7 Side Effects of Nicotine Pouches

Nicotine pouches’ side effects are both short term and long term. It really depends on your body’s tolerance to nicotine and how much nicotine you consume. Some people have a naturally higher tolerance to nicotine. But even when your tolerance to nicotine is higher it is important to keep in mind the dangers of nicotine pouches. 

Seven side effects of using nicotine pouches are:

1. Nausea: a feeling of sickness or discomfort in the stomach that may come with an urge to vomit.
2. Headache: a continuous pain in the head.
3. Dizziness: a sensation of spinning around and losing one’s balance.
4. Hiccups: sudden movements of the diaphragm or repeated spasms that you cannot control.
5. Sore mouth: common ailments that can appear on the soft tissues of your mouth.
6. Addiction to nicotine: a situation where physical and psychological factors make it difficult for a person to stop using nicotine, even if the person wants to quit.
7. Gums irritation: having painful gums due to the acidity of nicotine pouches. Irritation of gums leads to gum inflammation.

Keep in mind that using nicotine pouches has long term side effects. The best thing for your health would be not to use any nicotine products. In the following question’s answers, you can read more about the side effects of nicotine pouches.

1. Nausea

Nausea is defined as a feeling of sickness or discomfort in the stomach that may come with an urge to vomit. Nausea usually lasts for a few hours. When it lasts for longer than 24 hours then you should contact a doctor. When you have nausea try to stay hydrated with clear liquids and avoid fatty or spicy foods. Local pharmacies will sell some over the counter remedies for nausea. 

2. Headache

Headache is defined as a continuous pain in the head. It usually lasts for a few hours. When it lasts for two days you should contact a doctor. To ease the headache you can rest, drink water or get some painkillers from the pharmacy. 

3. Dizziness

Dizziness is defined as a sensation of spinning around and losing one’s balance. Dizziness from using nicotine pouches usually lasts for up to a few hours. In case of dizziness lasting longer you should contact your healthcare professional. Dizziness can be relieved by over the counter medicine from the pharmacy. 

4. Hiccups

Hiccups are defined as sudden movements of the diaphragm or repeated spasms that you cannot control. Hiccups last for up to a few hours. If they last any longer than you should contact a doctor. Long term hiccups lead to tiredness and loss of weight. To ease the hiccups, you can try different traditional methods: drink water, hold your breath for 30 seconds or eat something light. Hiccups can be annoying but usually they are minor and pass quickly.

5. Sore Mouth

Sore mouth is defined as common ailments that can appear on the soft tissues of your mouth (Healthline, 2023). Sore mouth usually lasts for 1 to 2 weeks and is relatively mild. If it lasts any longer then you should contact a doctor. When you have a sore mouth try to avoid acidic foods (tomatoes, lime) and drinks (coffee, margarita) because it will make the mouth even sorer. You should also avoid spicy foods and drinks for the same reason. You can buy some medicine from your local pharmacy for the sore mouth. 

6. Addiction to Nicotine

Addiction to nicotine is defined as a situation where physical and psychological factors make it difficult for a person to stop using nicotine, even if the person wants to quit. The effects of nicotine addiction on the body are that the user’s body craves for the release of feel-good hormones and mentally the person consciously desires for nicotine’s effects. Nicotine addiction will last until a person successfully stops using nicotine products. You should contact a healthcare professional when you have nicotine addiction. They will help you find the best way to overcome nicotine addiction.

7. Gums Irritation

Gums irritation is defined as having painful gums due to the acidity of nicotine pouches. Irritation of gums leads to gum inflammation. Untreated gum inflammation leads to inflammation in soft tissues and bone that keeps your teeth firmly anchored. Untreated inflammations lead to eventual teeth loss. The length of the treatment of gum irritation depends on the severity of the irritation. When you have gum irritation, avoid acidic and spicy foods as well as drinks. Eating spicy and acidic food would hurt your gums even more. There are some over the counter remedies you can use to ease the pain. But you should make an appointment with a dentist so gum irritation would not lead to some more serious disease. Nicotine pouches are bad for your gums and the best thing for the gums would be not to use nicotine pouches.

What is a Nicotine Pouch?

Nicotine pouch is a small, white pouch that contains nicotine. Nicotine pouches contain nicotine, sweeteners, flavorings, fillers, and stabilizers. Nicotine pouch is used by placing it in your mouth between the lip and the gum (parking). You keep it in your mouth for 20 to 45 minutes. Then it is extremely important to dispose of the nicotine pouch in a designated trash bin. Nicotine pouches are dangerous for children and animals. It is essential that you keep nicotine pouches out of reach of children and animals. Nicotine pouches contain nicotine and that makes them highly addictive. The best thing for your health is to avoid using nicotine-containing products. In the following question’s answer, you can read about what does a nicotine pouch do.

Read more about Nicotine Pouches.

What does a Nicotine Pouch do?

