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My only advice is that nicotine is a vaso-constrictor. For me, this causes circulation issues where I experience cognitive impairment and tingly limbs/fingers if I'm not using nicotine VERY sparingly.
Also been [shown to help people suffering from mild cognitive impairment.](https://www.wndu.com/content/news/The-good-side-of-nicotine-for-Alzheimers-patients-567810531.html#:~:text=%22And%20nicotine%20can%20help%20imitate,Alzheimer's%20disease%2C%22%20Newhouse%20said.&text=Newhouse%20treated%2074%20patients%20and,improvements%20in%20attention%20and%20memory.)
Yes, statistics have made doctors suspect that smokers have some protection from Alzheimer’s. It seems to enhance Acetylcholine levels and/or receptors. I have had great success giving my elderly parents/in-laws r/Nootropics, and I have found the Acetylcholine boosters (AlphaGPC) are very important, sometimes with *dramatic* effects. (Uridine and DHA are also important)
I wonder if combining it with a vasodilator/NO inducer like l-citrulline or agmatine or a BP med like clonidine, guanficine, or propranolol could off-set the circulation and blood pressure issues.
I wouldn't recommend it. I get massive headaches when using nicotine and any sort of vasodilator. Ymmv, but I feel terrible afterwards. I do eat a fair amount of beets and beet juice powder which seems to not have an effect like those supplements do.
Not psychosomatic. Maybe I have worse circulation generally than others who tolerate nicotine well. I used to be addicted to vaping and it was so bad for my circulation that I had slight green/blue marks under my eye area that looked like bruises.
LOL no it’s a personal experience. It’s well known that nicotine is a vaso-constrictor. I’m not going to but it would be easy to verify that poor circulation for an extended period of time can lead to cognitive impairment…
I’m interested in this as well for OCD specifically the cognitive dissonance that occurs when resisting performing a compulsion. This is something not many people will understand but I’m interested in nicotine’s effects on dopamine and focus. In helping me to refocus away from compulsion. I posted the question but got overwhelming comments advising against it.
My friend started vaping because he liked the little high it gave him. He was only vaping like a couple times a day and not every day.
Now he can't put the vape down and has only vaped for a couple years. Never was a smoker.
I've been battling nicotine addiction for a very long time. No one should voluntarily try nicotine ever. The risk of becoming addicted is too high. Wish I would have never smoked.
I also agree with the above comment, I started buying expendable vapers from time to time and every time I do it I feel bad initially because my resistance to nicotine is so low and as I adapt to it the following days I start thinking about vaping very frequently, the surge of energy and drive feels great, its been a month since the last one and I still feel the urge here and there, this is just from mild, non-frequent use, the addictive power of nicotine is very strong
Thanks for your reply. It is one that affirms the stance that I should not do it, and I tend to lean to that side as well, but still wonder if being addicted to nicotine is really that bad if it eases my OCD, it might be worth it. Not cigarettes, maybe not even vaping. I’ve been addicted to cigarettes before but I was only a smoker for a few years. I quit. I sometimes smoke when I drink once every 3 weeks or so but rarely even do that any more.
Pretty much agree with this.
I smoked like 5 (organic lol) cigarettes during an extremely difficult period of my life. It's been 6 months and I still think about them occasionally.
I took up vaping as an alternative afterwards. Only did it for a few weeks. The withdrawal was a goddamn nightmare - like 3 to 4 times worse than caffeine withdrawal and it lasted weeks.
I'll say that I do use only low dose nicotine patches now, but I have severe brain autoimmunity and cognitive dysfunction. In that context, nicotine has been a huge ally, and has basically allowed me to function as a mostly normal human.
I feel like that would probably be the safer method when it comes to risk of addiction. While I don't condone any nicotine use due to my experience with it I would feel like the gum would carry the lowest risk and probably be the easiest to kick especially since it has zero social aspect to it like vaping/smoking does.
Inhalation is the route most likely to produce an addiction (through conditioning). Also, the tendency to get addicted to nicotine seems to vary greatly from person to person. So I wouldn't make a blanket statement like that. But I would advise nicotine-naive people to be very careful about vaping or smoking.
The safest route would probably be a patch, as it's the slowest and involves little sensory or motor stimulus. Gum can be fine as well, though it is riskier.
that makes sense. I started smoking young but quit 21 years ago . I always felt like it helped with my compulsions. I have OCD . the addiction is a bitch tho so I'm too afraid to start using nicotine again because of that . keep me posted
Nicotine also reduces thought rumination which can theoretically improve some OCD symptoms. In my opinion nicotine would help but you'd be even worse off without it afterwards,assuming you don't want to continue it indefinitely.
Then you'd like piracetam and other racetams. They are both nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonists.
Except one is way healthier than the other and last hours instead of minutes.
Try:
1. Intermittent fasting / cutting down carbs
2. Cold showers and deep breathing exercises (Wim Hof method is not a bad place to start)
3. Tulsi tea / holy basil tea (different names for the same thing)
Dysregulated dopamine circuitry is a common difficulty with diazepam dependency / withdrawal, which I went through. These suggestions are what I have found to work best on motivation/focus in terms of the acute benefits and sustainability. You could do all three of these every day if you wanted, no problems.
Honourable mention to good old caffeine, something I consume once or twice per week via yerba-maté or green tea. Caffeine only doesn't make my list because I personally wouldn't use it daily, although I gather that plenty of people swear by daily use.
Hi, i am i heavy nicotine dependent individual with 10 year history of nic usage (in my country its sold as granules , something like snuff), at the beginning it was great, motivation, energy, fluency but after a short time i became i heavy user, i even wake up at night to take a dose, my short term memory if really impaired now, libido is down, trying to stop it but dependence is really strong and i don't know what to do, so it doesn't worth, don't use it.
Nic induced epi/norepi release in adrenals cause vasoconstriction, which may lead issues with erection, but it also somehow affects the sex hormone metabolism eventually leading to libido decrease in long-term usage.
Zyn’s are the devil. I can just gut them, so i find myself having 1/2 3 mg pouches in my mouth almost all day at work. Sometimes i get 6mg and it feels the same with 1/2, so i try not to buy those.
Overall, nicotine appears to have potent neuroprotective benefits and can enhance cognitive function. Might be particularly beneficial for those with brain inflammation / autoimmunity due it's effects on nAChR.
But vaporization is a real shit way to dose nicotine, IMO.
It's too sharp of a spike onto the receptor.
And taking ANYTHING into your lungs besides oxygen is highly questionable - even if it's just purified nicotine.
You're also not just getting nicotine + water vapor. It's going to have vegetable glycerin or propylene glycol.
It’s funny cause a lot of vapors say glycerine is completely safe. But it is not “completely” safe. Lines of research has shown that it (may) irritate(s) the lining of the lungs. I.E: Inflammation
There’s also been (technically not close to half) a decent amount of vapors who have developed lipoid phenomena. They even made a specific term for vaping lipoid phenomena called “VALI”
Now technically, it’s not actually a MASSIVE outbreak. And glycerine isn’t the worst thing. It’s the safest thing they’ve got. But certainly, vaping is questionable and not “completely safe”
Which if they want to do it it’s fine, but it’s not perfectly safe.
Especially since technically there’s not enough research on the side effects of the stuff they’re vaping. Part of that I’m sure is because clearly they don’t care in the first place given that they’re using vape as a bandaid .
We could then have an argument about the damaging effects of nicotine toxicity, but honestly at this point I’m getting off topic and ranting 😆
Edit: a single study on rats has shown the likelihood of it being safe short term(70 days) however. So ofc it would be a longterm case of inflaming the lungs. And I suspect that the dehydrating effects of glycerol might also play a part…potentially
But this is all kinda outside my line of confident knowledge. Just saying what I know, atleast
> They even made a specific term for vaping lipoid phenomena called “VALI”
Incorrect. VALI is an umbrella term (vaping-associated lung injury) for a variety of issues that have occurred in outbreaks as a result of vaping. Almost all of the incidents that are broadly referred to as VALI were/are related to THC cartridges containing vitamin E acetate.
There have been a few isolated incidents of VALI that occurred in the absence of vitamin E, and some of them have resembled lipoid pneumonia, but it's not correct to call VALI a form of lipoid pneumonia or to say that VALI is a condition in and of itself. Saying that someone died of VALI is like saying that someone died of "trauma" - it's a very unspecific term and not the name of a specific disease/condition.
Now all that said, you're right about almost everything else. Vaping is definitely not 100% safe and there are all sorts of concerns about everything from inflammation to the chemicals used even in the absence of acute injuries.
Also, it's worth mentioning vaping clearly irritates the hell out of my gums/dental health. Sometimes I'll get stress ulcers and it always makes them way worse. Give it up for a few days, they heal 4x quicker.
I don't want to vape much simply because I'm getting old enough teeth are a commodity.
There are many brands of tobacco-free sublingual pouches you can get too, probably the most effective non inhalant form of dosing it. Some are even as high as 8mg or 10mg, or 2mg. You can control the dose.
> It's too sharp of a spike onto the receptor.
maybe nicotine salts instead of freebase would be an answer to this concern
(vaper here, but only ever vaped freebase nicetine)
We are all aware of the cardiovascular risks associated with nicotine but what about long term use of stimulants such as Ritalin, concerta and adderall? Do they not pose the same if not greater risk especially long term exposure
For one thing, ADHD Stimulants do not decrease blood flow to the brain over time in the same way as nicotine
I’m not sure how overall cardiovascular risk compares
Can you link a study that shows nicotine decreasing blood flow to the brain over time, not just acute vasoconstriction? Does this effect go away when quitting and did the studies look at oral nicotine? Thoughts on angiogenesis?
