Breathing In Copper Particles

[JLuke]

Just finally received my nice KM hookah that my friend sent me new from a big name website and i have a concern. I used it the first day last Friday, smoked only for about 45 minutes before something didn't feel right and i stopped smoking. Well about 4 hours later at 3 in the morning i started puking my guts up and was incredibly sick for about 4 hours before it just magically went away over the course of about 20 minutes. I also drank a lot of alcohol so i just put it off that it was the booze that made me sick.

Fast forward to last Sunday when i tried it again, this time i could barely get 30 minutes out of it before i was choking on it, the tobacco was not even close to burning, it didn't taste burnt, just had a strange, metallic, chemical kinda taste, so i stopped right away. I didn't get as sick as before, just a bit of a headache and chest ache somewhat. Well today i just got back and looked into the cooling attachment that i had on the end and swabbed out a bunch of copper particles.

So now I'm pretty worried, I'm assuming that i had breathed in copper dust/particles for 2 different sessions and is what also made me sick Saturday morning (it's never that i drink then finally get that drunk feeling sick 4 hours after the alcohol wears off).

Has anyone ran into this situation before? Will it clear itself up? Am i over reacting? I can't really afford it, but should i go to the doctor? I really cant find any information online about breathing in copper, about the most i can find is that overdosing on copper can cause irritation and vomiting.

This is my first post, a bit of a messed up way to start my way in here.

TL;DR
Got brand new km hookah, scrubbed it out first, used it first time and got very sick, used it the second time and found copper dust particles in my hose mouthpiece.
Will i die?

[gramps]

I'm not a doctor, so I can't say what may be ailing you.

Take a look at this article about copper toxicity.
[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper_toxicity"]http://en.wikipedia....Copper_toxicity[/url]

Oh, and welcome to Hookah Forum! Edited April 2, 2012 by gramps

[Arcane]

It's probably rust. Chuck the hose and get a new one. Also, check the hose port for rust and scrub well, if present.

No other spot should have been a culprit for rust in your mouth.

The chemical taste can be many things, so we can tackle that once you deal with the rust issue.

[vendetta_revived]

Has to be rust. Weird for a new pipe though. Did you clean it out properly before using?

[headhunter]

[quote name='vendetta_revived' timestamp='1333430349' post='543955']
Has to be rust. Weird for a new pipe though. Did you clean it out properly before using?
[/quote]

^this

Edit: not to slander your friend but are u sure its new? and he just didnt give you an old hookah of his? Because i cant thing of any reason their should be rust/dust in a new hookah Edited April 3, 2012 by headhunter

[OfficialMindWarp]

[quote name='headhunter' timestamp='1333431339' post='543958']
[quote name='vendetta_revived' timestamp='1333430349' post='543955']
Has to be rust. Weird for a new pipe though. Did you clean it out properly before using?
[/quote]

^this

Edit: not to slander your friend but are u sure its new? and he just didnt give you an old hookah of his? Because i cant thing of any reason their should be rust/dust in a new hookah
[/quote]

Agreed, I know I've had this problem with a Mya hose that I just recently bought, it was acting funny not too long after buying the hookah.. Of course it was Mya hose. If you can afford it I would get one of the more expensive ones that last a while and could be cleaned.. I believe Nammor is a good brand. Might want to do some research on it.

[vanektar]

Well make sure you clean it out very very carefully (check on the forum, you'll find many tips), includding all parts [hose, base, stem, bowl...].
Also, have a friend try it as well, a second opinion is always good when we are new smokers.

Let us know about your 3rd attemt! Hope things get better...

[mushrat]

What exactly is a "cooling attachment?"

I dont know about copper particles. How can you tell the difference between copper particles and plain old rust? Were you getting particles in your mouch when you smoked? If these particles are big enough to see, you should have felt them inside your mouth and on your tongue.

As for the taste, what charcoal are you using? Ive seen more people get sick from chemicals in charcoal than i have from rust. Plus, if you are smoking after drinking, on an empty stomach, after smoking other substances, in an enclosed room where CO can build up, or are just smoking it too hot, you can get sick.

[â€On]

My advice is exactly the same as what everyone has already said. But, here is my advice:
-Clean your hookah very thoroughly, every singly opening, nook, cranny, etc.
-Toss your hose and get a new one. 95% of the time when I have had problems with hookahs, it's due to the hose. I recommend you pick up a few "NuHose" or "Fancy Hose" hoses. They are very cheap, washable and pretty much disposable, and they smoke great.
-Ensure that the quicklight coals you are using (i'm assuming that's what you are using) are completely lit. They should not be sparking and there should not be any black patches on them. It should glow red entirely when you blow on it (both sides) and start to ash over with grey ash. This can take some time when using a regular lighter, so I recommend you look into a torch style lighter if you wish to continue using quicklights. I also light mine over a kitchen exhaust vent, as the air moving past helps light them more thoroughly. Simply blowing on them after lighting can achieve this as well.
-Eat before smoking, always. Even if it's a few hours prior to smoking, just make sure you are not smoking on an empty stomach. Even to those of us who have been smoking for many years, an empty stomach can spell disaster when smoking.
-Drink plenty of water. I smoke while drinking alcohol most weekends, but I also always remember to drink a glass of water every so often over the course of the night. This will stop you from getting headaches (and hangovers!), and will keep your throat and mouth from drying out and getting sore.

