Nicotine?

[Bed Wetter]

That’s the other thread. I’m not sure which one, but I have every confidence you geezers have been swapping tips about truck stop boner pills in my absence.

 

[svnmag]

My dad chewed Cope and Skoal for years. He is in nursing home with Parkinson's and Dementia. Granted I am sure there are many other factors that go into things but Nic doesn't guarantee prevention.
I finally quite chewing in Oct (3rd attempt in 15yrs), granted I am using nic gum at about 3-4 4mg pieces per day but keep thinking i can probably easily mix in regular gum and barely notice.

I wish you the best. I've had the flu a couple times; most recently in '22 and had zero cravings for a dip. The last time went four days...I woke up in the wee hours and there was the can...it may have been the best chew I've ever had

The VA says I don't have covid antibodies. It was diagnosed in the house twice. I didn't wear the dumbass mask unless in the VA. I have an appt. next week. I'm going to request another analysis.

I should've thrown the can away. The dip lead to beers and possibly "hilarious" posts on here.

Again, I wish you the best.

That is all.

 

[luvcatchingbass]

I wish you the best. I've had the flu a couple times; most recently in '22 and had zero cravings for a dip. The last time went four days...I woke up in the wee hours and there was the can...it may have been the best chew I've ever had

The VA says I don't have covid antibodies. It was diagnosed in the house twice. I didn't wear the dumbass mask unless in the VA. I have an appt. next week. I'm going to request another analysis.

I should've thrown the can away. The dip lead to beers and possibly "hilarious" posts on here.

Again, I wish you the best.

That is all.

Good luck bud.
I think one of my new "carrot in front of mule" is my daughter's getting into hunting and shooting and any penny saved goes to ammo, better fitting guns, better fitting bows, clothes boots, etc. This 2yrs sober from alcohol and release from Nic ain't so bad so far

 

[Davy Crockett]

Lycan, What in the heck led you down this rabbit hole that you have avoided for all these years ?

 

[Lycanthrope]

Yes, there is solid evidence that nicotine before bed increases vivid dreams and can disrupt sleep architecture in ways that make dreaming more intense or memorable.Here’s what the research and clinical observations show:

1. Nicotine is a stimulant and activates cholinergic pathways in the brain (especially via nicotinic acetylcholine receptors). These same pathways are heavily involved in REM sleep (the stage where most vivid dreaming occurs).
2. Nicotine patch studies provide the clearest evidence:
   • A well-known 2005 study (Page et al., Sleep) gave transdermal nicotine patches (15 mg/24 h) to non-smokers and former smokers. Participants reported significantly more vivid dreams, nightmares, and dream recall compared to placebo.
   • Multiple follow-up studies with nicotine patches (often used for smoking cessation) consistently report increased vivid dreams, sometimes to the point that people discontinue the patch at night.
3. Smokers who use nicotine right before bed (cigarettes, vape, gum, lozenges, etc.) often experience:
   • Later REM onset early in the night (because nicotine suppresses REM initially).
   • Strong REM rebound in the second half of the night → longer, denser REM periods → more intense and memorable dreams.
   • More frequent awakenings → you wake up during or right after REM, making dreams easier to remember.
4. Anecdotal reports from the smoking-cessation community are extremely consistent: people who switch to bedtime nicotine (e.g., putting on a patch at night or using late-night lozenges) almost universally report dramatically more vivid, weird, or intense dreams.

Caveats:

• Tolerance matters. Heavy daily smokers sometimes report fewer dreams because chronic nicotine exposure can dampen the effect over time.
• Withdrawal during the night (if you’re a smoker who doesn’t use nicotine overnight) can also trigger REM rebound and vivid dreams, which is why many people dream intensely when quitting.

Bottom line: Yes, using nicotine close to bedtime (especially if you’re not a chronic heavy user) reliably increases vivid, memorable, and often bizarre dreams in most people. It’s one of the best-documented pharmacological ways to enhance dream intensity.

 

[Lycanthrope]

Lycan, What in the heck led you down this rabbit hole that you have avoided for all these years ?

not sure exactly, I think I saw some posts on X about the BENEFITS of nicotine, so I got interested...

 

[riverview]

ive read about people micro dosing nicotine to help think clearer

 

[Lycanthrope]

ive read about people micro dosing nicotine to help think clearer

probably the easiest way to do this IMO is to take vape juice orally. One ML is about 20 drops, so you get about 1mg of nicotine / 3 drops of vape juice... Bottles of this stuff are 100ml, so you get 600mg of N / bottle.

