# Is sniffing "fumes" pleasurable to you?



## kintrovert

I think I've always liked the smell of certain "fumes" - for ex., I've really enjoyed the smell of brand new cars, and have even found myself enjoying the smell of gasoline - but, until about 2000, I don't think it was ever a compulsion, and I didn't go out of my way to "seek" these pleasurable fumes. Well, about nine years ago - I suddenly developed the compulsion to sniff the the fumes of widely-available household items like rubbing-alcohol and nail polish remover. I would get an irresistable craving - and then go saturate two cotton balls with either rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover and sniff the cotton balls "dry". For some odd reason, I just craved sniffing the fumes from these products...it would give me a pleasurable feeling to take "long drags" of these saturated cotton balls.

I've compared this habit to smoking cigarettes, or even marijuana. I don't get "high" or anything - my behavior isn't altered - I just get a sense of pleasure and a sense that a craving is being deeply satisfied.

Since 2000, this craving has come and gone - it varies in severity. Sometimes (or often), the desire is there - but I'm able to resist it (I know it's unhealthy to sniff these fumes). Sometimes, the desire is mild enough that I would just take a few "sniffs" straight from the container of the rubbing alcohol or nail-polish remover. Other times - the craving is strong and irresistable enough to use the saturated cotton balls (which yield a large, relatively long-lasting source of these pleasurable fumes). 

I've found that I like all kinds of fumes - from the smell of new carpet, to the fumes from "White Out", nail polish, the fumes from big black "Magic Markers", some glues, gasoline, etc. But since rubbing alcohol and nail polish remover are constantly available - and the fumes from these products are so "accessible" - these have been my two primary sources of this weird gratification.

I've just wondered where this craving comes from, and if anyone else has had weird "sniffing" cravings/habits similar to this?


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## Keirelle

You realize people die from this? It can destroy your lungs. Even if you don't do it constantly, over a long period of time it will do the same thing. They are toxic chemicals and they can cause brain damage besides.

Sure, we might like the smell of a magic marker, but to sit there obsessively sniffing it, or even to the point of dousing a cotton ball in a certain chemical.. things like that are not normal and can definitely have serious consequences. Only you know for sure if you are out of control with this or not, but I would definitely say that anything more than normal passing inhalation during use is dangerous and you need to think carefully about this.


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## scriabin221

Not a good idea. Like the above post said.

Although, sometimes I will clean the house just for the sake of the smell. I don't derive any sort of a high from, but cleaning product kind of smell good and I like being around chemicals for some reason. The kitchen in my apartment is completely spotless because I'm just so overzealous with the Lysol.


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## shocksleeper

I'm not exactly sure what to say. Yeah, it's bad, stop doing it, but that much is obvious. This is the easiest way to deplete your brain cells and kill yourself if done on a daily basis.

It's interesting though, that you are so drawn to the fumes...if you want to know more about it you should ask a doctor. My friend told me she always had a natural affinity for inhaling fumes when she was a kid, unconcious of the effects, and I guess she just always had drug-lust in her blood because now she's doing all sorts of crazy ****.

The point to that story, though, is that _she likes getting high_...which is exactly what you're doing, believe it or not. Getting high is fascinating to the human psyche...which is why you find huffing so enjoyable. The end.

But don't do it. :sus


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## Crystalline

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatile_substance_abuse

Inhalant abuse is a form of drug addiction. Please get help/advice on how to stop it, it's damaging to your health.


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## DontTrustheGov't

It sounds like your huffing more as a compulsion than to get high. 

I think you should definitely talk to a doctor about this because it is still destroying your mind and you could die from this. 

Huffing inhalants is one the most dangerous forms of drug abuse. People often think it is safer then doing "illegal drugs" because these are usually household products.

It is particularly worrying that you sniff cotton balls dry of rubbing alcohol. This can kill you and has already killed many neurons in your brain. Whether you realize it or not, this behavior does produce a short lived high. It is possible that you are addicted to inhalants and simply dont recognize this.


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## shocksleeper

:ditto


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## letitrock

*somewhat*

I mean sniffing fumes isn't as much of a compulsion for me as it seems to be for you-but I do kinda get where ur coming from-but just to let u know-I have NEVER in my life smoked cigarettes or anything illegal, or had so much as a sip of alcohol, or taken pills or whatever-maybe that's why im kinda like u-cuz I want to try drugs........anyway,
like for me I do it on a weak less hardcoreway than you-like I love the smell of sharpies, dry erase board markers, whiteout, nail polish, rubber/paper cement(it's a kind of glue) and I used to hate nail polish remover cuz the first couple times I smelled it just cuz I wanted to see what it smelled like, I smelled it really hard and it hurt deep inside my nose for like 2 seconds-but then a couple months ago I started taking little whiffs of nail polish remover and I liked it-but now im in a new state and i didnt bring it with me and I don't have the _need_ to go buy it-so i dont have this compulsion as bad as you0but now that u gave me that cotton balls tip, i may have to try that
but like I also *LOVE* the smell of wall paint-i wish i had a bucket of it at all times!-and when I walk by a gas station I enjoy the smell of gasoline, and I also love the smell of fixative(an artist spray thing) but I dont let myself smell it cuz the vapors are really harmful-
AND I ABSOLUTLEY LOVE THE SMELL OF RAIN! thats not bad but i thought it was a weird smell thing so I just wanted to share that with you


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## kintrovert

Well, I knew that sniffing these substances was not healthy - and that it was pretty critical that I minimize my "indulgences" as much as possible - but I'm afraid that I didn't _quite_ realize just how serious this is. And I've been living under the assumption that I haven't done much serious damage to my mind/body by this habit - well, this thread is a rude wake-up call. I've said many times on here that I've been suffering from a "cognitive decline" - that my thinking and my brain just aren't (nearly) as sharp as they used to be - but I've attributed these problems to everything from the progression of my mental illness, "stress hormones", the (unacknowledged) damage of psychiatric medication, hormonal imbalances, etc. Now, I guess, I can add "inhalant abuse" as one of the "evils" that are destroying my mind and body. I'll have to put it near the top of the list.

