Sciencemadness Discussion Board - Any one else feel good after smelling ammonia?

Any one else feel good after smelling ammonia?

palladium8 - 25-12-2014 at 19:31

I'm talking gas, not the solution, and a good deal of it. I find after an accidental exposure, for several few hours afterward, I feel like I have healthy and "clean" lungs, like I just took a cold medicine.

[Edited on 26-12-2014 by palladium8]

cyanureeves - 25-12-2014 at 20:43

oooh, i love ammonia and yes i have pondered the same thing except i wasnt sure if it was trauma of a minor sort or health.to me it has an addiction quality to it and after all it does have growth value to plant life.maybe we are tuned to respond to ammonia as = to fertile soil=food, i mean go figure hydrogen+nitrogen.when i was a kid at my granpas house i used to sniff and sniff the burning coals in his fireplace until only i smelled ammonia and i swear it would even make me tear as ammonia fumes does.gnats also respond to ammonia in decaying matter and that is very fertile stuff.just an idea but i think we respond to the good quality of ammonia and not to a warning or flee reaction.ammonia will kill but only the concentrated gas such as in tanks, at least i dont think natural deposits are dangerous. i may be wrong though.

smaerd - 25-12-2014 at 21:27

I read an account of someone who was involved in an industrial accident where they were exposed to a significant quantity of anhydrous ammonia. Supposedly after a few inhalations and escaping to fresh air, the person hacked up significant quantities of tar(from cigarette smoking) and blood (iirc). Think after they were deemed safe from pulmonary edema(days later) they claimed they breathed easier than they had in years. Could be a fishing story though ya know.

Personally I'd never try that one out. I've been exposed to small amounts of the stuff from small leaks or what have you and it hurt my lungs pretty bad in hours to follow but not immediately. Over time my sensitivity to the smell of ammonia and ammoniacal solutions has diminished in a pretty bad way. Sometimes I forget how noxious solutions of the stuff are until I get the lachrymotor effects. I'd like to avoid using it outside of the fume-hood in >10% concentrations from here on out let alone wiffing it with the intent to inhale hahaha.

dermolotov - 26-12-2014 at 22:08

This is way too interesting to not try out one day...

Searching the interwebs as well as Web of Science returns nothing on this fact. Anyone have any insight into this "ammonia pulmonary purge"

HgDinis25 - 27-12-2014 at 04:58

Actualy, I find it helps a lot with my nose when I have the flue. One quick whiff is all it takes...

Mabus - 27-12-2014 at 05:34

I used to sniff small amounts of ammonia a few times when I went jogging (I used food grade). Worked pretty good for short bursts.

Metacelsus - 27-12-2014 at 07:41

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smelling_salts#Physiological_a...

(Smelling salts are ammonium carbonate, and release ammonia gas).

blargish - 27-12-2014 at 22:55

My hockey team uses these "smelling salts" that have a little plastic tube filled with 15% ammonia. You break the tube and the solution soaks into the wrapping. They sure wake you up before a game!

Marvin - 28-12-2014 at 04:49

Quote: Originally posted by dermolotov

This is way too interesting to not try out one day...

Even though anhydrous ammonia (as opposed to the wet stuff) is somewhat famous for causing death by edema?

The wet stuff isn't that nice either, it can cause respiratory paralysis.

Bronchiolitis Obliterans

Dany - 28-12-2014 at 06:18

Bronchiolitis Obliterans -- Ammonia inhalation:

A lung disease caused by inhalation of Ammonia. The exposure can cause scarring of the lungs which can lead to obstruction of the small airways and ultimately impaired lung function. Chronic exposure can lead to gradual worsening of symptoms over a period of time. Acute exposure can result in lung damage that may be asymptomatic for a short period of time but can then lead to rapid death due to severe obstructive breathing problems. Severity of symptoms and outcome depend on degree of exposure. More detailed information about the symptoms, causes, and treatments of Bronchiolitis Obliterans. see this site and STOP inhaling chemicals!

http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/b/bronchiolitis_obliterans_amm...

Dany.

HgDinis25 - 28-12-2014 at 12:37

@Dany

Quote:

and STOP inhaling chemicals!

Are you telling us to kill ourselves? That is very wrong and you should get banned from this forum! How dare you tell someone to die! Unacceptable! Yes Oxygen is a chemical...

Jokes aside, BO is quite rare and isn't just caused by Ammonia inhalation. I have no idea why that site states that Ammonia is the main cause of BO or why it's connecting the two.

The most common causes for this rare disease are viral infections and Collagen Vascular Disease (a rare type of Autoimune disease) and many other causes I don't remember. And it can also be cause by exposure to toxic gases like Cl2, HCl, SO2, SO3, HF, HBr, HI, H2S, F2, Br2, I2, NH3... And the list goes on and on.

So, besides being very rare, there are way too many causes and it's rarely linked to Ammonia. Unless of course, you spend your life inhaling it...

