Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Nicotine Normalizes Brain Activity Deficits That Are Key to Schizophrenia

neurosciencenews.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

141–150 of 246 posts

Re: Nicotine Normalizes Brain Activity Deficits That Are Key to Schizophrenia

#141

Post by delhanty »

BatFastard wrote: post #130
tcj_phx wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Edited to add that I quit tobacco ~7 years ago using chantix, which I totally recommend. Unfortunately my mental ilnesses have become harder to deal with over the same period. I learned from someone here (about 4 months ago [1]) that nicotine is not so addictive by itself. It is the combination of MAOI-like chemicals in tobacco that makes it hard for smokers to quit. MAOI's were the "first generation" anti-depressa…

>but caused high blood pressure when combined with fine aged cheese. Are you serious about this?

It's true. If the MAO-I acts on both MAO-A and MAO-B, that is it is non-selective, then the tyramine in the cheese can cause a hypertensive crisis:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoamine_oxidase_inhibitor#Hy...

Edit: spelling

Re: Nicotine Normalizes Brain Activity Deficits That Are Key to Schizophrenia

#142

Post by samx18 »

andy_ppp wrote: post #117
SparkyMcUnicorn wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just to chime in. If you have concerns because you've heard that "vaping is bad", do some research into it. While there are billboards and other advertisements against vaping in the USA, Public Health England says that vaping is at least 95% healthier [1]. http://notblowingsmoke.org/ [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/e-cigarettes-around-95-le...

I actually don't think vaping is good because it allows the nicotine user to never realise it's possible to get over their addiction instead requiring constant replacement of smoking. This is not needed if they accept fully the difficulty of giving up but realise that every exertion of will power promotes their escape and weakens smokings hold on the user.

While I certainly don't encourage anyone to just start vaping for the sake of it, there is noting good about putting anything into your lungs other than air. But if you have tried everything else to quit smoking and nothing has worked. Vaping can help. I've seen quite a few who have just given up on the idea of quitting smoking simply because there was no alternative to the nicotine addiction. It can be a life saver in those cases.

Re: Nicotine Normalizes Brain Activity Deficits That Are Key to Schizophrenia

#143

Post by jdietrich »

iak8god wrote: post #84
jdietrich wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I couldn't find that evidence anywhere in your link. A report by Public Health England estimated e-cigarettes to be at least 95% less harmful than combustible tobacco. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm...

The report you linked does not explain the 95% number, and following their citations bottomed out in articles that don't contain that number either. I'd need to spend more time looking through those before I'd feel comfortable saying that no existence for the 95% harm reduction claim can be found in the tree of citations spinning out from the PHE report , but please be aware that as of now you have not provided evide…

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm...

Re: Nicotine Normalizes Brain Activity Deficits That Are Key to Schizophrenia

#144

Post by sigmaprimus »

brianpgordon wrote: post #97
samx18 wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IMO Vaping is a far safer alternative to smoking for getting nicotine.

True, but being healthier than smoking is not exactly a high bar. If you must take nicotine as a nootropic, take it orally. Vaping is much more addictive than letting a 2mg lozenge slowly dissolve. Relative addictiveness of different ROAs is directly correlated with how quickly the drug takes effect, and when you vape the nicotine hits your bloodstream within seconds. Also I can't mention enough that if you take an M…

I would tend to agree that lozenges might be a better option, unfortunately for myself I get hiccups from the lozenges and nightmares from patches so I have made the choice to vape over smoking. I am a bit concerned with the glycerin and glycol that is enentering my bloodstream may be causing me to gain weight but that might just be me self medicating with food aswell. Hands down vaping is better than smoking as a nicotine delivery method..imho

Re: Nicotine Normalizes Brain Activity Deficits That Are Key to Schizophrenia

#145

Post by SparkyMcUnicorn »

chipperyman573 wrote: post #131
SparkyMcUnicorn wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just to chime in. If you have concerns because you've heard that "vaping is bad", do some research into it. While there are billboards and other advertisements against vaping in the USA, Public Health England says that vaping is at least 95% healthier [1]. http://notblowingsmoke.org/ [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/e-cigarettes-around-95-le...

Just because it's better doesn't mean it's good. Inhaling large amounts of steam or smoke is bad for your lungs, even if it doesn't contain any carcinogens. Also, nicotine is addictive, so taking it "just because" is a bad idea (taking it to treat something is a different story, obviously). Of course, if you're looking to intake nicotine for some reason, vaping is vastly superior to smoking. "5 people killed in riot"…

Yes, nothing is better than breathing fresh air. 100% agree.

