# nicotine



## flat (Jun 18, 2006)

I quit smoking about 6 yrs ago. I still get the urge for some nicotine once in a while so I decided to chew a piece of nicotine gum. About 4 hours later I felt really good and reality came back quite a bit. I "felt" the breeze on my face again and "heard" sounds in the distance again. It was fairly dramatic. Since my quitting smoking my dp/dr seems to have gotten worse. But a little bit of nicotine really had an effect.

After reading about nicotine on wikipedia I found out that it has quite the effect on neurotransmitters. It raises dopamine, acetylcholine, GABA, adrenalin, noradrenalin to name a few. It's also a stimulant. I actually felt hunger again. My hunger sensation has been greatly reduced with dp. Problem is I don't wanna keep chewing nicotine gum forever cuz it also raises blood pressure which I don't need. I wish there was a safer substitute.

I almost feel like slapping a nicotine patch on my arm to see if it has the same effect. Does anybody else feel better with nicotine in their system?


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## Guest (Apr 25, 2011)

flat said:


> I quit smoking about 6 yrs ago. I still get the urge for some nicotine once in a while so I decided to chew a piece of nicotine gum. About 4 hours later I felt really good and reality came back quite a bit. I "felt" the breeze on my face again and "heard" sounds in the distance again. It was fairly dramatic. Since my quitting smoking my dp/dr seems to have gotten worse. But a little bit of nicotine really had an effect.
> 
> After reading about nicotine on wikipedia I found out that it has quite the effect on neurotransmitters. It raises dopamine, acetylcholine, GABA, adrenalin, noradrenalin to name a few. It's also a stimulant. I actually felt hunger again. My hunger sensation has been greatly reduced with dp. Problem is I don't wanna keep chewing nicotine gum forever cuz it also raises blood pressure which I don't need. I wish there was a safer substitute.
> 
> I almost feel like slapping a nicotine patch on my arm to see if it has the same effect. Does anybody else feel better with nicotine in their system?


I kindof know what you mean. I seem to remember reading that nicotine or similar compounds have a countering effect on alzeimers (don't quote me on that), so it does seem to act as a mental stimulant, making you feal more "here". I also wonder if part of my own addiction is that I feal physically more real as a smoker, but largely because I feal grotty from the poisons and heavey from the lethargy! Also, the mental stimulation for me is usually racing thoughts which I could do without, and to get the nicotine as I smoker I have to gas myself with carbon monoxide which leads to dizzyness and fuzzy-headedness - not good for dp - and all for a moments break from the chemical stress of withdrawal!
Funny thing is tho, most of my recoverey so far has been due to my attempts to quit.
I was desperate to quit because I felt I could get so much better without them - and was more active and outgoing when I abstained - but I couldnt because I was so stressed and clung to them. Abit of a catch 22. Similarly, I recently realised that my reason to quit - that with tobacco out the way I'd have the energy and clarity to persue my goals in life - are almost the same as my reason for continuing - without tobacco Ill be naked and exposed to life. Kinda weird. 
But the mind generalises and connects in ways you wouldnt expect, so ive had to get better and better, picking up techniques - often in attempts to quit - to loosen my addiction. It's affect management so I guess it stands to reason that as your stress and disturbances come down, smoking becomes less significant.
My aim is to reach a point where I no longer feal a need for them at all and I can quietly slip away from them without fuss.


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## PenguinSpin (Apr 26, 2011)

You smoked cigarettes to relieve stress, so when you quit and got stressed, you had no outlet, worsening your DP. Find a healthy alternative to deal with it.


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## Visual (Oct 13, 2010)

flat said:


> I quit smoking about 6 yrs ago. I still get the urge for some nicotine once in a while so I decided to chew a piece of nicotine gum. About 4 hours later I felt really good and reality came back quite a bit. I "felt" the breeze on my face again and "heard" sounds in the distance again. It was fairly dramatic. Since my quitting smoking my dp/dr seems to have gotten worse. But a little bit of nicotine really had an effect.
> 
> After reading about nicotine on wikipedia I found out that it has quite the effect on neurotransmitters. It raises dopamine, acetylcholine, GABA, adrenalin, noradrenalin to name a few. It's also a stimulant. I actually felt hunger again. My hunger sensation has been greatly reduced with dp. Problem is I don't wanna keep chewing nicotine gum forever cuz it also raises blood pressure which I don't need. I wish there was a safer substitute.
> 
> I almost feel like slapping a nicotine patch on my arm to see if it has the same effect. Does anybody else feel better with nicotine in their system?


"_Nicotine increases the release of dopamine in the brain_"

Have you tried anything that increases dopamine?

Do you still have some response to Damiana?

Have you tried Catuaba, which tends to lower blood pressure and increase the brains dopamine usage?

It is hard to get dopamine nutritionally. And so little crosses the blood-brain barrier that you can get negative side effects instead of good effect - most notably for you would be increased blood pressure. Prescription dopamine agonists actually lower blood pressure, whereas high doses of dopamine increase blood pressure.

