Posted by linkadge on September 21, 2006, at 16:03:02
In reply to Re: Nicotine works :s, posted by SLS on September 21, 2006, at 12:44:34
If nicotine doesn't help your mood long term, then thats fine. But, what is the use in setting out to discredit those who do find help from the substance. Addictive? What speficically do you mean by that? No more addictive than effexor, and if so, explain in what way?
One study is really insufficiant to conclude anything. I'd at least require one failed study for each of ones used in support of nicotine therapy. Nicotine has already undergone studies in ADHD and Tourettes' syndrome with some promising results. It is very important to understand that depression can be caused by a whole array of varying biochemical abnormalities.
To say that, for instance, activation of second messenger systems, is required for an antidepressant response is not entirely acurate, since we have many effective antidepressants which probably do not activate second messenger systems. Drugs like, substance P inhibitors, NK-1 antagonists, NDMA antagonists, lithium, trimipramine, etc etc. have antidepressant effects but do not really directly elevate second messenger systems. Perhaps a more significant underlying effect of antidepressant treatments is an amelioration of overactive HPA axis function. Perhaps overactive CRF in the amygdala is one of the key underpinnings of learned helplessness.
Since, we don't really have any clue as to the exact mechanisms of antidepressant action, I find it kind of strange that one would be able to directly conclude that a certain agent will or will not have long term antidepressant effect.
We know that nicotine can directly and significantly lower cortisol, as well as reducing neurogenic inflammation. Even these actions by themselves warrent further investigation for psychiatric purposes. Nicotine based nuroprotection is another avenue for research.
>I believe that nicotine can produce improvements >in mood from acute and sub-chronic >administration (8 days), but not from chronic >administration.We simply need more data to show either way. A hunch about a drug is really no proof. DA release is clearly only one effect of the drug. Reduction of neural inflamation, for instance, is likely independant of DA release effects.
>true antidepressant response. I think it takes a
>minimum of 2 weeks for this to occur, not the 1 >week (8 days) seen here. The reason the nicotine >pooped-out was probably because of receptor >reregulation, not because of neurotransmitter >depletion or a drop in nicotine administration.Or just the fact that it may not work for some people. Its just like how wellbutrin can be pure poison for some people, and yet for others be the best drug.
>I think this study got the right answers, >despite its shortcomings
I think that we need more than one study to conclude anything at all.
I don't understand what you've got against the substance. It would seem to me that this is a potential avenue for a theraputic drug research.
In terms of abuse potential, nicotine is misunderstood. Nicotine has only limited reinforcement effect in animals. Animals do not self administer nicotine like they do cocaine, amphetamines, heroin etc. Even smokers will find a fixed dose of the substance, and maintain that for years.
So, I say go ahead and experiment. If it doesn't work for you then taper off of it slowly. Its not like you're going to start robbing banks to support the habbit or something.
poster:linkadge
thread:687688
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060919/msgs/687927.html