Is nicotine by itself an anxiety reliever?
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Well if you are addicted to nicotine as most of us here are then the lack of nicotine will certainly cause anxiety. We need our fix.
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well being that nicotine is a stimulant..... no, unless you are already addicts like we all are its not going to be relaxing, quite the opposite actually
Nope... many others also find that like me, it can even make it worse to up the nicotine level in the niqliquid.
After 10 months of torture when I quit and started vaping, I found info on snus on ECF and decided to try snus to supplement vaping (returning some of the MAOI that isn't in nicotine e-liquid) and get rid of the anxiety from quitting smoking. Good stuff and now I'm a much happier vaping camper.
After 10 months of torture when I quit and started vaping, I found info on snus on ECF and decided to try snus to supplement vaping (returning some of the MAOI that isn't in nicotine e-liquid) and get rid of the anxiety from quitting smoking. Good stuff and now I'm a much happier vaping camper.
My experience and from what I've read here nicotine is absorbed much slower when vaping so the quick "fix" is not there with the ecig for the same amount of nicotine.
So do most think that if a person who isn't addicted to nicotine will find vaping a stimulant and cause more anxiety. And as this person gets addicted to the nicotine will find vaping an anxiety reliever, but their base anxiety level before starting will have increased.
Nicotine can do both, stimulate and depress.
It can raise blood pressure by it's ability to cause vascular constriction, thus thought to be a stimulant.
But it's effect in the brain is quite different, it's actually a neuro-depressant, which gives it the effect of creating a feeling of euphoria. This is the part smokers' crave, and the first hit of a just lit cigarette, deep breath, and the "aah" is the part that smokers find hard to give up, or the hand to mouth almost instant feeling all is well ~ euphoric.
This is also the part that vaping doesn't take care of quite so quickly, so most of us are vaping seemingly endlessly at first. We don't get the lung hit of combusted tobacco, we rely on the slower absorbtion of nicotine through mouth nose and throat tissues. It's been proven not to be absorbed at a great rate in the lungs, due to nicotine in vapor being a larger particle...particles are lost out of the vapor before getting into the lungs. It can take a few minutes before you feel the effect of euphoria, in other words.
It's also proven that the amount of nicotine absorbed from vaping is only about 10-13% of that absorbed by combusted tobacco. Some people use a very high density juice to try to increase nic levels, others find they need snus or even a cigarette to offset the unexpected lower nic vapor. Some of us deal with that by vaping more. Eventually, your body adjusts, it takes some time, as in weeks.
Which has always raised the question, are we addicted to the nicotine or the substance the nicotine is in. I'd say the latter is more likely.
It can raise blood pressure by it's ability to cause vascular constriction, thus thought to be a stimulant.
But it's effect in the brain is quite different, it's actually a neuro-depressant, which gives it the effect of creating a feeling of euphoria. This is the part smokers' crave, and the first hit of a just lit cigarette, deep breath, and the "aah" is the part that smokers find hard to give up, or the hand to mouth almost instant feeling all is well ~ euphoric.
This is also the part that vaping doesn't take care of quite so quickly, so most of us are vaping seemingly endlessly at first. We don't get the lung hit of combusted tobacco, we rely on the slower absorbtion of nicotine through mouth nose and throat tissues. It's been proven not to be absorbed at a great rate in the lungs, due to nicotine in vapor being a larger particle...particles are lost out of the vapor before getting into the lungs. It can take a few minutes before you feel the effect of euphoria, in other words.
It's also proven that the amount of nicotine absorbed from vaping is only about 10-13% of that absorbed by combusted tobacco. Some people use a very high density juice to try to increase nic levels, others find they need snus or even a cigarette to offset the unexpected lower nic vapor. Some of us deal with that by vaping more. Eventually, your body adjusts, it takes some time, as in weeks.
Vaping from smoking will result in the more common symptoms of withdrawal, but after time has been found by many of us that cutting down nicotine levels in our liquids is much easier than cutting down on cigarettes, almost no indicators of withdrawal at all. I've cut back my starting level of 24mg/ml down to 12mg, with virtually no withdrawal effect at all.
Which has always raised the question, are we addicted to the nicotine or the substance the nicotine is in. I'd say the latter is more likely.
