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Nicotine isn't "Very" addictive

Lightning-Nl

Lightning-Nl

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Nov 11, 2012
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Nicotine isn't highly addicting when it's administered by itself.

Studies have shown that the other alkaloids in Tobacco are Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors. Nicotine is primarily metabolized by MAO and due to the other alkaloids in Tobacco causing the inhibition of these enzymes - that results in much higher plasma levels of Nicotine for a much longer period of time. This allows Nicotine to have a much broader and more significant effect on nACh. This, in turn, causes a much higher likelihood of addiction to Nicotine and the other alkaloids in Tobacco.

These Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors are likely to be addicting in their own right and may explain the reason why Nicotine replacement therapies do not satisfy all cravings when it is used instead of Tobacco.

It has also, recently, been reveal that nicotine does not activate the α7 nACh receptor channel to the same extent when co-applied with menthol. Similar findings have also been reported for α4β2 nACh receptors within the α7 nACh receptor has been suggested to contribute to menthol binding, thus increasing the likelihood of addiction to Nicotine.

I'm debating changing this on Wikipedia

I personally believe that it should be stated in the article that Nicotine is much more addictive when found in Tobacco, due to the other alkaloids that are also grown in the Tobacco plants. Therefore, I also believe that the dependence liability should be changed to Moderate.

The article is about Nicotine specifically. I believe it's inappropriate to have the dependence liability of Nicotine include the increased addiction potential caused by the other alkaloids in Tobacco. The dependence liability should only be for when Nicotine is coexisting alone in the body.

The menthol study is listed below. I've read the above many times over, but I need specific studies in order to add this to the Wikipedia article. Does anyone, by any chance have a study about this bookmarked that I can use a s a resource? Also, if I'm wrong, can someone please explain to me why, using science and not media gossip to back it up?

Thanks guys.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23919443 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23898298
 
I personally believe that it should be stated in the article that Nicotine is much more addictive when found in Tobacco, due to the other alkaloids that are also grown in the Tobacco plants. Therefore, I also believe that the dependence liability should be changed to Moderate.
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<s> Wonderful, now maybe you should present your argument to the WHO rather than on a drug discussion forum. I'm sure that two pubmed links are enough to change their mind. </s>

The main route that nicotine is consumed, is via tobacco products. Some E-cig liquids contain tobacco extractives. And regardless, nicotine all on its own produces dependence and withdrawal. Go ask the guy who chewed nicotine gum for a few months and then got mysterious "vascular brain damage" that coincided with periods where he stopped chewing nicotine gum.

Fact: Nicotine is dependence-producing. It may not be directly reinforcing when administered alone, but that doesn't change the fact that if you use it regularly you'll feel shit when you stop!
 
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sekio said:
Fact: Nicotine is dependence-producing. It may not be directly reinforcing when administered alone, but that doesn't change the fact that if you use it regularly you'll feel shit when you stop!
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That's not what I was trying to imply.

I meant that Nicotine, in it's own right, is only moderately addicting and not "Highly Addicting" as the wikipedia article suggests. I meant that the alkaloids found in Tobacco make the possibility of addiction more likely and severe. Anyways, thanks for info! It's appreciated! :)
 
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sekio;11841105 Fact: Nicotine is dependence-producing. It may not be directly [B said:
reinforcing[/B] when administered alone, but that doesn't change the fact that if you use it regularly you'll feel shit when you stop!
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Couldn't disagree with you more from first-hand experience. I had been vaping (using an electronic cigarette) for 6 months when I was incarcerated, I fully expected to feel an insatiable urge to get my nicotine fix but before I knew it, five days had passed and I hadn't thought about it at all. There also have been individual days where I just don't vape at all and experience zero side-effects from abruptly stopping the intake of nicotine after going weeks/months of it being administered constantly.
 
Rayalt said:
Couldn't disagree with you more from first-hand experience. I had been vaping (using an electronic cigarette) for 6 months when I was incarcerated, I fully expected to feel an insatiable urge to get my nicotine fix but before I knew it, five days had passed and I hadn't thought about it at all. There also have been individual days where I just don't vape at all and experience zero side-effects from abruptly stopping the intake of nicotine after going weeks/months of it being administered constantly.
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While I couldn't agree more (I've never had physical withdrawal symptoms from Nicotine. Only very minor psychological withdrawal - Nicotine is the only drug I've ever really thought to myself "Ya know what? I really wish I had a cigarette right now." but that was the only thing I experienced) I can't take user experience into account. In order to satisfy the narcs on Wikipedia, I have to have at least two medical studies proving my claim.

But, I still appreciate the feedback :) I was starting to wonder if I was the only that didn't get Nicotine withdrawals after constant use, and apparently, I'm not.
 
I think, like all dependency syndromes, frequency of use, genetics, dosage, set and setting, ROA, etc play a lot into it. Sort of like with opioids, some infrequent users can get away with outright murder for a while, whereas others will develop dependency much quicker.

Here's the thread I was talking about, though OP removed his first post. I should clarify, the brain damage was self-diagnosed, so take it with two drug-addled pinches of salt. The long and short of it was that after 3-4 months of continuous 4mg nicotine gum usage coincident with amphetamines, abstinence from nicotine produced a bunch of unpleasant symptoms.