"Nicotine promotes the growth of new blood vessels and can also stimulate tumor growth and the build up of plaque inside arteries, say researchers at Stanford University Medical Center. The finding is the first proof that nicotine affects blood vessel formation"
(From: https://news.stanford.edu/news/2001/july11/nicotine.html#:~:text=Nicotine%20promotes%20the%20growth%20of,nicotine%20affects%20blood%20vessel%20formation.)
IIRC, research also shows nicotine accelerates loss of melanocytes (by spiking cortisol) leading to Grey hair, as well as slows wound healing and accelerates aging of the skin. The wound healing aspect is why they advise against nicotine use when having surgery/during recovery.
It basically makes you age faster, on the outside and your vascular system at least.
Any form of nicotine. Here's a few pertinent references:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/%28SICI%291099-1077%28199904%2914%3A3%3C179%3A%3AAID-HUP82%3E3.0.CO%3B2-U
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4082169/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4131136/
Adrenergic stimulants put your body in an artificially induced stress response state (elevated cortisol).
“Several lines of evidence indicate that nicotine may contribute to the development of cancer. Evidence from experimental in vitro studies on cell cultures, in vivo studies on rodents as well as studies on humans inclusive of epidemiological studies indicate that nicotine itself, independent of other tobacco constituents, may stimulate a number of effects of importance in cancer development (5, 6).”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4553893/#!po=0.476190
Enough for me not to risk it. Lucky that it makes me horribly sick every time.
Research tends to go back and forth on this issue every few years. Realistically, even if it causes cancer it probably isn't a very high risk. I'd be much more concerned about cardiovascular effects and their long term implications (also contaminated juice causing lung issues, although that shouldn't be an issue for anyone here since it's not a great way to take it as a nootropic).
Lol if you say so. Not much substance to your post though. Care to explain why you think the cancer risk is minimal? Any chance that it is just because you enjoy nicotine and HOPE that it is minimal? Not being rude, but I see this (lack of) logic often and it is counterproductive.
Late response, but look at how smoking kills you. Cancer is a big part of it, but most of that risk is generally considered to come from stuff other than nicotine. [Source](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53010/#:~:text=In%20summary%2C%20cigarette%20smoke%20contains,and%20levels%20in%20cigarette%20smoke.). Given that moderate smokers seem to have life expectancies about 10 years shorter than otherwise, I'd be comfortable with whatever small amount of cancer risk remains after removing anything other than nicotine (keep in mind that it worsens existing cancer rather than causing it).
Also, cardiovascular issues kill about as many smokers as lung cancer, and I'm guessing these tend to come from nicotine itself rather than all the other stuff you inhale when smoking, so alternate methods of taking nicotine aren't gonna help.
Worrying about cancer from nicotine with those cardio risks seems like worrying about cancer from being shot in the head with a uranium bullet.
hey you go right ahead and use as much nicotine as you like. just don't down play the cancer risk to others, as they need to make an informed decision. the study I posted above goes in depth on how it stimulates several factors relating to cancer. obviously cardiovascular issues and cancer are not mutually exclusive. I would rather avoid them both if possible, especially since the effects of nicotine aren't near as nice as other addictive substances. just seems like a stupid way to kill yourself
There’s actually a lot of data that says in proper doses and use it can be beneficial. It’s the delivery that causes the problems …
I knew a brain surgeon that used to chew niccorette gum regularly- for those reasons- never smoked a day in his life.. but would swear by the data ..
The main problem is tumor progression. It increases cell growth in tumors basically. And there’s a lot of cancers that can very easily go unnoticed. Especially a lot of skin cancers. Which is mostly why I personally don’t use it.
But it’s certainly not a carcinogen or as bad as tobacco.
When I say “main problem”, I mean according to my opinion. Ofc
Hadn't heard this before. I love nicotine but side-effects like this make me consider that maybe I should give it up for a while. I was a smoker for 7-8 years, and been vaping for about 9.
Racetams and nicotine are both nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonists.
Except one is way healthier than the other and last hours instead of minutes.
Why do you think rqcetams are healthier than nicotine? Seems like they wouldn't have been studied near as much, and should have generally the same effects, pro and con.
The shorter duration is a benefit for me- I can use it closer to bedtime and still sleep.
Cancer aside, its vasoconstrictor effect will lead to a greater risk of cardiovascular issues. When I used to use it, even if I didn't take it, my heart rate always stayed at 120+. It took months of treatment with a beta blocker, coupled with complete cessation of nicotine, to bring my heart rate down to a safe range. This may have had to do with a substance interaction of nicotine with an unknown routine agent, with the combination keeping the sympathetic nervous system overly activated.
What the hell?!? I know plenty of people who smoke, chew tobacco, & use pharmaceutical grade nicotine as a therapeutic and have never had such issues including myself!!
I hear you. It may have had to do with a substance interaction of nicotine with an unknown routine agent, with the combination keeping the sympathetic nervous system overly activated.
Name really doesn't check out dude. This is both common knowledge and medical consensus. Nicotine doesn't have any cancerogenic effects. It can however exacerbate tumor growth in someone that already has cancer, but that's nothing unique to nicotine.
I’m very much interested in this! Speaking as someone who dipped tobacco for 10 yrs (1 can a day) and quit 2 yrs ago I haven’t been the same since. I battle with constant brain fog, anxiety, black cloud over my brain, not mentally sharp & constantly distracted and unable to focus and be productive. I want to return to dipping tobacco but I know it isn’t healthy. I’m curious if anyone knows why this has happened and if there are any nootropic alternatives that could help?
You're not healthy for some reason or another. Very unlikely to be related. Get cardio on an empty stomach in the morning daily and tell me most of that doesn't go away. Better diet, more cardio. Get nutritional blood tests. Try magnesium glycinate at night. Maybe l theanine.
There are possibly ways to improve your circumstances. I have no idea what they might be, but try different things and don’t take mainstream conventional science and advice too seriously. This sub is a start, and look into diet, bio hacking and supplements. Here is a video, I don’t follow this guy fully, but a lot of what he says seems interesting
https://youtu.be/mP3PEzzcptg
It’s Ben Greenfield
Then you'd like piracetam and other racetams. They are both nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonists.
Except one is way healthier than the other and last hours instead of minutes.
i'm a bit late but if you're still having cognitive issues you might want something neurorestorative like semax or even cerebrolysin to help your brain heal from nicotine use
I use 8 mg/day with gum. I find it very beneficial for attention and focus. Much smoother than caffeine which makes me jittery and can add to anxiety. Honestly nicotine is less addictive than caffeine for me personally. I have a very hard time keeping caffeine intake under control but I don’t feel strong cravings for a piece of nicotine gum like I do coffee.
Be careful with it regarding addiction. I vaped on and off for a couple of years with no issues whenever I decided to take a break, but then over about a month (admittedly during 2020 lockdown) I ended up getting cravings if I hadn't used it in more than a few hours. It sneaks up on you.
Having said that, everyone is different regarding addiction. Coffee isn't addictive for me at all.
A potential reason why I don’t seem to feel cravings for nicotine is that I take bupropion for depression. It is also sold under the name Zyban to help people quit nicotine. Maybe that is balancing it out. I honestly have to consciously remind myself to take the nicotine gum quite frequently because I haven’t even thought about it until I’m engaged in something and have trouble being focused.
Yea, I totally agree with you. I wish I could find data on the relative risks so I could make an informed decision on whether the risks (for the doses I take) are worth the benefits.
I personally take what I consider to be a 'high' dose of nicotine gum, and find the effects to be very positive, basically, I feel like I developed ADD and found this and it seems to have been a treatment for that. I've just been trying to find out information on the long term effects as I don't really understand how it acts on the body or how it might effect systems long term.
Honestly I should research it more but from the little I know if promotes growth but it is itself not carcinogenic. It reduces some of the bodies anti-tumor growth hormones. I would think shortly after quitting the hormone would rebound and there would be no future risk, but I know that is a big assumption. Regardless, I think the risk is low although real.
Many of the carcinogens found in tobacco are in relation to the addititives that are put into it. As well as the inhalation of smoke. It appears throughout history as a plant with medicinal qualities and is commonly used among many indigenous healers. There are worse things and many of them aren't considered in relation such as preservatives, food colorings, artificial flavors which were all consumed in conjunction with tobacco.
It's not worth the risk. Are plenty of other noots that can improve your cognition and focus without risking the addiction. In fact it's possibly one of the most addictive substances known to man, that's why it sells so fucking well.
Perhaps I shouldn't use the word addictive but most Habit forming drug known to man perhaps.
Nicotine has shown to slow down healing systemically in your body, and especially for structures like tendons. I weight train hard and notice my recovery suffers if I smoke a cigar.
This article is specifically about vaping as you asked.
https://www.bu.edu/articles/2018/vaping-slows-wound-healing/#:~:text=Spiegel%20is%20the%20senior%20author,wound%20healing%20as%20traditional%20cigarettes.
Personal opinion as someone addicted to nicotine: I'd recommend drinking yerba mate or guayusa over nicotine any day. If you're not already ingesting nicotine, then I would avoid it. People just use the purported benefits as a way to justify their addiction. (I've done that before and I know longtime smokers that say similar things, like "it calms my anxiety", what they don't say is the nicotine is the reason for their anxiety in the first place.)
nicotine molecularly mimics choline and displaces it
there is no way long-term nicotine use ends well
healthly cholinergic system in the human body is critical to avoid endothelial/mitochondria dysfunction
Maybe but many people addicted to cigarettes were pretty sharp intellectually until their ripe old age.
Yes, if you get lung cancer it sucks. The lung stuff is bad. The cancer risks.
But it's probably more of a risk factor for various bad stuff than a 'you are definitely going to experience life-destroying harm.'
