# Nicotine Patch As Antidepressant



## FateFilter (Nov 12, 2010)

I'm tired of waiting for my Celexa and Welbutrin to kick in so I'm going to start using a nicotine patch in the meantime. I plan to taper down off of it once the prescription pills kick in.

I found some research that shows nicotine is an antidepressant:

http://psychcentral.com/news/2006/09/12/nicotine-as-an-antidepressant/258.html

So, what do you think? Good idea? BTW, I'm having severe depression and frequent thoughts of suicide.


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## Canadian4Life (Sep 27, 2010)

Nicotine is a very addictive drug. If you plan on using the patch rather than smoking cigarettes thats awesome and alot safer. Nicotine has been shown to have antidepressant properties like the study you posted. It has also been shown to enhance the antidepressant effect of ssri's specifically celexa.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...acb73c682813d287e155fe3b341543eb&searchtype=a


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## FateFilter (Nov 12, 2010)

Thanks for that link. I am especially excited about it's enhancing effects on Celexa.

I've been wearing a patch now for a few hours and I do feel a definite lift in my mood and energy.

No smoking for sure. I was a smoker for 15 years and quitting was the greatest achievement of my life. I'm a little worried that I'm going to start getting cigarette cravings when I quit using the patch, but it surely won't be all that bad especially if I wean myself off of the patches slowly.


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## Canadian4Life (Sep 27, 2010)

Nicotine causes a significant release of dopamine..that's probably one reason why. Nicotine.. even though it causes dopamine release causes upregulation as opposed to other dopamine releasing agents like amphetamine. So the increase in dopamine and the upregulation of the brain's reward pathway are the reasons why. People think that because ssri's and dopamine enhancing drugs work because they increase levels which are "assumed" to be low but there are many other actions these drugs do besides increase serotonin.


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## FateFilter (Nov 12, 2010)

I found a couple more good articles on the subject:

http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/06/nicotine

http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/drugs-alcohol/nicotine-health-benefits.htm


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## Canadian4Life (Sep 27, 2010)

All these meds like ssri's for depression and anxiety which aren't even antidepressants to me. More like mood numbers. Nicotine as well as opiates and amphetamines are the true antidepressants/anti-anxiety solutions..yes they carry a risk for addiction as well as tolerance. But I got tolerant to every ssri I ever took and 80% of people get tolerant to their ssri..so called "antidepressant" just the same as becoming tolerant to nicotine,opiates and amphetamines. Addiction is greater for opiates,nicotine and amphetamines than ssri's but ssri's can have bad withdrawals too! SSRI withdrawal was by far 10 times more dreadful than withdrawal from amphetamines actually for me. Opiates and nicotine withdrawal can be pretty gruesome too but if used "properly" a person could use opiates, amphetamines and nicotine as antidepressants and get some major benefits. If you have a plan on working on tolerance (which there are) and use as little as you need without binging then they CAN work. I have used opiates and nicotine for years as antidepressants. Tried all the meds out there and am back on low dose codeine and nicotine gum and feeling myself once again! If you're gonna take a pill EVERYDAY to help yourself feel better might as well take one that actually works,,most probably can't properly use opiates,nicotine or amphetamines because they keep chasing that initial euphoria. But you've got to realize that euphoria and an antidepressant effect are not the same. I don't get the euphoria I once got from my codeine or ritalin and have been on the same dose for years now and they still work. The euphoria will go but you got to work with what's left after it and there are ALOT of ways to minimize tolerance, side effects and efficiency of these drugs. It just drives me when my doctor says opiates aren't antidepressants..people just feel good when they take them. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard..obviously people feel good..isn't that the purpose? so the feeling that people get from an ssri is a true antidepressant feeling and the rest are fake? I think it's bulls**t and those ssri's and serotonin for that matter is WAY too over-rated.


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## FateFilter (Nov 12, 2010)

Thanks for sharing your experiences, and I agree with what you are doing.
I wouldn't know how to get daily opiates or amphetamines from a doctor, although it sounds nice if I could control it. I have a hard enough time getting opiates when I'm in the middle of a massive migraine attack. I wish they would just legalize all drugs and let people make their own educated decisions. I used to use medical marijuana when I lived in California and that worked beautifully for almost all of my medical problems. I can't use it where I live now though without risk of going to jail. At least I still have nicotine though.


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## mikoy (Aug 12, 2010)

I think nicotine may have antidepressant effects when it is taken regularly becouse it's act like nicotinic receptor antagonist.

