Nicotine, tobacco and Cfs has anyone benefited?

[Davsey27]

Curuous if anyone has benefited from nicotine gum,smoking cigarettes mildly

I hear that nicotine from gum and tobacco work on nicotinamide receptors
and minus the carcinogenic affects from tobacco there may be some benefit to the brain and cognition.

Not sure if this is true but I did hear from
Dr kruse that low doses of nicotine gum in the sun can help with mitochondrial functioning

Thank you

 

[percyval577]

Before I became uncomfortable ill at the age of 30 I have smoked for about ten years, 10 cigarettes a day.

I know now that I was affected very mildly by the illness, and I would say that the cigarettes have been some help.

I also happened to smoke sometimes pipe instead, which was pharmadynamically more wise, as I interpretate it now.

However, I will not hurt myself again by smoking. Though recently during a (difficult) improvement I tried snuff, but it was not strong enough (also the addiction arose), so I stopped it. Maybe I will test it again.

 

[Davsey27]

Before I became uncomfortable ill at the age of 30 I have smoked for about ten years, 10 cigarettes a day.

I know now that I was affected very mildly by the illness, and I would say that the cigarettes have been some help.

I also happened to smoke sometimes pipe instead, which was pharmadynamically more wise, as I interpretate it now.

However, I will not hurt myself again by smoking. Though recently during a (difficult) improvement I tried snuff, but it was not strong enough (also the addiction arose), so I stopped it. Maybe I will test it again.[/QUOTE

You mentioned you won’t hurt yourself by smoking.Did you notice any negative effects?

 

[percyval577]

Only normal ones. Smoking is just unhealthy. A plant gets burned, and tabacco serves you even with a lot of unhealthy stuff.

When I tried it for a month again (now 15 years ago), it really felt ugly.

Once after having begun with smoking a dentist said to me: Your teeth are not so well.

Why that, I answered, I havn´t changed cleaning my teeth. Only now I am aware enough to blame the smoking for it.

Somehow a pity. No surprise, I loved smoking (especially pipe is nicely calming).

The nicotin is rather not that a problem, of course also not completly without problems.

 

[Judee]

We talked a bit about it in this post but more for helping with brain fog.

I did try it as a gum and if I remember correctly, it did make me feel a bit calmer (more relaxed) but gave my mouth odd tingly sensation. I cut the squares in tiny pieces too. It didn't do anything for the ME/CFS though and I am super sensitive to feeling when something does help even just a tiny bit.

 

[kangaSue]

Nicotine can be a vagus nerve stimulator when you have an impairment in nicotonic acetylcholine receptor signalling function. This dysfunction can be common when you have Autonomic Neuropathy (or Small Fiber Neuropathy when it affects autonomic fibers too, one and the same thing as AN then).

Mestinon (or even Parasym Plus or the supplement huperzine A) may be an alternative to try if nicotine helps with symptoms.

 

[skwag]

I find nicotine/tobacco very helpful for hypersensitivity and mood. I think it helps my POTS a little too. Definitely doesn't make it worse.

Interestingly I find tobacco much more effective than nicotine alone. Not sure what is actually happening there, but it might be from one of the minor alkoloids found in tobacco.

The safest delivery vehicle at present seems to be swedish snus, which is a fine ground tobacco usually put inside a teabag-like pouch, that you put under your lip. The nicotine, along with the other compounds, are absorbed through the oral mucosa.

For those interested in nicotine alone, swedish snus companies are also making nicotine pouches which are similar to snus, but they use a nicotine infused plant fiber instead of tobacco.

Both snus and nicotine pouches are available in the US, often at gas stations or 7-11 or circle-K convenience stores. I think snus is banned in the EU, apart from Sweden. I'm not sure about the pouches.

 

[gbells]

Nicotine actually stimulates apoptosis so it can be beneficial in helping cells resist infection depending on the bacteria and viruses involved. However, it is very bad for causing atherosclerosis by triggering inflammation in the blood vessels and raising blood pressure. Inflammation can be controlled with curcumin however you really can't have hypertension for too long without serious risks from stroke and heart attacks. It is also addictive.