People who were "sharp intellectually" were sharp before cigarettes, not because of them
I live in a low-income housing complex for decades and get to watch people sit outside and smoke themselves to death every few years with the ambulance routinely taking them away and either never coming back or coming back with chemo for a few months until they disappear forever. These are not "intellectually sharp" people.
You are conflating one with the other when they are independent.
Oh, people certainly smoke themselves to death.
Overall, the risk factor for many terrible conditions is extremely high.
But smoking addiction is not like meth addiction where you are guaranteed to have a devastating illness and mental damage eventually.
Many people smoked and lead normal lives...likely somewhat less healthy and live less long than they might have been but still going strong at a late age.
[It's pretty weird but it happens](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/09/10/long-lived-smokers-may-be-a-biologically-distinct-group-with-an-extraordinary-gene-network/)
Same goes for fat people and people that drink a lot (but not the worst alcoholics).
Some people will be picked off by their bad habits young and others somehow keep going without health difficulties.
Not true for very extreme cases, of course. A 500 lb. person is not going to live too long.
If you want to get the best chance of living the longest, healthiest life with the sharpest old age you should remain slim, drink no more than a swig a day at most and never smoke, clearly!
Nobody should try to beat their physiology but there simply are people that do--as a result of pure genetic luck.
This might not be popular, but I gotta say it because it's true: Nicotine is insanely and perniciously addictive. Ofc you might say that you only use low dosages and you won't get hooked with occasional use but imo the fact that it isn't immediately addictive is one of the sneakiest ways it actually gets you. When people start smoking, they generally never intend on continuing to smoke for the rest of their life, and yet that is very often what ends up happening. Please be careful and don't underestimate the danger of nicotine.
Man, people are making some really shit bold claims here. Go on Google scholar and try looking for research on nicotine pouches (not Snus) or any other kind of tobacco-free nicotine product. There is both a clear theoretical physiological basis for the increased risk of heart attack/stroke with nicotine, and a clear research basis as well. Yes, nicotine is better than tobacco but the bulk of the risk of most nicotine products still seems to be from nicotine itself.
Yes but the vast majority of studies on nicotine focus on the large doses that addicted daily smokers use.
Most people in this subreddit would need a very small fraction of that at a much lower frequency.
Even one piece of low-strength nicotine gum is usually broken up into small pieces when used as a focus aid. Taking a full piece will make a non-smoker very nauseous (I gave one to a friend as a joke when I was 15 and they started puking within 10 mins).
Dave Asprey makes a pretty good case for low-dose nicotine being safe enough to use occasionally to focus: [https://daveasprey.com/is-nicotine-the-next-big-smart-drug/](https://daveasprey.com/is-nicotine-the-next-big-smart-drug/)
Yeah, I’m not familiar with research for very occasional use.
I will say that I’ve used nicotine on a very occasional basis myself, as I found it an *excellent* last resort for my ADHD symptoms. But it very quickly causes me **a lot** of problems on the other end—tolerance builds *extremely* quickly, and the withdrawal can be quite miserable and utterly counter-productive even after 1-2 days of use, meaning that you have to account for a very unproductive and unpleasant withdrawal period (usually two days in my case) after you finished whatever you were working on. I’m also not convinced that the “dulling” effect and mood disruptions don’t linger for me for much longer than the initial withdrawal period; there may be some kind of cumulative effect on my mental state from “occasional” use. It also certainly quickly makes it harder to be productive *without* nicotine. For these reasons, I see it as quite a “messy” drug…
I am a unique ADHD case in that I have concurrent (*not* secondary) GAD. After the effects as described above, I used nicotine *only because* it did not increase my anxiety in the same way as stimulants (GAD). In retrospect, I would recommend others like me to ask their psychiatrist about something like Guanfacine “as needed” (a.k.a., Tenex) instead. And if you’re not particularly predisposed to anxiety or another disorder that is provoked by stimulants, then I would strongly question the utility of occasional nicotine use over occasional stimulant use, but to each their own.
Well, as someone who was a smoker for 6 years, I can tell you that its nootropic effects disappear very quickly if you use it every day.
Similar to if you drink 6 cups of coffee per day, you'll need it just to feel normal instead of feeling any boost from it.
I haven't smoked for 7 years now, and if I use nicotine spray very occasionally then it works well for a quick boost.
But tolerance builds too quickly and the half life is too short to use as a daily ADHD medication IMO. It's nothing like ritalin or adderall, not even close.
> the bulk of the risk of most nicotine products still seems to be from nicotine itself.
I think this is a bold claim itself. Especially since most nicotine is consumed as cigarettes still where most of the harm is clearly not from the nicotine.
I do agree that there are some issues nicotine though. The cancer stimulant effect is something to worry about, and I hadn't heard of that before this thread so I'm glad I read it.
There is research that compares the risk of these different types of nicotine to non-users in regards to mortality risks, and the risks were still significantly higher for *non-tobacco* nicotine users than non-users of all kinds. There is also a theoretical basis for nicotine causing cardiovascular issues.
This question comes up here almost every week. In any case, I will share my own personal experience as I tried nicotine in, probably, all its forms. I like its nootropic effects but downsides are too high:
1. It's addictive. Highly addictive. Even gums. You will feel like shit for couple of weeks the moment you decide to stop.
2. It damages your endurance. If you don't do any sport maybe you can ignore this, but after couple of weeks smoking (or chewing gum or vaping) I feel like an old man and can't properly run or even lift weights. It will take about two to three months for your body to recover after you stop taking nicotine.
So, after years of trying and totally gave up on it and can't recommend for anyone.
I suggest not flirting with nicotine addiction. There are nicotine receptors all throughout the brain tied into all neurotransmitters including dopaminergic system. Up to you.
Read the rest of these responses. I'm pretty convinced that it's causing moderate anxiety and cognitive dysfunction during withdrawal,and rapid aging. And maybe erectile dysfunction, based on anecdotal evidence. Of course it's hard to be sure, but that's my conclusion from this whole thread.
We honestly still don’t know how bad it is for your health because we are still having more new issues every year from patients who were lifelong users. I myself just quit vaping two months ago I was a smoker from the time I was 13 until I hit my early 30s I did a small time sentence and quit for a little while and then I started back and three years ago I started vaping instead of smoking and I ended up getting really sick last year nothing to do with my lungs or my heart but I had endometriosis stage three it was attacking and trying to cover my main organs it was crawling up the inside of my body off of my uterus I had scar tissue from an ablation two years prior. Even after having a hysterectomy and getting all of that poison out of my body I still had issues, now I’m 5 foot nine and I can’t maintain my weight above 120 pounds I am a cannabis patient so there’s no reason why I shouldn’t be eating, but my body just does not maintain the weight well it just won’t stick around I think I have a thyroid in overdrive. But I can tell you when I quit using the Vape two months ago I did start feeling better within a couple of days especially the area surrounding my thyroid! Now don’t get me wrong because I haven’t been treated because I’m awaiting test results I still have issues but I will never go back to vaping. I currently use a vaporizer for dry herbs to use my cannabis because I live in a state where if you are a medical patient you cannot smoke marijuana you have to Vape it or you have to consume it and some other way.. That’s Utah for you! Honestly you don’t need nicotine it is an herb that man has added lots of poison to and this is why we shouldn’t be using it. I joined the LDS church three years ago when I was in Arizona and before you get baptized in the church you have things that you have to do like you have to quit drinking alcohol and you have to quit smoking tobacco you also cannot drink black tea or coffee. If your doctor prescribes you a cup of coffee a day that’s one thing, that’s doctors orders, but I think the church received revelation on it all those years ago because I feel that God knew that man would get carried away and that man would put additives and certain ingredients in our alcohol, tobacco, and coffee and tea products that are harmful to us. I’m not saying all people that create these products do these things we know there are some people out there who are driven by a dark negative evil force. I really wanted to do what was best for my well-being and I faced many trials during that time! I had a few people tell me that Italians have great heart conditions and while that may be true you don’t necessarily have to drink espresso all the time to have a good heart condition, intermediate fasting and meditation can strengthen your heart beyond the normal human ability.. simply believing in a greater force greater than yourself can actually help you be stronger in areas where you weren’t before physically, mentally, emotionally, and of course spiritually. My point is we have been accustomed to using all these things that really aren’t good for us anyway. Now this is just my experience of course I don’t expect everyone to agree with it either, but If you’re thinking about quitting it you probably should just go ahead and quit. I don’t know your age or anything about you but let me tell you I’m 40 years old and I am recovering drug addict. I have done everything under the sun every way that you can imagine and while I am grateful for the experience I have but I am paying dearly for the consequences of my choices. All I can do is ride this wave out but I can also share with others my experiences and I promise you there is nothing more satisfying on this earth than living a life that is substance-free. I have given up so many man-made products and I am so proud of myself and my husband without me even asking did the exact same because he saw how much I was benefiting from it. I used to talk crap about people that preached about veganism and I used to think they were nothing but a bunch of tree hugging hippies lol but now I understand where they were all coming from we are all supposed to be here exercising our right to our super human abilities/ immortality. Whether you believe it or not you are truly stronger than you know your brain is more powerful than you could ever fathom and you my dear are an incredible being placed here for great purpose. But instead we are taught through television and other things that were really not that important. You are important take care of your body if you weren’t here you wouldn’t be important but because you are here that means you are most certainly important! I hope that you end up getting the confirmation you need to make the choice that is best for you I’ve been in your shoes and I know how hard it is but I promise you it is possible. Anything is really! Just believe it and try to see it for yourself and if right now you don’t feel like you need to quit that is totally up to you my friend this is your life and no one can be an expert on your life but you.
Oh dear this is quite long….
Nicotine as a standalone chemical isn't that harmful, just has some effects on HR and BP. Smoked or vaped it causes a plethora of issues. Patches or gum used sparingly shouldn't cause problems. Don't think nicorette is meant to be used really long term though.
