Can You Overdose on Nicotine Pouches? How To Avoid the Risks

Nicotine pouches are among the safest ways to enjoy nicotine because they don’t contain most of the dangerous compounds from the tobacco plant. Even though nicotine isn’t carcinogenic, it can still cause several unpleasant side effects of varying intensity when consumed in unreasonable amounts.

So, can you overdose on nicotine pouches, and is there any risk of nicotine poisoning from nicopods? Find out everything you need to know in our concise analysis of the risks associated with nicotine overconsumption and learn how to avoid them.

Can You Get Nicotine Poisoning From Nicotine Pouches?

While it’s possible to overconsume nicotine pouches, the actual risk of getting acute nicotine poisoning is extremely low. Whether infused with synthetic nicotine or nic salts, nicopods have a controlled and gradual delivery system that eliminates the likelihood of ingesting too much nicotine—unless you take multiple nicopods at the same time or combine them with other nicotine sources like vapes.

Nicotine is an addictive, non-carcinogenic substance that can have some benefits when consumed in controlled amounts. It can relieve stress, improve focus, and enhance memory. Despite these potential benefits, nicotine is also a powerful neurotoxin that can cause severe poisoning if taken in large quantities within a short time.

Using nicopods that are too strong for your nicotine tolerance level may result in mild side effects, but they are extremely unlikely to progress into severe problems. Despite being unpleasant, these symptoms are easy to manage or avoid altogether if you respect your nicotine tolerance level and use nicotine pouches as intended.

Source: geralt

What Are the Symptoms of Nicotine Poisoning?

Nicotine poisoning is a potentially serious condition that can require urgent medical attention, depending on the severity of its symptoms. These symptoms come in two phases due to nicotine’s contrasting nature—acting as a stimulant in moderate amounts and as a depressor when taken excessively.

The first phase of nicotine poisoning is commonly referred to as nicotine sickness or feeling nic sick and typically occurs within 15 to 60 minutes after exposure. At first, you may feel lightheadedness, progressing to nausea and dizziness. If the symptoms persist, you may also start to sweat excessively and feel heaviness in your chest and stomach. After this, vomiting usually occurs as your body’s natural defense mechanism, typically marking the end of these symptoms.

Here’s a complete list of the most common reactions associated with nicotine sickness:

• Headache
• Dizziness
• Tremors
• Loss of balance
• Palpitations and elevated heart rate
• High blood pressure
• Fast and heavy breathing
• Excessive sweating
• Increased salivation
• Stomachache
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Although extremely rare when using nicotine pouches, nicotine sickness may progress into a more severe stage. This risk is especially high if children and pets ingest one or more nicopods because of their lower body weight and intolerance to nicotine. 

The symptoms of the second phase of nicotine poisoning typically occur 30–120 minutes after exposure, manifesting as:

• Shallow breathing
• Low heart rate
• Low blood pressure
• Fatigue and weakness
• Pale skin
• Diarrhea
• Seizures
• Respiratory failure
• Coma

If you suspect any symptoms of late-stage nicotine poisoning, contact a healthcare professional or Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 as soon as possible for further advice and treatment.

How Long Do the Symptoms of Nicotine Poisoning Typically Last?

The duration of nicotine poisoning symptoms depends on the level of exposure. In case of mild exposure, they typically subside within a few hours. In more severe cases, the symptoms can persist between 18 and 24 hours, based on the level and the duration of exposure to this substance.

Source: Nathan Langer

How Much Nicotine Can Be Fatal?

Scientists haven’t yet reached a consensus on the amount of nicotine that constitutes a lethal dose. According to the CDC, an oral dose of 50–60 mg per kilogram of body weight is sufficient to kill a person. 

According to more recent findings, the dose of nicotine that is lethal to a human being is lower than previously thought. These fatal toxicity levels range between 0.5 g and 1 g altogether, which roughly equates to 6.5–13 mg per kilogram of body weight.

Source: SnusBoss

Could Overuse of Nicotine Pouches Lead to a Fatal Outcome?

