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Nicotine as medication...

Jamshyd

Jamshyd

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An acquintance of mine shared with me today that she has been using Nicotine patches to medicate herself against depression/lack of motivation. She has never been a smoker and doesn't care to become one. But she is happy with the results she got from using a 7mg (smallest dose) nicotine patch daily. She says she has tried all traditional therapies and medications, and none worked for her. Ritalin seemed to work, but had obvious disadvantages for daily use.

What do you people think about this? I know that her depression is horrendous and I can clearly see that she has been doing much better since she started using the patches. She also claims that they help her study, and I would believe her.

There is the obvious problem of nicotine addiction (though it is legal...) and the fact that the patches aren't cheap, but beyond that, I'm not sure if there are any disadvantages?
 
^
WTF? I dont get this. 8(

I quit smoking cigs. 3 times by using the patches. Even though I had no need to, I did start back up for several reasons. But the nicotine patches never made me feel like you've described about ur friend.

Just dont get it.
 
Well, keep in mind that she has never been a smoker, as I mentioned.

You didn't feel anything special from the patches because they were to you like Methadone to an Opiate addict.

Nicotine does have antidepressant effects, be it through smoking or transdermal administration.
 
Ah I see.

Though I'd like to remind that she is not getting high on nicotine patches - she is simply able to function with her debilitating depression.
 
I don't mean to argue either :). I'm just trying to help you "get" it...

Why were you addicted to smoking cigarettes in the first place, if I may ask?
 
I've also personally experienced stimulation and a feeling of well-being after I've smoked a cigarette and I'm not a regular smoker.

I remember when I used to crave for cigarettes at a younger age, because I was depressed and one cigarette could make me feel so much better. :)

I'm sure this could be proven (at least in some people) in a clinical trial.
 
What? Are you kidding? Nicotine is an anticholergenic, it increases the release of acetylcholine in the brain which is stimulating and it also has an effect of dopamine and to a lessor extent endorphins. All mood regulators

I smoked for 10 years and went through the hell of giving up 4 years ago, I have tried several times to use them as an antidepressant/treatment for my adhd recently... sometimes they make me calm and social, sometimes agitated as all fuck. I could never get a consistant responce from them

There is little evidence that transdermal nicotine has any problems long term
 
streetsurfer said:
What? Are you kidding? Nicotine is an anticholergenic, it increases the release of acetylcholine in the brain which is stimulating and it also has an effect of dopamine and to a lessor extent endorphins. All mood regulators
Click to expand...
So that means that you are agreeing with me? I was a bit thrown off by the "are you kidding" part :).

What you said is true (though I'm sure you meant that it was cholinergic - an anticholinergic blocks acetylcholine) and it is on that basis that my friend decided to give nicotine a try.

I smoked for 10 years and went through the hell of giving up 4 years ago, I have tried several times to use them as an antidepressant/treatment for my adhd recently... sometimes they make me calm and social, sometimes agitated as all fuck. I could never get a consistant responce from them
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing :). I'll keep you updated as to how my friend fairs.

There is little evidence that transdermal nicotine has any problems long term
Click to expand...
Please expand more on this. I actually made the thread seeking details on any possible problems.
 
How about something less addictive which also increases DA levels, I'm thinking of selegeline?
 
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^ She has tried Selegiline. It actually made her less motivated! (I actually gave her what I had left of my Selegiline because I found it useless myself. We both tried it for a bit more than 2 weeks before we gave up.)
 
Nicotine inhibits both MAO-A and B to some extent, but mostly MAO-B. Perhaps that's somewhat related to the antidepressant effects
 
^^
Is that nicatine or tobacco? I understood tobacco companys added the MAOI componant through processing....same as they freebase the nicotine..

Can't give references to the statement I made about long term effects, though now I think of it there was a slightly higher risk of some tumor or cancer or something but only slight, nothing like tobacco
 
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