You know, I have talked to doctors/therapists about this - and, generally-speaking, they have been unable to give me any insight as to the causes or origins of this compulsion. And they certainly didn't talk to me in the alarmist tones that some of you in this thread have - they didn't stress to me as you guys have the damage I've done, or can do, to myself by this habit. These professionals really did nothing to change my underlying attitude of, "Well - I've never done any 'real' drug and don't drink alcohol - so, I'm not _that_ bad off." My current psychiatrist did mention to me that inhaling fumes kills brain cells; she said this in the context of my wondering aloud to her whether or not prescription psychiatric medication kills brain cells. Her statement (which she said pretty casually) alarmed me - but it wasn't quite the wake-up call that this thread has been. :sigh

Ironically - as far as finding "answers" to this problem - I helped myself more than any of the mental health professionals to whom I mentioned my problem helped me. In 2004, I remember speculating to a counselor that my problem may have to do with some sort of "nutritional deficiency" - but her response was quite dismissive of my theory. However, I somehow "followed up" on my hunch....and ended up taking either iron supplements or a multivitamin containing iron (I can't remember which). Surely enough, after taking these supplements for awhile, my cravings diminished or disappeared entirely. This is around the time I found out about "Pica" - which is a condition that results from iron deficiency - in which someone develops weird cravings. The more common "strange" cravings that result from Pica are a craving to eat dirt, ice, styrofoam, or things like that - but I concluded that people are medically unique, and that my own Pica quite probably results in cravings to sniff inhalants like rubbing alcohol and nail-polish remover. (I recently enountered someone who has an irresistable craving to sniff/eat mothballs. Multiple people told her that she probably has Pica.) My conclusion seemed to hold up - because in the years since my "discovery", I've continued to notice a correlation between my "iron status" and my inhalant cravings.

See - right around the time when my compulsion to sniff inhalants surfaced for the first time, I was suffering from really heavy, irregular periods. As you may know, women are more at risk for iron-deficiency/anemia (and hence, Pica) because of the blood-loss that comes with monthly periods. The heavier the periods are, the more iron that is lost - and if heavy periods are a problem, then an iron deficiency can really progress to severe levels. There is also another factor that I'm aware of that can deplete the body's iron stores - mercury toxicity - and more and more, I've been suspecting that I may be mercury toxic.

I also noticed my inhalant cravings increasing when I was taking alpha-lipoic acid. I was taking alpha-lipoic acid for its supposed antioxidant properties (it's supposed to be a great brain antioxidant) - but alpha-lipoic acid also has a reputation for being a good chelator of mercury and other "dangerous" heavy metals from the body. But if alpha-lipoic acid is capable of chelating the heavy metals like mercury and lead from the body, then it is also capable of chelating the metals/minerals that we actually _need_ in certain amounts - like iron. So while I was expecting great things from alpha-lipoic acid, I had to stop taking it because I was experiencing its downside (which, of course - isn't as expounded upon on many of the websites that hype alpha-lipoic acid, b/c many of these sites sell the supplement).

It's just so unfortunate and maddening to me that - because of all of the different things that have gone awry in my mind/body - the anxiety, the depression, medication side-effects, hormonal imbalances, etc. - I ended up being so driven to indulge in a habit that has inflicted further damage. Factors that were/are beyond my control were/are responsible for my irresistable urge to sniff inhalants. I've experienced a full array of brain-damaging things - since anxiety itself is damaging to the brain.

Btw, before you say, "Just take more iron" - there are some "complicating factors" that prevent me from supplementing iron at this time. I won't expound on these factors b/c this post is already very long - but right now, I'm stuck between a rock and a hard-place.


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## Aza

Yeah inhaling fumes is never a good thing. I strongly suggest switching to the safer alternative, Jenkem.


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## kintrovert

shocksleeper said:


> I'm not exactly sure what to say. Yeah, it's bad, stop doing it, but that much is obvious. This is the easiest way to deplete your brain cells and kill yourself if done on a daily basis.
> 
> It's interesting though, that you are so drawn to the fumes...if you want to know more about it you should ask a doctor. My friend told me she always had a natural affinity for inhaling fumes when she was a kid, unconcious of the effects, and I guess she just always had drug-lust in her blood because now she's doing all sorts of crazy ****.
> 
> The point to that story, though, is that _she likes getting high_...which is exactly what you're doing, believe it or not. Getting high is fascinating to the human psyche...which is why you find huffing so enjoyable. The end.
> 
> But don't do it. :sus


O.k. - back from eating "dinner"...

Ummm - I don't particularly care for the presumputousness of parts of your post - such as your _telling_ me that I'm getting high and _why_ I'm finding huffing so enjoyable. You don't know me, you've never seen me do this - you don't know the physiology of my mind/body and what forces are at work that compel me to do this. Heck, even the doctors and other qualified mental health professionals whom I've talked to about this didn't "read my mind" as you did and tell me why I enjoy this.

And I'm not sure what definition of "high" you're using - but believe me, a "high" is not what I'm seeking when I do this. Would you say that cigarette smokers get "high" when they smoke? Or would you say that an _addiction_ - such as the one that cigarette smokers have - doesn't necessarily lead to a "high"? (I make the cigarette comparision because when I "sniff" - the effects are such that it seems a lot closer to cigarette-smoking than "weed" smoking, or cocaine-snorting.) If cigarette smokers got "high" - this country would be a lot more messed up than it is, as millions of people coming from cigarette breaks while on the job would have "altered senses" and end up making bad decisions.

