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What nicotine does to your brain

economist.com

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Re: What nicotine does to your brain

#41

Post by cleansingfire »

sph wrote: post #23
actionfromafar wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That pet theory might have legs. I like it.

I also blame screens. My other pet theory is that in 30 years we'll discover there is really no such thing as ADHD, just pre-frontal dopaminergic dysfunction from a lot of different causes, such as addiction (there is a great presentation by Dr. Todd Love about how ADHD and drug addiction present exactly the same), superstimuli frying our reward systems and natural differences in drive between people. What we're doin…

Except that ADHD is older than screens, and exists without drugs or addiction.

Re: What nicotine does to your brain

#42

Post by nandomrumber »

sph wrote: post #6

I am diagnosed ADHD. I have used dexamphetamine as prescribed which worked pretty well, in moderate dosages because I am sensitive, but I came to dislike the effect it had on me: I felt like I was attached to a horse that kept pulling me around even when I just wanted to stop and take a break. And the fact that I would crash 5 hours later. In 2020, before even knowing I had ADHD, let alone being medicated, I managed…

My experience parallels yours. I’ve been intermittently using cutdown patches, and B vitamins + magnesium, in an effort to have fewer complete nut-job breaks from reality.

Nicotine is a CNS stimulant, and cigarettes are somewhat of a fidget spinner, and social lubricant. What’s not to like.

For most people, long term nicotine use is probably less deleterious than long term amphetamine use.

More recently I starting testosterone, and that’s made me feel heaps less like a histrionic toddler.

Re: What nicotine does to your brain

#43

Post by dsego »

ramon156 wrote: post #40

Brain fog for me became a lot less prevalent recently. I got no idea what it is but I don't want it to stop. I honestly think brain fog is mostly a mentality thing, but I have no evidence to back this up. It doesn't really matter what I eat. The only thing I changed was I started gymming again and I'm taking creatine. I still eat garbage food

Creatine is supposedly good for cognitive performance, at least that's what I took from a couple of youtube videos I watched.

Re: What nicotine does to your brain

#44

Post by sph »

cleansingfire wrote: post #41
sph wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I also blame screens. My other pet theory is that in 30 years we'll discover there is really no such thing as ADHD, just pre-frontal dopaminergic dysfunction from a lot of different causes, such as addiction (there is a great presentation by Dr. Todd Love about how ADHD and drug addiction present exactly the same), superstimuli frying our reward systems and natural differences in drive between people. What we're doin…

Except that ADHD is older than screens, and exists without drugs or addiction.

Yes, but incidence rates are increasing. You can blame that on better diagnoses, or, more likely in my opinion, some other factors which didn't exist before.

Re: What nicotine does to your brain

#45

Post by jovial_cavalier »

michelpp wrote: post #37

I caught covid for the first time in jan of 2024, the illness itself wasn't that bad for me, like a common cold, but the aftereffects lingered for months. Eventually my ability to smell and taste came back in a few weeks, but the mental brain fog would not let go. I would sleep over 12 hours a night and still be tired. According to my fitness tracker my daily step and energy burn counts were cut in half. It was so ba…

I have a similar average intake to you, and I've been on it much longer, about 3.5 years. I have had periods where I go off the stuff entirely, including a whole month and a half earlier this year. I've also had periods where my intake has spiked much higher.

The withdrawal symptoms are actually strangely pleasant to me as long as I'm in the right mood and have something interesting to focus on. You will get irritable at things you shouldn't, but as long as you keep that in mind, you should be able to stop yourself from totally flying off the handle. In terms of "fogginess," I find that it's actually mostly in your head. As in, I feel like my mind is dulled, yet when I present myself with a task I somehow find it solved to about the same standard that I'm used to. If you end up feeling foggy coming off of the stuff, give yourself at least a week or two to adjust.

Re: What nicotine does to your brain

#46

Post by fragmede »

michelpp wrote: post #37

I caught covid for the first time in jan of 2024, the illness itself wasn't that bad for me, like a common cold, but the aftereffects lingered for months. Eventually my ability to smell and taste came back in a few weeks, but the mental brain fog would not let go. I would sleep over 12 hours a night and still be tired. According to my fitness tracker my daily step and energy burn counts were cut in half. It was so ba…

I caught Covid march 2020 and it broke my brain. watching Netflix was too difficult. I'm better now through a wide variety of things, but nicotine, via patches for me (half of a 7mg patch - don't want to get used to too much), gave me my life back. That, and a vagus nerve stimulator.

Re: What nicotine does to your brain

#47

Post by nandomrumber »

Pilottwave wrote: post #36
sph wrote: post #6

I am diagnosed ADHD. I have used dexamphetamine as prescribed which worked pretty well, in moderate dosages because I am sensitive, but I came to dislike the effect it had on me: I felt like I was attached to a horse that kept pulling me around even when I just wanted to stop and take a break. And the fact that I would crash 5 hours later. In 2020, before even knowing I had ADHD, let alone being medicated, I managed…

I was just recently talking to my fellow ADHD friends on the benefits that i felt when i started vaping this summer. It was like i was medicating away my ADHD. I turned to AI to investigate further, its response seemed to underwrite this observation Gemini output: Research is exploring nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) agonists as a potential non-stimulant treatment for ADHD, sidestepping the issues of pure ni…

You’re not participating in the conversation when you do this.

Provide snippets and references from primary sources or turn off.

Re: What nicotine does to your brain

#48

Post by herbst »

Knufen wrote: post #24
sph wrote: post #6

I am diagnosed ADHD. I have used dexamphetamine as prescribed which worked pretty well, in moderate dosages because I am sensitive, but I came to dislike the effect it had on me: I felt like I was attached to a horse that kept pulling me around even when I just wanted to stop and take a break. And the fact that I would crash 5 hours later. In 2020, before even knowing I had ADHD, let alone being medicated, I managed…

Not a doctor, but can recommend methylphenidat any day over amphetamine. It is a much less "angry" version and the slow release evens the effect.

As ADHD "patient" that used both I usually tell the other way around. Ritalin has a weird crash and all the side effects for me while Dex is just like a super effective coffee with minimal crash or anything.

Re: What nicotine does to your brain

#49

Post by nandomrumber »

NotGMan wrote: post #38
HipstaJules wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hey! Why do you say that? Curious to understand your POV

They are funded by wealthy people who most likely have them push their agenda. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurzgesagt#Sources_of_funding

I’m funded by the fruits of my own labour, and tend to push agendas I subscribe to too.

Re: What nicotine does to your brain

#50

Post by ogig »

michelpp wrote: post #37

I caught covid for the first time in jan of 2024, the illness itself wasn't that bad for me, like a common cold, but the aftereffects lingered for months. Eventually my ability to smell and taste came back in a few weeks, but the mental brain fog would not let go. I would sleep over 12 hours a night and still be tired. According to my fitness tracker my daily step and energy burn counts were cut in half. It was so ba…

I suggest you to never try a real cigarette if you haven't already. Given that you are already addicted to nicotine the kick of the real deal could be too much to handle. And you don't want that habit, talking by experience. It's good that you found a drug that helps you, just don't inhale it.
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