Despite having the highest nicotine absorption rate of up to 50%, which makes them more efficient than cigarettes, chewing tobacco, dip, and regular snus, nicotine pouches deliver a nicotine amount that falls well below the safety limits. Nicotine pouches deliver a controlled amount of nicotine and would require extreme overconsumption within a short period to become fatal.

Depending on which thresholds of lethal nicotine doses are taken into account, you would need to consume between 20 and 160 nicotine pouches containing 6 mg of nicotine within a relatively short period to even come close to these unsafe limits. This extreme rate of nicopod consumption is practically impossible since it would quickly cause gastric distress and trigger a vomiting response.

Nicotine Pouches—Potential Side Effects

While not lethal, excessive nicopod consumption may result in several side effects, such as:

1. Headache
2. Nausea and vomiting
3. Sweating
4. Elevated heart rate and blood pressure
5. Acid reflux
6. Hiccups
7. Gum irritation
8. Sore throat
9. Diarrhea

Source: Andrea Piacquadio

Headache

Experiencing a headache after using a nicotine pouch is one of the most common symptoms of nicotine overconsumption. Similar to caffeine, nicotine has vasoconstrictive properties, which can reduce the normal flow of blood and oxygen to the brain. This may result in headaches, which are typically mild and eventually subside on their own. 

If the headaches persist, consider using nicopods less frequently or switching to milder pouches.

Vomiting From Nicotine Pouches

The feeling of nausea that culminates in vomiting in some cases is another common symptom of nicotine overconsumption. It’s your body’s natural way of defending itself from too much nicotine.

If you start feeling nauseous after taking a nicotine pouch, immediately stop using it and drink plenty of fluids to help your body expel the excess nicotine. Then, switch to low-strength nicopods and gradually start increasing their strength until you find the ideal nicotine level that your body can tolerate.

Sweating After a Nicotine Pouch

Nicotine is a powerful stimulant that causes a rush of norepinephrine and epinephrine (stress hormones) through your bloodstream, stimulating your sympathetic nervous system. This may cause increased sweating, which is your body’s biological response to nicotine. While this may also be a sign of early-stage nicotine poisoning, sweating is typically associated with increased levels of stress hormones in your body.

Source: SHVETS production

Elevated Heart Rate and Blood Pressure

Increased heart rate and blood pressure are also a reaction to the stimulative effects of norepinephrine and epinephrine. Your cardiovascular system may temporarily accelerate, but this typically isn’t a cause for concern, provided you don’t suffer from issues such as:

• Hypertension
• Obstructive arterial disease
• Aortic aneurism
• Stroke

Acid Reflux

Acid reflux, or heartburn, is a relatively benign symptom caused by your gastric juices temporarily rising into your lower esophagus. When swallowed, nicotine can relax the muscles in your esophageal sphincter, causing your stomach acid to flow up.

If you start regularly experiencing heartburn after using nicotine pouches, try doing the following:

• Switch to milder nicotine pouches
• Start taking OTC antacids or acid reducers
• Lie down flat with the upper part of your body slightly raised

Hiccups

Experiencing hiccups after a nicotine pouch is relatively common and not a cause for concern. These hiccups, which usually pass after a few minutes, happen because nicotine stimulates the phrenic nerve, resulting in involuntary spasms of the diaphragm muscles.

Gum Irritation

When parked under the lip, nicopods create an alkaline environment that increases nicotine uptake. While not directly a nicotine-related issue, these alkaline pH levels may irritate the gums, causing redness, swallowing, and soreness.

To prevent these issues, regularly change pouch placement, using alternate sides of your mouth for every session. Additionally, make sure that your pouches sit firmly in place. This reduces friction and minimizes the risks of potential abrasions and chafing. 

Sore Throat

Besides its vasoconstrictive and stimulative effect, nicotine is also an irritant, which can cause soreness when it comes into contact with the delicate lining of the throat. If you start experiencing throat soreness, try spitting out nicotine pouch drip instead of swallowing it. If that doesn’t give you relief, consider using less potent nicopods.

