Nicotine & ADHD

[@BirdwithaBrush]

After I quit smoking there was one consequence that I never mentioned to others trying to quit - it was a big hit to my ability to focus. Tasks that required sustained focus became much more challenging. I stopped reading as much. Since diagnosis and treatment a year ago I now realize that smoking was probably a form of self-medication for me.

[@markeric1337]

Do you still smoke? You have done an A/B comparison? I am wondering myself if smoking is somehow decreasing my ability to calm down. However, I also find when I have something to concentrate on, having (in my case, as vape) next to me, seems to help me focus better, and comforts me like a pacifier. I think it has to do with the fact that our brain doesn't produce dopamine all day like neurotypical folk, these little dopamine hits seems during the day makes me function more naturally, and cut down the feeling of turning to drugs and alcohol for that dopamine hit. But, I'm not sure. I wish they had a more yes/ no answer to the question. I have to swim for my mental health and my back as of last year. I was struggling with doing the laps for 8 months. Swimmers were saying it's the Vaping. However, switching my diet to very little sugar, no fried foods, and eating more fiber, took me from 1 lap/ out of breath, to swimming for 1 hour without even breaking a sweat, in the space of 1 week. I just went cold turkey on all that rubbish they sell us in the super markets. So, I can definitely say the food they push on us is much, much, much more damaging than vaping in our mental health and physical abilities.

[@chuckgo.jr.4813]

Congrats. Dr. Mark Hyman has a good podcast on healthy eating. I think he is a doctor of Functional Medicine .

[@narinda108]

I think my vape gives a slight adrenaline hit too, and a bit more anxiety can result. I am reducing nicotine which helps.

[@markeric1337]

@@narinda108 I'm a newbie diagnosed at 43. I'm starting the naturopath route until I get to a psychiatrist. Vapes, yeah they make my mind race a lot when I'm on the strongest alertness supplements even. My body too, gets agitated like I need to move around. Not before the ADHD diagnosis, just now. Pretty sure I was vaping for the concentration before. Luckily they just banned them in Sydney anyway. Unlucky that the politician who banned them owns massive stock in cigarette companies; and as usual, nobody cares about people going back to cigarettes; or the corruption.

[@blizzbitz]

I stopped smoking for a year now, I am now having a hard time to focus or finish something. I don't know where my grind for doing something will be back I need some advice

[@Guackmonster]

This channel consistently puts out the best and most personally relevant content on ADHD on the internet. Keep it up, Dr. Barkley! Hugely appreciate your work.

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

Thank you!

[@piotr780]

@@russellbarkleyphd2023 please read: "Nicotine exposure of male mice produces behavioral impairment in multiple generations of descendants" - is it valid article ? "We exposed male C57BL/6 mice to nicotine (200 μg/mL in drinking water) for 12 wk and bred the mice with drug-naïve females to produce the F1 generation. Male and female F1 mice were bred with drug-naïve partners to produce the F2 generation. We analyzed spontaneous locomotor activity, working memory, attention, and reversal learning in male and female F1 and F2 mice. Both male and female F1 mice derived from the nicotine-exposed males showed significant increases in spontaneous locomotor activity and significant deficits in reversal learning. The male F1 mice also showed significant deficits in attention, brain monoamine content, and dopamine receptor mRNA expression. Examination of the F2 generation showed that male F2 mice derived from paternally nicotine-exposed female F1 mice had significant deficits in reversal learning. Analysis of epigenetic changes in the spermatozoa of the nicotine-exposed male founders (F0) showed significant changes in global DNA methylation and DNA methylation at promoter regions of the dopamine D2 receptor gene." I wonder what about epigenetic changes in the spermatozoa of F1 generation, just speculation mayby 1950-1990 tabacco use epidemy is cause of current ADHD wave (plus current use of neonicotinoids pesticides) ?

[@Amy-Sparks]

This is so validating. I smoked my way through high school and college. Once I quit I never felt like I recovered my emotional balance, focus or motivation even after quitting for years. I relapsed many times and experienced terrible withdrawals every time. I finally went down enough Reddit rabbit holes that I decided I likely had ADHD and got myself diagnosed. I have never seen this sort of research but it completely correlates with my lived experience.