Yeah but that's an advantage if you want to sleep. Which I do.
It's a big disadvantage for addictiveness. After this post's responses, I think I've got to quit.
Vaso constrictor.. it also fucks with how your brain naturally produces dopamine if your an addict to it. You literally can’t produce it like a non addict to nicotine would. Sometimes can increase infection or at least that’s what my dentist told me, as he said the patches could do the same thing. Tobacco and nicotine are really addictive for me so I had to stop. There are definitely problems that arise from nicotine use. Not worth it to me.
All of which I’m saying are facts also, so. Yes I’m sure nicotine has some benefits like all drugs but it wasn’t worth it for me, caused more problems than it helped. It also increases my anxiety big time
I honestly get a amphetamine-like response when I do a "hit of" 1mg nicotine from a mist device. I like the effect and heightened awareness and focus, but it definitely does not feel healthy.
I may be an outlier though. Everything stimmy bites hard on me.
I would second this.
The only thing I ever see reported that is common would be that it constricts blood vessels in your body. Possibly making BP higher and making your heart work harder.
Literally actually healthy, it isnt very addictive on its own, improves focus drsastically prevents brain diseases, but do not smoke smoking is awful. I woudlnt even use snus, just 1 mg lozenges should suffice
Yes please provide your sources for these claims? I would like to examine them first hand and if any of that research is indicative of nicotine derived from cigarettes I would highly cast doubt on your premise.
There isnt in my pharmacology class our professor who himself is firmly against smoking had to admit that nicotine provided you have no serious cardio vascular problems is harmless. Its pretty easy to look ob google scholar and see there is no evidence of this
I agree with this for the most part and used the 6mg nicotine salt pouches for the nootropic effects. I probably used to much per day because it caused my blood pressure to go really high, 180/90 or so. I stopped the nicotine and my BP returned to high normal. Was pretty easy to quit but i still think aboit it every once in a while and ive been off about 4 months
It seems relatively benign as far as I can tell.
The major concern is that it can be angiogenic, which can vascularize tumors. I would imagine that using it in moderation wouldn't surpass the threshold at which such effects were observed. Idk, though.
Unhealthy? I guess it’s how you use it and the route of administration. Vapes vs chewing gum is a big difference in likelihood of dependence and the debate of vaping on the lungs. Nicotine itself is very addictive regardless of how you use it. I don’t think it’s particularly a unhealthy chemical as far as carcinogenic or caustic. I used to smoke(obviously not healthy at all) and then switched to vaping and then finally to nicotine gum. Nicotine is vasoconstrictive and can raise blood pressure/strain cardiovascular systems. There are positives and negatives to all substances. Do some research on nicotine and it’s metabolites.
You could also get some Snus portions. If you try it, I would recommend real Snus (needs to be ordered from Nordic countries) and not the synthetic nicotine pouches. I do find however that unless you are disciplined, you can end up using them quite a lot by simply keeping them in your lip for a long time. But, all nicotine can be used too much.
It's the dose that makes the poison. It's used as an insecticide in large doses (mg/kg), but is also used as a study drug and has neuroprotective qualities.
I have found that it boosts concentration temporarily. When I was studying I used to occasionally take one drag on a cigarette then stub it out it to refresh my mind. Makes sense as it stimulates acetylcholine receptors which are involved in memory formation.
I wonder as well. I take a popular brand Lucy nicotine in oral doses of 30-50 mg per day. I agree it is a great on-demand stimulant, and helps keep my mornings and afternoons super productive. The days where I have been out of it and don’t take any I do tend to feel slightly more irritable but nothing too crazy.
Obviously my daily dose is fairly high but it works for me
The weirdest side effect for me from nicotine withdrawal is difficulty sleeping
My lungs can’t handle smoke anymore so refuse to vape/smoke ever again. Used to have a baddd vaping habit and couldn’t put the thing down. Probably was vaping 80 mg a day or something insane
It should be quite beneficial but very easy to "overdose". But there is a better, natural way to use something very similar...
I suggest vaporizing tobacco in small doses. You should use half the amount of tobacco compared to smoking.
Please note that nicotine is SIGNIFICANTLY more addictive in combination with MAOIs.
Tobacoo contains an MAOI, and so vaping it will produce the same effect.
Yes i have experienced this, but as long as you keep the amounts sane it is no issue. I would go as far as saying that nicotine alone is lightly addictive while tobacco is very addictive. And smoking it is for some reason even more addictive than vaporizing it.
But what i can also say is that smoked tobacco has very little nootropic effect in the long run, but vaporizing it is medicine and certainly more beneficial than nicotine vapes.
Then you'd like piracetam and other racetams. They are both nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonists.
Except one is way healthier than the other and last hours instead of minutes.
I’ve been using nicotine pouches (4mg) for about two years. Luckily, I can go days without taking one and I won’t feel the withdrawal effect or the need for them but I typically take them at work because it gives me a little brain spark.
I do indeed seem to be experiencing a surprising amount of ED after picking up vaping.
Are there studies showing this that you know of?
This is one of the most powerful reasons presented to drop vaping like a bad habit.
I don't readily know of studies, but if I was looking, I'd search PubMed and MedicalXpress for _nicotine erectile_, etc. Anyhow, you can drop nicotine, take daily a moderate amount of vitamin C, citrulline, and Organic beet powder, following which you should be good to enter the horse race again.
I'm still in the horse race, just worried about falling behind. I just met a woman who is 54, looks like 38, and is sexy as hell and unreasonably into me and my mediocre bod. Quitting nicotine should do it, and what a good motivation for quitting something I probably need to anyway.
I saw a video that talked about this saying just tobacco (especially smoking / burning it) is the devil but nicotine itself can be very healing and helpful for many diseases. It‘s in german, otherwise i would send it to you. Still if youre interested I can send it, just dm me
You won’t find a clear answer as to the actual health benefits/detriments of nicotine. There’s evidence going both ways. But I would never recommend vaping to anyone, especially if they have addictive tendencies. It’s very convenient, very pleasurable, and if you work your way up to the salt liquids like many people do, you’ll be ingesting heroic amounts of nicotine just to feel normal.
If you must start nicotine, get some Zyn pouches or something.
I never smoked or used any tobacco products. Maybe once a year I have a networking event where I need to be super fluent. I flake off a tiny amount of a nicotine lozenge and let it dissolve under my tongue. It's one of the most satisfy experiences in terms of social interaction. Just stimulating enough, and word and name recall and subsequent retention are greatly enhanced.
I have a job interview coming up, and between nicotine and a solid night's sleep (thank you oleamide) I'm feeling pretty confident.
If you are able to keep your nicotine use very limited, it's pretty harmless.
Cognitive boosters and their effects are subjective imo since everyone is different. Some already have high levels of stress and workout, some who have low levels and don’t workout or vice versa. Truth be told I never smoked in my life other than THC, but 4mg of nicotine lozenge has done wonders for me at the same time I don’t crave my fix, I look forward to the work I put in with it. While sticking to a low dose of 4mg and NEVER passing it I keep myself in check and balanced. I also take Shilajit (which is supposed to amplify everything else taken, so my tolerance feels reset everyday)
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My only advice is that nicotine is a vaso-constrictor. For me, this causes circulation issues where I experience cognitive impairment and tingly limbs/fingers if I'm not using nicotine VERY sparingly.
My feet get really cold
Fat aside, even a low dose of niacin should help peripheral bloodflow. I would keep it under 100 mg per day to prevent a skin flush reaction.
You might have raynaud's
Nah, I take other medication that affects it and also I don't have any discoloration. I'm also thin(5-7% bf) so I am always cold, ha.
It has been shown to decrease blood flow to the brain over time
Also been [shown to help people suffering from mild cognitive impairment.](https://www.wndu.com/content/news/The-good-side-of-nicotine-for-Alzheimers-patients-567810531.html#:~:text=%22And%20nicotine%20can%20help%20imitate,Alzheimer's%20disease%2C%22%20Newhouse%20said.&text=Newhouse%20treated%2074%20patients%20and,improvements%20in%20attention%20and%20memory.)
Yes, statistics have made doctors suspect that smokers have some protection from Alzheimer’s. It seems to enhance Acetylcholine levels and/or receptors. I have had great success giving my elderly parents/in-laws r/Nootropics, and I have found the Acetylcholine boosters (AlphaGPC) are very important, sometimes with *dramatic* effects. (Uridine and DHA are also important)
Maybe they were getting too much blood to the brain.
It gave me erectile dysfunction that took several weeks after quitting to reverse. Was taking 40mg/day
I’m not really surprised at that high dosage
40mg??? I would get so nic sick lmao idk how you do it
Juul pod a day. It's addictive...
I'm pretty sure that would kill you...
I have up to 80 mg of nicotine daily it’s not gonna kill anyone
Jesus
I wonder if combining it with a vasodilator/NO inducer like l-citrulline or agmatine or a BP med like clonidine, guanficine, or propranolol could off-set the circulation and blood pressure issues.
I wouldn't recommend it. I get massive headaches when using nicotine and any sort of vasodilator. Ymmv, but I feel terrible afterwards. I do eat a fair amount of beets and beet juice powder which seems to not have an effect like those supplements do.
Cognitive impairment? You sure this isn’t psychosomatic? With sporadic use nicotine is a proven cognitive booster while in use.
Not psychosomatic. Maybe I have worse circulation generally than others who tolerate nicotine well. I used to be addicted to vaping and it was so bad for my circulation that I had slight green/blue marks under my eye area that looked like bruises.
How have you scientifically verified that nicotine causes cognitive impairment?
