First I wanted to day thanks for welcoming me to the group. I got two things I wanted to mention. First, is menthol snuffs. I used to love poschl apricot and then many others. They used to clear me up and feel refreshing. Now they seem to actually cause small sinus blockage. Is this common? Secondly, now I use bernard postillion almost exclusively and sometimes mix it with some sternecker to make it not so strong. I like postillion a lot. Are there others similar to it that anyone would recommend?
Bernard Zwiefacher and Klostermischung but in a funny way I think SWS Mull of Oa is also similar because it is a moist-ish base with an excellent scotch whiskey aroma, you may also want to give Braniff Whiskey a spin.
@outlaw, I really can’t abide strong menthol, so I don’t speak from personal experience. However, a lot of people talk about the “menthol rebound effect”, with it clearing sinuses at first but then leaving you more blocked than ever. Personally, I find the White Indians (Dholakia White and White Elephant, mainly) to be the perfect decongesting snuff. Dragun, which has a bit of pepper and chili in it, also does a pretty good job.
Thanks ivan and jakarta. I am waiting on an order of abraxas cafe11 and some sws havana toast so I think maybe those are similar to your recommendations.
Never tried the whites but one of those will be on my next order.
I agree with @JakartaBoy, the whites wipe everything out of your nose and let it free and strong to keep on breathing with ease, and Dragün throws every debris to the sink, but they’re not for the faint of heart. 6 Photo Special and Kailash are also pretty good. And don’t worry, the same thing happened for me with the Pöschls, but I think it’s due to oiling and grind rather than medication.
By the way, @outlaw, the Cafe11 is a great snuff, but it’s really cloggy. Havana Toast is another excellent snuff, but also quite cloggy, for a toast. Worth the minor inconvenience, though!
@Jakartaboy mentioned the rebound effect, and that’s probably what you’re running into. Menthol in snuff is a lot like the active ingredients in over-the-counter nasal sprays…the immediate affect is to clear you up, but eventually the tissue will swell in response, leaving you more clogged than before (and then MORE menthol to clear you back up, which makes the problem WORSE, and the cycle continues).
@Jakartaboy mentioned the rebound effect, and that’s probably what you’re running into. Menthol in snuff is a lot like the active ingredients in over-the-counter nasal sprays…the immediate affect is to clear you up, but eventually the tissue will swell in response, leaving you more clogged than before (and then MORE menthol to clear you back up, which makes the problem WORSE, and the cycle continues).
I really LOVE Hedges, but yes, it does open things up, then the sinuses close again. I use saline nasal spray to clean out when this happens. Whether the hassle is worth it is a personal decision (I vote YES!).
True menthol is a derivative of peppermint oil, but it can also be synthesized. Chemically classified as a secondary alcohol, menthol is meant to be inhaled as a vapor, as such it doesn’t have the clogging effect that direct application has, as with snuff to mucous membranes in the nose, sinus, etc. The clearing effect is from the menthol acting as a vasoconstrictor, shrinking all the wee tiny capillaries. The rebound is from the constriction relaxing after the menthol dissipates. The caffeine in coffee can do the same to your temples; when it goes away, you get a screaming headache. Same principle. Eucalyptus and Camphor have a clearing effect but without the rebound unless overdone. With synthetic menthol it doesn’t take much and the effect is usually immediate. YMMV. Nigel is the only person I can think of that knows how to use this stuff without it killing me.