[@jordanmachado2511]

"I never felt like I recovered my emotional balance" It made me think, it worth it? I'm ok with smoking 2 maximum by day. I wish to quit because I feel dirty, the spaces around became dirty, I would not like to kiss someone who smokes. But at the same time, I feel "nerfed" (I'm one week free without effort, I'm really not addicted)

[@Amy-Sparks]

@sinaneshat2561 Yes, meds helped. Also I didn’t know that it takes 2-3 months for your brain to get back to ‘normal’ after nicotine addiction, so even after withdrawals were over I still felt unfocused and low mood for quite a while. I had a lot of relapses that added to my feeling that I wasn’t as sharp or happy without nicotine. I’m not on meds anymore and I feel good and focused as long as I am consistent with exercise and clean diet. If I let that slide my focus and mood slip really quickly. All brains are different though.

[@3dchick]

This explains why I reacted the way I did when I quit the first time. On top of the normal quitting symptoms, I became completely non-functional. I would just walk around my kitchen table in circles for hours, my brain basically frozen. I lasted five weeks, but my life tanked, and I started again--I'd gone from 4.0 average to almost failing. It took a long time to regain that ground.

[@SuperTertify]

I have the same experience, I use zyn now whenever I need to do things my ADHD does not allow me to do. It moderately works xD

[@garcia3004]

As a 60 year old man with ADHD smoking is a friend it allows me to leave a room and have discussions and ideas with myself. I've been smoking for 42 years . This video brought a strange feeling because it was about being addicted to nicotine because of my ADHD . I'd also like to thank you for all the information you've shared. For me it's been 2 years watching your videos . Thank you. Due to ADHD I had to write here before I forget .

[@catvlog1451]

Try a nicotine patch instead. It is amazing! Nicotine is a nutrient.

[@MiffoKarin]

Fascinating! I have ADHD and started smoking at 18. I found that it greatly lessens my anxiety and self harm impulses. While I no longer smoke, I use nicotine products from the pharmacy to "take the edge off" so to speak. It's not the cheapest form of self medication, but at least I managed to avoid alcohol and illegal drugs.

[@Yapap1234567]

better some nicotine than crack brother XD

[@alipk2633]

What do you recommend me to use ?

[@MiffoKarin]

@@alipk2633 It's very individual what works for you, but I use a nicotine inhaler. It's something I can both put in my mouth (and bite down on if I need to) and use as a fidget.

[@goldminer8732]

@@alipk2633 Definitely try talking with a professional about ADHD. And Avoid Drugs and Alcohol, especially if u think u have ADHD.

[@TheYear2525]

What are these products? As I stated in my MASSIVE post (no one is oversharing here ^^; ), I recently started vaping to get awake enough to start my day. Even with ritalin, after the first 2 weeks of feeling like my life just began (at 43.....), it now has not much of an effect on getting out of bed anymore. So I would confine my nicotine dosage to just a strong but short spike, just to get up. After that the ritalin kinda is enough to keep me going and motivated enough to function. That's why I don't want to use dermal applications for long term nicotine release. I guess that's what you are doing? Or do you have some form of "spike" dosage products, other than vaping? I know, it's insane to start taking nicotine for ADHD symptoms, but ADHD is insane. You are mentioning self harm. As I see it for me: nicotine can't possibly be worse than thoughts of self harm/deletion that eventually arise from the psychological and social suffering I experience when I'm not functioning the way society expects me to. I hope nicotine will be just a stop gap solution, since there are still some dials to turn with all of my medications, but if it turns out there is no alternative, then so be it. What about caffeine, the reader may ask. Panic attacks. That about caffeine xD . Well, tbh I tolerate some green tea, which for some reason has a higher effect on mental wakeness (as opposed to bodily wakeness) and a lower effect on panic attacks than cola caffeine. But it's not ideal.

[@timvarano5562]

WOW. Im studying psychology, with a minor in biology. I also have ADHD and struggle with nicotine dependence. So this video was extremely interesting to me. Also, the speaker is amazing at clearly explaining his thoughts, and at describing the data. Great video!

