Nicotine Is the New Wonder Drug

Fantastic Lad sends us to Wired for a story on the upside of nicotine. Researchers are developing drugs based on nicotine that may prove beneficial for brains, bowels, blood vessels and immune systems. "Nicotine acts on the acetylcholine receptors in the brain, stimulating and regulating the release of a slew of brain chemicals, including seratonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. Now drugs derived from nicotine and the research on nicotine receptors are in clinical trials for everything from helping to heal wounds, to depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's, Tourette Syndrome, ADHD, anger management and anxiety." A separate story talks about nicotine warding off Parkinson's disease.

Suspicious at best.

[John Pfeiffer]

This certainly sounds too good to be true. Makes me wonder who's funding the research.

Re:sweet!

[MoonFog]

This is hardly the first time toxic substances have proven (although it's not proven yet) to have health benefits. For example, smoking marijuana (or THC rather) has proven to be an effective pain medication and helpful to some very ill people.

Whether or not it is politically correct to tout this information.. well, that's a different story.

Re:Suspicious at best.

[dattaway]

You can be sure the tobacco industry is funding this research. Its survival among any large company to fund research. No matter how innocent a product is made, such as tennis shoes, there's always some negative image. Research is the key to make *some* good to outweigh the bad. There's grants and scholarships to universities in exchange for IP rights. They are granting HUGE amounts to contractors in the sciences to come up with anything seemingly useful.

If the tobacco companies ignore research, marijuana might end up being the medicinal drug. And that's going to be a hard cash cow for a currently legal business to milk.

The real problem

[stormi]

The idea is that nicotine releases happy chemicals in your brain. I think we've already known this for a while - it's why it's so hard to quit smoking. Now they are realizing that happy chemicals can treat some psychological disorders. Plausible. However, there is a problem with this theory that we've recognized for a long time. When we artifically create these chemicals in the brain via medications or other chemicals and drugs, we get used to having the feeling. Then, in ordinary situations where we are supposed to experience happiness (ex. a day off, a sunny day, a good dessert, a good song) we don't feel anything. This leads further into depression because people literally cannot find happiness in activities they once found enjoyable. Any of the "happy chemicals" that might go off naturaly are so negligible compared to the constant chemicals caused by the drugs that the good experiences may just as well have never happened. So, nicotine makes you happy? Probably. Can help with certain mental disorders? Again, probably. But should it be used / is it the best solution? That is what's debatable.

better than SSRI?

[lawpoop]

I had a bout of depression last year and I saw a psychiatrist. I went over my life history. At the end of the session, he recommended a cocktail of 3 different drugs! Apparently because I had had a manic episode once in my life when I was in high-school, I was a manic-depressive. I needed one drug for the depression, one for the mania, and some other one. Jesus Christ.

I stopped seeing him. I was looking into 'legal' highs for depression, such as St. John's Wort and

Since I also had problems concentrating, I tried smoking for the nicotine. I found that it really helped with my anxiety. I took a smoke after work, I relaxed, and then moved my bowels. I felt calm and focused rather than frenzied and harried. Things were right on course instead of all over the place. I've since given it up, however, since I started coughing.

I know smoking destroys your lungs gives you cancer after decades. My maternal grandparents died of cancers in their 60s, probably from smoking. All the people I try to turn on to smoking tell me that. But what are the long-term effects of taking anti-depression or anti-anxiety medication for decades.

It seems to me that cigarettes are a relatively cheap and simple anti-depressant. Although there are long term health consequences, we don't really know what the damage is from decades of wellbutrin. Of course, Big Pharma would rather have us rely on them for anti-depressants than use a simple plant that we could grow ourselves... Hey, that sounds familiar.

Oh ya...

[EvilTwinSkippy]

Buy it at a corner store and smoke it, it's teh evil!!!!one!!!

Extract the same stuff, put it in pills and tablets, and sell it for a bajillion more, it's medicine.