Do you have symptoms of low dopamine? (somewhere you mentioned some vision issues)


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## Guest (Apr 26, 2011)

Visual Dude said:


> "_Nicotine increases the release of dopamine in the brain_"
> 
> Have you tried anything that increases dopamine?
> 
> ...


I think amino acids such as Tyrosine are said to increase dopamine, but the simplest way is exercise - also recommended for depression and im sure must be good for blood pressure.

In fact, I remember reading a report that recommended exercise for quitting precisely because it produces dopamine, counteracting cravings.

There are often times when I've felt weary and muggy-headed, gone for a brisk walk for half an hour or so and felt relaxed and clear-headed afterwards - no nicotine involved.(Except to make me weary and muggy-headed to begin with!)


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## Guest (Apr 26, 2011)

Oh, and I believe nicotine increases acid production in the stomach, which would explain your hunger, but that's not a good thing either!


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## flat (Jun 18, 2006)

Visual Dude said:


> "_Nicotine increases the release of dopamine in the brain_"
> 
> Have you tried anything that increases dopamine?
> 
> ...


I haven't tried damiana since I felt kinda strange on it. My vision seemed too real and colours looked almost fluorescent-like. So not going back to that.

I've tried tyrosine but nothing happened. I've bought some cans of flava beans that are supposedly high in levo-dopa. Not sure to eat them straight out of the can or cook them. Maybe cooking destroys something beneficial but will experiment with both methods.

I've been chewing the nic gum for a couple days now and the biggest effect was when I first tried it. I still feel better than usual on it but not like the first time. It's strange how the body gets used to things so fast. I might try the nicotine lozenges that you can buy since it may be a slower release than the gum. I tend to chew gum quickly and maybe I'm getting too much nic at once.

Not sure of low dopamine symptoms other than tiredness, no motivation and maybe a bit of depression. Sounds a bit like low serotonin symptoms as well.

So confusing.


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## Visual (Oct 13, 2010)

*I haven't tried damiana since I felt kinda strange on it. My vision seemed too real and colours looked almost fluorescent-like. So not going back to that.*

If I understand you, your vision was affected by colors becoming richer and it seemed more (even too) real? If your vision was affected at all - this is very instructive.

Have you ever tried Catuaba?

*flava beans*

I can't imagine eating these uncooked, unless they are fresh/frozen (not dried). It won't hurt to try either way. Elsewhere you mentioned be very sensitive (even wondering about the placebo effect) so it will be interesting to hear how you do. Besides, beans are nutritious.

*I've tried tyrosine but nothing happened*

Curiously, I've tried it. If the dose is low, it did nothing. When taking high dose, it caused anxiety. Did nothing for vision. Curious, because it is a precursor (needed for producing) for dopamine.

*Not sure of low dopamine symptoms other than tiredness, no motivation and maybe a bit of depression. Sounds a bit like low serotonin symptoms as well.

So confusing.*

It is confusing because everything interacts so much - there is no diagnostic list. Take tiredness - that can be anything (including too much work or too much sleep). Still, taken together it may be indicative. Have you had a recent testosterone and prolactin test? These _can_ indicate a dopamine shortage. As Canada has health care, request it on your next visit to the doctor.

How long have you had DP/DR? Do you know what caused it?

Otherwise, best of wishes


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## Guest (Apr 27, 2011)

[quote name='flat' timestamp='1303852420' post='229125']
I haven't tried damiana since I felt kinda strange on it. My vision seemed too real and colours looked almost fluorescent-like. So not going back to that.

I've tried tyrosine but nothing happened. I've bought some cans of flava beans that are supposedly high in levo-dopa. Not sure to eat them straight out of the can or cook them. Maybe cooking destroys something beneficial but will experiment with both methods.

I've been chewing the nic gum for a couple days now and the biggest effect was when I first tried it. I still feel better than usual on it but not like the first time. It's strange how the body gets used to things so fast. I might try the nicotine lozenges that you can buy since it may be a slower release than the gum. I tend to chew gum quickly and maybe I'm getting too much nic at once.

Not sure of low dopamine symptoms other than tiredness, no motivation and maybe a bit of depression. Sounds a bit like low serotonin symptoms as well.

Glutamine, from which the body produses GABA, and 5htp for serotonin are popular suppliments I've often used, but these days pretty much all I take is a probiotic multivitamin.
It might sound obvious, but the brain needs certain nutrients to funtion at an optimum level; importantly B vitamins and related minerals, and a regular intake of these helps me to feel far more switched on.


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## flat (Jun 18, 2006)

No I never tried catuaba. I wouldn't even know where to look for that other than it being in some libido lifter combo supplements. The local health store doesn't carry anything too exotic by itself.

