Nasal Inhalers - Very Popular

[No beleeeeve!]

The use of nasal inhalers isn’t something that’s a recent fad; Thais have been cramming these things in their sniffers for years but they aren’t the only ones. It’s just that many Thais seem to be more public about it, as they are with digging out nose goblins by picking and flicking.

It’s hard to imagine anyone could get any kind of a buzz from using these things. There seems to be a variety of reasons for why they are frequently used:

- Seeing others do it

- Provides some relief from congestion or dryness due to colds or allergies

- Menthol or eucalyptus smell that some people find pleasant or refreshing

- It can become a habit requiring more frequent use to get the effect

While they can provide some relief for nasal congestion or irritation, prolonged use can’t be all that good over long periods of time. As previously indicated, they could cause the lining of the nasal passages to deteriorate, which in turn could lead to greater reliance on the use of inhalers.

And inhaler tubes aren’t the only things that are used. Products like Vicks Vap-O-Rub, and a variety of other similar salves and ointments, are also used to achieve the same kind of results when the snot-locker becomes dry or clogged.

If it is habit requiring, a habit forming drug is involved. Smells are not so compelling.

People do not habitually suffer from nasal problems.

Seeing others do things is not so compelling as to make a taxi driver drive around with a tube up each nostril.

Stop apologizing for people - people are nuts. Get used to it, and make fun of them.

Good ol' Poy Sian inhalers are made of natural products, no illegal or addictive drugs. The input I received over the years from Thais is that the smell is pleasant, either by and of itself or because of the polluted air, mostly in Bangkok. I know when I spent a day in the city streets and I came home I had to blow m clogged nose and the tissue was filled with what can only be descibed as black crud. I started using a sniffer during the day and it was pleasant distraction. I still use them.

Some people enjoy chewing gum, some people sniff inhalers. It's nothing more complicated than that. The problem is when us Westerners apply Western stigmas of anyone sniffing something must be doing coke or something like that.

[AmeriThai]

If it is habit requiring, a habit forming drug is involved. Smells are not so compelling.

People do not habitually suffer from nasal problems.

Seeing others do things is not so compelling as to make a taxi driver drive around with a tube up each nostril.

Stop apologizing for people - people are nuts. Get used to it, and make fun of them.

Oh the shame of it all. Have you no sympathy for the afflicted?

Of course it’s a habit, although menthol and eucalyptus are probably not habit-forming drugs. More like people who crack their knuckles for no apparent reason. In this case they unconsciously cram a nasal inhaler up their beak without so much as batting an eye.

There is another possibility to this phenomenon though. Some of these people have what appears to be a tubular-shaped inhaler implanted and dangling from their nose but is some odd kind of growth that should be immediately seen and removed by a physician.

The taxi driver may fall into that category as an extreme example. Either that or he’s using two inhalers at once for time saving efficiency, which indeed is very compelling. Why use just one when two can get the job done twice as fast?

But as I stated, the other option to using the inhalers is to develop the knack and skill of picking and flicking. Best keep a close eye on the person standing next to or behind you, unless you prefer being a target.

[madmitch]

I went to a funeral in a village close to Chachoengsao. At the end all of the attendees were given an inhaler as a gift!

Very odd!

[toptuan]

My first month in Thailand, I was given a very expensive one as a gift--real silver casing, ornately adorned, shorter and thicker than the average inhalers.

I didn't know what it was for, so I kept it as a nic-nac on the shelf in my study.

A couple years later a Thai friend came over, opened it up, and stuck it up his nose. When I got over the shock of seeing my silver-encrusted souvenir stuck up my friend's nose, it dawned on me what I had been given.

So, yes, this Thai habit represents a major industry and covers the whole gamut from low-quality to "hi-so" models.

Toptuan, are you sure it was an expensive gift? There is a brand here that comes in a very ornate metal cylinder, looks like silver but is tin. More than the plastic ones, but not by much. I still see them for sale at some shops. Seems too nice for something that will be thrown away. Looks like your Thai friend recognized it right away.

Qual, methinks you've probably got the correct version. At the time, my fledgling Thai couldn't differentiate between "silver color" and "silver metal." Many months later, after my Thai friend used it every time he came over, I finally noticed it missing. Being a "very expensive" gift from a fellow teacher, I asked him about and was incensed at his response: "I threw it away," with a shrug of his shoulders. Apparently used up, worth little value, and tossed aside.

OK, I feel better now.