I see that you feel so strongly about this topic that you came back to "ditto" DontTrusttheGov't's post - I can only hope that your strong feelings come from a good place. If you're _that_ concerned about my health, I appreciate the concern.


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## DontTrustheGov't

kintrovert said:


> O.k. - back from eating "dinner"...
> 
> Ummm - I don't particularly care for the presumputousness of parts of your post - such as your _telling_ me that I'm getting high and _why_ I'm finding huffing so enjoyable. You don't know me, you've never seen me do this - you don't know the physiology of my mind/body and what forces are at work that compel me to do this. Heck, even the doctors and other qualified mental health professionals whom I've talked to about this didn't "read my mind" as you did and tell me why I enjoy this.
> 
> And I'm not sure what definition of "high" you're using - but believe me, a "high" is not what I'm seeking when I do this. Would you say that cigarette smokers get "high" when they smoke? Or would you say that an _addiction_ - such as the one that cigarette smokers have - doesn't necessarily lead to a "high"? (I make the cigarette comparision because when I "sniff" - the effects are such that it seems a lot closer to cigarette-smoking than "weed" smoking, or cocaine-snorting.) If cigarette smokers got "high" - this country would be a lot more messed up than it is, as millions of people coming from cigarette breaks while on the job would have "altered senses" and end up making bad decisions.
> 
> I see that you feel so strongly about this topic that you came back to "ditto" DontTrusttheGov't's post - I can only hope that your strong feelings come from a good place. If you're _that_ concerned about my health, I appreciate the concern.


Sounds like someone might be in denial...


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## kintrovert

letitrock said:


> I mean sniffing fumes isn't as much of a compulsion for me as it seems to be for you-but I do kinda get where ur coming from-but just to let u know-I have NEVER in my life smoked cigarettes or anything illegal, or had so much as a sip of alcohol, or taken pills or whatever-maybe that's why im kinda like u-cuz I want to try drugs........anyway,
> like for me I do it on a weak less hardcoreway than you-like I love the smell of sharpies, dry erase board markers, whiteout, nail polish, rubber/paper cement(it's a kind of glue) and I used to hate nail polish remover cuz the first couple times I smelled it just cuz I wanted to see what it smelled like, I smelled it really hard and it hurt deep inside my nose for like 2 seconds-but then a couple months ago I started taking little whiffs of nail polish remover and I liked it-but now im in a new state and i didnt bring it with me and I don't have the _need_ to go buy it-so i dont have this compulsion as bad as you0but now that u gave me that cotton balls tip, i may have to try that
> but like I also *LOVE* the smell of wall paint-i wish i had a bucket of it at all times!-and when I walk by a gas station I lenjoy the smell of gasoline, and I also love the smell of fixative(an artist spray thing) but I dont let myself smell it cuz the vapors are really harmful-
> AND I ABSOLUTLEY LOVE THE SMELL OF RAIN! thats not bad but i thought it was a weird smell thing so I just wanted to share that with you


Finally someone who can relate.  Thanks for getting where I'm coming from - although, per the info posted, this is not healthy and it would behoove us to eliminate our desires as much as possible. (Although it sounds like you don't have a "problem", per se - like I do.)

According to one website that I scanned (in light of the alarmist info presented in this thread) - paint is one of the worst...if not _the_ worst - killer of brain cells. I'm not sure how credible this site was - but I'd say that this site was at least on the right track, as paint fumes aren't something that we want to be indulging in, if we can at all help it.

Like you - I've never done any illegal drugs, and so far, haven't smoked any cigarettes, and have only drank alcohol like, 4 times in my life. But I admit that the craving has been there at times, or a "curiosity" (especially recently) - but so far the only things I've actually indulged in are these fumes from common household products.

You said you may have to try what I'm doing - lol - that's what I said to the person on the other messageboard who admitted to sniffing/chewing mothballs. :b

My mom - who's about as "straightlaced" as you can get - has also said that she loves the fumes from the same products we're talking about. I don't know if she's "sniffed" as compulsively and as "extensively" as I have...if she has, she may be reluctant to admit it. Her attitude is, "Who _hasn't_ enjoyed these fumes?" - but perhaps that reflects the extent of _her_ "enjoyment" of the fumes, rather than some widespread problem. When I told her of the alarmist posts here and the extent of the dangers that I learned today - she didn't really buy it. And she's a retired RN, so you would think that she would be in a position to know these things.

Are you female? Because women are at a much higher risk for "Pica" (that I mentioned above) - and this could be the reason for your "enjoyment" of these fumes. Your iron may be low - from what I understand, it could still be low even if you're not technically "anemic". Your hemoglobin and hematocrit may be in "normal" ranges, but you could still too low in iron for your body's liking. According to some doctors and health advocates, a healthy ferritin level (storage iron) ranges from 40 to 70 (or even higher) - but a lot of women have ferritin levels much lower than this. (The last time I had my ferritin level tested, it was 12.) To the best of my knowledge (and I'm no expert), you can work to raise your ferritin levels as long as you don't have a source of oxidative stress in your body such as mercury-toxicity. But be careful - your ferritin may be low for a "good reason" (such as the "iron-dumping" that comes with mercury-toxicity. Mercury and iron are synergistic toxins). And you want to take a lot of antioxidants along with iron supplements, since iron is a pro-oxidant.