Nicotine Pouches and Diarrhea

Nicotine affects the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls your body’s digestive tract. This could trigger a laxative effect, which could result in diarrhea in some users, especially when ingested in higher doses. 

Since this symptom becomes more intense as the nicotine levels rise, choosing milder pouches should ease your discomfort.

Nicotine Pouches—How Many Is Too Many?

It’s a difficult question to answer since nicotine habits and tolerance vary from one person to another. Most nicotine pouch users tend to go through about half a can or somewhere between 8–12 nicopods daily. Still, this is only a rough estimate since some occasional users can get by with only a few nicotine pouches while others need an entire can to keep their cravings at bay.

You should consider several factors when deciding on the optimal number of pouches, such as your:

1. Nicotine tolerance—As you continue to use nicotine regularly, your body becomes accustomed to it and may require larger doses. Beginners with low nicotine tolerance should start with light pouches to avoid overconsumption. Experienced users may use nicotine pouches with higher nicotine content more frequently.
2. Overall health—Your general health plays a significant role when determining how many pouches you should use. Age and weight can affect how quickly you metabolize nicotine, potentially influencing your tolerance and usage frequency. Likewise, any acute or chronic condition requires extra caution. Pay close attention to the signals your body’s giving you, and adjust your nicotine pouch usage accordingly.
3. Frequency of use— While some consumers prefer to take nicopods only in certain situations or when they feel a craving, others enjoy them regularly. Your previous nicotine habits determine the number of nicopods you’ll use throughout the day.
4. Session duration—The duration of your nicotine pouch sessions determines how much nicotine you intake. Most nicotine pouches are designed to give you a continuous stream of nicotine and flavor that lasts between 30 and 60 minutes. Shorter sessions will likely lead to more frequent nicotine pouch use throughout the day and vice versa.

Source: juan mendez

How To Determine the Optimal Nicopod Strength?

Nicotine pouches come in various strengths that cater to different types of users. Check out the table below to see how they relate to your previous nicotine habits:

How To Avoid Feeling Sick After a Nicotine Pouch?

Pay attention to these recommendations to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience with nicotine pouches and eliminate the risk of taking too much nicotine:

• Start at low strengths—Start by using pouches with a lower nicotine level. If you find that you need stronger nicopods, slowly increase their strengths until you find a level that works best for you.
• Monitor your daily consumption—Keep track of how many nicopods you use during the day to manage your daily nicotine intake and try to stay consistent. Be extra careful if you use more than one nicotine product to make sure you don’t overstep your limit.
• Don’t use more than one pouch—Never use multiple nicopods at the same time. If your current pouches are too weak, get stronger ones instead.
• Properly pace yourself—Don’t use nicotine pouches back-to-back. Always make one- to two-hour breaks in between to give your body enough time to metabolize the nicotine.
• Stay hydrated—Drinking plenty of liquids helps your body process nicotine faster and replenishes the fluids that were lost during your nicotine session.
• Use high-quality products—Always buy your nicopods from reputable vendors that guarantee a reliable and consistent experience with their products.

Get the Best EU-Made Nicotine Pouches at SnusBoss

SnusBoss is a reliable online vendor of premium nicopods. It’s led by a team of experts with over a decade of experience in bringing you the best nicotine products on the market. The store offers a wide selection of the most popular EU nicotine pouch brands, which deliver richer flavor, more moisture, and a stronger buzz than most domestic products.

The FDA’s decision to classify all nicotine pouches as tobacco products negatively impacted U.S. manufacturers. It required them to undergo complex pre-market evaluations, which discouraged them from developing their products. Unaffected by this regulation, European brands gained a competitive advantage that put them miles ahead of the competition.

Check out the table below to see the full selection of excellent brands waiting for you at SnusBoss:

Placing an order at SnusBoss is as easy as it gets:

1. Visit the online store
2. Select your desired brand, strength, and flavor
3. Fill out your shipping and billing details

Choose express delivery at checkout to have your order delivered in 2–3 business days. All orders above $249 come with free shipping.

Featured image source: geralt