 

[Lycanthrope]

ive read about people micro dosing nicotine to help think clearer

Yes, microdosing nicotine (typically 0.5–2 mg per dose, often via lozenges, gum, or very low-dose pouches) does appear to give many people a noticeable boost in focus, mental clarity, processing speed, and working memory — with far fewer downsides than smoking or vaping.Here’s what the evidence and real-world use say:Strong Supporting Evidence

• Cognitive enhancement in non-smokers — Multiple double-blind studies show acute low-dose nicotine (1–6 mg via gum, patch, or lozenge) improves:
  • Sustained attention and reaction time
  • Working memory
  • Episodic memory
  • Fine-motor performance
• Meta-analyses (Heishman et al., 2010; Valentine & Sofuoglu, 2018) confirm nicotine is one of the most reliable pharmacological cognitive enhancers in healthy adults, especially for attention and working memory.
• ADHD population — Several trials (and a lot of off-label use) show low-dose nicotine (patch or gum) reduces ADHD symptoms almost as well as methylphenidate in some adults, with faster onset.

Real-World Microdosing PatternsPeople who use it intentionally for cognition (programmers, writers, students, executives) typically report:

• 1–2 mg lozenge or mini-pouch under the lip
• Taken 1–4 times per day, often in the morning or before demanding tasks
• Effects kick in within 5–15 minutes, peak for 30–90 minutes, then taper off cleanly
• Very little “buzz” or heart racing compared to smoking/vaping

Common positive reports:

• “Thoughts feel sharper and less sticky”
• Easier to stay in flow state
• Reduced mental fatigue in the afternoon
• Less need for caffeine

Downsides and Risks at Microdoses

• Mild tolerance develops in days to weeks → many users take 1–2 days off per week or cycle.
• Nausea or hiccups if you take too much too fast (easy to avoid).
• Slight blood-pressure and heart-rate increase (usually not noticeable at <2 mg).
• Sleep disruption if used late in the day.
• Addiction potential is real but much lower than with cigarettes (because of slow delivery and no MAOIs from combustion). Most microdosers report they can stop for days or weeks with only mild craving.

Bottom LineYes, microdosing nicotine (1–2 mg via gum/lozenge/pouch) is one of the most evidence-backed, fast-acting, and relatively safe nootropic options available for healthy adults who want clearer thinking and better focus. It’s not magic and tolerance builds, but for occasional or disciplined daily use, a large number of high-performing people swear by it — and the research largely backs them up.If you try it, start with the lowest dose (e.g., cut a 2 mg lozenge into quarters = 0.5 mg) and see how you respond.

 

[xFishSlayerx]

I just quit ciggs after 27 years. Switched to Lost Mary vapes and will eventually quit these too. The switchover was easy actually.

 

[Maddog]

I just quit ciggs after 27 years. Switched to Lost Mary vapes and will eventually quit these too. The switchover was easy actually.

good luck!

 

[Jiffy]

Now I want a chew damn it!! You guys are a bad influence…

I won’t do it. Copenhagen, however, is the nectar of the Gods!!

 

[1lessdog]

I won’t do it. Copenhagen, however, is the nectar of the Gods!!

Tell that to your Wife, unless she chews, she will say something different.

 

[Jiffy]

I actually dated a woman that chewed! Not marriage material but boy was she fun!

 

[luvcatchingbass]

Stopped chewing a little over a year ago. Still do some nicotine gum mixed with non nicotine, really need to just cut the cord one day.

 

[Lycanthrope]

No, the scientific evidence indicates that nicotine does not enhance sexual experience for non-regular users (such as non-smokers or occasional users). In fact, acute (short-term) exposure to nicotine typically impairs physiological sexual arousal in both men and women, primarily due to its vasoconstrictive effects, which reduce blood flow to the genitals. This can lead to weaker erectile responses in men and attenuated genital arousal (e.g., reduced vaginal pulse amplitude) in women. Subjective feelings of arousal or desire may remain unchanged, but the physical aspects are notably diminished.Key Evidence from Studies

• In Men: A 2008 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (Harte & Meston) tested 6 mg nicotine gum in 28 healthy, nonsmoking men (average age 21, with minimal prior nicotine exposure). It resulted in a 23% reduction in erectile response during erotic stimuli compared to placebo, affecting 80% of participants with valid data.
  
  pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov +1
  Similar findings emerged in animal models and limited human smoking studies, pointing to nicotine's disruption of nitric oxide pathways essential for vasodilation.
• In Women: The same research group conducted a parallel 2008 trial with 25 nonsmoking women (average age 20), using the same nicotine dose. It caused a 30% drop in physiological genital arousal to erotic films, occurring in 61% of participants with valid measurements.
  
  pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov +1
  No significant impact on subjective arousal was noted, but the hemodynamic (blood flow) effects were clear.
• Broader Context: These effects hold for isolated nicotine (e.g., via gum or patches), not just smoking, and apply to low-to-intermediate doses (4–6 mg). A 2020 study on young adults with emerging nicotine dependence also linked even mild use to issues with arousal, erection, and orgasm.
  
  northerner.com
  While chronic smoking worsens long-term risks like erectile dysfunction (doubling the odds vs. non-smokers),
  
  healthline.com
  acute nicotine alone is sufficient to blunt arousal in nicotine-naïve individuals.