Here's a post I just found from Inhalant.org (http://messageboard.inhalant.org/post?id=3471709) that "validates" the link between low-iron/Pica and inhalant abuse:



> hi all, i just wanted to say that i've finally worked up the courage to tell my dr. about my inhalant issues.
> 
> i've suffered with the heavy burden of silence and the shame that secrecy can lord over you. the last thing many of us can imagine doing is sharing something we are so embarrassed by with someone, perhaps particularly if they are in an esteemed position. *i've chewed styrofoam (to release the chemicals that bind it together) for more years of my life that i remember than not... and have recently been able to stop with the aid of iron supplements. *
> 
> i wanted to confirm this connection since thus far it has only been my speculation. oddly enough, i was never quite willing to do it for myself. since i am now getting to an age and lifestyle (soon to be married) where kids may come in the picture soon, I wanted to know once and for all and to make sure i was as healthy as i possibly could be.
> 
> *well, i braced myself and just told her what i had been doing and how i found the iron pills to be of so much help. *
> 
> she did not: freak out, look at me like i was crazy, kick me out of the office or any of the other irrational fears i had about telling her.
> 
> *instead she nodded in an understanding manner, listened, and set about matter of factly telling me what i needed to know. namely that the iron factor was real and does in fact lead many women to crave various smells and substances. it can be called PICA even if the item isnt actually ingested. those things can range from ammonia, nail polish and remover, gasoline, cleaning products, dirt, cornstarch, and surely many other things. in can especially affect pregnant women as the baby is taking the lions share of vital nutrients in the body. which is key for me as i plan to start a family within the next year or so..*
> 
> it was so not a big deal that im kicking myself for not saying something years ago..god, when i was a teenager (im now 30) doctors were telling me my iron was low and i should do something about it. i never linked the two and never took my health seriously enough to really listen. its funny how the things we sometimes wont do for ourselves we will do for other people. i would never want my parents to bury me. my fiance to lose me and my little doggie whom i love like a baby to ever wonder where i was and if i was ever coming home.
> so i urge you, it's not as bad as you think it will be! you will be so relieved and will have made the first vital step to getting better. doctors are here to help you not redicule or mock you. the words are hard to say but the benefits are so worth it. i know its scary and i had a hard time spitting it out but i did it and im so glad!!


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## letitrock

*kintrovert!*

OMG-I am female and some things had led me to believe that I had low iron levels even before I read ur post-I mean its not like I can do anything about it now cuz I don't have health insurance but when I get a job and start making money, I'll be sure to do something about it- I even bought some cheap iron vitamins a couple years ago but didnt really take em cuz I thought what's the point So Thanks



kintrovert said:


> Finally someone who can relate.  Thanks for getting where I'm coming from - although, per the info posted, this is not healthy and it would behoove us to eliminate our desires as much as possible. (Although it sounds like you don't have a "problem", per se - like I do.)
> 
> According to one website that I scanned (in light of the alarmist info presented in this thread) - paint is one of the worst...if not _the_ worst - killer of brain cells. I'm not sure how credible this site was - but I'd say that this site was at least on the right track, as paint fumes aren't something that we want to be indulging in, if we can at all help it.
> 
> Like you - I've never done any illegal drugs, and so far, haven't smoked any cigarettes, and have only drank alcohol like, 4 times in my life. But I admit that the craving has been there at times, or a "curiosity" (especially recently) - but so far the only things I've actually indulged in are these fumes from common household products.
> 
> You said you may have to try what I'm doing - lol - that's what I said to the person on the other messageboard who admitted to sniffing/chewing mothballs. :b
> 
> My mom - who's about as "straightlaced" as you can get - has also said that she loves the fumes from the same products we're talking about. I don't know if she's "sniffed" as compulsively and as "extensively" as I have...if she has, she may be reluctant to admit it. Her attitude is, "Who _hasn't_ enjoyed these fumes?" - but perhaps that reflects the extent of _her_ "enjoyment" of the fumes, rather than some widespread problem. When I told her of the alarmist posts here and the extent of the dangers that I learned today - she didn't really buy it. And she's a retired RN, so you would think that she would be in a position to know these things.
> 
> Are you female? Because women are at a much higher risk for "Pica" (that I mentioned above) - and this could be the reason for your "enjoyment" of these fumes. Your iron may be low - from what I understand, it could still be low even if you're not technically "anemic". Your hemoglobin and hematocrit may be in "normal" ranges, but you could still too low in iron for your body's liking. According to some doctors and health advocates, a healthy ferritin level (storage iron) ranges from 40 to 70 (or even higher) - but a lot of women have ferritin levels much lower than this. (The last time I had my ferritin level tested, it was 12.) To the best of my knowledge (and I'm no expert), you can work to raise your ferritin levels as long as you don't have a source of oxidative stress in your body such as mercury-toxicity. But be careful - your ferritin may be low for a "good reason" (such as the "iron-dumping" that comes with mercury-toxicity. Mercury and iron are synergistic toxins). And you want to take a lot of antioxidants along with iron supplements, since iron is a pro-oxidant.
> 
> Here's a post I just found from Inhalant.org (http://messageboard.inhalant.org/post?id=3471709) that "validates" the link between low-iron/Pica and inhalant abuse:


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## screwjack

For the love of God, don't sniff fumes. Shooting heroin is safer compared to doing that. I'm not exaggerating.


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## DeeperUnderstanding

Yes, people die from this. It's not a good thing, and if I were you, I'd stop doing it right away. You're destroying your brain, not to mention your nose.


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## millenniumman75

****Thread Lock Watch****
We need to watch the posts on this subject - they could contain triggers for some. Otherwise, you are giving out ideas and that's not cool either.


