Nicotine for Tourette's

[ktribe808]

My nephew has Tourette's syndrome which was diagnosed over 20 years ago. The only "medication" that has worked for him has been nicotine. Thus he has smoked for 20 years. He tried the patch and gum but did not like the side-effects. Perhaps the e-cig may be the ticket???

[leaford]

Could be. It would not only maintain his nicotine intake, if used carefully, it could even give better control over his dosage. It would also let him maintain many of the rituals involved with smokking he is used to.

[TropicalBob]

Nicotine does have medicinal uses, and treating Tourette's is one. Patches are now being used on patients with Attention Deficit Disorder, too. Some more serious mental conditions respond well to nicotine treatment. The e-cig could be a great tool for these people, if only medical science will allow it. But I can just see an insurance company now: "We have a bill here for something called an electronic cigarette. What's that?"

[jamie]

He tried the patch and gum but did not like the side-effects.

I'm struggling to determine what those side effects might have been... do you know? There is also the prescription nicotine inhaler and prescription nicotine nasal spray. Might depend on what those side effects were though. Those I can think of are related to overuse of nicotine, which isn't really a side effect but more a matter of appropriate use. Maybe dermatitis with the patch and speech or tmj issues with gum chewing...

[passerbyeus]

hi everyone

[Hinterscher]

I don't have Tourette's, but I take meds that make me have tremors and I have noticed that nicotine helps them dramatically. I can't site them because it's been too long ago, but I remember finding sites that said that nicotine can help tremors caused by many things.

[dragonpuff]

My nephew has Tourette's syndrome which was diagnosed over 20 years ago. The only "medication" that has worked for him has been nicotine. Thus he has smoked for 20 years. He tried the patch and gum but did not like the side-effects. Perhaps the e-cig may be the ticket???

I think the e-cig would be an excellent idea in his case, especially since smoking has already been shown to work.

IMO, anything that can help tourette's disorder is a blessing, that condition is notoriously difficult to treat!

[geeker]

It would be wonderful if your nephew could switch to a PV. What a tragic disorder to have to deal with.

[vapomike]

If this was to become a prescription only thing, I could see it now. All the smokers of the world would be lining up going I got tourettes, tremors, and add. Doc I need one of those Screwdriver PV's.

[alsmom]

I have become interested in the positive effects of nicotine and i think this area of science could be big. It has associations with all kinds of problems- from Parkinson's Disease to Alsheimer's and more...but nicotine has such a negative rap AND the drug companies can't patent nicotine, so there will be little $$ to study nicotine. Perhaps a scientific paper or two if they can define a pathway that nicotine affects in some of these conditions, otherwise prolly not...