That being said.. people are going to do it anyways. Sugar, caffeine, McDonalds, and hundreds of other things on the list that are not great for you but people do anyways.

If people are going to do it, why not choose the healthiest way to do it?

Re: Nicotine Normalizes Brain Activity Deficits That Are Key to Schizophrenia

#146

Post by nytopop »

SparkyMcUnicorn wrote: post #111
brianpgordon wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True, but being healthier than smoking is not exactly a high bar. If you must take nicotine as a nootropic, take it orally. Vaping is much more addictive than letting a 2mg lozenge slowly dissolve. Relative addictiveness of different ROAs is directly correlated with how quickly the drug takes effect, and when you vape the nicotine hits your bloodstream within seconds. Also I can't mention enough that if you take an M…

You can vape with no nicotine at all, or you can vape from 0.1mg/ml all the way past 50mg/ml if you wanted to. "Vaping is much more addictive" is like saying sugar is more addicting from a glass of chocolate milk than than it is from a bag of gummy worms. And I'd say 95% healthier is a pretty good margin.

Well no, vaping is more addictive because inhalation as an ROA is more addictive. This is a well studied effect.

Re: Nicotine Normalizes Brain Activity Deficits That Are Key to Schizophrenia

#147

Post by sigmaprimus »

SparkyMcUnicorn wrote: post #111
brianpgordon wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True, but being healthier than smoking is not exactly a high bar. If you must take nicotine as a nootropic, take it orally. Vaping is much more addictive than letting a 2mg lozenge slowly dissolve. Relative addictiveness of different ROAs is directly correlated with how quickly the drug takes effect, and when you vape the nicotine hits your bloodstream within seconds. Also I can't mention enough that if you take an M…

You can vape with no nicotine at all, or you can vape from 0.1mg/ml all the way past 50mg/ml if you wanted to. "Vaping is much more addictive" is like saying sugar is more addicting from a glass of chocolate milk than than it is from a bag of gummy worms. And I'd say 95% healthier is a pretty good margin.

On the other hand, I would say smoking crack is much more addictive than snorting cocaine but that's just my opinion. Maybe someone with more exerience could weigh in?

Re: Nicotine Normalizes Brain Activity Deficits That Are Key to Schizophrenia

#148

Post by Ductapemaster »

agentgt wrote: post #140
sova wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for sharing your experience. As a substance nerd I find all this info very helpful and illuminating. Are you familiar with Erowid?

I tried a bunch of supplements and herbs. Some worked, some had nasty side effects, and most did squat. The short list is I tried: Piractem, GABA, Rhodila Rosea, Cocamine (chocolate extract), gluractone (red bull ingredient), various ephedrine like stuff, various methly caffeine things (ie green tea), Yohimbine (I highly recommend you never ever take this). I used to have lab like jars of the stuff at work and my cow…

Out of curiosity, what was your experience with Yohimbine? Why was it so bad?

Re: Nicotine Normalizes Brain Activity Deficits That Are Key to Schizophrenia

#149

Post by rabboRubble »

tlarkworthy wrote: post #13
thomasjames wrote: post #8

For those who have seen severe mental illness up close, this is not surprising in the least. Many, many people with schizophrenia or other disorders characterized by psychosis self-medicate heavily with cigarettes. Huddled masses of patients smoking outside are fixtures of most psychiatric treatment facilities.

Well, its the same thing in prisons, so I always assumed its boredom/stress relief as the explanation for chain smoking.

Err... you may have a significant overlap in the Venn diagram between prison population and people with schizophrenia. It's long known that mentally ill people make up a large part of the prison population.

Re: Nicotine Normalizes Brain Activity Deficits That Are Key to Schizophrenia

#150

Post by sova »

agentgt wrote: post #140
sova wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for sharing your experience. As a substance nerd I find all this info very helpful and illuminating. Are you familiar with Erowid?

I tried a bunch of supplements and herbs. Some worked, some had nasty side effects, and most did squat. The short list is I tried: Piractem, GABA, Rhodila Rosea, Cocamine (chocolate extract), gluractone (red bull ingredient), various ephedrine like stuff, various methly caffeine things (ie green tea), Yohimbine (I highly recommend you never ever take this). I used to have lab like jars of the stuff at work and my cow…

In regards to Yohimbine, I'll heed your experienced words should I ever come across, I won't partake. Wow, just googling it: "It is a veterinary drug used to reverse sedation in dogs and deer."

It's interesting that you can basically reap all the benefits of nicotine without any of the carcinogens. Do you feel at all like it's difficult to step away from?

I really like your list of "nothing worked better than ~" it makes sense and it's interesting how the more we pay attention to our bodies the better we feel and are.

Post reply on HN