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## UltraShy

Fumes are not my thing. If I have to use any solvents or such I like a well-ventilated room as instructed.


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## copper

In my last job I worked in residential program for the chronically mentally ill. In the one group home we had this one guy that damaged his brain from sniffing glue. If you seen him you would quit this behavior. The guys brain was gone. He would come to the office to ask me something and he would forget. He also would leave the house to go to a bar and forget how to get back. One time we found him walking out of town into the country. He probably would of walked to the next county if we didn't found him. He also would have a conversation with the porch railing while smoking. He finally got kicked out of the program when I caught him smoking cigarettes in his room. That was the last straw due to putting burn holes all over the carpet when he was living in our apartment unit. They moved him to the group home because he couldn't handle living on his own.


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## VIncymon

As a kid i sometimes used to enjoy the smell of gasoline, whenever my parents stopped at the filling station...

but after some research i realized how unhealthy this is.

I'm not sure of the specifics, but i can almost guarantee you that there is a direct link between a habit of sniffing fumes, and developing mental issues later on in life


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## Ohio Fatso

I like the smell of gasoline, chemical plants, zippo lighter fluid, and I sniff dry erase markers at work in front of everybody. It's something I do when I'm nervous because it relaxes me and I enjoy the smell. It takes the focus off of what I'm saying and instead they focus on the bizarre behavior, all the while I'm really enjoying the smell. 

The marker I've been sniffing has lost its smell now, so I will bring another one in tomorrow. I have dry erase markers at home, but I don't sniff them here because I'm not nervous when I'm alone. 

The markers say non-toxic on them. I don't think it does anything. I used to sniff ammonia in chemistry lab in college.


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## kintrovert

You're welcome.  Buying a good source of iron doesn't require a great deal of money - I'm not sure what your budget is, but you can buy iron supplements from websites like vitacost.com for very reasonable prices. Ferrous sulfate (the cheapest kind of iron, IIRC) isn't the most recommended form of iron - some people advise taking other, more "organic" forms of iron (I forget the exact reason why some people recommend staying away from ferrous sulfate - it must be my inhalant-addled brain failing me :um ). But if there's no other choice, ferrous sulfate is better than nothing - just take it with a lot of vitamin C and vitamin E. (All types of iron is supposed to be best-absorbed when taken with vitamin C - plus vitamin C counteracts the pro-oxidant effects of iron.)

Good forms of iron supplements include the "Ferrochel" type, ferrous fumarate, and ferrous bisglycinate chelate. There are other good sources of iron (like ferrous gluconate?) - but what I listed are supposed to be the best-absorbed types. Also, blackstrap molasses might be a good source of iron (and several other minerals). I've been so turned-on to the supposed "nourishing value" of blackstrap molasses that several months ago I started buying a bottle and taking spoonfuls.

You know - I remember as early as grade-school - classmates looking at my dark-colored fingernails (I always thought my fingernails were rather strange-looking - they have a lot of broad, dark-colored "stripes" and are just darker than average fingernails) and telling me that I had an iron deficiency. In the end - perhaps after consulting my mom - I just dismissed their theories. My mom just thinks it's "hereditary" - I supposedly get my dark fingernails/toenails from my Dad - but after experiencing all of the problems I have in adulthood - I wonder if my classmates were right all along. Maybe I have had a lifelong tendency toward iron-deficiency and have been more "anemic" than average - and those problems have just mushroomed in adulthood.



letitrock said:


> OMG-I am female and some things had led me to believe that I had low iron levels even before I read ur post-I mean its not like I can do anything about it now cuz I don't have health insurance but when I get a job and start making money, I'll be sure to do something about it- I even bought some cheap iron vitamins a couple years ago but didnt really take em cuz I thought what's the point So Thanks


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## yogonu

I love the smell of gasoline and dry erase markers, I also love the smell of wood and tires. Especially tires. Pretty much anything that will kill me to breath in I love the smell of it! I'm so crazy.lol


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## kintrovert

screwjack said:


> For the love of God, don't sniff fumes. Shooting heroin is safer compared to doing that. I'm not exaggerating.


 The more I read, the more resentful I get about my compulsion to do this. As if I weren't dealing with enough, mentally-speaking - enough brain-damaging forces (anxiety, depression, RX medications) - my "imbalances" had to lead me to indulge in a habit that's killed even more brain cells.

I'm also a bit resentful and "perplexed" that the medical and mental-health professionals whom I talked to about this and who were aware of my habit (and there have been at least four psychiatrists/counselors whom I've talked to - who even asked me specific information about my habit) didn't give me anywhere near the stark information and warnings that are in this thread. If I had been adequately informed and "scared straight" - it might have saved me a lot of "sniffs". Well, during my first "stint" of serious inhalant abuse (2000/2001), I was pretty secretive and didn't tell my psychiatrist or any doctors I saw. But, in the midst of my second stint (2004), I switched from a private psychiatrist to the county mental health system. Someone from the county mental health system was asking me general "intake" questions over the phone - and asked some questions that resulted in my revealing my compulsion to sniff inhalants. To my surprise, I was referred to the "Addiction and Recovery" division of the county mental health system - where someone asked extensively about my inhalant abuse. I was under the impression that what I was doing didn't "really count" as a serious, legitimate addiction - and it wasn't as "serious" as the well-known, widely-acknowledged drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, alcohol, etc. And really - the person who was carefully interviewing me about my abuse didn't really say or do anything to enlighten me about the damage I was doing to myself. And, in the end, my "stay" at the Addiction and Recovery division didn't last beyond that one visit - evidently, the counselor didn't see a problem serious enough to assign me to drug counseling or rehabilitation (although I remember being pretty truthful and shared with her my compulsion, and told her exactly what I was doing). I was quickly "transferred" to where I thought I belonged all-along - the basic mental-health services.