[jamman]

The

It’s hard to imagine anyone could get any kind of a buzz from using these things. There seems to be a variety of reasons for why they are frequently used:

- Seeing others do it

- Provides some relief from congestion or dryness due to colds or allergies

- Menthol or eucalyptus smell that some people find pleasant or refreshing

- It can become a habit requiring more frequent use to get the effect

While they can provide some relief for nasal congestion or irritation, prolonged use can’t be all that good over long periods of time. As previously indicated, they could cause the lining of the nasal passages to deteriorate, which in turn could lead to greater reliance on the use of inhalers.

Good ol' Poy Sian inhalers are made of natural products, no illegal or addictive drugs. The input I received over the years from Thais is that the smell is pleasant, either by and of itself or because of the polluted air, mostly in Bangkok. I know when I spent a day in the city streets and I came home I had to blow m clogged nose and the tissue was filled with what can only be descibed as black crud. I started using a sniffer during the day and it was pleasant distraction. I still use them.

Some people enjoy chewing gum, some people sniff inhalers. It's nothing more complicated than that. The problem is when us Westerners apply Western stigmas of anyone sniffing something must be doing coke or something like that.

Oh, ok. A previous poster mentioned that they contain methydrine, which would account for why some people say that they are habit forming, and I thought of a drug habit, rather than a pastime habit. I don't understand why menthol or eucalyptus would be habit forming. But like you say, maybe its just a diversion, like chewing gum.

Edited March 5, 2007 by jamman

[Austhaied]

It's to "kick start" the Thais brains.. Though I'm not sure that it works...

[kriswillems]

I love using these inhalers. When it's a hot day and I've to walk near the street I use the inhalers quiet often. They make me feel more fresh, like I am inhaling fresh and cold mountain air. The mentol and eucalyptus give me a cold feeling and I like the smell. They seem to have the same effect as air with a high oxygen concentration, I feel less tired when I use them. Once I start using them it's difficult to stop. They give me something to do when I feel bored, I feel less nervous when I have an inhaler with me.

In europe I never use them.

Edited March 5, 2007 by kriswillems

[jamman]

They seem to have the same effect as air with a high oxygen concentration, I feel less tired when I use them. Once I start using them it's difficult to stop. ... I feel less nervous when I have an inhaler with me.

These are remarkable effects, and sound to me like something one would only be able to get from a drug. Or is the effect from some aromatherapy related reaction? The olfactory sense triggering the body to release some hormones and chemicals?

Feeling less tired would be expected from an amphetamine or caffeine or other stimulant, but I didn't know eucalyptus oil would have that effect.

I'm leaning towards thinking that the inhalers include some stimulant substance.

[AmeriThai]

I use the inhalers quiet often. They make me feel more fresh, like I am inhaling fresh and cold mountain air.

Frequent longterm use is quite fashionable too.

http://img113.imageshack.us/img113/54/oopsib1.jpg

[kriswillems]

VAPEX has the following ingredients:

Menthol 17.5% w/w,

Linalyl Acetate 0.468%,

Eucalyptus Oil 4.687% w/w,

Lavender Oil 4.687%w/w,

Bornyl Acetate 0.416% w/w,

Essential Oil of Camphor 1.5% w/w,

Alcohol 76% v/v

Poy sian has the following ingredients:

Menthol 42.0%,

Camphor 16.4%,

Eucalyptus Oil 8.5%,

Borneol 6.1%

Edited March 5, 2007 by kriswillems

[AmeriThai]

Poy sian has the following ingredients:

Menthol 42.0%,

Camphor 16.4%,

Eucalyptus Oil 8.5%,

Borneol 6.1%

Strange name for something to put in your sniffer.

[bina]

i think they have a vaso dilator effect hence the feeling of more air, fresh air etc plus association of clean cool air vs. polluted humid air.

Menthol's ability to chemically trigger cold-sensitive receptors in the skin is responsible for the well known cooling sensation that it provokes when inhaled, eaten, or applied to the skin. Menthol does not cause an actual drop in temperature. [3]. In this sense it is similar to capsaicin, the chemical responsible for the spiciness of hot peppers (which stimulates heat sensors, also without causing actual temperature rise).

wiki pedia

camphor: same same but slightly different

eucalyptus:

Because of its pleasant spicy aroma and taste, eucalyptol is used in flavorings, fragrances, and cosmetics. It is also an ingredient in many brands of mouthwash and cough suppressant.

Eucalyptol has been demonstrated to be capable of reducing inflammation and pain. It has also been found to be able to kill leukaemic cells[1].