Re:Nicotine and bowels

[Anonymous Coward]

Smoking can also reduce the symptoms of ulcerative colitis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulcerative_colitis [wikipedia.org]

Re:Oh great

[necro81]

Well, nicotine is a tremendously addictive substance, like heroin, and a powerful stimulant to the body. It screws around with the all kinds of chemical receptors in the brain, including the ones that allow you to feel good. This is why a smoker in need of a fix is usually irritable and grumpy before taking that first sweet drag.

But, you are right, the real danger with smoking is, well, smoking all the other shit that's in cigarettes - the nicotine is a secondary concern. The danger of the nicotine in cigarettes is the fact that it keeps you addicted.

Re:Suspicious at best.

[ntropia]

Smoke is bad. No way. So quit smoking ASAP, but nevertheless keep your mind without filters.

I worked in one of the small biotechs that do research in the field, an I can say you that, yes, nicotine could be a good "weapon" for some targets.

But when you smoke, it's like to take a bullet's box and put it on fire, while using nicotine it's to take one single bullet, charge your sniper rifle... press your right mouse button and.. you know :D

Very naif, maybe, but I suggest to my father (an ol'penitent smoker since almost 30 years) to use once or two in a weak the nicotine patches, as a kind of prevention. At least, there are no serious side-effects with such a low dosage.

Anyway, nicotine is one of the many natural compounds that are active in our organism... Again, there are a kind of "receptors" (proteins) that have been characterized by nicotine itself (nicotinic receptors, see in the links).

Finally, as well as water, the "dose" is essential.


eNjoy

Re:better than SSRI?

[Oswald]

I doubt the cough was in your lungs--more likely in your head. I smoked for 14 years, sometimes over a pack per day, and I never developed a cough. Only the puffingest of my friends started coughing before their forties. On the other hand, the patch is a lot safer. If the dose they deliver is too big you could cut them into smaller pieces and save money too.

Not that that's as much fun as smoking. I gave it up for my health, but I loved every butt I ever smoked. If I'm ever diagnosed with a terminal disease, I'm gonna start right up again. (Probably drink more, too.)

Re:Suspicious at best.

[Ihlosi]

They are currently in the business of nicotine.

Not exclusively nicotine. They sell an image. Nicotine is just a nice side effect that keeps people physically addicted to their stuff.

Re:Suspicious at best.

[CmdrGravy]

A late friend of mine who was a smoker recently died trying to swap his smoking habit for inhaling the exhaust fumes from car engines.

We're not sure why he did this but this morning I saw a large bill board advert which claims that there's more chemicals in a cigarette than in car exhaust fumes. I think my friend might have been led to believe that this meant car exhaust fumes were better for you than cigarettes, with, obviously, tragic consequences.

If this is the case I think his memorial foundation may well be suing the government soon for playing a major part in his death.

Tourettes

[SlightOverdose]

I've been using Nicotine as a treatment for Tourettes syndrome for a few months now, and can quite honestly say It's saved my life. The only other treatments are incredibly severe drugs with worse side effects than the illness itself, and I was damn near suicidal for a while contemplating life with an untreatable movement disorder.

Then on some forum advice I tried a nicotine patch. Within an hour it had a noticeable affect, and within 3 hours there was an almost complete reduction in symptoms. I also found it had a similar affect with OCD and ADD (Although I'm not formally diagnosed with the latter, I found I could concentrate far better with a nicotine patch)

Looks like the old studies have been refuted.

[Valdrax]

You have some evidence, I assume, to back up your claim that nicotine gum makes people more susceptible to stroke and heart attacks? ...

Looks like some advice I got from my grandmother's doctor years ago was wrong. Even though chewing tobacco doubles the risk of heart disease, apparently nicotine patches and gum have not been shown to significantly raise the risk of heart disease. I always assumed that was the fault of stimulant abuse, but it seems that patch-delivered nicotine does not raise the risk in spite of causing blood vessel constriction.