I wonder if these professionals are/were just as ignorant as I was - or if they just, for whatever reason, witheld important information from me. Maybe the intake counselor at the Addiction and Recovery center let me go because I told her that I didn't receive a "high" where my behavior/mind was altered to the point of doing "out of the ordinary" things. Maybe there was something about my demeanor that caused her to not see my abuse as a serious problem. In any event - I was honest to these professionals, and they still failed in their professional role to stress to me the seriousness of my habit and impart to me crucial information.


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## kintrovert

yogonu said:


> I love the smell of gasoline and dry erase markers, I also love the smell of wood and tires. Especially tires. Pretty much anything that will kill me to breath in I love the smell of it! I'm so crazy.lol


I like the smell of tires too. :yes I guess I like the smell of all sorts of things. But really, the only two substances that I've really abused on an extensive basis are rubbing alcohol and nail-polish remover. I've sniffed nail polish, white-out - and maybe, at the height of my addiction, stole a few "sniffs" of black magic markers in an Office Depot - but I never did these substances on a regular, extensive basis like I did my two "staples", isopropyl alcohol (70%) and nail polish remover. It's not like I went out of my way to purchase any glues, paints, computer dusters or anything - I stuck to my two "staples".


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## kintrovert

VIncymon said:


> I'm not sure of the specifics, but i can almost guarantee you that there is a direct link between a habit of sniffing fumes, and developing mental issues later on in life


Yikes - not what I wanted to hear. So I'm getting it at both ends - mental issues early in life, and then a "second wave" of further mental issues later in life....when what took place earlier in my life "catches up" with me. It's frightening, and depressing.

I threw my nail polish remover away today. It's not like I'd been abusing it anytime recently (with a few "mild" exceptions here and there). But since I don't use nail polish - what's the point of keeping it around, except to serve as a constant temptation?

Maybe it's worth noting that the container of nail polish remover I threw away today is the same container that "sustained" me throughout all of my "phases" of abuse - yes, I'm talking as far back as 2000. And the container was still at least half-full. So it's not like I was going through bottles and bottles of the stuff - even over a period of nine years, I didn't even come close to using up one container of nail polish remover. But I realize that you can't necessarily compare the quantity of the fumes to the quantity of the liquid that "emits" the fumes - since a small amount of liquid (two cotton balls worth, for example) - yields a relatively long-lasting source of fumes. It seems that it took me as long as 45 minutes, if I'm remembering correctly, to sniff two cotton balls worth of fumes "dry". I compare it to smoking a cigarette: I didn't constantly have the cotton balls up to my nose, but took a long sniff, rested for a few to several seconds (or even longer), then took another long sniff.


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## kintrovert

Ohio Fatso said:


> I like the smell of gasoline, chemical plants, zippo lighter fluid, and I sniff dry erase markers at work in front of everybody. It's something I do when I'm nervous because it relaxes me and I enjoy the smell. It takes the focus off of what I'm saying and instead they focus on the bizarre behavior, all the while I'm really enjoying the smell.


Well, there's one aspect of your behavior that I admire - your cajones to engage in this "idiosyncracy" right there in front of people. :nw As someone who's always self-conscious about people zeroing in on the slightest "weird" mannerism that comes from me - your ability to not care about people watching you sniff markers is awesome.


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## screwjack

kintrovert said:


> The more I read, the more resentful I get about my compulsion to do this. As if I weren't dealing with enough, mentally-speaking - enough brain-damaging forces (anxiety, depression, RX medications) - my "imbalances" had to lead me to indulge in a habit that's killed even more brain cells.
> 
> I'm also a bit resentful and "perplexed" that the medical and mental-health professionals whom I talked to about this and who were aware of my habit (and there have been at least four psychiatrists/counselors whom I've talked to - who even asked me specific information about my habit) didn't give me anywhere near the stark information and warnings that are in this thread. If I had been adequately informed and "scared straight" - it might have saved me a lot of "sniffs". Well, during my first "stint" of serious inhalant abuse (2000/2001), I was pretty secretive and didn't tell my psychiatrist or any doctors I saw. But, in the midst of my second stint (2004), I switched from a private psychiatrist to the county mental health system. Someone from the county mental health system was asking me general "intake" questions over the phone - and asked some questions that resulted in my revealing my compulsion to sniff inhalants. To my surprise, I was referred to the "Addiction and Recovery" division of the county mental health system - where someone asked extensively about my inhalant abuse. I was under the impression that what I was doing didn't "really count" as a serious, legitimate addiction - and it wasn't as "serious" as the well-known, widely-acknowledged drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, alcohol, etc. And really - the person who was carefully interviewing me about my abuse didn't really say or do anything to enlighten me about the damage I was doing to myself. And, in the end, my "stay" at the Addiction and Recovery division didn't last beyond that one visit - evidently, the counselor didn't see a problem serious enough to assign me to drug counseling or rehabilitation (although I remember being pretty truthful and shared with her my compulsion, and told her exactly what I was doing). I was quickly "transferred" to where I thought I belonged all-along - the basic mental-health services.
> 
> I wonder if these professionals are/were just as ignorant as I was - or if they just, for whatever reason, witheld important information from me. Maybe the intake counselor at the Addiction and Recovery center let me go because I told her that I didn't receive a "high" where my behavior/mind was altered to the point of doing "out of the ordinary" things. Maybe there was something about my demeanor that caused her to not see my abuse as a serious problem. In any event - I was honest to these professionals, and they still failed in their professional role to stress to me the seriousness of my habit and impart to me crucial information.


