Adverse reaction (Chemical burns on tongue) from a new pipe?

[Dreadgerbil]

So, I've been a briar and cob man as far as most of my pipes are concerned. I used to have a lovely meerschaum when I was a teenager and liked it a lot until it got broken.

I bought a new meerschaum for a steal at a low end tobacco and booze store last week. It was mid quality meer, not the deep minded stuff but not the compressed and glued stuff either. The first couple of smokes were beautiful and very enjoyable.

However, the last two times I've smoked it, using the same tobacco which I've never had issues with, my tongue felt like someone took a grater and vinegar to it the next day.
Seriously, my whole tongue just hurts. I've never experienced anything like this.

Does anyone know of anything that may have caused it? could there have been a layer which got exposed after a few smokes which I just react badly to? I'd like to save the pipe if I can, but I'm not averse to giving it to a fellow brother if it's just not something I can really enjoy safely.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Certain pipes just don't work with certain tobacco. The bowl size, draft hole opening, even the inner shape of the bit opening where it meets the mouth can deliver smoke in specific ways. Hell, I have pipes that work great with one tobacco, and one tobacco only. Also, I find new pipes change the approach and psychology to the smoking ritual itself. Like an excited little kid, we entertain ourselves with the new toy with high expectations, and play a little too roughly--our tongue can be the victim. Sear (too hot) and bite (chemical) being the result in most cases.

I haven't ruled out that these meerschaum pipes might be of lower quality than indicated--I've seen a lot of no-name meerschaum pipes that could be made of anything. There's no real rules or standards that I'm aware of that says imported pipes must be made from such-and-such quality of this-and-that meerschaum. It could be cow bone with epoxy. :lol:

8)

 

[TheSmokeamater]

Based on the info you presented here. My advice is to throw it in the trash.

 

[Dreadgerbil]

Well, I have to say, in all my years of pipe smoking I've had a few bites and burns and always known early on if I needed to use a different tobacco or smoke more slowly etc.
At this point I may have to take the pipe back into the store and complain. (I'm pretty sure that this pipe is not the level or Meerschaum it was marked as.)
My whole mouth is raw; Tongue, cheek lining, everything. It hurts to eat or even drink a glass of water. It's like I decided to gargle with aftershave and burned everything inside my mouth.
Pretty miserable and I can't enjoy any other pipes while I wait for it to heal.

I'm really quite disappointed.

 

[TheSmokeamater]

Well, I have to say, in all my years of pipe smoking I've had a few bites and burns and always known early on if I needed to use a different tobacco or smoke more slowly etc.
At this point I may have to take the pipe back into the store and complain. (I'm pretty sure that this pipe is not the level or Meerschaum it was marked as.)
My whole mouth is raw; Tongue, cheek lining, everything. It hurts to eat or even drink a glass of water. It's like I decided to gargle with aftershave and burned everything inside my mouth.
Pretty miserable and I can't enjoy any other pipes while I wait for it to heal.

I'm really quite disappointed.

Good God! If it's as bad as all that I would seriously consider seeing a doctor. I am concerned for you. The soft tissue of the mouth is a gateway to the blood stream. Also nature has made our bodies inclined to heal irritations and wounds in that area rapidly so we don't starve while affected there.

Take care,
Rich

 

[Rob_In_MO]

Based on the info you presented here. My advice is to throw it in the trash.

Nah - don't trash it, just take it back. Worst case, sell it cheap on eBay. (As-Is, No Returns) :twisted:

 

[Dreadgerbil]

I set up a doctor's appointment so I can get it checked out. I sometimes get mouth ulcers so I'm not ruling out that this is some kind of really bad attack, but it definitely seems to be linked to the pipe itself.
I'll be back on track by tomorrow, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. I don't want to be the guy who ends up losing half his jaw.

 

[desertpiper]

Some low end meerschaum's are made meerschaum tailings and binders. The heat from lighting and smoking might be reacting with the binders. Who knows what there using.

 

[Growley]

I wonder if you had some sort of allergic reaction or something. I know there are pipe makers who make pipes out of alternative wood sources, not taking into consideration the toxicity levels of certain wood types. Some cause allergic reactions. It could be a similar thing.

I hope you heal soon.

Brian.

 

[TheSmokeamater]

Based on the info you presented here. My advice is to throw it in the trash.

Nah - don't trash it, just take it back. Worst case, sell it cheap on eBay. (As-Is, No Returns) :twisted:

Yeah. He could try to take it back. He mentioned he bought it at a "low end tobacco and booze store". Based on those six words I'm not particularly confident Derdgerbil will get much satisfaction. You never know though.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

I wonder if you had some sort of allergic reaction or something. I know there are pipe makers who make pipes out of alternative wood sources, not taking into consideration the toxicity levels of certain wood types. Some cause allergic reactions. It could be a similar thing.

I hope you heal soon.

Brian.

Yeah, like purpleheart and rosewood... :scratch: ...although I hear olive wood is also somewhat toxic and possibly an irritant, but are popularly used for pipes.

 

[gravel]

I was thinking about this recently while looking at meers. What was the outcome Dread?

 

[cigrmaster]

What type of tobacco was it? I cannot smoke McClellend virginia's and also blends with a big proportion of red virginia's. I get an acid burn on my tongue the minute the smoke hits it. It is my body chemistry, it has nothing to do with those blends. It may be that the alkalinity in your body has changed and this could be a cause.