Poppers for beginners
What Are Poppers?
Poppers is the street term for a set of chemicals called nitrites that come in liquid form in a small bottle. For decades, lovers and friends-with-benefits have been bringing poppers into the bedroom(so to speak) for added enhancement and enjoyment.
Poppers have a strong, sickly sweet, fruity or solvent smell. The liquid itself can have a clear, yellowish or gold color.
How Poppers Work
To use poppers, you simply open the bottle, place it under your nose and inhale. Alternatively, you can use a booster Cap to protect your nose. (We’ll go into more specific detail in a minute.)
The Effects of Poppers
As a vasodilator, poppers open up your blood vessels while lowering your blood pressure. This causes you to feel the following potentially pleasurable effects:
- Head rush and dizziness
- Muscle relaxation
- Lowered inhibitions
- Feelings of euphoria
- Heightened arousal
- Increased skin sensitivity
The effect of relaxing the muscles is one that makes poppers particularly popular with bottoms. The effect of heightened arousal helps increase both–or all–partners’ sex drives and readiness, willingness and ability to perform.
All of these effects of poppers kick in within seconds of inhaling the vapors and last up to several minutes.
A Brief History of Poppers
In brief, nitrites first came into use in the 1860s as a treatment for chest pain (or angina). They took on the nickname of “poppers” for the popping sound they made when patients squeezed open the small, glass vials in which they came to release its vapors.
Fast-forward over a century to the 1970s when queer folks had found that they could use poppers recreationally. At that point, poppers were all the rage as a queer “party drug” enjoyed in bathhouses, on dance floors and in bedrooms alike.
Best Poppers for Beginners
The best poppers for beginners to start with are those like Super Reds with the lowest strength rating of 1 on our strength scale.
Low-strength poppers like these, incidentally, are also ideal for people who’ve already used poppers and know that they prefer lower-strength poppers. In general, this includes any poppers with a 1-4 rating on our strength scale.
By contrast, poppers with a rating of 5 or 6 are considered stronger poppers and should only be used by people experienced with poppers and the effects of poppers on their individual bodies.
Safest Poppers for Beginners
In addition to the low-strength Super Reds, other poppers falling into the category of safest poppers for beginners are those using the Canadian pentyl formula, such as Colt Poppers and others produced by the company Lockerroom.
This is because Canadian makers of poppers are held to one of the highest quality-control standards of any nation where poppers are produced. Because of this, you can trust that the poppers using the Canadian pentyl formula are among the highest-quality and therefore safest poppers for beginners.
Other producers of safer poppers include those located in the U.K. and in Europe. Similarly to Canada, the U.K. and E.U. places strict safety and quality regulations on the manufacture of poppers.
Because there are so many different formulas for making poppers with so many different ingredients, it’s also important to know which poppers are unsafe and therefore should be avoided altogether. Your should stay away from any poppers containing isopropyl nitrite or isobutyl nitrite, as these ingredients are extremely toxic when inhaled and can even be carcinogenic.
Safe Storage of Poppers
Regardless of which poppers you use, here are some important, general pieces of first time poppers advice for storing poppers safely:
- When storing poppers, it’s best to keep them at room temperature in a location where the temperature doesn’t fluctuate too much.
- Do not keep poppers in the refrigerator or freezer, despite the popular myth of poppers in the fridge.
- Extreme temperatures, both hot and cold, and extreme fluctuations in temperature can make poppers go bad.
- Poppers will last for several months if unopened and stored properly.
- Once a bottle of poppers is opened, they should last for approximately one month.
- If poppers turn brown, sticky or smelly, it means they are no longer stable and therefore no longer safe for use; throw them out and replace them with fresh poppers.
- Do not store poppers next to any latex products.
Poppers Risks and Side Effects
By using poppers properly and safely and using only quality poppers, you can avoid the potential health and safety risks and side effects of poppers. Still, it’s good to know what these are, so you can be aware of them if you or someone you’re with is experiencing any of them.
In addition to the positive effects of poppers described above are these potentially unwanted ones:
- Impaired judgment
- Restlessness
- Changes in vision, including blurriness, blind spots and light sensitivity
- Headaches
- Nausea or vomiting
- Quickened pulse
- Flushing in the face and neck
If you experience any of these effects, stop using poppers immediately and they should subside.
Potential long-term effects of poppers and effects of poppers overdose may include:
- Skin irritation or burns
- Rashes around the mouth, nose or eyes
- Vision loss
- Weakened immune system
- Bronchitis
- Raised risk of some types of cancer
- Brain damage
If you notice any symptoms of these potential long-term effects of poppers use or effects of poppers overdose, cease use immediately and seek medical assistance right away.
First Time Poppers Advice
Before starting to use poppers, it’s important to first be aware of all the potential effects of poppers on health as well as what to do in case of emergency using poppers.
To use poppers properly and effectively, sniff or “pull” directly on the open bottle once or twice at most. Be careful to avoid touching the rim of the bottle with your nose or fingers, as poppers can burn your skin. While you may see or hear of some people using poppers by pouring it onto a cotton-ball and placing that into a gas mask filter, this is not recommended for first-time or beginning poppers users.
You should notice effects like warmth and an increased pulse within five seconds on inhaling poppers. The effects of poppers should last about a minute, and your blood pressure should return to normal after two or three minutes.
Here is some more first time poppers advice:
- Under no circumstances should you use poppers with Viagra or Kamagra, as this can be life-threatening.
- Never drink (or swallow) poppers as this can cause severe injury or death.
- You can safely use poppers while drinking alcohol as long as you use both in moderation.
- Don’t use poppers with other stimulants like coke or meth, as this can strain your heart and raise your risk of experiencing cardiovascular side effects.
- If poppers spill on the floor, just wipe it up with a dry cloth or towel; any remainder will dissipate shortly thereafter.
- Poppers are flammable, so avoid using them around the stove or a lit candle or other open flame, including while smoking or using a lighter.
- Avoid using poppers more than a couple of times per month.
Most Popular Poppers
To go by sales figures in Europe, Switzerland and around the world, the best poppers for beginners and experienced poppers users alike appears to be those produced by the company Oxymoron AG, such as the Mega Rush Poppers and others under the Rush Poppers brand. These contain a special hexyl nitrite formula not found in most other poppers on the market.
Of the products in the Rush Poppers brand, the Mega Rush Poppers are particularly popular because they come in the largest bottle with the most number of doses, which generally makes them the best price value in poppers.
Set and Setting
The last key point of first time poppers advice to keep in mind is that set and setting matter considerably in how safe, effective and fun your experience with poppers can be.
Set
Be sure you’re in a good frame of mind before taking poppers and that you’re in a good mood. Also, be clear on what you expect to experience when you use poppers to avoid any unpleasant surprises. Keep in mind, as well, that your level of experience with other drugs can impact how you experience poppers.
Settings
By this, we mean both the people with whom you’re taking the poppers and the environment in which you’re taking them. For example, your experience with poppers may be different depending on whether you’re with strangers or friends or lovers; in a familiar or unfamiliar environment; and whether it’s quiet or loud in that environment.
Now that you know the ins and outs of using poppers, you’re ready to start using them for some hot ins and outs. Be safe and enjoy!