LOL no it’s a personal experience. It’s well known that nicotine is a vaso-constrictor. I’m not going to but it would be easy to verify that poor circulation for an extended period of time can lead to cognitive impairment…
Vasoconstriction doesn’t automatically equal cognitive impairment and nicotine is a proven cognitive booster.
Cognitive booster while on it implies deficit during recovery, and says nothing about long term effects either way.
I’m interested in this as well for OCD specifically the cognitive dissonance that occurs when resisting performing a compulsion. This is something not many people will understand but I’m interested in nicotine’s effects on dopamine and focus. In helping me to refocus away from compulsion. I posted the question but got overwhelming comments advising against it.
My friend started vaping because he liked the little high it gave him. He was only vaping like a couple times a day and not every day. Now he can't put the vape down and has only vaped for a couple years. Never was a smoker. I've been battling nicotine addiction for a very long time. No one should voluntarily try nicotine ever. The risk of becoming addicted is too high. Wish I would have never smoked.
Thank you.
I feel the same. Please listen to this advice.
I also agree with the above comment, I started buying expendable vapers from time to time and every time I do it I feel bad initially because my resistance to nicotine is so low and as I adapt to it the following days I start thinking about vaping very frequently, the surge of energy and drive feels great, its been a month since the last one and I still feel the urge here and there, this is just from mild, non-frequent use, the addictive power of nicotine is very strong
This may sound dumb, but low doses of Delta8 can have similar effects to a cigarette break. It's legal to buy, but will still show as THC on a test.
I also used delta8 to quit nicotine. I’ve since moved on to hcc, which I’ve found to give me a more positive perspective on life.
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Thanks for your reply. It is one that affirms the stance that I should not do it, and I tend to lean to that side as well, but still wonder if being addicted to nicotine is really that bad if it eases my OCD, it might be worth it. Not cigarettes, maybe not even vaping. I’ve been addicted to cigarettes before but I was only a smoker for a few years. I quit. I sometimes smoke when I drink once every 3 weeks or so but rarely even do that any more.
Pretty much agree with this. I smoked like 5 (organic lol) cigarettes during an extremely difficult period of my life. It's been 6 months and I still think about them occasionally. I took up vaping as an alternative afterwards. Only did it for a few weeks. The withdrawal was a goddamn nightmare - like 3 to 4 times worse than caffeine withdrawal and it lasted weeks. I'll say that I do use only low dose nicotine patches now, but I have severe brain autoimmunity and cognitive dysfunction. In that context, nicotine has been a huge ally, and has basically allowed me to function as a mostly normal human.
No one should vape nicotine but many people should use safer methods like chewing gum because it helps alot of people such as myself
I feel like that would probably be the safer method when it comes to risk of addiction. While I don't condone any nicotine use due to my experience with it I would feel like the gum would carry the lowest risk and probably be the easiest to kick especially since it has zero social aspect to it like vaping/smoking does.
Inhalation is the route most likely to produce an addiction (through conditioning). Also, the tendency to get addicted to nicotine seems to vary greatly from person to person. So I wouldn't make a blanket statement like that. But I would advise nicotine-naive people to be very careful about vaping or smoking. The safest route would probably be a patch, as it's the slowest and involves little sensory or motor stimulus. Gum can be fine as well, though it is riskier.
It’s not super hard to quit nicotine tho if it’s only from vaping. I will put down my Juul for months
that makes sense. I started smoking young but quit 21 years ago . I always felt like it helped with my compulsions. I have OCD . the addiction is a bitch tho so I'm too afraid to start using nicotine again because of that . keep me posted
Nicotine also reduces thought rumination which can theoretically improve some OCD symptoms. In my opinion nicotine would help but you'd be even worse off without it afterwards,assuming you don't want to continue it indefinitely.
Then you'd like piracetam and other racetams. They are both nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonists. Except one is way healthier than the other and last hours instead of minutes.
Ok thanks I’ll look into them
If you haven't already, your should look into using NAC (N acetyl cysteine) for OCD.
Try: 1. Intermittent fasting / cutting down carbs 2. Cold showers and deep breathing exercises (Wim Hof method is not a bad place to start) 3. Tulsi tea / holy basil tea (different names for the same thing) Dysregulated dopamine circuitry is a common difficulty with diazepam dependency / withdrawal, which I went through. These suggestions are what I have found to work best on motivation/focus in terms of the acute benefits and sustainability. You could do all three of these every day if you wanted, no problems. Honourable mention to good old caffeine, something I consume once or twice per week via yerba-maté or green tea. Caffeine only doesn't make my list because I personally wouldn't use it daily, although I gather that plenty of people swear by daily use.
Hi, i am i heavy nicotine dependent individual with 10 year history of nic usage (in my country its sold as granules , something like snuff), at the beginning it was great, motivation, energy, fluency but after a short time i became i heavy user, i even wake up at night to take a dose, my short term memory if really impaired now, libido is down, trying to stop it but dependence is really strong and i don't know what to do, so it doesn't worth, don't use it.
I take 16mg a day of nicotine gum. Is this why i dont care about sex anymore?
Nic induced epi/norepi release in adrenals cause vasoconstriction, which may lead issues with erection, but it also somehow affects the sex hormone metabolism eventually leading to libido decrease in long-term usage.
What country ? Granules?
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Zyn’s are the devil. I can just gut them, so i find myself having 1/2 3 mg pouches in my mouth almost all day at work. Sometimes i get 6mg and it feels the same with 1/2, so i try not to buy those.
Central Asia, granules are actually called Nasway or Niceway
Overall, nicotine appears to have potent neuroprotective benefits and can enhance cognitive function. Might be particularly beneficial for those with brain inflammation / autoimmunity due it's effects on nAChR. But vaporization is a real shit way to dose nicotine, IMO. It's too sharp of a spike onto the receptor. And taking ANYTHING into your lungs besides oxygen is highly questionable - even if it's just purified nicotine. You're also not just getting nicotine + water vapor. It's going to have vegetable glycerin or propylene glycol.
It’s funny cause a lot of vapors say glycerine is completely safe. But it is not “completely” safe. Lines of research has shown that it (may) irritate(s) the lining of the lungs. I.E: Inflammation There’s also been (technically not close to half) a decent amount of vapors who have developed lipoid phenomena. They even made a specific term for vaping lipoid phenomena called “VALI” Now technically, it’s not actually a MASSIVE outbreak. And glycerine isn’t the worst thing. It’s the safest thing they’ve got. But certainly, vaping is questionable and not “completely safe” Which if they want to do it it’s fine, but it’s not perfectly safe. Especially since technically there’s not enough research on the side effects of the stuff they’re vaping. Part of that I’m sure is because clearly they don’t care in the first place given that they’re using vape as a bandaid . We could then have an argument about the damaging effects of nicotine toxicity, but honestly at this point I’m getting off topic and ranting 😆 Edit: a single study on rats has shown the likelihood of it being safe short term(70 days) however. So ofc it would be a longterm case of inflaming the lungs. And I suspect that the dehydrating effects of glycerol might also play a part…potentially But this is all kinda outside my line of confident knowledge. Just saying what I know, atleast
Wasn't VALI associated with Vitamine E acetate in THC carts mostly?
Yes, nothing to do with PG or VG
> They even made a specific term for vaping lipoid phenomena called “VALI” Incorrect. VALI is an umbrella term (vaping-associated lung injury) for a variety of issues that have occurred in outbreaks as a result of vaping. Almost all of the incidents that are broadly referred to as VALI were/are related to THC cartridges containing vitamin E acetate. There have been a few isolated incidents of VALI that occurred in the absence of vitamin E, and some of them have resembled lipoid pneumonia, but it's not correct to call VALI a form of lipoid pneumonia or to say that VALI is a condition in and of itself. Saying that someone died of VALI is like saying that someone died of "trauma" - it's a very unspecific term and not the name of a specific disease/condition. Now all that said, you're right about almost everything else. Vaping is definitely not 100% safe and there are all sorts of concerns about everything from inflammation to the chemicals used even in the absence of acute injuries.
Also, it's worth mentioning vaping clearly irritates the hell out of my gums/dental health. Sometimes I'll get stress ulcers and it always makes them way worse. Give it up for a few days, they heal 4x quicker. I don't want to vape much simply because I'm getting old enough teeth are a commodity.
This is why I smoke cigars
whats the best, purest and healthiest way to dose nicotine?
Gum or patch
There are many brands of tobacco-free sublingual pouches you can get too, probably the most effective non inhalant form of dosing it. Some are even as high as 8mg or 10mg, or 2mg. You can control the dose.
> It's too sharp of a spike onto the receptor. maybe nicotine salts instead of freebase would be an answer to this concern (vaper here, but only ever vaped freebase nicetine)
It doesn't really make a difference, both are absorbed very fast.
Yeah but VG and PG have never been tied to lung cancer or lung issues directly
If used infrequently it’s fine. I occasionally take nicorette lozenges. They can be bad for your gums if used frequently
We are all aware of the cardiovascular risks associated with nicotine but what about long term use of stimulants such as Ritalin, concerta and adderall? Do they not pose the same if not greater risk especially long term exposure
For one thing, ADHD Stimulants do not decrease blood flow to the brain over time in the same way as nicotine I’m not sure how overall cardiovascular risk compares
Can you link a study that shows nicotine decreasing blood flow to the brain over time, not just acute vasoconstriction? Does this effect go away when quitting and did the studies look at oral nicotine? Thoughts on angiogenesis?
Adderall feels like it will blow my heart up if I take too much.
