Is it normal to have different percieved effects from different brands of snus?

[simplesmoke]

I have been snussing for over a month now. (around 44-50 days I believe)

All mini portions. I came from a 1 - 1.5 pack a day ulta-light cigarette habit.

I have not smoked anything over 2 weeks now.

I started with mini portions thinking it was the right level of nicotine. And I think I got it right because my first week with Swedish snus even though they were mini portions brought me headaches after 1 hours of use and slight nausea (which I got used to in time) I can almost chain mini's during the day now. (20-40 minutes between portions if I want to)

I was curious if anyone finds certain portions to make them feel better then others? I don't know how to describe it but I have found I get the most enjoyable feeling from General mini mint hands down compared to what I have been using so far which is:

General mini mint
Marlboro mild or rich or mint (used the first 2 weeks, don't purchase anymore)
Camel mild or frost (have a couple containers of the mild I use occasionally after dinner, the frost made me feel sick after trying like 2 portions)
Catch mini licorice
Boost (Notherner) licorice or citrus 3mg
Fellini mint white mini portion
Fellini Laknits white mini portion

It's like the General mini mint's quench some desire inside and give me that perfect relaxing feeling I would feel from smoking. It's hard to describe but it's like being in some zone (from a satisfaction standpoint) and my focus is excellent with whatever task I am working on at the time.. The Camel mild comes close but is way too sweet for regular use for me I found after using it for awhile.

I use the boost (northerner 3mg) portions in the morning on my way to work but only feel 100% after I have that first General mini mint in the morning, like 10 minutes after I pop it in at work after eating something it's like ahh that is what I want type feeling. I have tried using the other portions I have to use that same time of day, but they never give that same feeling.

Is snus like pot or something that some tobacos between makers impact people differently? I assume the tobacco General uses is going to be slightly different then the tobacco match uses even though they are supposed to contain 4mg of nicotine in a mini portion. Is that enough of a difference for people to find one they like over another aside from taste alone?

I can leave a Catch 4mg portion in for an hour but after I take it out, its like I know when I put that general mini mint in shortly I will have that satisfied feeling.

The reason I ask if this is normal is that I am kind of disappointed that I don't get the same feeling from the other mini portions I have tried so far. And it's not exactly cheap to purchase a can of each to find others that give me the same satisfied feeling. I have like 4 rolls of the general mini mint in my freezer and some snuff to play with now so it will probably be awhile till I order something again.

Was curious if this is just me and it is all in my head or something that others have found when using snus and is part of the reason they like trying different brands?

Thanks

[WickedKitchen]

Though it is true that different strains of tobacco contain different levels of nicotine the snus portions are pretty well standardized. 4mg is 4mg anyway you slice it however there are some factors that will allow your body to absorb the nicotine at different rates. Ph is probably the biggest factor and there's probably no practical way of testing this at home. I believe on the Northerner site (maybe others) there is a value for the snus's Ph. I have never paid much attention to it myself, but I too have noticed slight differences in different snus. Oral hygiene can also affect the nic absorption depending on how you brush and if/what kind of mouthwash you might use and when you do these things in relation to your snusing. There are many people that would say "dude, you're on minis...don't even worry about it." but I can see that if you're used to a smaller amount of nicotine these factors might produce a more noticeable difference. My suggestion would be to stick with what you like the best but continue to try new ones. If there's snus that you don't like, put it up on the Tobacco Exchange. There are many good people here who will offer a home for your snus and even trade. There are good traders here. I'd gladly help you out, but minis and mint snus are not my thing.

I've also noticed that nicotine from different forms of tobacco do produce slightly differing effects. Snuff is more energetic to me. It's like the difference in the feelings from drinking a few glasses of wine vs. a few beers vs. whiskey vs. gin, etc. It's still alcohol, but it feels different in a way. I know what you mean.

[chainsnuser]

It's one of the first facts about snus that I was able to perceive, that it's not the strongest brand that gives you the best effect, but the brand that you like best, taste-wise. An 8mg/g portion or prilla that you suck on and poke with your tongue constantly gives you more nicotine than a 17mg brand that you don't like and that just sits in your lip.

I guess it's not unnormal to find one favorite brand early and be happy with it, but it's also normal to look for other possible favorites.

In 4 years of snusing I've only found 2 new favorites in addition to the 2 favorites that already were in my very first order (which only were 5 cans) and I've stopped to excessively try new brands 3 years ago, but it's still fun to try a new brand from time to time.

So, I think it's time to "bake" a prilla of Ettan Lös.

Cheers!

[simplesmoke]

I was planning on trying lös next time I order in a couple of months. I was thinking I would just bake a smaller sized piece.

Maybe it is partially just a PH issue. I have found my favorite so far (general dry mini mints) hit me even better with a beer. I just figured that was just the sum of two things I enjoy, maybe that is effecting the PH even more leading to better uptake or something.

If I took one of the catch minis (not white portion) and empty the bag and try to bake what is there, is that close to what I would get with lös?

And yes I do know there are probably plenty of you that take regular portions and the stark portions that say mini's hah no way! My body/mind loves Nicotine, just at much smaller doses. I am guessing I get the same impact from a 4 mg general dry mini mint portion that many of you get from normal or stark portions.

And my tolerance has not changed much since I started..

If I have 8-10 general mini mint portions in a day with the last one being at like 10:00 PM asleep by 11:00 PM I have regularly have vivid dreams half the night. (from the Nicotine) Dreams don't stop till like 2:00 - 3:00 AM.. Before snus I was the type of person that never recalled dreams or usually did not dream often.. That I do hope goes away at some point. (That is the only negative for me I would say from switching to snus from cigarettes)

[snusjus]

Moisture content and pH are the determining factors that drive the absorption of nicotine. Surprisingly, General Mini Mint only has a 25% moisture content, which is low compared to traditional snus products (average being 50%). However, the moisture content of General Mini Mint is much higher than Northerner's Purified Portion, which only has a 1% moisture content.

From my understanding, General Mini Mint probably hits you harder because it has a high pH level and contains mint, which aids in the absorption of nicotine. If you really like General Mini Mint, I don't see any reason in trying other brands, since you will save money by purchasing identical snus in large quantities.

[jagmanss]

If I took one of the catch minis (not white portion) and empty the bag and try to bake what is there, is that close to what I would get with lös?

My Simple answer.... NO

[GoVegan]

My advice is to not try los unless you are prepared to make that switch permanently. Portions seem to feel obsolete after you try los.

[Premium Parrots]

My advice is to not try los unless you are prepared to make that switch permanently. Portions seem to feel obsolete after you try los.

everyone has their own opinion tho. You have to keep in mind that GoVegan is a compulsive lier tho.

[simplesmoke]

Well at least I have my goto snus for now, I only was trying to find others that equaled what I get out of my goto because it sounds from all the comments I have read that peoples tastes change. (and what they loved at one point can become what they dislike)

Since I haven't found anything else that does it for me yet, I am guessing my body won't let me get sick of my favorite.

The next order I will try some lös.

I have also started introducing some snuff into use (a pinch or two a day at the moment) but again it does not hit me like the general dry mini mints.

I did read a study on nicotine absorption rates on snuff users that suggested nicotine absorption rates were highest among veteran users not newbies like me.

Does General ever discontinue their products? Hope they keep making general dry mini mints at least till I find another go to that I enjoy as equally.