Expert: James Yee - 4/6/2009

Question
I have been feeling a little nauceaous and light headed from smoking ....
My question is : have you ever heard of this lasting for a few days because I
"think" it might in my case. I only like excellent cigars..padron 1926, opus x
super belicoso. These are obviiously full cigars but again does a few days make
sense.. I hope you can answer this as I LOVE to smoke cigars...thanks

Answer
Hi Bruce,

Cigar sickness (ie: nausea, feeling light-headed, vomiting) has been known to usually last only a day so I'm not sure why you're experiencing it for so long.  How many cigars do you smoke in a day?  I'm not a doctor so I can't give medical advice or a proper diagnosis but what you should try is to cut down on smoking. If you're smoking several cigars a day, try smoking one or two; the fewer, the better.  Cigar Sickness can also occur when you inhale - either inadvertently or purposely - cigar smoke so try not to inhale when you smoke.  Getting smoke in your eyes or smoking on an empty stomach can also make you feel queasy.

When you do smoke, take your time and enjoy a glass of ice water with your cigar.  Cold water will keep your palate refreshed, prevent your mouth from being dry and just make you feel more invigorated.  Also, smoke slowly and don't rush your cigar.  Smoking too fast will cause the cigar to burn hotter and taste more bitter which can make you sick.

If you cut back on cigars and continue to feel nauseous, see your doctor immediately for a proper diagnosis as your symptoms could be something that not's related to cigars.

Here's an article from Don Enrique de Montealto at the "How to Smoke a Cigar" blogspot (great blog on cigar smoking) that discusses cigar sickness.  It also quotes some of my tips for avoiding and treating cigar sickness. :)

http://howtosmokeacigar1.blogspot.com/2008/04/how-to-smoke-cigar-and-not-get-sic...

Hopes this helps. If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James