[Edited on 28-12-2014 by HgDinis25]

dermolotov - 28-12-2014 at 13:44

Alle Dinge sind Gift. Und nichts ist ohne Gift; Allein die dosis machts, dass ein Ding kein Gift sei.
-Paracelsus

Dosage is key.

[Edited on 28-12-2014 by dermolotov]

Marvin - 28-12-2014 at 13:49

0 is a dosage.

dermolotov - 28-12-2014 at 13:53

Quote: Originally posted by Marvin

0 is a dosage.

As true as that is, let's not degrade the argument to this level.

HgDinis25 - 28-12-2014 at 14:34

And the argument level of this discussion has reached absolute zero...

forgottenpassword - 28-12-2014 at 14:57

Quote: Originally posted by HgDinis25

And the argument level of this discussion has reached absolute zero...

Should I get the smelling salts out?

diddi - 28-12-2014 at 15:09

back in the day, a lab I was working in had a NH3 spill, and we were all evacuated for hours. I personally don't enjoy that smell; Et2O - now THERE'S a great smell

subsecret - 28-12-2014 at 18:14

It's probably bad that I love the smell of halogens, nitrogen oxides, and nitric acid vapors. Don't forget hydrogen sulfide.

HgDinis25 - 29-12-2014 at 04:19

@diddi
I dislike the smell of Ether. Chloroform, now there's a great smell!

@Awesomeness
Bad? You must be related to aliens... Or perhaps you have a misplaced gene somewhere...

plante1999 - 29-12-2014 at 07:04

I would say that I do have this experience, it also does the same with hydrazine inhalation. The feeling is like if all your bronchus where completely open and you could respire to your full capacity.

An as for people telling to stop inhaling chemicals, even if it is true there is health risk, chemistry is already a risky hobby by itself, and many discovery where made by accident.

Random - 29-12-2014 at 15:55

Quote: Originally posted by plante1999

I would say that I do have this experience, it also does the same with hydrazine inhalation. The feeling is like if all your bronchus where completely open and you could respire to your full capacity.

An as for people telling to stop inhaling chemicals, even if it is true there is health risk, chemistry is already a risky hobby by itself, and many discovery where made by accident.

What's the point in discovery if you are dead?

HgDinis25 - 29-12-2014 at 16:06

Quote: Originally posted by Random

Quote: Originally posted by plante1999

What's the point in discovery if you are dead?

Marie Curie changed the world with her discoveries and died doing it. But the whole point is that she did change the world. That's a fair point is it not?

AJKOER - 29-12-2014 at 18:48

OK, here is some pure speculation and I certainly would not encourage voluntary inhalation of NH3.

My speculation as to an explanation of the reported accidentally observed 'good' feeling for low dose exposure could be based on the following:

1. Small amounts of ammonia reacting with a moist lung tissue could form a cleaning solution (being in line with the primary commercial application of ammonia water, namely cleaning).

2. The lung, like air filters, probably gets 'dirty' especially from smoking, significant air polution,..

Hence, the reported ability of being able to breathe better after clearing of the lungs.

In other words, an ill advised and very dangerous (due to dosage issues) way to possible clean out ones lungs.

Excuse me if I never recommend any such experimenting with your lungs. The possible use of smelling salt to enhance physical performance is inexcusable in my opinion.

Bronchiolitis Obliterans

Dany - 30-12-2014 at 01:42

Bronchiolitis Obliterans -- Ammonia inhalation:

A lung disease caused by inhalation of Ammonia. The exposure can cause scarring of the lungs which can lead to obstruction of the small airways and ultimately impaired lung function. Chronic exposure can lead to gradual worsening of symptoms over a period of time. Acute exposure can result in lung damage that may be asymptomatic for a short period of time but can then lead to rapid death due to severe obstructive breathing problems. Severity of symptoms and outcome depend on degree of exposure. More detailed information about the symptoms, causes, and treatments of Bronchiolitis Obliterans. see this site and STOP inhaling chemicals!

http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/b/bronchiolitis_obliterans_amm...

Dany.

forgottenpassword - 30-12-2014 at 02:15

Deja vu.

Smelling salts are tried and teated over generations. Used appropriately they cause no harm. Huffing ammonia for long periods of time is a different matter.

[Edited on 30-12-2014 by forgottenpassword]

Random - 2-1-2015 at 12:30

Every time I took a deeper whiff of this gas while being produced only thing i felt is like someone gave me punch thru the nostrils. Dunno how could smelling salts be good.

dermolotov - 3-1-2015 at 15:29

Quote: Originally posted by forgottenpassword

Smelling salts are tried and teated over generations. Used appropriately they cause no harm. Huffing ammonia for long periods of time is a different matter.

It's sad that you had to explicitly state that.

Déjà vu:
Alle Dinge sind Gift. Und nichts ist ohne Gift; Allein die dosis machts, dass ein Ding kein Gift sei.
-Paracelsus

Dosage is key. Everything in Moderation.

[Edited on 3-1-2015 by dermolotov]