Cineol was shown to be an effective treatment for Nonpurulent sinusitis in a placebo controlled trial. Laryngoscope. 2004 Apr;114(4):738-42. PMID: 15064633 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] 76 patients per treatment group were assigned to cineole or placebo. The dosage of the active ingredient was two 100-mg capsules of cineole three times daily. Symptom scores were significantly reduced in the cineole group. The mean values for the symptoms-sum-scores in the cineole group were 6.9 +/- 2.9 after 4 days and 3.0 +/- 2.8 after 7 days, and in the placebo group, 12.2 +/- 2.5 after 4 days and 9.2 +/- 3.0 after 7 days. Treated subjects experienced less headache on bending, frontal headache, sensitivity of pressure points of trigeminal nerve, impairment of general condition, nasal obstruction, and rhinological secretion. Side effects from treatment were minimal.

wiki again

Today borneol is classified as an agent for opening blocked orifices, and is described as pungent, bitter, and slightly cold (3). It is indicated for severe obstruction of the orifices (that may cause coma or convulsive diseases), for heat syndromes, and for pain. Although not often mentioned as useful for this purpose, borneol is a common addition to treatments for lung diseases in modern clinical practice.

Also, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration worried that topically applied camphor oil would penetrate the skin in sufficient amounts that it could cause trouble for persons with cardiac disorders who were taking various medications (camphor has mild heart stimulant activity). As a result, it is no longer possible to purchase camphor oil for household use in the U.S. and the FDA has cautioned against the use of Chinese lineaments that include camphor oil in the formulation.

hence the good feeling when using it as a slight stimulant among other things....

bina (all stolen from wikipedia etal)

[kojac_phx]

A couple more uses:

- Most of them have dual twist offs. The bottom can twist off to dab the liquid on insect bites. It's the most effective thing I've found for mosquitos bites after the fact.

- The bottom twist off can also be used to dab the liquid onto cigarettes. Cover the tobacco portion with the liquid on the paper. Use a lighter quickly along the cigarette while rotating to dry. Smoke, and be prepared for a menthol 'rush'.

I don't believe there is anything physiologically addictive, but I wouldn't recommend too many of the cigarettes. One per month shared between 4 people probably isn't going to kill you any faster, but I wouldn't make it a daily habit.

The nasal inhalers are also quite useful when you get in one of the taxis with a funky odor. I've just recently seen Vick's marketing them in the US at $4 a pop. The Thais are setting the trend....

[bina]

the camphor as i noted above (the borneol) si not too healthy apparently to be ingesting too much of it.

its the camphor and eucalyptus that makes them good for mosquito bites etc.

[Pakboong]

Like nasal sptrays such as Dristan, which was taken off the shelves in the US a few years back, are addictive and have a long term physiological affect which is considered by the medical community as damaging. I used the Dristan spray for many years and would not leave home without it. These inhalers are the same. You can walk down pretty much any street in Thailand and see people of all ages using them. People who can't afford any kind of habit are using these things daily.

[AmeriThai]

Like nasal sptrays such as Dristan, which was taken off the shelves in the US a few years back, are addictive and have a long term physiological affect which is considered by the medical community as damaging. I used the Dristan spray for many years and would not leave home without it. These inhalers are the same. You can walk down pretty much any street in Thailand and see people of all ages using them. People who can't afford any kind of habit are using these things daily.

Do the tubular type nasal inhalers contain the same ingredients as nasal sprays?

Is the same ingredient(s) in nasal inhalers typically found in Thailand?

What is the addictive ingredient(s)?

[Zohak]

I bought about 15 of these home last time I waws in Bkk.

I use them all the time, it certainly clears you out!

Someone else mentioned about dabbing them on cigs, its quite popular amongst the girls, I dont mind it, handy if you dont have any menthol cigs around

[duratanium]

My Thai g/f uses the inhalers rarely... she seems more addicted to using balm and snorting that up her nostrils. Same efect I suppose and a bit better than walking around with something protruding from your nasal passages

[jayjayjayjay]

i first bought one of these inhalers over 15 years ago when i wanted to stop smoking,i had seen many thai girls using the inhalers so i thought if i could break the habit every time i wanted a smoke and have a sniff on the inhaler it might stop me from smoking,at first i would have a sniff maybe 50 times a day but i slowley weaned myself off them

now after over 15 years without smoking thanks 100% to the inhaler i

MUST still carry one with me but now its only a couple of times a month that i use it

please dont knock them,if you want to quit smoking try my way

"I got to get me some of that"

read the small print!!!