[@jamiejohnson5748]

I'm very glad I bought into the propaganda that drugs are bad when I was younger. I've always known I have an addictive personality. I learned this about myself when I was 12 and given a computer - I was quickly addicted to the internet and addicted to playing video games. When I was told by adults or teachers that drugs were addictive, I believed them and refused everything I was offered by friends. I had an intuitive sense that when I liked something, I was not able to put it down. I've never smoked cigarettes or weed or tried recreational drugs. I have tried alcohol and caffeine (coffee and energy drinks). Caffeine was definitely addictive, especially the energy drinks. I started stimulant medication recently and haven't craved caffeine at all, it's great. Sometimes I'd enjoy the pleasure of enjoying a warm beverage but I can always have an herbal tea. Interesting video. Hopefully it's especially helpful to kids with ADHD and their parents to prevent them from smoking to begin with.

[@karensager291]

That's interesting, caffeine does nothing for me except make me sleepy. Nicotine relaxes me and quiets my mind.

[@JustDisc]

Dr Barkley, you are one of the best if not the best adhd doctor worldwide. The only issue I have with psychiatrist trying to help you eliminate an addiction is that they often want to prescribe a medication. To me (and from my experience), giving another medication to correct an issue doesn’t solve anything. It simply masks the issue. So when you eventually do stop smoking, now what? Stoping the medication afterwards will be just as hard

[@mikerope5785]

Great video Dr Russell. Wish I'd have got diagnosed when I was younger. The signs were there but I wasn't quite disruptive enough. It's basically impossible to get diagnosed as an adult in the UK if you weren't as a child. I've been hooked on smoking or nicotine nasal spray for 20 years, flirted with addiction numerous times, and was forced to drop out of STEM degree because of my chaotic approach/lack of organisation/sense of time. Thanks for helping me understand what the research says from a subject matter expert's perspective.

[@narinda108]

Look at Patient Right to Choose-you can request an assessment from Psychiatry UK on the NHS if a Gp refers you.

[@tayzonday]

The 40mg dose of Vyvanse and half-dose of Auvelity that I’m on now works significantly better for my ADHD symptoms than Nicotine. I’ve been very nicotine dependent at times, but the bupropion in Auvelity makes it possible (though not easy) for me to quit.

[@cxmxc]

Congrats, do you get constipated on Vyvanse?

[@tayzonday]

@@cxmxc No constipation. Right now I take 40mg Vyvanse at 11AM and 150mg Bupropion XR at 11PM (12 hours apart)- Bupropion (one of Auvelity’s ingredients) has ended up being better for me than Auvelity was.

[@kikitauer]

So this explains a lot! I was smoking for 16 years. I was able to quit cold turkey almost ten years ago but I still have cravings. Dreams where I smoke. I started similarly to those test subjects. I started it just as experiment but it was very pleasurable to me and soon I was smoking two packs a day. I don't have kids myself but I will definitely explain this in detail to my sister's boys. Sister used to smoke too even though she apparently doesn't have ADHD unlike me. She also doesn't have cravings. Weird how this works right?

[@drewbydoobydoo2918]

I still use nicotine, but when I quit cigarettes I had a dream where I was laying on a pile of my favorite cigarettes, but I couldn't find a lighter. Crazy

[@kikitauer]

@@drewbydoobydoo2918 Yes those dreams... I usually have the smoke in the dream but I have crippling sense of guilt even after waking up.

[@JM-cf5yn]

Thank you! This describes my late father exactly and my friend’s husband exactly also. This disorder is so destructive to physical health. Thank you Dr. Barkley for this video. My father died from bladder cancer due to excessive cigarette smoking. I wish there was some kind of “magic” cure for this disorder. These educational videos are so helpful raise awareness and understanding and reduce stigma and misinformation. TY 👍🏻

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

I am delighted to hear that this was so helpful. Thanks!

[@GallumA]

quitting-smoking has ZERO feedback. it's so hard.. like, all you do is feel like your failing constantly until you finally smoke where you finally accept you failed, and can move on for a moment. it's SO hard.

[@GallumA]

I feel like I'd be addicted even if nicotine didn't exist in the damn thing, so it's like I'm trying to quit two different addictions at the same time and there's NO way to know when you're doing it, and no reward for doing it at all. I don't want to smoke any more.

