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OD Moderators: Keif’ Richards | Tryptamino
Speed and smoking
- Thread starter Gee
- Start date
party_animal01
Bluelighter
i've noticed that from heavy stimulants(meth,xtc) that I have done the same thing.
i think that it is just one of the effects of stimulants. It makes you kind of like...obsessive compulsive.
You always need to be doing something...smoke a cig...smoke another....
i think that it is just one of the effects of stimulants. It makes you kind of like...obsessive compulsive.
You always need to be doing something...smoke a cig...smoke another....
liquiddelight
Bluelighter
I'm not a smoker, but everytime I buzz (methand especially e) it slightly increases the effects of the drug. It's also good to have a break for a ciggy after long hours of dancing - have a smoke, and get right back into it!
AbraMontague
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2000
- Messages
- 1,006
It's probably because nicotine + cocaine causes an overflow of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens. So the dopaminergic effect of nicotine is additive to the effects of cocaine (or speed or any real upper, not ephedrine). It's similar to why speedballs are much more euphoric than either of its components. And if you notice, smokers who take uppers have almost no control over their smoking while they are high.
zorn
Bluelighter
Shit... someone's busting out the NAC... well I have my own theory:
There's a lot of evidence that amphetamines act by stimulating a sort of "seeking" system in the brain, designed by evolution to urge a person/animal to go get available resources. Eg animals on stimulants or self-stimulating the areas acted on by stims (eg NAC, VTA, lateral hypothalamus) seem to exhibit intense searching behaviors: foraging, sniffing, stalking, etc.
In smokers, the brain has learned that smoking is a reward (this system also function to 'learn' cues and methods of getting at useful resources). So a stimmed-up brain is going to go after this reward (just like any other) with more emphasis. Notably people on stims are also much more motivated to go after sex or other rewards.
This phenomena is called "lowering of the reward threshold."
-Zorn
There's a lot of evidence that amphetamines act by stimulating a sort of "seeking" system in the brain, designed by evolution to urge a person/animal to go get available resources. Eg animals on stimulants or self-stimulating the areas acted on by stims (eg NAC, VTA, lateral hypothalamus) seem to exhibit intense searching behaviors: foraging, sniffing, stalking, etc.
In smokers, the brain has learned that smoking is a reward (this system also function to 'learn' cues and methods of getting at useful resources). So a stimmed-up brain is going to go after this reward (just like any other) with more emphasis. Notably people on stims are also much more motivated to go after sex or other rewards.
This phenomena is called "lowering of the reward threshold."
-Zorn
MDMA desciple
Ex-Bluelighter
back when i scripted amphetamines, my quack used to say "it doesn't surprise me that someone with ADHD like your's smokes so much because nicotein focuses your attention." is this a relevant piece of the puzzle?
disciple
disciple
zorn
Bluelighter
Yeah... the current popular theory about ADHD is that it results from inadequate arousal of the cortex -- the "thinking brain" that we humans have in abundance. This allows more primitive subcortical emotional parts of the brain to have control more often, leading to the inability to control attention. A good piece of evidence for this is that animals with their cortexes (actually it's cortices) removed seem like ultra-ADD kids -- they can't control their behavior, have no attention span, and jump rapidly from one behavior to another.
Anyways, the cortex is believed to stimulated by a couple ascending circuits, mainly involving norepinephrine. Acetylcholine (Ach) also functions as a general arousing transmitter in the cortex, though, and so activing Ach receptors would tend to alleviate this condition. Nicotine acts at some Ach receptors (in fact these receptors are called nicotinic receptors). So it's not too surprising that ADHD people would 'self-medicate' via smoking... or so the reasoning goes.
For more info see:
Biederman J, Spencer T. (1999) Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as a noradrenergic disorder. Biol Psychiatry 46:1234-1242.
Cook EH et al. (1995) Association of attention-deficit disorder and the dopamine transporter gene. Am J Human Genetics 56:993-998.
Anyways, the cortex is believed to stimulated by a couple ascending circuits, mainly involving norepinephrine. Acetylcholine (Ach) also functions as a general arousing transmitter in the cortex, though, and so activing Ach receptors would tend to alleviate this condition. Nicotine acts at some Ach receptors (in fact these receptors are called nicotinic receptors). So it's not too surprising that ADHD people would 'self-medicate' via smoking... or so the reasoning goes.
For more info see:
Biederman J, Spencer T. (1999) Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as a noradrenergic disorder. Biol Psychiatry 46:1234-1242.
Cook EH et al. (1995) Association of attention-deficit disorder and the dopamine transporter gene. Am J Human Genetics 56:993-998.