Her doctor may have not been grossly misinformed -- studies in the early 90s pointed to a link, but follow-up studies has disproved it. However, all "direct from the tobacco" methods of delivery still do raise the risk, so my main point about the development of nicotine-derived drugs not making smoking safe still holds.

Re:Oh great

[Phat_Tony]

"Anyway, considering all the stuff in cigarettes, I don't think nicotine is the worst part"

That's right. News flash to Slashdot, nicotine != cigarettes. Every time nicotine comes up, people think it causes lung cancer or heart disease or other ridiculous things. No, smoking causes those. Nicotine doesn't. In fact, some benefits of nicotine have been known for a long time. Of course it's an effective stimulant and makes people feel good. It can make people work more productively. But more importantly, it's strongly protective [scienceagogo.com] against some terrible, high incidence neurodegenerative diseases, like Parkinson's Diseases and Alzheimer's. All that's already fairly well established.

So don't smoke, because inhaling smoke every day will kill you. The downside of nicotine is that it's addictive, but otherwise, it might be quite healthy.

Many smokers try to quit with the patch or the gum. They successfully get off cigarettes with their nicotine supplement, but then when they try to quit the supplement, they relapse into smoking. The clear solution here for protecting their health is this: don't try to quit the supplement. If you relapse when you quit the supplement, give up on ditching nicotine, it's not bad for you anyway, and may be pretty good for you. Ditch the cigarettes, stay on the nicotine supplement for the rest of your life.

Re:'medicine'

[maverick41]

Consider this: once upon a time, opium was found to have positive uses (dental anesthetic.) It was also widely used recreationally.

When opium was found to be harmul, 'refined' opium (aka morphine) was developed, and found to have positive uses (cure for opium and alcohol addition.)

When morphine was found to be harmful, 'refined' morphine (aka heroin) was developed, and found to have positive uses (childrens' cough syrup!)

Recently, when nicotine was found to be harmful, 'refined' nicotine was developed, and found to be effective on people suffering from ADHD, Alzheimers', anxiety, schizophrenia, and anger management.

Exams

[Gunark]

One of my neuroscience profs used to tell us before exams that if we smoke, we should smoke more. Apparently nicotine's cholinergic effects considerably boost memory, although for me the nausea and jitteriness probably undermine any positive effects (and then there's the cancer...)

Re:Nicotene may have it's uses...

[NetCharge]

I for one, probably the only one, have actually used smoking tobacco therapeutically (albeit self-administered therapy). In the late 90's I developed various neurological symptoms later diagnosed as Parkinsons. As the symptoms continued to develop they did not however, remain consistent with Parkinsons and the diagnosis was revised to "Hell-If-I-Know". The prescribed treatment was a cocktail of drugs that while they did help to relieve the symptoms, made my life a prolonged and protracted misery. I had no energy, my legs and feet would randomly swell up like balloons, my memory began to fail, etc. I very much and very actively wanted to die, and my life fell apart around me - divorce, unemployment.... Eventually, after a few years of floundering around, I began experimenting with bio-feedback and meditation to control my symptoms and slowly weaned myself off of the medicines. While generally successful, this approach was very hard to maintain and any major disruption to my mental or physical state of well-being would trigger a relapse and I would be temporarily unable to take care of myself. One day, during a bad episode, an old man approached me and gave me a cigarette and told me to smoke it. I'd quit smoking about ten years before and had no interest in starting again, but not being particularly attracted to life at the time, I tried it. As I sat there the old guy explained to me that in the nineteenth century and before, nicotine was used medicinally and thought to improve mental acuity and concentration. I remained skeptical, but it did make it easier for me to maintain the inner balance I needed to keep my symptoms in check. In short, I started smoking again. Back when I was going to see a new neurologist a month, one of the questions they always asked was whether or not I smoked or drank (neither at the time), and if so, how that affected my symptoms. It struck me as odd at the time, but I did call one of my former doctors about the matter. He said that while no doctor in his right mind would recommend smoking, it was known that nicotine could affect some neurological symptoms, particularly those with movement disorders. In the years since, I've also heard first-hand that those suffering from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder also find smoking to be therapeutic. My relapses during this time have decreased in number from being weekly occurrences to sporadic quarterly events. Since then, I've gotten my life sufficiently back together that I worry about the health risks involved with smoking. I tried quitting cold turkey and after about five days, suffered a relapse of symptoms. After that, I took a more gradual approach, weaning myself down while carefully taking notes with regard to my symptoms. What I've found is that two cigarettes/day or a 14mg Nicotine patch worn for a half-day is a sufficient maintenance level. At this point, I rely primarily on the patch and have been doing Okay since mid-February. I've tried reducing the patch dosage, but so far have always ended up with a relapse. I don't pretend that this is a scientific study, but neither can I argue with the results. I don't have any regrets either. If patches were suddenly not available and I had the choice of drug-therapy, smoking, or nothing, drug therapy would still be my last choice - that life simply wasn't worth living.

