Nicotine to treat autism

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I watched a video about the positive effects of nicotine. A nicotine patch between the shoulder blades of autists has been linked to lessened symptoms. I started smoking in 2006, right around when I became an entirely different person: not locked inside of myself as much. I became a little more outgoing. I didn’t make the connection until I saw the video. I thought it was just life choices that opened me up. New jobs, different countries. I didn’t think about the nicotine.

That is entirely plausible.

One of the interesting things about effective drugs is that a drug makers are initially looking for anything that makes it worse or better. They discard drugs that have no effect. But if it makes it worse it may have some potential as it is doing something.

What internal noise or stiffness (or indirectly, due to external noise or forms of rigidity/poor transitioning) of yours does nicotine quiets down or ease over?


If it's not anything else but losing anxiety, then I'm not interested. (But it will certainly interest a lot of other posters and lurkers)

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There is no proof it helps people with ASD, but it might give you nightmares or indigestion, among other things:

Never used a patch, but I've vaped a lot of nicotine and chewed a lot of nicotine gum. Never noticed any effect on my ASD, though I've never been without nicotine for long enough to know whether ASD gets any worse without it.

I would imagine that nicotine is mildly carminative (especially once you're addicted), and that it's easier to perform well when you're relaxed.

Nicotine is supposed to raise the blood pressure but I've not seen any evidence for that in my own case. Otherwise I'd make more effort to get off it. They charge a lot for the gum, but I'm addicted, and so far I've been able to afford it.

I'm not sure it's ethical to try treating ASD with nicotine, given how addictive it is, but maybe that's the idea - get 'em hooked, sell 'em nicotine for the rest of their lives. No, that's too cynical. At least I hope it is.

I have never smoked in my life unless you count all the times it was second hand from my dad and other adults. And I hated it.

I once read that nicotine can supposedly relieve the symptoms of schizophrenia. When I lived in the group home where most of the residents had chronic schizophrenia they smoked like chimneys. And they were allowed to do this indoors in a "smoking room", but by the end of the 90s virtually everyone knew that the smoke gets everywhere and poisons everyone and everything it touches. The walls in the room would be yellow from cigarette smoke. It was disgusting.

I don't if nicotine really does help autism or schizophrenia, but if it does people should just wear patches instead of inhaling that garbage. But you've got to love how clueless parents would rather get their kids on a highly addictive drug while thinking vaccines are dangerous and evil.

Caffeine is my drug of choice. It has an overall great effect on my general well-being. Any research suggesting it has any impact on autism?

Hmmm:

Caffeine doesn't work for me. Not even for helping me wake up.

Unless I took enough hormonal birth control pills and limit it to 1 per 3+ days, all I get are side effects, and immediate headache even if I drank 2 days in a row and stopped.


Otherwise, I like the taste of beverages enough to have them in varying ways. Including black coffee and lots of chocolates.


But yes, I do need an anti-inflammatory.
Yet I needed more than just the anti-inflammatory of the brain, because the other (chronic) inflammatories I have will affect my brain.

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Caffeine: I can see the potential benefit for some, though I guess it's rather nonspecific - stimulating the brain so it can work faster and better. Probably a bit like amphetamine, but not so strong.

It's probably worth a go, but I'd advise monitoring blood pressure if you start taking a lot of caffeine. On average you might see a 4mmHg rise in systolic blood pressure from 250mg of caffeine, which isn't much, but individual sensitivity varies widely. I suspect my blood pressure is somewhat sensitive to caffeine. Certainly it has a pharmacological effect if the dose is high enough.

In my youth I used to take quite a bit of the stuff in the form of Beecham's Hot Lemon Powders, to pep me up when I played at gigs or went to late-night parties (in those days they contained caffeine), until one time when my heart started thumping and I broke into a cold sweat, which scared me. After that experience I stopped being so reckless. I sometimes use a bit of caffeine these days, but I don't take more than about 200mg. Caffeine seems to help me, but I now understand the importance of sticking to a moderate dose. It's a great shame, the first time I tried a high-ish dose I felt the benefit. Don't know whether it reduced my ASD traits or not. In those days I hadn't even heard of ASD.

I used to vape constantly. Like constantly constantly. I think it messed up my lungs a bit. I don't know what traits of awetism nicotine is supposed to help ameliorate, but I will have none of it. I rather be extra autistic than addicted to that damn vape that I was either stressed about losing or charging and the financial costs. If you can stick to the patch and it helps, that would be interesting but dangerous.

I can't smoke. Not even vape. Because crappy respiratory system and it'll worsen it.

Not really the lungs and mostly the nose, which is chronically inflammed for no apparent reason for the last 20+ years untreated until recently.


I can try a patch. I just had to decide when to try them and learn more about it beforehand.

Only and only because I'm a consenting adult (and not even a young adult anymore) who can chose to have an informed decision when it came to the risks in the effects of self medicating.


So what does nicotine ease out over autism?
Or even a secondary effect from being autistic (from sensitivities, from external stressors) ?



I'm also someone who doesn't have any reliable external consumable until recently.

Nicotine isn't high on my try it list unless I try out all the adaptogens and supplements I can afford.

With added layer of needing birth control pills (or rather, possibly enough estrogen on my body) to make said supplements effective...
Something is just suspicious with the way my body "naturally" metabolizes stuff.

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My mind takes well to stimulants like caffeine and nicotine. I find that when I consume them I can concentrate much better.

I used to live close to a coffee shop that allowed people to smoke on their patio. When I walked down to the coffee shop I would bring a book and a few small cigars. I found that the combination of nicotine and caffeine would help me concentrate on reading.

I also found that stimulants helped with burnout and depression, I felt a overall feeling of being awake, alert, and sharp which is a sensation I do not feel often naturally as an adult.