I was in the terminal room, which has a bigass Mitsubishi ‘Mr. Slim’ (major misnomer) air conditioner. I put my face up to it and damn, it felt nice. Then I breathed in that sweet cold air, and my vision waved, my ears rang, and I got very dizzy. Just to make sure it wasn’t me I did it again a couple minutes later and the same thing happened. Do air conditioners normally release anything that would do this at very close range? Is this safe?
How Stuff Works - Air Conditioners
Air conditioners do not release any chemicals. The active system is a closed system. Ambient air is merely cooled by passing over a very cold surface.
I’d agree with Uncle Beer. That being said though, air being pulled from the outside that is being cooled might have something in it. What’s stored near the intake for the system? Is it near some back alley area where industrial solvents may be getting processed or disposed of? I suppose their could be a leak in the system itself as well, though I’m not sure breathing in the refrigerant would cause any of the ill effects you describe. I once got a face full of freon (old refrigerator from the 50s…don’t ask) when it decided to die, and I don’t remember feeling anything… other than pissed off that I needed a new refrigerator… 
Sounds to me like what you get when you huff Whippits (Nitrous Oxide). Perhaps the air conditioner uses NO2 as a coolant and has a leak?
Funny you should mention this.
I just got the air conditioning fixed in my JeepGC, it had a leak in the o-rings. When I picked up the truck and drove away with the air blowing on half-blast (windows shut) I got the oddest feeling afew minutes later.
It was almost surreal - driving down the road, I mean. I swear I was high on something. I let the windows down and took deep breaths, my head cleared immediatly.
Are you sure no fumes come out of air contitioning? What about that new stuff that is replacing freon? I’ll have to look and see what the name of it is.
No, I was not smoking anything, and no it was no flashback. 
The Turtle Moves
Obviously my spelling has gone to shit tonight. Apologies hereby proffered.
The Turtle Moves
Spelling forgiven since you’re obviously high… 
Yer pal,
Satan
http://www.raleighmusic.com/board/Images/devil.gif
TIME ELAPSED SINCE I QUIT SMOKING:
Four days, 17 minutes and 14 seconds.
160 cigarettes not smoked, saving $20.06.
Life saved: 13 hours, 20 minutes.
I have to pay for that . Wish I was in a country than needed A/C’s
Forget that, just get a job somewhere where there are lots of computers giving off a lot of heat. I’m in Victoria, Canada! Not like it doesn’t get hot in the summer… that’s why they installed the new AC, but it’s still April and plenty cool. Actually, bloody cold. Maybe I should talk to someone about this. Could be hazardous… or maybe it should just be my dirty little secret
If the A/C is leaking coolant, the only feeling you’ll get is the same one you’d get from holding your breath; i.e., oxygen deprivation. A/C coolants are inert and will do you no direct harm, but they will displace some of the air that would normally go into your lungs.
Alternately, you might be getting a whiff of ozone from a faulty motor, or whatever chemicals were put into the drip pan to prevent mold growth.
The symptoms you describe can also fit two other diagnosis:
- Rapid change in blood pressure. You can simulate this by standing on your head and suddenly standing up. Such changes in position significanly alter blood pressure differentials in the circulatory system. Ordinarily, our bodies compensate automatically – when it doesn’t, we can feel dizzy and/or nauseous.
When you stood up in a hot office and suddenly cooled your head, you may have created that same effect. Sudden cooling of the skin causes a contraction in the blood vessels and could too rapidly change your blood pressure.
- Inner ear problem. Cold water in the inner ear creates havoc with the thing that regulates balance in our ears and can lead to dizziness and/or nausea.
The cooling system could be blowing in your ear too much.
Peace.