[Chreees]

Yarr, that ain't be no copper, mate. That be rust I betcha. Not too good for the lungs, see?

Why the fuck am I talking like a pirate? Get a new hose... get a washable one if you want to be able to wash it. Although, I have never really needed to wash any of the washable hoses I have owned or currently own.

[IainUM]

[quote name='Chreees' timestamp='1333494786' post='543999']
Yarr, that ain't be no copper, mate. That be rust I betcha. Not too good for the lungs, see?

Why the fuck am I talking like a pirate? Get a new hose... get a washable one if you want to be able to wash it. Although, I have never really needed to wash any of the washable hoses I have owned or currently own.
[/quote]

+1 for butt pirate talk

[JLuke]

lol thanks for the suggestions. By what everyone is saying, i'm assuming it's rust then. The cooling attachment was the black pvc pipe looking thing, sougk i think it's spelled. It was just small copper colored particles, almost like fine glitter. I guess it was just me getting paranoid about how i was sick feeling over the weekend.

And yes i'm sure it's brand new, it was shipped to me straight from hookah shisha, had the invoice in the box and everything. From all what was said, it's all coming down to the hose, guess it was just a false alarm.

And next i will be buying a few of those nuhoses or anything washable and cheap, no more "fancy" unwashable hoses for me Edited April 5, 2012 by JLuke

[Judy Oma]

Agreed, prob the hose and its not likely to be copper!

Scrub out the stem and don't neglect the hose port. I have a new model KM, sadly the quality of my model is not as good as I'd like it to be. When I received it, there was alot of orange powdery residue inside the hose port, don't know if you can see it from the pic --

[img]http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg570/Judy_Oma/Khalil%20Mamoon/KM%20Kuwait%20tower/IMG_20120227_181959.jpg[/img]

I saw brownish residue inside my clear disposable hose after the first smoke. Scrubbed out the hose port, unfortunately it keeps coming back. Check your hose port.

[headhunter]

[quote name='Judy Oma' timestamp='1333595155' post='544075']
Agreed, prob the hose and its not likely to be copper!

Scrub out the stem and don't neglect the hose port. I have a new model KM, sadly the quality of my model is not as good as I'd like it to be. When I received it, there was alot of orange powdery residue inside the hose port, don't know if you can see it from the pic --

[img]http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg570/Judy_Oma/Khalil%20Mamoon/KM%20Kuwait%20tower/IMG_20120227_181959.jpg[/img]

I saw brownish residue inside my clear disposable hose after the first smoke. Scrubbed out the hose port, unfortunately it keeps coming back. Check your hose port.
[/quote]

Is this an issue anyone else has had? because i was thinking about buying a KM and seeing this makes me not want to and just go with the Farida from Nazar.

[Judy Oma]

[quote name='headhunter' timestamp='1333596211' post='544076']
[quote name='Judy Oma' timestamp='1333595155' post='544075']
Agreed, prob the hose and its not likely to be copper!

Scrub out the stem and don't neglect the hose port. I have a new model KM, sadly the quality of my model is not as good as I'd like it to be. When I received it, there was alot of orange powdery residue inside the hose port, don't know if you can see it from the pic --

[img]http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg570/Judy_Oma/Khalil%20Mamoon/KM%20Kuwait%20tower/IMG_20120227_181959.jpg[/img]

I saw brownish residue inside my clear disposable hose after the first smoke. Scrubbed out the hose port, unfortunately it keeps coming back. Check your hose port.
[/quote]

Is this an issue anyone else has had? because i was thinking about buying a KM and seeing this makes me not want to and just go with the Farida from Nazar.
[/quote]


I can't say of course that all new KM's are "bad", this is highly unlikely. I was just very disappointed in numerous quality issues in this particular model. I have been told that this is a new 2011/2012 stem that hasn't "officially" been imported yet. Not sure exactly what that means tho.

I like the looks of the Farida too!

[cyber wolf]

I feel as if the quality of kms has dramatically dropped... And I mean dramatically.. I have noticed *terrible* weld marks, and just sloppy work in general... I understand that they are "hand made" but jesus christ, a Monkey could put a hookah together better.

I am highly, highly satisfied with my Farida, It is easily my favorite pipe.

I've gotten rid of all of my other pipes, because I love my farida so much.