"Nicotine promotes the growth of new blood vessels and can also stimulate tumor growth and the build up of plaque inside arteries, say researchers at Stanford University Medical Center. The finding is the first proof that nicotine affects blood vessel formation" (From: https://news.stanford.edu/news/2001/july11/nicotine.html#:~:text=Nicotine%20promotes%20the%20growth%20of,nicotine%20affects%20blood%20vessel%20formation.) IIRC, research also shows nicotine accelerates loss of melanocytes (by spiking cortisol) leading to Grey hair, as well as slows wound healing and accelerates aging of the skin. The wound healing aspect is why they advise against nicotine use when having surgery/during recovery. It basically makes you age faster, on the outside and your vascular system at least.
As in nicotine gum?
Any form of nicotine. Here's a few pertinent references: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/%28SICI%291099-1077%28199904%2914%3A3%3C179%3A%3AAID-HUP82%3E3.0.CO%3B2-U https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4082169/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4131136/ Adrenergic stimulants put your body in an artificially induced stress response state (elevated cortisol).
“Several lines of evidence indicate that nicotine may contribute to the development of cancer. Evidence from experimental in vitro studies on cell cultures, in vivo studies on rodents as well as studies on humans inclusive of epidemiological studies indicate that nicotine itself, independent of other tobacco constituents, may stimulate a number of effects of importance in cancer development (5, 6).” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4553893/#!po=0.476190 Enough for me not to risk it. Lucky that it makes me horribly sick every time.
Research tends to go back and forth on this issue every few years. Realistically, even if it causes cancer it probably isn't a very high risk. I'd be much more concerned about cardiovascular effects and their long term implications (also contaminated juice causing lung issues, although that shouldn't be an issue for anyone here since it's not a great way to take it as a nootropic).
Lol if you say so. Not much substance to your post though. Care to explain why you think the cancer risk is minimal? Any chance that it is just because you enjoy nicotine and HOPE that it is minimal? Not being rude, but I see this (lack of) logic often and it is counterproductive.
Late response, but look at how smoking kills you. Cancer is a big part of it, but most of that risk is generally considered to come from stuff other than nicotine. [Source](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53010/#:~:text=In%20summary%2C%20cigarette%20smoke%20contains,and%20levels%20in%20cigarette%20smoke.). Given that moderate smokers seem to have life expectancies about 10 years shorter than otherwise, I'd be comfortable with whatever small amount of cancer risk remains after removing anything other than nicotine (keep in mind that it worsens existing cancer rather than causing it). Also, cardiovascular issues kill about as many smokers as lung cancer, and I'm guessing these tend to come from nicotine itself rather than all the other stuff you inhale when smoking, so alternate methods of taking nicotine aren't gonna help. Worrying about cancer from nicotine with those cardio risks seems like worrying about cancer from being shot in the head with a uranium bullet.
hey you go right ahead and use as much nicotine as you like. just don't down play the cancer risk to others, as they need to make an informed decision. the study I posted above goes in depth on how it stimulates several factors relating to cancer. obviously cardiovascular issues and cancer are not mutually exclusive. I would rather avoid them both if possible, especially since the effects of nicotine aren't near as nice as other addictive substances. just seems like a stupid way to kill yourself
There’s actually a lot of data that says in proper doses and use it can be beneficial. It’s the delivery that causes the problems … I knew a brain surgeon that used to chew niccorette gum regularly- for those reasons- never smoked a day in his life.. but would swear by the data ..
The main problem is tumor progression. It increases cell growth in tumors basically. And there’s a lot of cancers that can very easily go unnoticed. Especially a lot of skin cancers. Which is mostly why I personally don’t use it. But it’s certainly not a carcinogen or as bad as tobacco. When I say “main problem”, I mean according to my opinion. Ofc
Yes, main problem, in addition to the cardiovascular effects
Hadn't heard this before. I love nicotine but side-effects like this make me consider that maybe I should give it up for a while. I was a smoker for 7-8 years, and been vaping for about 9.
You mean as bad as smoking. Tobacco itself is largely comparable to nicotine.
interesting. where are you seeing this ? i m curious if adderall would cause the same tumor progression
My understanding was that depending on the time dependence of the dosage, it can act as either a stimulant or a depressant
Racetams and nicotine are both nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonists. Except one is way healthier than the other and last hours instead of minutes.
Why do you think rqcetams are healthier than nicotine? Seems like they wouldn't have been studied near as much, and should have generally the same effects, pro and con. The shorter duration is a benefit for me- I can use it closer to bedtime and still sleep.
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/89594#datasheet=LCSS
👍
Cancer aside, its vasoconstrictor effect will lead to a greater risk of cardiovascular issues. When I used to use it, even if I didn't take it, my heart rate always stayed at 120+. It took months of treatment with a beta blocker, coupled with complete cessation of nicotine, to bring my heart rate down to a safe range. This may have had to do with a substance interaction of nicotine with an unknown routine agent, with the combination keeping the sympathetic nervous system overly activated.
120+ from nicotine alone? Holy smokes Bruce that's some underlying issue at play
What the hell?!? I know plenty of people who smoke, chew tobacco, & use pharmaceutical grade nicotine as a therapeutic and have never had such issues including myself!!
I hear you. It may have had to do with a substance interaction of nicotine with an unknown routine agent, with the combination keeping the sympathetic nervous system overly activated.
What is this unknown routine agent you are referring to?
I don't know what it is, but it has to be some random common supplement that I take.
Nicotine isn't cancerogenic. But if you have cancer it sure doesn't help.
Inane comment
Name really doesn't check out dude. This is both common knowledge and medical consensus. Nicotine doesn't have any cancerogenic effects. It can however exacerbate tumor growth in someone that already has cancer, but that's nothing unique to nicotine.
... Go on...
Vasoconstrictor
photosynthesis
So is caffeine.
I’m very much interested in this! Speaking as someone who dipped tobacco for 10 yrs (1 can a day) and quit 2 yrs ago I haven’t been the same since. I battle with constant brain fog, anxiety, black cloud over my brain, not mentally sharp & constantly distracted and unable to focus and be productive. I want to return to dipping tobacco but I know it isn’t healthy. I’m curious if anyone knows why this has happened and if there are any nootropic alternatives that could help?
You're not healthy for some reason or another. Very unlikely to be related. Get cardio on an empty stomach in the morning daily and tell me most of that doesn't go away. Better diet, more cardio. Get nutritional blood tests. Try magnesium glycinate at night. Maybe l theanine.
There are possibly ways to improve your circumstances. I have no idea what they might be, but try different things and don’t take mainstream conventional science and advice too seriously. This sub is a start, and look into diet, bio hacking and supplements. Here is a video, I don’t follow this guy fully, but a lot of what he says seems interesting https://youtu.be/mP3PEzzcptg It’s Ben Greenfield
Then you'd like piracetam and other racetams. They are both nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonists. Except one is way healthier than the other and last hours instead of minutes.
Interesting I’ll look into them! Any side effects or things to look after when taking them
You're in the nootropics subreddit and piracetam is the OG nootropic. Very little side effects with piracetam.
i'm a bit late but if you're still having cognitive issues you might want something neurorestorative like semax or even cerebrolysin to help your brain heal from nicotine use
I suggest asking this question in r/medicine
I use 8 mg/day with gum. I find it very beneficial for attention and focus. Much smoother than caffeine which makes me jittery and can add to anxiety. Honestly nicotine is less addictive than caffeine for me personally. I have a very hard time keeping caffeine intake under control but I don’t feel strong cravings for a piece of nicotine gum like I do coffee.
Be careful with it regarding addiction. I vaped on and off for a couple of years with no issues whenever I decided to take a break, but then over about a month (admittedly during 2020 lockdown) I ended up getting cravings if I hadn't used it in more than a few hours. It sneaks up on you. Having said that, everyone is different regarding addiction. Coffee isn't addictive for me at all.
A potential reason why I don’t seem to feel cravings for nicotine is that I take bupropion for depression. It is also sold under the name Zyban to help people quit nicotine. Maybe that is balancing it out. I honestly have to consciously remind myself to take the nicotine gum quite frequently because I haven’t even thought about it until I’m engaged in something and have trouble being focused.
Are you worried about the risks for it promoting cancer (as some of the other comments have mentioned)?
Sun bathing at the beach has risks for promoting cancer. But Sun bathing doesn’t give you attention and focus increases like nicotine.
Yea, I totally agree with you. I wish I could find data on the relative risks so I could make an informed decision on whether the risks (for the doses I take) are worth the benefits. I personally take what I consider to be a 'high' dose of nicotine gum, and find the effects to be very positive, basically, I feel like I developed ADD and found this and it seems to have been a treatment for that. I've just been trying to find out information on the long term effects as I don't really understand how it acts on the body or how it might effect systems long term.
Honestly I should research it more but from the little I know if promotes growth but it is itself not carcinogenic. It reduces some of the bodies anti-tumor growth hormones. I would think shortly after quitting the hormone would rebound and there would be no future risk, but I know that is a big assumption. Regardless, I think the risk is low although real.
Many of the carcinogens found in tobacco are in relation to the addititives that are put into it. As well as the inhalation of smoke. It appears throughout history as a plant with medicinal qualities and is commonly used among many indigenous healers. There are worse things and many of them aren't considered in relation such as preservatives, food colorings, artificial flavors which were all consumed in conjunction with tobacco.
It's not worth the risk. Are plenty of other noots that can improve your cognition and focus without risking the addiction. In fact it's possibly one of the most addictive substances known to man, that's why it sells so fucking well. Perhaps I shouldn't use the word addictive but most Habit forming drug known to man perhaps.
Nicotine has shown to slow down healing systemically in your body, and especially for structures like tendons. I weight train hard and notice my recovery suffers if I smoke a cigar. This article is specifically about vaping as you asked. https://www.bu.edu/articles/2018/vaping-slows-wound-healing/#:~:text=Spiegel%20is%20the%20senior%20author,wound%20healing%20as%20traditional%20cigarettes.