[@paulbridge3042]

⁠@@GallumA I know exactly how you feel and think.

[@GallumA]

@ thanks for reminding me of this comment. I haven't smoked since last April, it is possible! I had to stop experiencing failures as failures, and start to recognise each attempt as learning. It seems impossible, but it isn't.

[@NeilMoffatt-dk5pb]

Thank you Dr. Barkley. The timing of this video is perfect for me. So I have had a clinical diagnosis of ADHD a little over a year ago at 63 year of age and it has been an interesting journey to say the least. I am a little neurotic about researching everything that interests me ( also diagnosed with OCD, lol). Anyway I listened to a 3 hour podcast on nicotine by Dr. Andrew Huberman, professor of neurolology and Opthamololigy and researcher at Stanford university and found it very interesting how the cholinergic system is profoundly affected by nicotine. In fact the receptors are called nicotnic cholinergic receptors. It appear that this system affects the production of dopamine and norepinephrine similar to the way stimulants do. This in my opinion is why people with ADHD are so attracted to nicotine and get so addicted to it. Sorry for the long winded comment but thought you might find it interesting.

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

Thank you

[@jasonmcbride88]

Before that episode came out, I had already been reading on this and considering a controlled experiment with Nicotine after having smoked for some time and having quit for 20 years. I asked my prescriber for a script for Nicotine lozenges (I did not take this lightly as I was highly concerned about getting hooked again, I had not had a single cig in all those years) I have been finding intermittent use is very helpful at keeping me on the rails when I need it. One profound realization I have had is that there seems to be no addictive force whatsoever taking the straight nicotine. Some days I don’t use any, some days I’ll use 6-10mg, rarely more than that. When I smoked, it was always around 1-1.25 packs/day, consistently (so most likely 20+mg/day).

[@amalksuresh2538]

​@@jasonmcbride88I never smocked in my life.But I use nicotine gums for adhd as meds isn't available here.I find no withdrawal effect from gums.Just the disadvantages of adhd on the days I don't use them.

[@caustinolino3687]

It's unfortunate that nicotine is being conflated with the dangers of tobacco. There is evidence that nicotine via a safe delivery method like gum can help with ADHD. Nicotine has been stigmatized due to the tobacco connection, and who knows how much opportunity cost that is incurring. 6:34 The fact that the nicotine niave test subjects in this study were made dizzy suggests they were given a very large dose. Again, a conflation, here with the effects of a substance in moderation vs the overconsumption of it. You can induce negative effects with anything if you give a high enough dose.

[@TrendyAnDyHD]

7 months into medication at 33 years of age and I could finally quit my awful habit of vaping 3 months ago and don't regret it one bit. Still feeling the nagging urge from time to time though. Thank you for reminding me how proud I can actually be about myself.

[@alipk2633]

What medication your on?

[@guillaumebousquet5138]

I started smoking at 12 yo. Tried to stop many times but I always seemed to lack the genuine will to quit. Last year, before I knew about ADHD I tried to quit (and failed again). A friend I just met at the time who also smoked cigarette admitted he was amazed at the speed ans dynamics of my thoughts. That's when it clicked. I have always ''felt'' like it was harder for me, that the self-sabotaging ideas and depressive thought-patterns typical to smoking cessation came in higher number and intensity than normal smokers. But you don't want to say that because people will just say that you too weak. This past summer, at 34 years old, I made my most serious attempt ever at quitting and that made my still unknown ADHD at the time something I couldn't ignore anymore. Picture this: I had quit alcohol a year before and with trying to quit cigarette my life went absolutely out of control. The f****ng irony! I was mad! I got diagnosed. I understood the beast. I take meds and I'm 4-months free from nicotine.

[@samirainbou]

Could you give an update on your quitting journey? How do you feel now that you have quit?

[@guillaumebousquet5138]

@@samirainbou It felt really good. I was free for 6 months. Then I became arrogant about it and smoked a cigarette every now and then, slowly turning back to steady cigarette smoking, again.