Nicotine pouch delivers nicotine to your body. Nicotine is a stimulant and anxiolytic drug. Nicotine is a CNS (central nervous system) stimulant and has both stimulatory and depressant effects on the autonomic ganglia. Nicotine makes the person more alert and relieves anxiety simultaneously. When nicotine is consumed it produces a short-term surge of endorphins in the reward circuits of the brain that leads to a slight, brief euphoria. That surge is much more short-lived than the “high” associated with other drugs. Nicotine is the type of drug that makes your brain feel good while using it and that leads to the longing of using it again- it is extremely addictive. Repeated usage changes your body’s sensitivity to dopamine and leads to changes in other brain circuits connected with learning, stress, and self-control. Nicotine pouch brings you both alertness and relaxes at the same time. Nicotine is a highly addictive drug and the best thing for your health would be to avoid all nicotine containing products. In the next question’s answer, you can find out how much nicotine do nicotine pouches contain.

How much Nicotine do Nicotine Pouches contain?

Nicotine pouches contain between 0 – 60 mg of nicotine per gram.  In order to find out how much nicotine one pouch contains you need to multiply the weight of the pouch with the strength (nicotine mg/g). For example, Velo Ice Cool Strong contains 14 mg of nicotine per g and one pouch weighs 0,7 g. That means one Velo Ice Cool Strong nicotine pouch contains 9.8 g of nicotine. It is important to know how much nicotine one nicotine pouch contains to make sure you do not consume too much nicotine and get nicotine poisoning. In the next question’s answer, you can find out if nicotine pouches are safer than smoking.

Read more about What is Nicotine?

Are Nicotine Pouches safer than smoking?

Yes, nicotine pouches are safer than smoking. The main cause of nicotine related illnesses is tobacco and burnt smoke. Nicotine pouches contain no tobacco or burnt smoke. In addition, when you use nicotine pouches then there is no second-hand smoking. So, nicotine pouches are safer both for users and bystanders. But the answer to the question “Are nicotine pouches safe?” is no. Nicotine pouches still contain nicotine that is a highly addictive substance. The best thing for your health is not to consume any substances that contain nicotine.

Are Nicotine Pouches Better than vaping?

Yes, nicotine pouches are better than vaping. Inhaling vaping vapor leads to respiratory injuries – bronchitis. Since there is no vapor with nicotine pouches you avoid these risks to your lungs. In addition, vaping vapor has more than 20 harmful chemicals that you inhale that lead to different illnesses (vape sickness for example). Nicotine pouches are better when it comes to nicotine pouches vs vaping. But nicotine pouches contain nicotine that is highly addictive and the best thing for your health would be to avoid all products that contain nicotine. In the following question’s answer, you can read about the differences between nicotine pouches and chewing bags.

Read more about What is Vape?

Are Nicotine Pouches the same as chewing bags?

No, nicotine pouches are not the same as chewing bags. Chewing bags contain tobacco and nicotine pouches do not contain any tobacco. Due to that chewing bags stain teeth and nicotine pouches do not. Chewing bags can be chewed on a little bit, their packaging is stronger. Nicotine pouches are not meant to be chewed, their package is not as strong and thick as nicotine pouches. Chewing bags have a more robust flavor than nicotine pouches. Both nicotine pouches and chewing bags contain nicotine and are highly addictive.

Read more about Chewing Bags.

How to Reduce the Side Effects of Nicotine Pouches?

You can reduce the side effects of nicotine pouches by following these steps. Firstly, drink plenty of water. Your metabolism will slow down with dehydration. The faster the metabolism is the faster your body will work through the effects of nicotine pouches. Secondly, eat foods rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants combat the effects of nicotine. Thirdly, exercise regularly. Regular exercising will speed up your metabolism so the side effects will pass faster and are milder. Fourthly, relax and rest. Body that is rested and relaxed will combat the side effects of nicotine pouches better. The best thing for avoiding side effects of nicotine pouches is using them less or not at all. In the following question’s answer, you can find out how many nicotine pouches per day are safe.

How many Nicotine Pouches per day is safe?

The number of nicotine pouches that is safe per day depends on your body weight and tolerance. The amount of nicotine that is safe is less than 0.22 mg per lb. any more than that will cause nicotine poisoning. When your weight is 11 stone/166 lbs. (75 kg) and you use 12 mg/g nicotine pouches with a weight of 0.7 g per pouch, then the maximum pouches you should use per day is between 13 and 27 depending on your tolerance of nicotine, metabolism and hydration level. It is always a smart choice to use the smallest number – 1 as the maximum amount of nicotine pouches you can consume per day. So, to answer the question “How many hits of Nicotine a day” you need to do the calculations based on your weight and the nicotine pouches you use. If you have any underlying heart issues avoid using any nicotine products. The safest thing for your health is not to consume any nicotine products. You can find out whether nicotine pouches cause cancer or not in the following question’s answer.

Read more about Nicotine Pouch Daily Consumption.

Do Nicotine Pouches cause cancer?

No, nicotine pouches do not cause cancer. Smokable tobacco products are directly linked with causing cancer. Nicotine pouches are smokeless and do not contain tobacco. When it comes to cancer then nicotine pouches have not been linked with causing cancer in any of the medical trials that have been published. There is no connection between nicotine pouches & cancer. Nonetheless, nicotine pouches contain nicotine and due to that are highly addictive. The best thing for your health would be to avoid using any products that contain nicotine.