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While nicotine itself is a stimulant, the euphoric effects come from tobacco. The nic used in PV's is stripped of the alkaloids that cause the relaxed and calming feeling we get from a cigarette. For those that are addicted to nicotine only, abstinence can cause anxiety. For those that are addicted or need the maoi effects, the nic we use can cause anxiety partly from the stimulant effect. A lot of smokers have been using cigarettes to self-medicate chemical imbalances, but weren't aware of it until switching to PV's and sliding into depression and anxiety, commonly 3-6 weeks after the switch was made. Others have found it impossible to completely give up smokes, regardless of determination and PV use. That's why I'm now a user of Swedish snus.
Nicotine is a stimulant in the same way caffeine is. They both elevate heart rate and blood pressure, and both release some "pleasure" chemicals from the brain.
But don't expect the same stimulating kick of a cigarette when you suck down 36mg e-liquid. It's devoid of whole tobacco alkaloids, and that's a critical absence in the liquid. By itself, nicotine will simply make you antsy -- for more nicotine.
In combination with other alkaloids, it will relax and mellow you, at the same time it heightens your alterness.
Snus, nasal snuff and Stonewall dissolvable pellets all put back what e-liquid stripped out.
But don't expect the same stimulating kick of a cigarette when you suck down 36mg e-liquid. It's devoid of whole tobacco alkaloids, and that's a critical absence in the liquid. By itself, nicotine will simply make you antsy -- for more nicotine.
In combination with other alkaloids, it will relax and mellow you, at the same time it heightens your alterness.
Snus, nasal snuff and Stonewall dissolvable pellets all put back what e-liquid stripped out.
nicotine, even though it's a stimulant, is a very chameleon-like drug, for me at least:
when i'm nervous, it calms me down. when i'm tired, it wakes me up. when i'm bored, it excites me. etc, etc, etc
a wondrous drug, indeed!
also, nicotine seems to have positive effects on those with different mental illnesses. i cant find the original article i saw a few weeks ago, but here's another article
Nicotine may benefit some with mental illnesses | Journal of Employee Assistance, The | Find Articles at BNET
when i'm nervous, it calms me down. when i'm tired, it wakes me up. when i'm bored, it excites me. etc, etc, etc
a wondrous drug, indeed!
also, nicotine seems to have positive effects on those with different mental illnesses. i cant find the original article i saw a few weeks ago, but here's another article
Nicotine may benefit some with mental illnesses | Journal of Employee Assistance, The | Find Articles at BNET
Ah, that be true only when the associated alkaloids are attached to the nic molecule. Eliquid has nic, but no alkaloids. That's what TB's pointing out, that the psychoactive effects come from the alkaloids in tobacco. That's why some of us use smokeless tobacco to keep from wigging-out.
Agreed with TBob's points. Nicotine is a stimulant, so most people won't find it relieves anxiety -- other than the anxiety of cravings!
Yet it does activate some GABA release, which is anti-anxiety. Plus, some people have a paradoxical reaction to a particular stimulant or all stimulants.
So there's going to be individual brain variations like with anything.... I'd expect a range of personal responses, with the large majority of them agreeing that it's not anti-anxiety. (I smell a poll?)
In clinical trials of people with schizophrenia, there's been success in reducing negative symptoms (hallucinations and other psychoses) of schiz with NRT. Schizophrenics (a population with a consistent smoking rate of 70-95% in various surveys around the world) are believed to have a reduced number of nicotinic cholinergic receptors in the hippocampus, responsible for some of the symptoms. Nicotine amps up the stimulation to that reduced number of receptors. This seems to improve things like sensory gating (= better filtering of input from the outside world).
There's more to schizophrenia, and to nicotine, than just cholinergic neurons, but that's one of the basic theories out there (among the literature that I can understand
).
In trials of adults with ADHD, nicotine alone improves attention and concentration (which would partly explain the high rates of smoking, and early start of smoking, in those with ADHD). It seems to be related to the dopamine-boosting effects of nicotine...kinda like Ritalin (dopamine reuptake inhibitor) or Adderall (dopamine releaser), actually. All three have slightly different neurochemical impacts, but the basic concept is the same.
Anyway, here's my speculation on the breakdown of "what matters most" in different disorders, just from what I've read so far...
Nicotine alone: Schizophrenia, some other forms of psychosis, ADHD.
Whole alkaloids: Depression, anxiety, bipolar.