[@samirainbou]

@@guillaumebousquet5138 if you quit once for so long you can definitely try one more time, I'm sure

[@kellyalsaleh3032]

I could never understand people who could just smoke socially or just have a few a day. I progressed really fast to nicotine dependency. My mum was a chain-smoker (60 a day) and yes she smoked in pregnancy (this was the early 70s). I've since switched to vaping (which unfortunately led to the activation of Ulcerative Colitis... probably the tobacco toxins offered some immunosuppression). Not sure I'll ever quit nicotine consumption... for me it's a mental version of rolling your sleeves up to start a task and stay the course.

[@Hifcrea]

I love nicotine. It’s my top 2 reasons to wake up every morning 😊😊

[@tata-xz3qb]

Recently got diagnosed at 28 and I started smoking at 16. I don’t know what it is but when I roll my tabac, it calls me. Not only the act of smoking but also the manual „rolling“. I basically started consuming ridiculous amounts of coffee and smoking at 16. After watching your videos I realised I was trying to self medicate for years

[@drgillykahn]

This is amazing. I’m not surprised. We should use the gene research to make an argument to include vulnerability to addictive behavior in the ADHD criteria

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

Thanks,

[@meghanjay2139]

Thanks!

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

🙏

[@Star-of-truth]

As I watch this I’m sitting outside so I can smoke. When I’m not smoking during watching this, I’m chewing on my fingers. I’m in my 30s and a female as was just diagnosed with ADHD earlier this month. It’s also one of the many things I bombard myself with in thoughts. Whether that’s wanting to smoke and smoking or guilting myself for smoking and telling myself I need to quit. I always want to quit but I’m never ready to

[@fizbanpernegelf5363]

Since my diagnosis of ADHD many people told me that the smoking of my mom (she stopped during pregnancy as soon as she knew she was pregnant) had been a huge risk factor for my ADHD. Always with the underlying believe that the smoking caused my ADHD. My mom shows many signs of ADHD herself, however she never talked to a specialist about it, so no testing or diagnosis. So I wonder what part of the correlation between ADHD and smoking during pregnancy is also attributed to the mother having ADHD herself and hence the likelyhood of her smoking is hightened.

[@patriciajump9511]

A thoughtful question! I also am interested in the question that if there is more widespread smoking by pregnant women who have ADHD (higher incidence of smoking while pregnant "because" they have ADHD), might that result in those women's babies having a higher incidence of birth defects from smoking.

[@patriciajump9511]

Retired psyche RN here. At the state psyche hospital where I worked I always heard that patients on antipsychotics (usually those with schizophrenia) would tend to want to smoke for the dopamine rush they got from the cigarettes, since their antipsychotic medication blocked their dopamine. So imo, definitely, for those on antipsychotics, of any age, they are likely to need special attention to help them quit smoking. Maybe education might help prevent some of these patients from starting in the first place.

[@chuckgo.jr.4813]

Might the ZYN nicotine pouches lessen the need for as much stimulant medication?

[@TheContrariann]

Extremely grateful for this video Sir, Thank you so much ❤

[@lizdoesit]

thank you! I’m also interested in learning if nicotine has been studied regarding its effects on ADHD symptoms.

[@johnmoore1495]

Well there have been drugs developed for with the intent on stimulating the nicotine receptors to treat ADHD but they all were eventually dropped. Doesn’t necessarily mean they were ineffective, maybe just not effective enough or had too many side effects.

[@NomerOdin-e4t]

There is actually a recent study proposing that nicotine plays a role of a stimulant in ADHD, so the ADHD symptoms returning are probably added to the withdrawal.

[@CamStubbs]

I started smoking to manage my misdiagnosed ADHD type symptoms … works well enough that diagnosis will require quitting smoking so regular severity of symptoms are noticeable else it would be like going in for diagnosis already medicated

[@aybikeanacali8414]

Is it possible that smoking is a way of self-medicating for undiagnosed adults with Adhd? Since nicotine has some kind of stimulant qualities?

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

Yes, quite likely.

[@residentpossum4705]

I think this is my 3rd or 4th time trying to quit I’m almost 3 weeks without a cigarette. Struggling but I’m in a better home environment, I have bupropion, I’m pushing real hard now for my health. Wishing the best to anyone else trying, this shit is hard but we CAN do it!

[@godofredo404]

How is it going? Did you try pouches like zyn?

