Expert: James Yee - 9/2/2009

Question
Hi James,

This evening I tried a cigar that's new to me, an Ashton VSG (6" x 44). After happily smoking it down to the nub I made one mistake. I tried to stand up. I found myself extremely dizzy, light-headed and somewhat nauseous for several hours. Before saying a word of this to my better half, she asked me what was wrong and said I looked "grey."

In the 3 months I've been enjoying premium cigars I've never experienced anything like this, nor do I want to again. My usual cigars are Hoyo Excalibur 1066 Dark Knight, El Rey del Mundo Reserva Salado and RyJ Vintage series, plus the occasional Cohiba Red-Dot thrown in for good measure.

Any idea what was different in this cigar versus those I've become accustomed to? What others (Cuban or not) may induce the same type of thing so I can give them a wide berth?

Thanks in advance!

Answer
Hi Peter,

Cigar sickness is temporary nausea (very short-term vomiting and feeling lightheaded) and people who get sick from cigars are often smokers that rush their cigar smoking, get irritated by the smoke, or inhaling the smoke (either intentionally or inadvertently) into their lungs.  

Regardless of the cigar brand or tobacco, cigar sickness is often caused by inadvertently inhaling the cigar smoke.  Here are some tips to reduce and eliminate cigar sickness:

-   Avoid getting smoke in your eyes or nose.  Smoke in your eyes is an irritant and not only can it ruin the moment but it can make you feel uncomfortable and might quicken your smoking pace. If you’re smoking short cigars, it’s harder to keep the smoke away from your eyes but if you sit back in a comfortable chair and lean your head back in a relaxing and reclining position, the smoke will waft upwards and away from your eyes.  Smoke getting into your nasal passage can cause your sinuses to “burn” and also make you cough from the irritation; possibly causing you to inhale a bit of smoke (accidentally).  

-   Don’t inhale.  Beginners and novices MUST follow this rule.  Cigar smoke is obviously stronger and much heavier than cigarette smoke so beginners and novice cigar smokers should not inhale the smoke.  Like getting smoke into your eyes, smoke getting into your lungs can be an irritant and make you feel uncomfortable and queasy.  This effect usually occurs only to beginners and the more cigars you smoke, the more you’ll be used to the smoke.  (Very experienced cigar smokers can and often inhale the cigar smoke as a way of tasting more of the cigar's flavours and strength.)

-   Take your time.   This is a very important rule.  Never rush a cigar when you smoke.  Puffing away on a cigar quickly can cause you to inadvertently intake cigar smoke into your lungs which is what will make you sick.  The majority of all the people I have met that have suffered from cigar sickness were “speed smokers” that liked to rush their cigars.  The general rule of thumb for novice smokers is to take one draw/puff per minute.  (Experienced smokers usually take 1 to 3 puffs per minute and large cigars such as double coronas can last as long as 2 hours.)  Smoking slowly will also allow the cigar to burn less hot which reduces the harsh flavours that can occur when you speed smoke.  The faster you smoke, the faster the harsh flavours develop.

-   Be relaxed.  Cigars are always more enjoyable when you’re in a relaxed mood or location.  If your stress level is high and you’re smoking a cigar in a rushed, tense pace, then the cigar will only add to your discomfort.  Find a good, quiet and relaxing moment to smoke your cigars.  Listen to some soothing music, sit on a patio deck or smoke after you’ve had a good meal.  Whenever or wherever you choose to smoke your cigar, be sure to be relaxed and you'll find that the time and your cigar will be more enjoyable.

-   Have a glass of ice water with your cigar.  Most cigar smokers tend to enjoy their cigars with a nice glass of scotch, cognac, rum or espresso to compliment the cigar but for novice smokers, a glass of ice-cold water will work wonders and make a cigar – no matter how strong it is – more enjoyable.  Taking one or two sips between draws/puffs will make a cigar feel less strong as the water cools your mouth and refreshes your palate.  As a result, you should be able to smoke an entire cigar without getting sick.

Again, if you smoke your cigar(s) in a calm mood and relaxed environment, your cigars will taste so much better and you’ll less likely get sick.

Hope this answers your question.  If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask.

Regards,
James