 

[Little old man]

Long-covid ... ME/CFS ... cured with nicotine?!

Background. I've been suffering for about fourteen years with problems attributed to
ME/CFS and nothing has helped much. In 2021 I had two Covid vaccinations
(Astrazeneca) which set me back into a worse (ME/CFS) state for about ten months
afterwards and have never got back to even where I was. Subsequently, I had covid but
it passed within three days with only minor discomfort. Most of the time
I am fairly debilitated.

To try to understand more I have been reading and watching everything I
could find (often with a liberal pinch of salt). One of the things I
found, which I wrote off as a crackpot idea, but filed away, was that
long-covid symptoms could often be cured with nicotine. However, reading
about this, I found that there may be some evidence to back this up.
Further, pondering the similarities between ME and long-covid, I looked for
information about ME and nicotine that led me here.

I'm in my seventh decade, and have NEVER smoked; but a week or so ago I
had an encounter with nicotine, when I was offered a pinch of snuff
(dried, finely ground tobacco that one sniffs a little up each nostril).
It was a curious experience - I'd had a pinch of snuff nearly sixty
years prior - given to me by my grandfather which made me sneeze
profusely to the amusement of all around. Trying it again after so long
seemed appealing.

Anyway, the next day after taking the snuff, I felt unusually awake, alert and found myself
moving around and doing more than what has become normal. Since then, I
have had pinch each day and continue to feel improved. At this point it
could be placebo effect, but it's certainly interesting and seems more than coincidence.
If this improvement does prove to be sustained I would probably move to nicotine-gum or patches
as a less harmful alternative.

Just some personal observations, I hope this is of some interest for discussion.

 

[JES]

Interesting. FYI, I tried nicotine in form of patches over the summer and reported my experience in this thread.

I can second that the uplift I got at the beginning was pretty impressive. After around a week the benefits peaked and I certainly felt much less mental or physical fatigue.

The physical energy benefit has mostly worn off since then, but I have decided to continue a small dose of patches due to some remaining positive impact on brain fog. Also interestingly I regained the ability to dream (or memorize dreams) and that effect has not worn off.

 

[Insomniac]

There was a trend to try this many years back on one of the yahoo groups for CFS. It was via inhalers of nicoteen.
I tried it and it did not help me. It lowered my blood sugar and made me want to lie down and relax a lot. It did me no harm to try and I think all CFS patients should have a go.
As a long time patient since 1992 it always fascinates me these little microtrends like nicoteen patches and coagulation that come and go and sadly never get properly tested. I believe there is something in them in that they help a subset but not everyone or most.

 

[Forummember9922]

Ive had more nicotine daily since getting CFS than Joe Camel.
Def not the cure for me but maybe it helps, not sure.
I do think there are rare, specific cases of long covid where nicotine fixes them outright.

 

[Sarouna70]

Before I became uncomfortable ill at the age of 30 I have smoked for about ten years, 10 cigarettes a day.

I know now that I was affected very mildly by the illness, and I would say that the cigarettes have been some help.

I also happened to smoke sometimes pipe instead, which was pharmadynamically more wise, as I interpretate it now.

However, I will not hurt myself again by smoking. Though recently during a (difficult) improvement I tried snuff, but it was not strong enough (also the addiction arose), so I stopped it. Maybe I will test it again.

Incredible, I used to smoke when I was younger (about 10 cigarettes a day).
I have stopped it when I met my husband because he did not like cigarettes smell.
3 years later, I had health problems.
I was better with cigarettes for intestinal health (constipation). But I prefer not to smoke for my family and my health in general.

 

[Oliver3]

I've just started nicotine lozenges on a whim. It's calmed the sympathetic nerves. And helped with energy and focus.
I'm on beta blockers so palpitations have so far been avoided. Igenerally feel better and not in that desperate haze.
My vision in particular has flooded back into full colour!
I'm aware these things sometimes just lose their affect, and also there are some harmful effects, so I'm using them as sparingly as I can alongside my other pills and potions.
I've read it helps with mast cells, dopamine, achetocholine and ADHD symptoms. Early days, so I'm not expecting it to last but it's nice to not be totally in the dark pit