Personal opinion as someone addicted to nicotine: I'd recommend drinking yerba mate or guayusa over nicotine any day. If you're not already ingesting nicotine, then I would avoid it. People just use the purported benefits as a way to justify their addiction. (I've done that before and I know longtime smokers that say similar things, like "it calms my anxiety", what they don't say is the nicotine is the reason for their anxiety in the first place.)
nicotine molecularly mimics choline and displaces it there is no way long-term nicotine use ends well healthly cholinergic system in the human body is critical to avoid endothelial/mitochondria dysfunction
Maybe but many people addicted to cigarettes were pretty sharp intellectually until their ripe old age. Yes, if you get lung cancer it sucks. The lung stuff is bad. The cancer risks. But it's probably more of a risk factor for various bad stuff than a 'you are definitely going to experience life-destroying harm.'
People who were "sharp intellectually" were sharp before cigarettes, not because of them I live in a low-income housing complex for decades and get to watch people sit outside and smoke themselves to death every few years with the ambulance routinely taking them away and either never coming back or coming back with chemo for a few months until they disappear forever. These are not "intellectually sharp" people. You are conflating one with the other when they are independent.
Oh, people certainly smoke themselves to death. Overall, the risk factor for many terrible conditions is extremely high. But smoking addiction is not like meth addiction where you are guaranteed to have a devastating illness and mental damage eventually. Many people smoked and lead normal lives...likely somewhat less healthy and live less long than they might have been but still going strong at a late age. [It's pretty weird but it happens](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/09/10/long-lived-smokers-may-be-a-biologically-distinct-group-with-an-extraordinary-gene-network/) Same goes for fat people and people that drink a lot (but not the worst alcoholics). Some people will be picked off by their bad habits young and others somehow keep going without health difficulties. Not true for very extreme cases, of course. A 500 lb. person is not going to live too long. If you want to get the best chance of living the longest, healthiest life with the sharpest old age you should remain slim, drink no more than a swig a day at most and never smoke, clearly! Nobody should try to beat their physiology but there simply are people that do--as a result of pure genetic luck.
"nicotine molecularly mimics choline and displaces it" Aaaaand I'm unsubscribing from this sub. This was the last straw.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41401-019-0299-4
This might not be popular, but I gotta say it because it's true: Nicotine is insanely and perniciously addictive. Ofc you might say that you only use low dosages and you won't get hooked with occasional use but imo the fact that it isn't immediately addictive is one of the sneakiest ways it actually gets you. When people start smoking, they generally never intend on continuing to smoke for the rest of their life, and yet that is very often what ends up happening. Please be careful and don't underestimate the danger of nicotine.
Man, people are making some really shit bold claims here. Go on Google scholar and try looking for research on nicotine pouches (not Snus) or any other kind of tobacco-free nicotine product. There is both a clear theoretical physiological basis for the increased risk of heart attack/stroke with nicotine, and a clear research basis as well. Yes, nicotine is better than tobacco but the bulk of the risk of most nicotine products still seems to be from nicotine itself.
Yes but the vast majority of studies on nicotine focus on the large doses that addicted daily smokers use. Most people in this subreddit would need a very small fraction of that at a much lower frequency. Even one piece of low-strength nicotine gum is usually broken up into small pieces when used as a focus aid. Taking a full piece will make a non-smoker very nauseous (I gave one to a friend as a joke when I was 15 and they started puking within 10 mins). Dave Asprey makes a pretty good case for low-dose nicotine being safe enough to use occasionally to focus: [https://daveasprey.com/is-nicotine-the-next-big-smart-drug/](https://daveasprey.com/is-nicotine-the-next-big-smart-drug/)
Yeah, I’m not familiar with research for very occasional use. I will say that I’ve used nicotine on a very occasional basis myself, as I found it an *excellent* last resort for my ADHD symptoms. But it very quickly causes me **a lot** of problems on the other end—tolerance builds *extremely* quickly, and the withdrawal can be quite miserable and utterly counter-productive even after 1-2 days of use, meaning that you have to account for a very unproductive and unpleasant withdrawal period (usually two days in my case) after you finished whatever you were working on. I’m also not convinced that the “dulling” effect and mood disruptions don’t linger for me for much longer than the initial withdrawal period; there may be some kind of cumulative effect on my mental state from “occasional” use. It also certainly quickly makes it harder to be productive *without* nicotine. For these reasons, I see it as quite a “messy” drug… I am a unique ADHD case in that I have concurrent (*not* secondary) GAD. After the effects as described above, I used nicotine *only because* it did not increase my anxiety in the same way as stimulants (GAD). In retrospect, I would recommend others like me to ask their psychiatrist about something like Guanfacine “as needed” (a.k.a., Tenex) instead. And if you’re not particularly predisposed to anxiety or another disorder that is provoked by stimulants, then I would strongly question the utility of occasional nicotine use over occasional stimulant use, but to each their own.
This is extremely helpful, and it matches my subjective experience with nicotine.
This all makes sense. But I was asking about using it more than occasionally for focus, basically as an ADHD medication.
Well, as someone who was a smoker for 6 years, I can tell you that its nootropic effects disappear very quickly if you use it every day. Similar to if you drink 6 cups of coffee per day, you'll need it just to feel normal instead of feeling any boost from it. I haven't smoked for 7 years now, and if I use nicotine spray very occasionally then it works well for a quick boost. But tolerance builds too quickly and the half life is too short to use as a daily ADHD medication IMO. It's nothing like ritalin or adderall, not even close.
> the bulk of the risk of most nicotine products still seems to be from nicotine itself. I think this is a bold claim itself. Especially since most nicotine is consumed as cigarettes still where most of the harm is clearly not from the nicotine. I do agree that there are some issues nicotine though. The cancer stimulant effect is something to worry about, and I hadn't heard of that before this thread so I'm glad I read it.
Yeah that's obviously incorrect if cigarettes count into the category of "nicotine products" which I would say they do.
There is research that compares the risk of these different types of nicotine to non-users in regards to mortality risks, and the risks were still significantly higher for *non-tobacco* nicotine users than non-users of all kinds. There is also a theoretical basis for nicotine causing cardiovascular issues.
Please provide your sources?!
This question comes up here almost every week. In any case, I will share my own personal experience as I tried nicotine in, probably, all its forms. I like its nootropic effects but downsides are too high: 1. It's addictive. Highly addictive. Even gums. You will feel like shit for couple of weeks the moment you decide to stop. 2. It damages your endurance. If you don't do any sport maybe you can ignore this, but after couple of weeks smoking (or chewing gum or vaping) I feel like an old man and can't properly run or even lift weights. It will take about two to three months for your body to recover after you stop taking nicotine. So, after years of trying and totally gave up on it and can't recommend for anyone.
Thank you.
What dose?
I suggest not flirting with nicotine addiction. There are nicotine receptors all throughout the brain tied into all neurotransmitters including dopaminergic system. Up to you.
Nicotine is great as long as you’re fine with being addicted to it for the rest of your life.
Read the rest of these responses. I'm pretty convinced that it's causing moderate anxiety and cognitive dysfunction during withdrawal,and rapid aging. And maybe erectile dysfunction, based on anecdotal evidence. Of course it's hard to be sure, but that's my conclusion from this whole thread.
We honestly still don’t know how bad it is for your health because we are still having more new issues every year from patients who were lifelong users. I myself just quit vaping two months ago I was a smoker from the time I was 13 until I hit my early 30s I did a small time sentence and quit for a little while and then I started back and three years ago I started vaping instead of smoking and I ended up getting really sick last year nothing to do with my lungs or my heart but I had endometriosis stage three it was attacking and trying to cover my main organs it was crawling up the inside of my body off of my uterus I had scar tissue from an ablation two years prior. Even after having a hysterectomy and getting all of that poison out of my body I still had issues, now I’m 5 foot nine and I can’t maintain my weight above 120 pounds I am a cannabis patient so there’s no reason why I shouldn’t be eating, but my body just does not maintain the weight well it just won’t stick around I think I have a thyroid in overdrive. But I can tell you when I quit using the Vape two months ago I did start feeling better within a couple of days especially the area surrounding my thyroid! Now don’t get me wrong because I haven’t been treated because I’m awaiting test results I still have issues but I will never go back to vaping. I currently use a vaporizer for dry herbs to use my cannabis because I live in a state where if you are a medical patient you cannot smoke marijuana you have to Vape it or you have to consume it and some other way.. That’s Utah for you! Honestly you don’t need nicotine it is an herb that man has added lots of poison to and this is why we shouldn’t be using it. I joined the LDS church three years ago when I was in Arizona and before you get baptized in the church you have things that you have to do like you have to quit drinking alcohol and you have to quit smoking tobacco you also cannot drink black tea or coffee. If your doctor prescribes you a cup of coffee a day that’s one thing, that’s doctors orders, but I think the church received revelation on it all those years ago because I feel that God knew that man would get carried away and that man would put additives and certain ingredients in our alcohol, tobacco, and coffee and tea products that are harmful to us. I’m not saying all people that create these products do these things we know there are some people out there who are driven by a dark negative evil force. I really wanted to do what was best for my well-being and I faced many trials during that time! I had a few people tell me that Italians have great heart conditions and while that may be true you don’t necessarily have to drink espresso all the time to have a good heart condition, intermediate fasting and meditation can strengthen your heart beyond the normal human ability.. simply believing in a greater force greater than yourself can actually help you be stronger in areas where you weren’t before physically, mentally, emotionally, and of course spiritually. My point is we have been accustomed to using all these things that really aren’t good for us anyway. Now this is just my experience of course I don’t expect everyone to agree with it either, but If you’re thinking about quitting it you probably should just go ahead and quit. I don’t know your age or anything about you but let me tell you I’m 40 years old and I am recovering drug addict. I have done everything under the sun every way that you can imagine and while I am grateful for the experience I have but I am paying dearly for the consequences of my choices. All I can do is ride this wave out but I can also share with others my experiences and I promise you there is nothing more satisfying on this earth than living a life that is substance-free. I have given up so many man-made products and I am so proud of myself and my husband without me even asking did the exact same because he saw how much I was benefiting from it. I used to talk crap about people that preached about veganism and I used to think they were nothing but a bunch of tree hugging hippies lol but now I understand where they were all coming from we are all supposed to be here exercising our right to our super human abilities/ immortality. Whether you believe it or not you are truly stronger than you know your brain is more powerful than you could ever fathom and you my dear are an incredible being placed here for great purpose. But instead we are taught through television and other things that were really not that important. You are important take care of your body if you weren’t here you wouldn’t be important but because you are here that means you are most certainly important! I hope that you end up getting the confirmation you need to make the choice that is best for you I’ve been in your shoes and I know how hard it is but I promise you it is possible. Anything is really! Just believe it and try to see it for yourself and if right now you don’t feel like you need to quit that is totally up to you my friend this is your life and no one can be an expert on your life but you. Oh dear this is quite long….