Sniffing isn't physically addictive and it is generally looked down upon so they might have thought it wasn't that big of a thing when they where evaluating you. I'm sorry that they didn't adequately warn you about the dangers. The good news is the human brain is a lot more adaptable than you could imagine, if you stop right now and never sniff again there is a good chance that you will "reset" and recover from any damage within a few years.


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## BeachGaBulldog

I like the smell of air freshener after I've taken a dump.


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## supercalaturk

Yeah, that's bad.
Just don't do what I do.
I have a habit of leaving the gas on, on the stove
and breathing in the smell because I like it.
I know that's probably way worse and probably deadly if left on for too long.

White-out, too.


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## millenniumman75

I'd be worried about the ability to smell anything after inhaling some of the items I have seen above :afr. The sense of smell also affects the sense of taste. If you've ever tried to eat while having a cold, there you go.


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## Thomas Paine

I think you are getting a high that you don't really notice. Why else would you keep doing it compulsively?

This is where the war on drugs really gets really ridiculous.

I wish you luck getting over your dangerous habit though. I actually used to huff paint when I was a kid, until my dad caught me and told me about how his friend's son went into a vegetative state from huffing too much paint.


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## Some Russian Guy

i like sniffing fumes of this toxic liquid


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## kintrovert

screwjack said:


> Sniffing isn't physically addictive and it is generally looked down upon so they might have thought it wasn't that big of a thing when they where evaluating you. I'm sorry that they didn't adequately warn you about the dangers. The good news is the human brain is a lot more adaptable than you could imagine, if you stop right now and never sniff again there is a good chance that you will "reset" and recover from any damage within a few years.


Yeah - it seems like I've seen those PBS specials that have talked about newly-discovered regenerative powers of the brain - hopefully, this isn't just some trendy-but-inaccurate theory. I just hope my brain is somehow able to recover.

So "sniffing" is looked down upon, huh? So I wasn't being paranoid when I picked up on an undercurrent of contempt in some of the first replies to this thread? What - is inhalant abuse considered the lowest rung of compulsive behavior - below alcohol-abuse, smoking illegal joints, compulsive overeating, crystal-meth addiction, and self-mutilation? I got a slight whiff of hypocricy (sniffing hypocricy isn't toxic, is it? :um) when I discovered that the person who rudely told me that what I was doing "wasn't normal" is a self-mutilator. Personally, I have trouble uttering the words "that's not normal" to another struggling person - even if what they're struggling with is in a different realm. For one thing - I assume that people are smart enough to have some idea of the so-called "abnormality" of their behavior, without my taking it upon myself to to "remind" them of this.

From reading some of the posts on the Inhalant.org messageboard, I know that many of the people who get hooked on inhalants are otherwise upstanding and honorable people. (Of course, this statement could be made of people who struggle with all sorts of compulsive behavior.) There is no reason why these people should be looked down upon any more than other types of addicts.

If the things that have been said in this thread, and are all over the web, are true - then I don't see how the professionals with whom I discussed my problem could have thought "it wasn't that big of a thing". These professionals seriously failed me - because of either ignorance or a lack of concern that I was destroying myself.


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## kintrovert

Thomas Paine said:


> I think you are getting a high that you don't really notice. Why else would you keep doing it compulsively?
> 
> This is where the war on drugs really gets really ridiculous.
> 
> I wish you luck getting over your dangerous habit though. I actually used to huff paint when I was a kid, until my dad caught me and told me about how his friend's son went into a vegetative state from huffing too much paint.


Wow - that's a horrifyingly sad thing to hear about your dad's friend's son. I'm sure the son - and perhaps even the father of this victim - had no idea that paint fumes could be so damaging. I mean, it's pretty easy to get lulled into a false sense of security about these chemicals - since they're pretty ubiquitious and accessible. I'm reading horrifying tales at the Inhalant.org messageboard - for example, how someone's daughter just dropped dead from sniffing air freshner. _Air Freshner_. I mean, that is a product whose makers _intend_ for us to smell to a certain degree - it's just a horrible stroke of luck that, when someone decides that they can't get enough of the smell of this item, they end up dying from it.

Is there a standard definition of "high"? Depending on what that definition is, I'm not sure if I was getting high. I'm not sure if I've ever crossed that threshold that one "needs" to cross to be considered "high". I've never really heard the feeling that cigarette smokers get described as a "high" - and I liken my experience more to cigarette-smoking than to any other substance.

I'm pretty sure that my inhalant cravings were/are Pica-related: as someone put it on the Inhalant.org messageboard - craving these smells is a "wacky" attempt by an iron-deficient person's body to correct its mineral balance. Our bodies aren't looking for a "high" - our bodies are looking for needed nutrients (and going about it in an "odd" way).

A lot of pregnant women get Pica and start craving certain smells (what a dangerous time to start craving nail-polish-remover fumes) - making a baby takes a lion's share of nutrients, and pregnant women often find themselves becoming deficient in several nutrients (including iron).