Since when was nicotine bad for you?

[Pedrito]

From the article: ...and they're inspired by tobacco's deadly active ingredient: nicotine.

Nicotine is one of the least dangerous ingredients of tobacco smoke. People think nicotine is this horrible thing. Granted, it is somewhat addictive, but not terribly addictive. I say that as someone who's smoked for over 20 years and has tried to quit a number of times. I can easily break the "nicotine addiction" aspect of it. That only takes a couple days. It's the habit of smoking that's a bitch. I can go without nicotine for weeks or months (well beyond the time it takes to break the addiction), but it's the psychological habit I can't seem to kick.

Nicotine has a number of pharmacological properties that can be beneficial, however, so it's no surprise that nicotine derivatives might be found that can also have positive effects.

Re:The real problem

[mutterc]

Antidepressants don't make you artificially happy. The best evidence for this is that they have no street value - if they got you high, there would be a black market.

Addiction's like that.

[Foerstner]

Most people I think smoke because they enjoy it and it is fun. If they came out with a harmless cigarette....I'd start smoking again immediately.

Biochemical dependence has a remarkable effect on the brain's perception of pleasure. I wonder if you'd find it at all fun if they made a nicotine-free cigarette. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure most nonsmokers (who do not have a baseline level of nicotine in their blood) would suddenly find nicotine patches to be "fun" if they used them for a week straight.

My point is, I'm not sure "fun" is the best word for the experience you had.

Re:Not Sure Why...

[StikyPad]

Anything is toxic in enough quantity.

I really cannot stress that enough. Toxicity is not a black or white, true or false; it is a scale. Furthermore, "toxic" is not mutually exclusive to "beneficial". Water is highly beneficial, though it can be toxic in quantity, or with additives (think salt water for a common example).

Personally, I smoked for 10 years, until it was becoming clear that the adverse effects on my lungs would make it foolish to continue. I don't have any lung disease, although I would never recommend anyone try (or continue) smoking for any reason. I recognize that people are free to make that decision for themselves, and that no amount of outside influence is likely to change their decision once it has been made. That aside, I quit nicotine completely for about 6 months. During those 6 months, I experienced significant weight gain, increased lethargy, and decreased mental acuity. Rather than start smoking again, I decided to try nicotine replacement products. Since I started taking them, I've found I become alert and fully awake more quickly in the morning, I eat less, and it has a beneficial effect during stressful situations. My personal favorite is the 2mg nicotine lozenge. I probably consume ~10-15/day, and unless I find research which shows that nicotine is specifically carcinogenic and/or that it has cumulative deleterious effects on the body, I have no plans to stop any time soon.

I would never suggest that anyone start taking nicotine (or any other drug) if they are perfectly functional without it, (recreational purposes aside) but I can say that it has had positive effects for me. I view it much like a cup of coffee or a Red Bull -- it's stimulating and allows me to be more alert and productive.