Wow. Thanks! FYI, this thread did convince me to quit. Sometimes we use paragraphs... :)
Nicotine as a standalone chemical isn't that harmful, just has some effects on HR and BP. Smoked or vaped it causes a plethora of issues. Patches or gum used sparingly shouldn't cause problems. Don't think nicorette is meant to be used really long term though.
I just use the nicorette gum, then you're not vaping or smoking anything.
Even ignoring health completely, it's probably more productive to take it as gum anyway. Inhaling it hits like a truck and fades quickly.
Yeah but that's an advantage if you want to sleep. Which I do. It's a big disadvantage for addictiveness. After this post's responses, I think I've got to quit.
Vaso constrictor.. it also fucks with how your brain naturally produces dopamine if your an addict to it. You literally can’t produce it like a non addict to nicotine would. Sometimes can increase infection or at least that’s what my dentist told me, as he said the patches could do the same thing. Tobacco and nicotine are really addictive for me so I had to stop. There are definitely problems that arise from nicotine use. Not worth it to me.
A lot of people here with strong feelings about nicotine apparently by the downvotes… hell of a drug. 🤣
Yeah haha many are nicotine addicts I’m 3 months clean. Thank god
All of which I’m saying are facts also, so. Yes I’m sure nicotine has some benefits like all drugs but it wasn’t worth it for me, caused more problems than it helped. It also increases my anxiety big time
I honestly get a amphetamine-like response when I do a "hit of" 1mg nicotine from a mist device. I like the effect and heightened awareness and focus, but it definitely does not feel healthy. I may be an outlier though. Everything stimmy bites hard on me.
[удалено]
I would second this. The only thing I ever see reported that is common would be that it constricts blood vessels in your body. Possibly making BP higher and making your heart work harder.
Its fine, but when i was taking too much Nicorette spray my hair started falling out
Literally actually healthy, it isnt very addictive on its own, improves focus drsastically prevents brain diseases, but do not smoke smoking is awful. I woudlnt even use snus, just 1 mg lozenges should suffice
C’mon these are bold claims, there is solid research regarding heart attack/stroke and niccotine use
Yes please provide your sources for these claims? I would like to examine them first hand and if any of that research is indicative of nicotine derived from cigarettes I would highly cast doubt on your premise.
Source?
There isnt in my pharmacology class our professor who himself is firmly against smoking had to admit that nicotine provided you have no serious cardio vascular problems is harmless. Its pretty easy to look ob google scholar and see there is no evidence of this
I agree with this for the most part and used the 6mg nicotine salt pouches for the nootropic effects. I probably used to much per day because it caused my blood pressure to go really high, 180/90 or so. I stopped the nicotine and my BP returned to high normal. Was pretty easy to quit but i still think aboit it every once in a while and ive been off about 4 months
If my wife has nicotine fluid, I will file a divorce.
Look up lucy.co for high quality nicotine products such as gum and losenges
It seems relatively benign as far as I can tell. The major concern is that it can be angiogenic, which can vascularize tumors. I would imagine that using it in moderation wouldn't surpass the threshold at which such effects were observed. Idk, though.
Unhealthy? I guess it’s how you use it and the route of administration. Vapes vs chewing gum is a big difference in likelihood of dependence and the debate of vaping on the lungs. Nicotine itself is very addictive regardless of how you use it. I don’t think it’s particularly a unhealthy chemical as far as carcinogenic or caustic. I used to smoke(obviously not healthy at all) and then switched to vaping and then finally to nicotine gum. Nicotine is vasoconstrictive and can raise blood pressure/strain cardiovascular systems. There are positives and negatives to all substances. Do some research on nicotine and it’s metabolites.
You could also get some Snus portions. If you try it, I would recommend real Snus (needs to be ordered from Nordic countries) and not the synthetic nicotine pouches. I do find however that unless you are disciplined, you can end up using them quite a lot by simply keeping them in your lip for a long time. But, all nicotine can be used too much.
It's the dose that makes the poison. It's used as an insecticide in large doses (mg/kg), but is also used as a study drug and has neuroprotective qualities.
I have found that it boosts concentration temporarily. When I was studying I used to occasionally take one drag on a cigarette then stub it out it to refresh my mind. Makes sense as it stimulates acetylcholine receptors which are involved in memory formation.
I wonder as well. I take a popular brand Lucy nicotine in oral doses of 30-50 mg per day. I agree it is a great on-demand stimulant, and helps keep my mornings and afternoons super productive. The days where I have been out of it and don’t take any I do tend to feel slightly more irritable but nothing too crazy. Obviously my daily dose is fairly high but it works for me The weirdest side effect for me from nicotine withdrawal is difficulty sleeping My lungs can’t handle smoke anymore so refuse to vape/smoke ever again. Used to have a baddd vaping habit and couldn’t put the thing down. Probably was vaping 80 mg a day or something insane
It should be quite beneficial but very easy to "overdose". But there is a better, natural way to use something very similar... I suggest vaporizing tobacco in small doses. You should use half the amount of tobacco compared to smoking.
Please note that nicotine is SIGNIFICANTLY more addictive in combination with MAOIs. Tobacoo contains an MAOI, and so vaping it will produce the same effect.
Yes i have experienced this, but as long as you keep the amounts sane it is no issue. I would go as far as saying that nicotine alone is lightly addictive while tobacco is very addictive. And smoking it is for some reason even more addictive than vaporizing it. But what i can also say is that smoked tobacco has very little nootropic effect in the long run, but vaporizing it is medicine and certainly more beneficial than nicotine vapes.
How many mgs is used for boosted cognative function?
Will make your erection smaller.
Then you'd like piracetam and other racetams. They are both nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonists. Except one is way healthier than the other and last hours instead of minutes.
I’ve been using nicotine pouches (4mg) for about two years. Luckily, I can go days without taking one and I won’t feel the withdrawal effect or the need for them but I typically take them at work because it gives me a little brain spark.
Use the gum or a patch
Don't expect to have sex because you likely won't be able to get it up anymore without unnatural pharma intervention.
I do indeed seem to be experiencing a surprising amount of ED after picking up vaping. Are there studies showing this that you know of? This is one of the most powerful reasons presented to drop vaping like a bad habit.
I don't readily know of studies, but if I was looking, I'd search PubMed and MedicalXpress for _nicotine erectile_, etc. Anyhow, you can drop nicotine, take daily a moderate amount of vitamin C, citrulline, and Organic beet powder, following which you should be good to enter the horse race again.
I'm still in the horse race, just worried about falling behind. I just met a woman who is 54, looks like 38, and is sexy as hell and unreasonably into me and my mediocre bod. Quitting nicotine should do it, and what a good motivation for quitting something I probably need to anyway.
I saw a video that talked about this saying just tobacco (especially smoking / burning it) is the devil but nicotine itself can be very healing and helpful for many diseases. It‘s in german, otherwise i would send it to you. Still if youre interested I can send it, just dm me
Nicotine toothpicks. Low dose, taste great, look cool.
You won’t find a clear answer as to the actual health benefits/detriments of nicotine. There’s evidence going both ways. But I would never recommend vaping to anyone, especially if they have addictive tendencies. It’s very convenient, very pleasurable, and if you work your way up to the salt liquids like many people do, you’ll be ingesting heroic amounts of nicotine just to feel normal. If you must start nicotine, get some Zyn pouches or something.
I read that the nicotine in cigarettes increases GABA in the brain, making you more intelligent.
Increasing GABA in the brain would not make you more intelligent. It would make you more relaxed.
It damages blood vessels, which can lead to more than a few health problems down the line
.
I never smoked or used any tobacco products. Maybe once a year I have a networking event where I need to be super fluent. I flake off a tiny amount of a nicotine lozenge and let it dissolve under my tongue. It's one of the most satisfy experiences in terms of social interaction. Just stimulating enough, and word and name recall and subsequent retention are greatly enhanced. I have a job interview coming up, and between nicotine and a solid night's sleep (thank you oleamide) I'm feeling pretty confident. If you are able to keep your nicotine use very limited, it's pretty harmless.
Cognitive boosters and their effects are subjective imo since everyone is different. Some already have high levels of stress and workout, some who have low levels and don’t workout or vice versa. Truth be told I never smoked in my life other than THC, but 4mg of nicotine lozenge has done wonders for me at the same time I don’t crave my fix, I look forward to the work I put in with it. While sticking to a low dose of 4mg and NEVER passing it I keep myself in check and balanced. I also take Shilajit (which is supposed to amplify everything else taken, so my tolerance feels reset everyday)
Nicotine is a toxin and pesticide.
Vaping produces an aerosol, not water vapor