Nicorette for non-smoking person with attention deficit etc

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The best way to treat ADHD is by consuming caffeine (that is, if you don't already take Ritalin or Adderall. Hell, scratch that, coffee helps me even if I'm already taking Ritalin) or taking ephedra (if you can find any and it doesn't personally give you any bad side effects). Smoking nicotine isn't really my thing, and I'm a lightweight drinking, so I stick to caffeine.

Nicotine itself is still carcinogenic and the patch carries some cardiovascular risks.

Yes, chewing nicotine gum may help you focus. No, it's not worth it. Nicotine is extremely addictive and potentially dangerous to your health. That's not just some surgeon general's warning, that's my personal experience. I'd suggest you speak with a doctor before trying something like this. It's not to be taken lightly.

My caffeine tolerance builds up rapidly (ironically faster than nicotine despite the fact that I have a break on the weekend), but caffeine itself just kept me awake, but didn't give me that alertness and slightly improved interest that minor nicotine doses (through lozenge pieces) did.

I would never smoke cigarettes for the nicotine, it's carcinogenic and expensive, and you can't do it indoors in class.

Ephedra is technically illegal here I believe, but there are some people that grow it coz it doesn't look as notorious as other illicit plants (Cannabis, Poppies).



Can you show me the peer-reviewed medical papers that confirm nicotine itself as being carcinogenic? The IARC hasn't confirmed as being a carcinogen. However I do know that it causes vasoconstriction and places extra stress on the heart though, so I keep my nicotine dosage to the minimum and monitor my pulse and blood pressure (when possible).



My impression was that the strength of the addiction is based on the feelings that you desire from the nicotine in conjunction with the route of administration. By consuming it orally, absorption is slower than inhaling through the lungs. And also unlike the tobacco in cigarettes, the lozenge only contains nicotine as the active ingredient, so there's no Beta-Carboline that has mild MAOI (MAO-B?) potentiation, hence less euphoria.

I do agree about the risks of other health issues though such as stomach ulcers and hypertension, but I don't think they'd be significant issues at my (very low) level of nicotine dosage.

nicotin and adhd meds seem to have many effects in common. Why not just go for ritalin? People with ADHD are more prone to (nicotin) addiction + nicotin is very expensive (atleast here it is)

I don't have an official ADHD diagnosis, and getting one is hard for adults, hence I can't get Ritalin etc.

You're right - nicotine and the psychostimulants used to treat ADHD both increase attention. Although both are stimulants, for a majority of people, Ritalin is much safer (when used correctly). However long-acting formulations of some ADHD meds can cost upwards of $400 just for a 30-day supply out of pocket. And not everyone has health insurance. Not everyone has the option to even get an official ADHD diagnosis.