*The nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine has antidepressant-like effects in wild-ty*

http://www.ionchannels.org/showabstract.php?pmid=17016705

*Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors as targets for antidepressants*

http://www.ionchannels.org/showabstract.php?pmid=12140772

*Bupropion Is a Nicotinic Antagonist*

http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/295/1/321.full

I do not tolerate SSRI, and taking fluvoxamine for 2 weeks and it's not working. Yesterday I changed it to fluoxetine - which is the most potent NICOTINIC antagonist of all SSRI, and I felt the difference !!! There must be something in this !! The same effect I had on wellbutrin, and it's nicotinic antagonist too !!!

I know it works because my voice is becoming deeper on wellbutrin and fluoxetine too. Some people record this on wellbutrin - their voices become deeper and stronger. I know this is becouse nicotinic receptors are in muscles - and when larynx muscles are tense our voice is low and we have problems with tonation.

That's why people with parkinson have problems with voice !!! There is too much acetylcholine on nicotinic receptors, and muscles have too much tension.


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## Himi Jendrix (Mar 24, 2010)

Nicotine is badass. I find I get tolerance quickly so I use Snus every once in a while. 

It gives me a nice buzz, helps me focus, and in general makes me feel good and relaxed. Sometimes it gives me a headache though, thats the only thing I dont like about it.


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## ZeroG64 (Oct 14, 2010)

I'm currently trying to give up smoking and finding it tough, however there's this really cool inhaler thing I got from doctor which mimics the act of smoking and gives you the nicotine hit without all the nasty ****. Way better than patch in my case (which affected my sleep badly). I'll probably end up being addicted to these for life lol


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

I love the dreams I have when using nicotine patches.


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

Canadian4Life said:


> Nicotine causes a significant release of dopamine..that's probably one reason why. Nicotine.. even though it causes dopamine release causes upregulation as opposed to other dopamine releasing agents like amphetamine. So the increase in dopamine and the upregulation of the brain's reward pathway are the reasons why. People think that because ssri's and dopamine enhancing drugs work because they increase levels which are "assumed" to be low but there are many other actions these drugs do besides increase serotonin.


It does cause upregulation of D3 in the nucleus accumbens however it causes simular adaptive changes to dopamine as other drugs of abuse, it doesnt really make you more sensitive to reward, rather this upregulation causes the intense craving of nicotine.



> Association of Low Striatal Dopamine D2 Receptor Availability With Nicotine Dependence Similar to That Seen With Other Drugs of Abuse
> 
> OBJECTIVE: All drugs of abuse induce a phasic dopamine release within the striatum that does not undergo habituation. Prolonged substance consumption impairs the natural function of the mesolimbic dopamine system, as shown by a decrease in the availability of striatal dopamine 2 (D2) receptors in patients suffering from cocaine, heroin, amphetamine, and alcohol dependence. However, it is unclear whether similar changes can also be observed in heavy-smoking nicotine-dependent smokers. METHOD: In vivo D2/D3 receptor availability was determined with [ 18F]fallypride positron emission tomography in 17 heavy-smoking nicotine-dependent subjects and in 21 age-matched never-smoking comparison subjects. The smokers were scanned twice: first, during a period of usual consumption and second, 24 hours after smoking cessation. RESULTS: Independent of the withdrawal status, the nicotine-dependent smokers displayed significantly less availability of D2/D3 receptors within the bilateral putamen functionally covering parts of the dorsal striatum, as compared to the never-smoking subjects. Nicotine craving under the consumption condition correlated positively with D2/D3 receptor availability within the ventral striatum but negatively with D2/D3 receptor availability within the anterior cingulate and inferior temporal cortex. CONCLUSIONS: Similar to other types of substance abuse, nicotine dependence is associated with low availability of dorsal striatal D2/D3 receptors. In contrast to previous findings on abstinent alcohol-dependent patients, nicotine craving seems to be maintained by a region-specific shift in D2/D3 receptor availabilities, with higher availability within the ventral striatum but lower availability within the anterior cingulate and inferior temporal cortex.


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## FateFilter (Nov 12, 2010)

bazinga said:


> I love the dreams I have when using nicotine patches.


+1
Last night I was riding around on a horse saving babies in the civil war.


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## stuckndamuck (Dec 18, 2012)

Hi, I know this is an old thread, but like the OP, nothing works on me. So I'd wondered if the patch might help. I'm treatment resistant, benzos don't work nor do AD's. 

Anyone have any updates on using the patch and more specifics on the what amount you started with. I've never smoked, I wondered if it was possible to cut the patch in half and try it that way. I bought the step 1 kind, I guess they have more nicotine than the later steps. The only that kind of helps, sometimes is Tramadol, but its not enough to keep me even and able to function well. So everyday is a struggle with anxiety and agoraphobic reactions if I have to go out. I'm sure some of you all can relate to that. Thanks for reading.


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