[@clarewillison9379]

When I finally gave up smoking my symptoms/features went into overdrive and I just couldn’t think, act, function. I’ve since realised that I had been self medicating for decades. What can replace it? (Couldn’t handle patches, gum pills etc it set my heart racing, only puffs worked.)

[@Rangedkill]

You are such an amazing person. Thank you so much for all the work you do. The positive impact you've made for people with ADHD and the people that share their lives can not be overstated.

[@homelessrobot]

I wonder if nicotine dependency and the function of welbutrin on nicotine receptors might be able to explain some of why welbutrin, given its effects on dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake, has some of the side effects it does. Personal experience, but I actually feel like my ADHD symptoms are worse on welbutrin, and I have a suspicion that it has something to do with it inhibiting nicotine signaling. A part of why it works so well for smoking cessation is that its helping to fill in the dopamine insufficiency that quitting smoking can cause, but I don't think dopamine is really all that nicotine does in relation to attention. Subjectively, I feel like I need less nicotine, but when I do need it, i get very scattered, and on welbutrin i can get very little to no relief from this from using nicotine. So my ADHD symptoms are worse and my normal crutch is broken.

[@borisstarovoitov5930]

I would like to express a huge appreciation for your brilliant work. I am a father of child with ADHD and ASD diagnosis, so I constantly looking for helpful information and all that data I've found here is very interesting, useful and has huge practice aspect. Thanks a lot!!!

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

Thank you for watching.

[@JustDisc]

You probably have adhd yourself. It’s almost always the case with families who have children with adhd 👍 Denial is also common, because you’ve never known a different way of life. Also, denial and unwillingness to listen is also an adhd trait lol

[@Anil-gt2kn]

Have you used any nicotine patch? I am researching for ASD. Thanks

[@celestechalmers939]

Question from a Mom of a fairly recently diagnosed teenager: saw a vape in her bag, luckily had watched this video and so had an understanding of the pull for nicotine use, know i cant stop my teen from vaping in social settings, and am wondering if nicotine gum is better for her than vaping? When i chatted to her about the dangers of vaping / smoking she understood but said that the nicotine REALLY helps. Id rather she stuck to occasional nicotine gum or even a vape than smoking cigarettes or worse, turning to drugs or alcohol. Lastly, we havent found the right ADHD medication as yet. Would finding the right one reduce the nicotine and / or other worse cravings? Really grateful for any insight, thank you...

[@BladeAustralia]

Self administration of Nicorette mouth spray in my 60s so moderated my undiagnosed ADHD that my doctor sent me for a formal diagnosis. School records and family history, along with my history of scatter brain behaviour clinched the final diagnosis near the worst end of the spectrum. A proper regime of treatment followed. Thankyou Nicorette mouth spray. That said, I don't smoke and never have.

[@Anil-gt2kn]

Is spray better than patch? Asking for 12 years old .

[@corvusignis6226]

It's not the drug itself, it's the noises in the mind stopping that makes them vulnerable against strong drugs

[@ArheIy]

I tend to think that using nicotine as self-medication may be harmful *or* positive depending on your self-control. It's bad to smoke every hour or so, but lighting a cig right before you're about to write an exam or before an important lecture is exactly what's saving me in uni: mental noise goes silent at least for half an hour - it's not much generally, but just enough to make this «final stand». It's especially important because in this case nicotine acts as quick-release Adderall or other stimulants, and in some countries (like mine - Russia) these are heavily restricted. So cigarettes or nicotine gum may pass for a makeshift replacement. Though, there's a hazy line between self-medication and addiction. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, just know that this is one of the factors why people with ADHD smoke more.

[@thomaskincaidmma]

Thank god for this channel!!

[@JinaEzell]

We adopted our daughter who was drug (meth) and alcohol exposed. Diagnosed with adhd at age 5, we knew was a symptom of the brain challenges. It was strange to me that she was diagnosed a “meth…” prescription for her adhd. She’s been on for over 15 years. What do you suggest we do for her?

[@yxtsama]

It seems like there are a few study that mentions nicotines possible positive effects on working memory which people with ADHD may suffer, I wonder if it has something to do with that.

