Are Poppers Safe?

There are some people who did not grow up with poppers being present as a recreational activity. Although they have been around for several decades now, some of you may only just be discovering poppers for the first time recently. If this is the case, you may have some questions about whether poppers can be dangerous or if they are totally safe to use. There is a lot of conflicting information available across the internet regarding how and when to use poppers safely, and whether they can be a risk to your health, so this article will briefly go through the best ways to ensure that you stay safe when partaking.

There are two main ways in which poppers can be used, which we have detailed previously in our article titled “How to use poppers”. The first and most common way to use them is to simply open the bottle and let the poppers fragrance emanate throughout the room in which they are placed, so that the effects of the chemicals will slowly but subtly take effect for everyone present. The second way in which poppers are used is a more direct method and involves inhaling the fragrance directly from the bottle at closer proximity, in order to create a stronger effect for the person inhaling.

As mentioned in that article linked above, there are positives and negatives to both approaches, depending on the desired effect one has when using poppers. Our article entitled “How long do poppers last?” goes into a great amount of detail as to the exact effects one can expect from recreational poppers usage. Inhaling poppers directly will lead to the effects being felt quite strongly and will usually take effect within a minute. The expected resultant effects include a head-rush feeling, a relaxation of the muscles, and an increased sexual libido.

Due to the intense nature of the effects that poppers can produce, many people feel uneasy using them recreationally and question whether they are totally safe. A good thing to keep in mind with poppers usage is that, as with any substance, a negative effect primarily comes from misuse or incorrect dosage. Alcohol is typically considered totally safe to consume, but can of course be abused or taken incorrectly, and poppers are similar in this regard.

There are some minor side-effects that may pop-up when using poppers recreationally. Most of these will not be severe enough for you to consider poppers unsafe, but could be annoying to deal with, so it’s best to be informed beforehand. One common complaint is simply that poppers can result in nausea and headaches due to the chemicals present in them. This is usually a symptom of overuse in a short period of time, as the effects on blood pressure in the head can result in a migraine-like feeling. Moderation is the key to avoiding this sensation and should be fairly easy to manage. Likewise, if you do feel yourself becoming nauseated due to poppers use then you may need to simply inhale less frequently or take a small break in order to combat the intensity of the effects.

Where poppers could be considered unsafe is in regards to the heart and blood. The chemicals present in poppers were originally developed to treat heart and circulation problems and so it would behoove anyone with an existing heart condition to seek the opinion of a medical expert before using poppers. Many people use poppers as an aphrodisiac or as a way to combat erectile dysfunction and they are perfectly safe when used as such, however, one should never combine poppers with other erectile dysfunction medication such as Viagra, as the combined effect could lower blood pressure to a dangerous level.

Another thing to be aware of is that some poppers can affect the vision of the person who uses them. Particularly strongest poppers or poppers that have been stored incorrectly and have degraded can lead to such negative effects when used. Typically the side-effect is white spots in the vision but in extreme cases it can lead to temporary blindness or a form or permanent damage to the blood vessels in the eye. If you experience any of these symptoms after using poppers then it is paramount to seek out medical advice and assistance immediately.

Outside of these problems, which can be serious in some cases, poppers are incredibly safe to use and should not represent a risk when taken recreationally. If you want a more in-depth discussion about how to best use poppers and how to store them, be sure to check out our other instructional articles here.