Also, at least in rats, it's well established that interrupting chronic administration of nicotine results in withdrawal.
ref 1 2 3
 
SwampFox56 said:
While I couldn't agree more (I've never had physical withdrawal symptoms from Nicotine. Only very minor psychological withdrawal - Nicotine is the only drug I've ever really thought to myself "Ya know what? I really wish I had a cigarette right now." but that was the only thing I experienced) I can't take user experience into account. In order to satisfy the narcs on Wikipedia, I have to have at least two medical studies proving my claim.

But, I still appreciate the feedback :) I was starting to wonder if I was the only that didn't get Nicotine withdrawals after constant use, and apparently, I'm not.
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As long as it's *just* nicotine. Put me back on analog cigarettes and I'll soon be spitting nails if I go over 3 hours without one.
 
Anecdote here... I've consumed dozens of mg of nicotine per day for up to a week straight, and not noticed withdrawl, only tolerance. This was even before I started using clonidine with the more insane doses. Clonidine (used for treating nicotine withdrawl, I should add) does do a great job of knocking out nicotine's cardiovascular side effects, and also leads to a synergistic rise on HGH levels with nicotine, I just learned.

I'm overall a big nicotine fan, it does have some real advantages. It isn't as overtly neurotoxic as amphetamines at doses required to produce extremely significant stimulation, it is fairly short acting, uncontrolled, and very, very cheap.

Granted I've also never found cigarettes strongly reinforcing, so I may not be very representative of the average person.
 
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Rayalt said:
As long as it's *just* nicotine. Put me back on analog cigarettes and I'll soon be spitting nails if I go over 3 hours without one.
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Actually, that's exactly correct.

If I have Nicotine gum or some sort if Nicotine contain product (besides cigs and chew) I never crave it. And it's one of the only drugs I won't use just because I have it available. Hell! I still have half a pack of Nicorette in my desk! If that was weed or amphetamine, it would have been long gone by now. But I'm pretty sure I've had that pack of Nicorette since April(ish).

Cigarettes and chew are the only exception. If I have cigarettes or chewing tobacco available, just like weed, amphetamine, or any other drug - it will be gone pretty quickly. I guess that just proves my point.....
 
I smoked for 7 years. Last year I just stopped, no withdrawal whatsoever. I guess it's individual as with everything else.
 
In my opinion, regular cigarettes are addictive more because of the sugar than the nicotine. I've smoked on and off for 10 years, quitting for months at a time and starting up again periodically. I've used nicorette gum, lozenges, and patches as well as E-cigs. All of those are basically placebos to the sugar i think, because they're way easier to just stop using suddenly. They say cigarettes cause heart disease and cancer, its probably the pounds and pounds of sugar the body accumulates every year. One who eats many donuts per day can end up with diabetes and heart disease sooner than a life long smoker.

The amt of sugar in cigarettes essentially makes them a part of the diet. I believe that the combination of cigarettes and the wrong foods is responsible for health problems. That would explain why some people can smoke 2 packs a day and like to be 100, while others have heart disease in their 30s. Probably a diet low in sodium and sugar and high in spices and herbs would counter cigarette smoking quite well, but that's just speculation.
 
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weekend addiction said:
Other than booze and benzos, nicotine is the hardest drug I've tried to stop. I was addicted to chew which is straight nicotine as far as I know. I smoked cigs too but not that many. Opiates were easier to quit.
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Ah, no, they are not just nicotine. You're still absorbing all the beta-carbolines and MAOI's just from sucking on the plant.
 
sekio said:
The main route that nicotine is consumed, is via tobacco products. Some E-cig liquids contain tobacco extractives
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Which ones? I'd like to see some with full-spectrum tobacco extracts, to more closely mimic the smoking experience. . .

ebola
 
tweex said:
I'm overall a big nicotine fan, it does have some real advantages. It isn't as overtly neurotoxic as amphetamines at doses required to produce extremely significant stimulation, it is fairly short acting, uncontrolled, and very, very cheap.
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It is currently very, very cheap. Keywords: E-Juice, E-Cigarettes...

However, big tobacco and their cronies in the government are not amused and would prefer it to be quite expensive...as to whether they'll get their way (ban e-cigs or at least ban e-juice) is another thing, but I'm not betting against that because I know how these parasites work.
 
I know many people who are addicted to nicotine and I have watched many try to quit and fail.
While I certainly believe it is addictive I am one of those few people who could NEVER become addicted to it. It must be my personal brain chemistry but I usually buy 1 pack on New Years Eve and usually don't even finish it.
When I am drinking Alcohol or tripping I always FIEND for tobacco but if I'm sober which is 95% of the time I enjoy the odd Ciggarette (less than one every 2 months) with no desire to have another for a very long time.
I have often suspected that this is due to only smoking while I'm tripping (I only drink rarely) but if true I couldn't even speculate on how that would work.
I've just often thought it strange that nicotine has never been addictive to me while virtually everyone around me has been a smoker.
 
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