(These disorders, or milder subclinical features of them, frequently overlap in people -- so ADHD + depression = whole alkaloids, for instance. Also, that list doesn't include other substance addictions, eating disorders, PTSD, etc.)
I'd dig up a dozen study links but I'm feeling rather awful right now.
Yet it does activate some GABA release, which is anti-anxiety. Plus, some people have a paradoxical reaction to a particular stimulant or all stimulants.
So there's going to be individual brain variations like with anything.... I'd expect a range of personal responses, with the large majority of them agreeing that it's not anti-anxiety. (I smell a poll?)
I thought so too, but it seems to be more nuanced than that. Nicotine itself is the crucial treatment factor in certain mental illnesses; in others it appears to be the other alkaloids (MAOIs etc.). The study summary slybootz linked to mentions the two biggies in the nicotine-alone area: schizophrenia and ADHD.
In clinical trials of people with schizophrenia, there's been success in reducing negative symptoms (hallucinations and other psychoses) of schiz with NRT. Schizophrenics (a population with a consistent smoking rate of 70-95% in various surveys around the world) are believed to have a reduced number of nicotinic cholinergic receptors in the hippocampus, responsible for some of the symptoms. Nicotine amps up the stimulation to that reduced number of receptors. This seems to improve things like sensory gating (= better filtering of input from the outside world).
There's more to schizophrenia, and to nicotine, than just cholinergic neurons, but that's one of the basic theories out there (among the literature that I can understand
).In trials of adults with ADHD, nicotine alone improves attention and concentration (which would partly explain the high rates of smoking, and early start of smoking, in those with ADHD). It seems to be related to the dopamine-boosting effects of nicotine...kinda like Ritalin (dopamine reuptake inhibitor) or Adderall (dopamine releaser), actually. All three have slightly different neurochemical impacts, but the basic concept is the same.
Anyway, here's my speculation on the breakdown of "what matters most" in different disorders, just from what I've read so far...
Nicotine alone: Schizophrenia, some other forms of psychosis, ADHD.
Whole alkaloids: Depression, anxiety, bipolar.
(These disorders, or milder subclinical features of them, frequently overlap in people -- so ADHD + depression = whole alkaloids, for instance. Also, that list doesn't include other substance addictions, eating disorders, PTSD, etc.)
I'd dig up a dozen study links but I'm feeling rather awful right now.
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Madame: That's interesting, you certainly have been doing your homework.
The only thing I can add is that many people don't necessarily neatly fit into any of the categories you've listed but still have a strong attraction to nicotine/alkaloids. I don't have any clinical studies to back it up but observation leads me to think some of us simple function better with tobacco then without. Better focus, more relaxed, etc. I know I started smoking at a young age and was immediately attracted to the increased functioning I got from a cigarette.
Was I born missing something that tobacco provided... dunno. But I know what it does for me. Some people need a cup-a-joe to get them going but that never worked for me, just gave me a headache, but give me some tobacco and I'm good to go.
Edit: forgot to mention that nicotine by itself was not a good thing for me. Acted more like coffee for me then tobacco.
The only thing I can add is that many people don't necessarily neatly fit into any of the categories you've listed but still have a strong attraction to nicotine/alkaloids. I don't have any clinical studies to back it up but observation leads me to think some of us simple function better with tobacco then without. Better focus, more relaxed, etc. I know I started smoking at a young age and was immediately attracted to the increased functioning I got from a cigarette.
Was I born missing something that tobacco provided... dunno. But I know what it does for me. Some people need a cup-a-joe to get them going but that never worked for me, just gave me a headache, but give me some tobacco and I'm good to go.
Edit: forgot to mention that nicotine by itself was not a good thing for me. Acted more like coffee for me then tobacco.
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Giving up nicotine was no walk in the park but I had a harder time giving up caffeine.
8-o...Holy moly M & M....gave 'em both up...8-o!?! shudder...This could give me nightmares. That'd be like asking me to hold my breath 'til next week 8-o. ...Oh, the humanity......
Oh, thanks Madame
. I'll get back to you on that when the shock of the above post wears off 8-o 8-o!!!no snus no snuff no vape no coffee aarrrrgg
No joy. No verve. No perky alertness. No satisfaction. No life worth getting out of bed to experience. Arrrrgh.
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