Earlier quoted context omitted.
Major changes that happen gradually are incredibly hard to notice if you aren't expecting them, and even if you did notice you might just think it's because you got over a cold or spring is here or similar.
"ajor changes that ex-smokers notice after quitting" is something completely different then "Major changes [...] incredibly hard to notice". If it is hard to notice, then it can't be major thing ex-smokers notice.
Another French Study Looks Into The Use of Nicotine Against Covid-19
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Re: Another French Study Looks Into The Use of Nicotine Against Covid-19
#52Earlier quoted context omitted.
"ajor changes that ex-smokers notice after quitting" is something completely different then "Major changes [...] incredibly hard to notice". If it is hard to notice, then it can't be major thing ex-smokers notice.
Or many ex-smokers were expecting them so did notice the change. I can't tell if you just think the poster should have qualified that not every smoker notices it or if you think it doesn't exist because you didn't notice it.
Re: Another French Study Looks Into The Use of Nicotine Against Covid-19
#53Lol, I've been saying this since July. Severe covid is due to organ inflammation from overaggressive immune system response, and nicotine is an immune system suppressant. The one episode of Dr. House where is was actually sarcoidosis (a systemic inflammatory disease), the patient didn't have any symptoms because of his use of chewing tobacco to manage his weight for wrestling.
Do we currently have no medications that can stop that inflammation from occurring?
Seriously, ask a doctor, but these might give you starting points for the discussion:
This is a very high-value part of pharma research, because inflammation is at the root of a lot of lifelong chronic disease and is basically only manageable rather than curable. But because inflammation is a systemic response, all drugs which modulate the immune system are serious business.
For short-term use: corticosteroids (eg prednisone), and I think best-current acute Covid pneumonia protocols involve quite a lot of these, particularly dexamethasone (https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/immune-based-...). Corticosteroids are extremely powerful drugs. Some of them are used topically for acute local inflammation (hydrocortisone is the best known of those and is available OTC from pharmacists for rashes), but that's basically the only context you're likely to encounter them taken as lightly as, eg, aspirin or acetaminophen.
Long-term use; there are some small molecules, eg methotrexate, which modulate the immune system – hydroxychloroquine is one of these used in lupus treatment, but there is plenty of evidence that it harms rather than helps in the Covid case.
That leaves you some of the second-line treatments used for chronic immune system diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis, and there the Lancet paper I linked up-thread suggests these may have some utility/protective value against Covid, found by studying correlations in patients undergoing these therapies for pre-existing conditions.
But: these are not easy options. They're "biologics" (big proteins). You've had or know people who've had some of these. The ones you've probably encountered are vaccines and insulin, but the big growth area has been monoclonal antibodies. Some of these can directly modulate specific signalling pathways, particularly inflammation pathways, which is why they are effective against the diseases of systemic inflammation above. But: these drugs are extremely expensive to develop (so the US prices are ungodly high), difficult to transport, store and deliver - often requiring IV infusion (I think Humira has a self-injectable formulation, but none of them are oral medications) - and have systemic side effects basically by design.
Two new monoclonal antibody therapies of this class have US EUAs (emergency use authorizations) for Covid; https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/regeneron-following-lill.... One of them (the Regeneron one) is the one Donald Trump had.
Re: Another French Study Looks Into The Use of Nicotine Against Covid-19
#54Earlier quoted context omitted.
Or many ex-smokers were expecting them so did notice the change. I can't tell if you just think the poster should have qualified that not every smoker notices it or if you think it doesn't exist because you didn't notice it.
No I think the parent is making up "plenty smokers" and "commonly known" to describe something that exists only in minority of cases.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_cessation#Health_benef...
Think about how the smell longer on your clothes. That smell lingering in your mouth is going to mess with your smell and taste. And that's ignoring the damage inhaling burning air does to your mouth.
Re: Another French Study Looks Into The Use of Nicotine Against Covid-19
#55Earlier quoted context omitted.
No I think the parent is making up "plenty smokers" and "commonly known" to describe something that exists only in minority of cases.
"Health benefits of quitting smoking...Within 48 hours, nerve endings and sense of smell and taste both start recovering." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_cessation#Health_benef... Think about how the smell longer on your clothes. That smell lingering in your mouth is going to mess with your smell and taste. And that's ignoring the damage inhaling burning air does to your mouth.
Re: Another French Study Looks Into The Use of Nicotine Against Covid-19
#56Earlier quoted context omitted.
"Health benefits of quitting smoking...Within 48 hours, nerve endings and sense of smell and taste both start recovering." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_cessation#Health_benef... Think about how the smell longer on your clothes. That smell lingering in your mouth is going to mess with your smell and taste. And that's ignoring the damage inhaling burning air does to your mouth.
Which is far cry from "major change smokers notice".