Why Might It Seem Enhancing?Some anecdotal reports (e.g., on forums) suggest a temporary "buzz" from nicotine's stimulant properties could heighten alertness or confidence, potentially mimicking enhanced desire in specific contexts. However, these are subjective and not supported by controlled studies, which show no boost—and often a detriment—to the core physiological components of sexual experience.Bottom LineFor non-regular users, nicotine is more likely to hinder than help sexual function, even at low doses. If you're exploring this for cognitive or other reasons (as in our prior chat), avoid timing it around intimacy to prevent potential interference. Quitting or avoiding nicotine altogether tends to improve sexual health over time.

 

[Lycanthrope]

Here are some genuinely unexpected (and reasonably well-supported) benefits of nicotine — especially when used in low, controlled doses by non-smokers or light users — that most people have never heard about:

Benefit	What the evidence says	Typical effective dose/route
Strong protection against ulcerative colitis	Smokers have 1/5th to 1/10th the risk of developing UC compared to never-smokers. When smokers quit, risk shoots back up. Multiple trials show nicotine patches or enemas can put active UC into remission almost as well as corticosteroids.	5–15 mg transdermal or 2–6 mg enemas
Reduced risk and slower progression of Parkinson’s disease	50+ years of epidemiology: smokers have ~50–70 % lower lifetime risk of PD. Nicotine activates nicotinic receptors on dopamine neurons and appears neuroprotective. Ongoing trials with nicotine patches in early PD show slower motor decline.	7–21 mg patches (continuous)
Dramatic weight loss / appetite suppression	Smokers weigh on average 4–10 kg less than non-smokers at the same caloric intake. When people quit, they gain ~5 kg in the first year. Low-dose nicotine reliably suppresses appetite and increases resting metabolic rate by 5–10 %. Used off-label by models, bodybuilders, and some eating-disorder clinics.	1–4 mg gum/lozenge as needed
Possible delay of Alzheimer’s onset	Large longitudinal studies (e.g., Rotterdam Study, Honolulu-Asia Aging Study) show smokers have later onset of Alzheimer’s by several years. Animal models are extremely promising: nicotine reduces amyloid plaques and tau pathology. Human trials are mixed, but the epidemiological signal is strong.	Chronic low-dose (patch or gum)
Tourette syndrome & tic reduction	Multiple double-blind trials show 7–21 mg nicotine patches reduce tic frequency and severity by 30–50 % in children and adults with Tourette’s, often used as an adjunct to antipsychotics.	7–21 mg patches
Better fine-motor control and reaction time in non-smokers	Low-dose nicotine improves finger-tapping speed, tremor reduction, and archery/golf performance in studies on healthy non-smokers.	2–6 mg gum or lozenge
Mild antidepressant effect (especially in non-smokers)	Acute nicotine activates reward pathways and can lift mood quickly. Several trials show nicotine patches outperform placebo for clinical depression in non-smokers.	7–15 mg patch
Reduced risk of endometriosis and uterine fibroids	Epidemiological data consistently show smokers have ~50 % lower rates of both conditions (likely via anti-estrogenic effects of nicotine).	Chronic smoking or nicotine replacement

Ones that are still “maybe” but interesting

• Lower rates of preeclampsia in pregnant smokers (nicotine is vasoconstrictive, counter-intuitive but replicated).
• Possible protection against some forms of thyroid cancer and sarcoidosis.

Bottom line: Outside of its well-known cognitive effects, nicotine has some of the strangest and most disease-specific protective profiles of any common substance — which is why researchers keep calling it “the most misunderstood drug.” Most of these benefits show up with slow, steady delivery (patches, gum, lozenges) rather than smoking or vaping.

 

[lunkerslayer]

I actually dated a woman that chewed! Not marriage material but boy was she fun!

Swapping spit just sounds different

 

[Eatsleeptrap]

I actually dated a woman that chewed! Not marriage material but boy was she fun!

Same. My advice to anyone that finds themselves in a similar situation is get in early and wear a rubber. Then when you bump in to her and her 5 kids with 4 dads years later, you are not one of the check writers. Uffdah!!

 

[tdismydog]

I quit every kind of chew 1 week before my son was born. He is now 9. I could have murdered someone for about 6 months with no sleep and quitting cold turkey. I often tell my wife if it can be proven that wintergreen skoal can no kill you, I might take a couple days off go to my basement, get a puke bucket and start again.