones, both of which help to reduce the bodies need for insulin as a result of well balance cellular glucose. When you take something very sugary you are basically just masking one impact with another its kind of like taking a depressant to combat the effects of a stimulant, you essentially have two combating ailments in your body rather than balance. Hydration, Diet and Exercise are your best fighters of Nicotine Sickness of course followed by the OP's other points of reduced exposure (smoking outside, less strong cigar, stop smoking at onset of signs, water and spitting) If sugar works for you go for it, I am not suggesting it doesn't work for you I am just saying that it isn't a correction of the situation. Oh and apparently I read too much LOL |
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Great post: Sticky?
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Great post Fox! When I said sugar works, I didn't know that was why. But wouldn't that increase your blood sugar and worsen the problem (which is temporary hyperglycemia)?
Anyway, I'll be gulpin' water instead from now on :) |
Re: The Nicotine Sickness Action Plan
Very good advice!
Some people may be more sensitive to nicotine then others. I have found that you build up a tolerance over time. There were a few sticks I had to avoid when first starting, but now have no problem lighting up a strong cigar first thing in the morning before breakfast. |
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^100% Agreed, with all the above^ also add Juan Lopez Churchill (NC) |
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One other thing is don't drink Alcohol with your cigars if you are prone to getting "NicSick" Alcohol increases the permeability of oral mucosa and allows for greater absorption of nicotine.
Yet another vote for water, 90% of the time I have two drinks with me when I am smoking, lots of water and a cup of hot coffee. (Might as well add Cafeine to my nic hit :ss) |
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Start smoking on a full stomach and hopefully you won't have to do anything else.
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Thats funny you have 5Vegas Miami in there... thats the first, and only thank goodness, time I got light headed and woozy after a cigar!
I've got a camacho in my humi, I'll be ready for that one! :D |
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Smoke more...that's my action plan :ss
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I Always Keep Some Jelly Beans Around. Works Instantly For Me, Taken As Soon As I Feel Queasy!:tu
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I've yet to feel any sickness, although I'm still fairly new to the hobby, but I often experience a little buzz for a little while. Common sense always told me not to smoke on an empty stomach (same with drinking). I always drink a beer while smoking, usually big heavy beers. Those still have a good amount of residual sugar so that could offset the effects, but maybe not in the best way as previously mentioned. The only time it was worse than a buzz was when I scarfed down some Jimmy Johns right before some friends and I smoked. I really had to babysit because I felt if I kept smoking, it would just be downhill from there, and it kept going out. Granted I didn't have anything to drink, and it was a LFD Maduro Chisel. That could have had something to do with it. I usually smoke decent size maduros, definitely more than 1 puff a minute. I've never been a cigarette smoker by the way.
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great info
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Going to bed and sleeping for 8 hours worked for me after I smoked an insanely large ring gauge LFD double ligero. NOT fun.
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Do out of shape people get sick from nicotine faster or more often? Just curious. I've never seen it in that light and over a long period of time I've seen sugar releave symtoms of nicotine sickness the quickest, even if it doesn't actually flush the body and fix the damage like water does. I think at the time of sickness, people want a fast solution to cover the symtoms and to help keep their stomachs in check. Kind of like Malox for an ulcer. Sure it doesn't fix the problem, but it helps to get past the attack. |
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I recently smoked a JdN Antano Gran Consul and had to lie down and take a nap. Woke up and felt fine. Anothe rone that did it for me was a Perdomo Immenso 6x72. Smoked the whole damn thing and then threw up for the next three hours. Thanks for these great tips. They will come in handy.
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I definitely agree with smoking outside and spitting. I can smoke all day like that.
Illusione strong? :confused: definitely the LFD DL Chisel, that is a powerful smoke. |
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You definitely need to stop smoking and get lots of fluids in. The goal is to try and get the nicotine out of your body. However, if you are smoking and already dehydrated and didn't eat, a quick hit of glucose does work. |
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good read. already had this happen to me.
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I agree with the list of suggestions but snake hips and hoyohio are also correct! To immediately calm the nausea, let a teaspoon of sugar or a sugar cube dissolve in your mouth. Testers use this trick.
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FUnny but like all of the "Don't smoke these cigars if your a newbie" are favorites.
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One time I smoked a LFD DL and a JDN Antano1970 back to back and Orange Juice did the trick!
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Good thoughts, thanks for sharing. I usually like to enjoy a soda with a cigar, but also keep water close by as sometimes the soda sugar just builds up and becomes too much and the water is a good cleanser.
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I usually only feel the effects the next morning like a hangover, and water in copious amounts tends to stave it off for me.
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