Nicotine to relieve PD symptoms

[Davesg]

Anyone tried nicotine to relieve PD symptoms?

[Bvanves]

Hi. An approach with nicotine was developed with some success in France by Doctor Villafane from 2015 to 2017 at Mondor hospital near Paris but was stopped by the French medical authorities. You will find all the information on

neuronicotine.eu/

(use Google translate or Deeple)

[lenamm]

I have used nicotine since diagnosis mostly to keep my cognition good and my blood pressure up but also to see if I could reverse pesticide damage. pathwithpaws.com/blog/2017/...

I started it before C/L so hard to tell but the one time I stopped it for a month I didn't do well mentally. I use lozenges but started with patches. I have almost no non-motor signs 5.5 years in.

[Zardoz]

Lifeextension.com has a protocol that suggests that nicotine has a place in the treatment of Parkinson's Disease. Midway down on the link below:

lifeextension.com/protocols...

I haven't used nicotine but I'd like to hear how people who have used it deal with the fact that it's an addictive chemical.

[Hidden in reply to Zardoz]

I've had similar thoughts. I.e is it safe? And if so, what is the best form?

Just thinking aloud: is the fact that something is addictive bad per se? caffeine is addictive (I think?) and its use in PD is encouraged.

[lenamm in reply to Hidden]

It is safe in most people as long as you don't smoke or keep it against a surface (chewing tobacco ) and yes it is additive. It is dangerous if you have heart problems or high blood pressure. The one time I stopped it wasn't too hard but then I had low blood pressure issues so restarted. Nicotine is highly neuroprotective. I use lozenges because I had patch reactions.

[Sugarbear67]

I find if I smoke my pipe the fog clears from my mind and it is overall easier to move.

[ForViolet]

I remember Dr Ray Peat saying something about nicotine or smoking being helpful in older people. I remember the age clarification having something to do with addiction in younger people.

[Bvanves]

Hi. Be careful if you follow Dr Costantini's protocol (thiamine B1), nicotine neutralizes almost totally the B1 treatment (for me). For this reason I no longer use nicotine.

[Davesg in reply to Bvanves]

Hi Bvanves,

Thanks for the info on the conflict between nicotine and B1.

Is taking B1 provides much more or slightly more PD symptoms relieve than nicotine?

[Bvanves in reply to Davesg]

Hi Davesg. My main treatment is Modopar (= Sinemet) . I used in addition to nicotine (patches, spray etc) a few years ago (up to 20 mg/day which is an average dose according to Dr. Villafane's protocol) to reduce my hand tremors (and luckily it worked for me). The Modopar didn't do anything about it.

Knowing the risks of nicotine on the pancreas, (see Google) I then replaced Nicotine with Mucuna (50% capsules + Zandopa natural powder) and luckily (once again) it worked for me against tremors.

I have also been taking vitamin B1 for almost two years (up to 3.5mg/day) and it works well too (more tonus etc...).

Unfortunately for the past year I have had problems with my balance, it is my main symptom today. Maybe it's just the usual phenomenon of the off period?

I then tried nicotine again after seeing this post:

healthunlocked.com/parkinso...

But I couldn't last two days and had to stop (big fatigue etc...): hence my warning on (B1 + nicotine).

I don't know if it's the same for everyone. I have only read one patient on a French site that made an identical warning. I saw nothing on HU.

Good luck

[kaypeeoh]

I watched a video where a neuro said nicotine interacts positively with the brain and those 'Stop Smoking' patches work as well as tobacco. I never smoked ever. I just moved and have to find a new doctor so I plan to ask him/her about the patches.

[kaypeeoh]

I found the video. It's from Michigan was published December 2014. The speaker specifically mentions Chantix, a 'stop smoking' patch.

[Cons10s]

OK here it goes, I’ve been a social smoker with decades on and decades off as I have a pretty non-addictive personality. I had stopped smoking all together and 5-7 years later PD symptoms showed up. About three years ago I started smoking 2 to 3 cigarettes a day and continue currently. As you know from my posts my PD symptoms have continued to slowly diminish but who’s to say that’s from the 2 to 3 cigarettes a day and if that’s even enough to make a difference. I’ve employed quite a few other therapies which I would give more credence too my results. I would say that the Dr Joe Dispenza meditation and B1 have been instrumental, more recently I began a no sugar no flour diet which has made a difference, but we all know it’s really difficult to pinpoint, what is actually the winning therapy.

I take no pharmaceuticals of any kind, and although the progress has been slow but steady. I lead a very normal life now which is opposite of my first few years with PD.

[Hidden in reply to Cons10s]

A 100% ldopa preparation is a 'pharmaceutical'. Nutrivita even markets it as "Pharmaceutical grade". The fact that it's sold by a company calling itself a supplement vendor and not a drug company does not change that.

[Cons10s in reply to Hidden]

Call it what you like!

[Hidden in reply to Cons10s]

I think claiming that you "take no pharmaceuticals of any kind" is misleading when you are taking multiple grams of pure levodopa daily.

[Cons10s in reply to Hidden]

I’m claiming I take no prescription drugs of any type. That’s what the pharmaceutical is, isn’t it?

[Hidden in reply to Cons10s]

Numerous 'pharmaceuticals' don't require prescriptions.

[Cons10s in reply to Hidden]

Like what...educate me?

[Hidden in reply to Cons10s]

"Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is a pharmaceutical drug used to reduce pain1,2 or inflammation."

"Ibuprofen is a pharmaceutical drug that is classified as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)"

"Paracetamol is a pharmaceutical drug, which is use to treat a number of conditions"

[Cons10s in reply to Hidden]

Fair enough. So if I say I take no prescription drugs instead of I take no pharmaceuticals, that would be a reasonable distinction.