For example - here's a post from the popular "Yahoo! Answers" website:



> I'm having weird cravings for smells. Non food items.?
> *I am 33 weeks pregnant* and for the past month or so have been craving weird smells.
> 
> 1. Irish Spring soap
> *2. Tires/Rubber
> 3. Gasoline
> 4. Nail polish/remover*
> 5. New shoes
> 6. Cedar/wood
> *7. Bleach
> 8. Permanant marker*
> 
> These are the things I have been craving not to eat but just to sniff them. I have never heard of anyone having these cravings before. I know most of these items are not healthy for me to be sniffing so i don't but i crave them so badly. Actually if I had a piece of cedar I wouldn't mind chewing on it, not eating ...just chewing. I feel like I'm going crazy because I am never satisfied until i sniff one of these items. I sit in front of the tv with 2 wooden boxes and sniff each one back and forth. Or old books... And I have to admit, my husband has a pair of brand new tennis shoes still in the box and i keep it next to the computer so i can smell them when i am in the room.
> 
> Does anyone else have these kinds of cravings or do you know what could be causing them?
> 
> I figure somehow it could possibly be an *iron defficiency* b/c i just ate some lentils and my husband loved them but they tasted like metal to me.
> 
> http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090426202812AAOt5mz


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## shocksleeper

kintrovert said:


> O.k. - back from eating "dinner"...
> 
> Ummm - I don't particularly care for the presumputousness of parts of your post - such as your _telling_ me that I'm getting high and _why_ I'm finding huffing so enjoyable. You don't know me, you've never seen me do this - you don't know the physiology of my mind/body and what forces are at work that compel me to do this. Heck, even the doctors and other qualified mental health professionals whom I've talked to about this didn't "read my mind" as you did and tell me why I enjoy this.
> 
> And I'm not sure what definition of "high" you're using - but believe me, a "high" is not what I'm seeking when I do this. Would you say that cigarette smokers get "high" when they smoke? Or would you say that an _addiction_ - such as the one that cigarette smokers have - doesn't necessarily lead to a "high"? (I make the cigarette comparision because when I "sniff" - the effects are such that it seems a lot closer to cigarette-smoking than "weed" smoking, or cocaine-snorting.) If cigarette smokers got "high" - this country would be a lot more messed up than it is, as millions of people coming from cigarette breaks while on the job would have "altered senses" and end up making bad decisions.
> 
> I see that you feel so strongly about this topic that you came back to "ditto" DontTrusttheGov't's post - I can only hope that your strong feelings come from a good place. If you're _that_ concerned about my health, I appreciate the concern.


I apologize. I was honestly just trying to throw in some humor there, not be presumptuous or offend you. But one, it was drug humor, and apparently you don't do any drugs, so I can see it was wasted on the wrong person. And two, this is obviously a big deal, so my sick sense of humor is obviously of little use to you. I was going to be more helpful and suggest something useful but I know little about this. So all I knew what to say was, you should probably refrain from doing it, which you obviously realize. I threw in the ditto to counter my callous humor, and make it somewhat obvious that I was joking, but this whole internet communication is not something I'm skilled with.

I read your long post, and I can see you're going down the right path with this. Physicians often give useless advice or ignore any afflictions we tell them of that cannot be solved with common prescriptions, so it is necessary to take things into our own hands sometimes. From what I read I would trust your own opinion on your problems over any physician, you know your body and your history best and you know how to take care of yourself. There are dangers in taking these supplements and antioxidants too often, however, especially if you have other afflictions and imbalances to deal with. You don't necessarily know the full affects of these things on your body, and if your doctors are not taking you seriously and cannot give you advice, I would reccomend seeking out a physician who specializes in this field, or perhaps a natropathic doctor.

Hope this post was vaguely redeeming and/or helpful.


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## puddinpop1106

*i need help*

I am also addicted to smells of fumes I sniff zippo lighter fluid gasoline spray paint fat permant sharpie markers the big ones. Magnum 44 markers mainly I sniff nail polish white out pine sole and these things called balloonies they used to be super elastic bubble plastic for kids to blow with a straw I do an the poke a little whole an sniff the air fumes that come out and I just squeeze some out an pinch it an roll in around an sniff it or put it on my nose and blow a bubb?le with my nostrils an sniff the bubble whle its covering my nose I do it wen I'm. Stressed out an I gag a lot from the weirdest things like raw meat wen I cook or the smell of onins sometimes or seafood I gag but wen I have one of these items near the smell gets my mind off and I start feeling better so I just wanna kno does anyone else have this addiction I currently stopped cuz I can barely breath like tak deep breaths but I crave the smell it just smells soooo good I need help please what can I do to getg my mind off.


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## itsweirdiknow

Hi. I am CJ. I just read the above post about magnum 44 markers and the balloonies...I am in wonder. I have always sniffed markers and especially the Magnums. I never understood why ppl thought it weird if it smelled so enticing. I have never smelt balloonies in the manner you speak of. I hope you find a way to keep away. I don't look down or judge anyone on any of these posts. I just understand. I myself have a constant urge to sniff cotton balls doused w/alcohol until they are dry. I even search for the largest most absorbent cotton balls! The tiny ones WON'T do, even if I tripled them and doused them. If I find myself leaving home, I take my cotton balls and alcohol and it cant be 50% or 70% rubbing alcohol....I have graduated to the 91% and the rest dosen't sniff as well. I have used cotton balls around the house (I know it's weird and unsanitary) but I keep them in case I run out of cotton balls, I can just douse them again and then throw them away after they get really dirty. I am wondering what the health risks really are. I hear him and her say, " It's unhealthy and can kill you and it's toxic!" I don't see how, if it says on the bottle RUBBING alcohol. It's made to penetrate the skin. I figure smelling it for like 20 minutes a day in increments of 5 minutes like 4 times daily should not be all that harmful. If it is really toxic I would really like to know as I believe that this would cause me to stop smelling alcohol. I don't even drink the stuff, I just enjoy what it smells like. It dosen't get you high at all. I like to rub it on my face like an astringent and just huff away. I find myself huffing when I am tired, or stressed or need a face clean, even in happy times....am I mentally ill? I don't want to stop but if it's harmful to my health I will...I wish everyone the best in their pursuits to be happy and healthy. Any good advice is welcomed and much appreciated. Any offensive remarks or berating goes over my head like one over the cuckoo's nest. Take care.


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