I hardly go the doctor at all. Only when I'm really sick. Last time it was for high blood pressure and I successfully lowered it without drugs. Never liked the side effects of blood pressure drugs...except for diovan. That particular one reduced my dr quite a bit for some reason. My present doctor doesn't know about my dp/dr so to ask for these hormone tests out of the blue might seem a bit strange to him and he might ask why. I did have blood tests before when I had high bloodpressure and they saw high cholesterol as well but I don't think they checked for a lot of other things. I sometimes wonder about my thyroid. Could be underactive which might explain the tiredness.

What do you mean about damiana affecting my vision is important? Should I try it again but maybe at a lower dose? I didn't like how I felt on it. I was having hot flashes and sweats and then my vision got too vibrant. Has it anything to do with hormones?

My dp/dr hit me like a ton of bricks at the height of a panic attack brought on by personal issues. No drugs. It was like a switch suddenly turning on and never turned off.


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## Visual (Oct 13, 2010)

flat said:


> No I never tried catuaba. I wouldn't even know where to look for that other than it being in some libido lifter combo supplements. The local health store doesn't carry anything too exotic by itself.
> 
> I hardly go the doctor at all. Only when I'm really sick. Last time it was for high blood pressure and I successfully lowered it without drugs. Never liked the side effects of blood pressure drugs...except for diovan. That particular one reduced my dr quite a bit for some reason. My present doctor doesn't know about my dp/dr so to ask for these hormone tests out of the blue might seem a bit strange to him and he might ask why. I did have blood tests before when I had high bloodpressure and they saw high cholesterol as well but I don't think they checked for a lot of other things. I sometimes wonder about my thyroid. Could be underactive which might explain the tiredness.
> 
> ...


As you know, Catuaba is used for male hormones. The interesting part is that it doesn't so much add dopamine as it increases the brains ability to use it. (Most herbal male 'enhancers' increase dopamine). Now if you don't like the way you feel on Damiana, then probably best not to take it. Unsure what it was doing as it is more complex - but the vision thing is interesting (it is very hard to hit onto something that can so noticeably affect ones vision - so somehow one of its actions is touching on a key neurotransmitter/hormone/etc for you)

Diovan is interesting (especially as it is the only high-blood-pressure med that made you feel better). One of its actions is to change the amount aldosterone you have, which is a hormone produced by the adrenals that regulates salt balance. You have wondered about thyroid, but the adrenals actually work with the thyroid. They also help people with heart problems (do you have heart problems or just high pressure?)

Here is something very simple to try as a test. Drink about 8 oz of Coca Cola 'Classic' (other colas will not work) when you feel tired and see how you feel.

As far as the doctor, if you wish to pursue it later, you could simple say something like your libido stinks (whether that is true or not) and your vision seems different somehow. If he cares to do a test, he'll probably think of checking for an enlarged pituitary with this simple test. (this way you can avoid the whole DP/DR discussion if that is what you wish).

DP/DR that came with panic seems common. How are your anxiety levels now?

Otherwise, hope this is helpful for you


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## nabber (Feb 13, 2009)

I switched to an E-cigarette about a month ago. The trick is finding a high quality one that you can puff on all day without the battery going out, or crappy cartridges that only last a couple hours. It's just nicotine with vapors, and it definitly is stronger than a regular cigarette depending on how much you puff on it. Nicotine itself is bad for you, but compared to cigarettes that give you lung, mouth, etc cancer I think it's a decent alternative.


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## Visual (Oct 13, 2010)

nabber said:


> I switched to an E-cigarette about a month ago. The trick is finding a high quality one that you can puff on all day without the battery going out, or crappy cartridges that only last a couple hours. It's just nicotine with vapors, and it definitly is stronger than a regular cigarette depending on how much you puff on it. Nicotine itself is bad for you, but compared to cigarettes that give you lung, mouth, etc cancer I think it's a decent alternative.


Funny, just saw one of those on a movie - _The Tourist_ (really good if you haven't seen it)

As a curious sidebar - both cigarettes and coffee protect dopamine neurons in the brain (cut their risk of Parkinson's in half)


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## Guest (Apr 29, 2011)

nabber said:


> I switched to an E-cigarette about a month ago. The trick is finding a high quality one that you can puff on all day without the battery going out, or crappy cartridges that only last a couple hours. It's just nicotine with vapors, and it definitly is stronger than a regular cigarette depending on how much you puff on it. Nicotine itself is bad for you, but compared to cigarettes that give you lung, mouth, etc cancer I think it's a decent alternative.


Is that one of thoses artificial ciggarretes that Bill Wyman was promoting? Only produces steam or something, so you can "smoke" it in bars with a smoking ban.
There's also inhilators where you just inhale a hit of nicotine and nothing else.
Thought about trying them, but arnt they expensive - more so than tobbacco which is expensive enough over here what with tax, which is the vast majority of the retail price.

But you would have thought after all these years theyd have developed a much less unhealthy tobbacco with most of the poisons removed, wouldn't you.

Like a relatively harmless smoking mixture that contains nicotine. But maybe that would be tricky as nicotine is a lethal poison used as a herbicide; its said if you inject the nicotine from just one cigarrete into your bloodstream it will kill you.


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