[@karensager291]

I started vaping daily to counter the fact that there is only concerta 27mg available in my country's local pharmacies and the doctors will not prescribe more than 30 pills. I was doing fine for years on the Ritalin 10mg/3x a day. But the timed release capsules are good for about 4 hours and then it is hell. My husband supports the nicotine use because I am 54 and don't have a history of smoking in the past. He can see the positive effects a few hits can have on my mood and motivation and says that is more valued than the negatives

[@ImDavito]

can you do thc and ADHD? to see if it help ADHD ?

[@Handle8844]

This is terribly sad but I'm grateful for the research. Yet one more bullet I managed to dodge, myself, but one more fear I will now harbour on behalf of my ADHD offspring...

[@katherinetucker4360]

I’m curious about stimulants and sleep quality/insomnia with ADHD. I haven’t slept a solid night since quitting smoking 4 years ago (after smoking for 35yrs). I have tried EVERYTHING to sleep through the night (except reintroducing nicotine), but nothing has helped yet. Anyone have any insight/input?

[@smilefriend7171]

Do you take stimulants? It's not very clear. Ritalin gave me insomnia the first couple of weeks/months but my psychiatrist prescribed me Gabapentin 300mg three hours before bed. It worked like a charm. Doesn't knock you out like benzos (or so i hear) but it makes you sleepy. I stopped taking it a couple of months after when I got used to the medication.

[@SGCXD]

I suspect that the heightened use of nicotine with adhd people has a lot to do with how nicotine works with the dopamine system. I’ve always been quite glad smoking and chew made me sick so I never got into it

[@estate0007]

I gave up smoking again 15 months ago. 8 months ago, I started with 20mg of MPH, and now I'm at 60 mg. With the medication, quitting this awful habit has been easier than in previous attempts. Instead, I now drink lots of organic green tea (I quit coffee at the same time as smoking) and occasionally chew nicotine gum. No alcohol. I find this to be a convenient way to satisfy the cravings for nicotine, which are common for many former smokers, even 5 years after their last cigarette. By using the gum, I feel I am choosing the much lesser of two evils.

[@sbef]

I'm moving to a country where ADHD is not recognised and stimulant medication is not available, so my plan B is exercise, meditation and nicotine patches. I used to be a heavy smoker, I'm 4 years clean but my unmedicated, non-smoking cognition and focus is 1/10th what it was before, and it's never recovered. I wonder now if long-release patches are actually safer than amphetamines in the long term.

[@jhmmgf4236]

Lisdexamfetamine works better is all I can say...

[@sbef]

@@jhmmgf4236 i have tried the patch for 2 days, and man, I much prefer how I feel on it compared to (lis)dexamfetamine. And it lasts 24h, not just 8h at best like it did for me with am and pm doses. Dexamfetamine definitely feels stronger and forceful, while nicotine feels calmer and clean. I'm on 6mg patch atm FWIW

[@smilefriend7171]

Try Modafinil, Armodafinil, or the not stimulant brothers Guanfacine and Atomoxetine or Bupropion. I'm currently trying Moda after quitting Ritalin due to sides. No other stimulant available in my country. If none of these work for me I'm trying Nicotine.

[@brycewalat5321]

I have wondered if one factor in the idea that “we didn’t have ADHD back in the day” is that back in the day, smoking cigarettes was far more prevalent and a significant number of smokers smoked to self medicate for ADHD, and we didn’t think much of it.

[@sbef]

Yes, also the fact that ADHD might be caused by second-hand smoke while in utero. Maybe a lot of us have it because our parents used to smoke, and so did their parents etc.

[@PageTurnersbooktube523]

I have extreme adhd and decided to try nicotine pouches. The 2 mg On pouches definitely dial me down 2 to 3 noches but the problem with nicotine is the short lives calming effect. I have friends who tried the pouches as well and it acted more as an upper for them then like a downer and calming effect for me. I don't feel addicted to them at all after a week of use for a trial period. I just don't know if I want to hop on vivanse or adderal which are also very addictive and potent. We shall see.

[@julietteelisabeth1734]

I have ADHD and I describe myself as a recovering nicotine addict. I had to use Champix a couple of times in the end. It took me 14 years if yo-yo smoking and giving up. I loathed it but I had proper addict behaviour about it. Yet I only smoked about 15 hand-rolled a day. I started because I was a dancer in the 90s. But both my father and step-father smoked in the house and car, so I was always a little bit addicted. Now I’m quit I would never go back. My addiction scares me.

[@veilmontTV]

My brother and i never smoked but we always hated our parents cigarette smoke growing up. They always smoked in the house. Gross habbit anyway

[@fabsauce93]

What effects does nicotine have in non smokers? for example if the form of gum, as an appetite suppressant

[@zainmushtaq4347]

Doesn't nicotine also help with ADHD symptoms? I remember having watched an older video of yours (from 2009 perhaps) where you mention that smoking/nicotine helps with ADHD symptoms (and alcohol doesn't inherently) and that research was being done on isolating the properties of nicotine that help with ADHD without including the addiction part. I miss an update on that in this video -- has this been disproved? Thanks :)

[@homelessrobot]

There are several relatively recent studies that you can find on google that suggest that nicotine has strong positive effects on episodic memory, working memory, and fine motor control. With placebo controls and in both smoking and non-smoking participants.

[@TheTimtam112]

I wonder what the process for quitting nicotine looks like for those with vs without ADHD symptoms. From the quitting smoking ads (in Australia anyway), I've gathered that it's a pretty disrupted process that involves multiple points of "remission". That with every attempt to quit, the periods of remission become increasingly larger, before you finally "quit for good". That "weaning" process might rely on structures in the brain that are poorly developed in those with ADHD.

[@annalisacandaso-robertson9179]

This should be interesting to hear. I have ADHD and nicotine is a downer for me. I could take a nap after a cig. Same w vaping and chewing. Its interesting to me that nicotine is a stimulant and to hear people say its a "pick me up" cuz it slows me down so much I dont like the feeling.

[@sbef]

Nic is dose dependent. Low dose = stimulant, high dose = depressant. I used to vape like a madman just before bed.

[@bvim75]

Is there any relationship between nicotine and visualization skills? I have aphantasia and after 2 weeks vaping it is as if I can conjure very simple and low quality static images, such as black and white trees, fruits, objects, but they do not last more than a few seconds and occur at most only about 4 times a day with a lot of effort. I also noticed that some allergies on my hands and face have diminished, it seems that nicotine acted as a mild antihistamine, bizarre.

[@doaimanariroll5121]

I’ve recently started experimenting with nicotine to reduce my dex amphetamine use. I started with nicotine lozenges but now I use a vape with only vegetable glycerin and nicotine (it’s the PG and flavours that are bad for you in vapes) as it’s far far cheaper. I’m pretty sure it helps I have reduced dex to 20-30mg per day from 50 (10 pills - 4) I’m still not dead set on weather I think it’s worth it, I’ll probably go through a few phases of being on nicotine and off to be able to quantify if it works or not.

[@bellaluce7088]

Anything inhaled carries risks. Be cautious, everyone! Gum and patches are viable alternatives.

[@doaimanariroll5121]

@@bellaluce7088 your 100% correct. Mini lozenges or mouth spray are probably the best alternative. In Australia though at least, nicotine replacement is taxed to high hell. A packet of 40, 2mg gums costs about 40-50$. It’s prohibitively expensive. I can get 500ml of veg glycerin with any amount of nicotine added for 20$ and that will last me 6 months. Also I believe the inhalation into the lungs gets the nicotine to the brain more efficiently so less nicotine gives me similar effects. With the gum I feel like the negative consequences were worse because I had to have more nicotine into the body, giving me palpitations and breathlessness. I don’t get that with the vape (I do with disposable vapes though)

[@bellaluce7088]

The science is still evolving around all the reasons vaping causes harm. #PopcornLung Please be cautious, everyone! Gum or patches are much safer alternatives.

[@jhmmgf4236]

What is the point in this? Wouldn't it be better to be just on dexamphetamine and not nicotine?

[@doaimanariroll5121]

@@jhmmgf4236 after a year of testing, yes I think it’s not worth it. Almost done quitting.

[@tchad49]

This is all a great puzzle to me. All these studies show ADHD teens and adults are more likely to use nicotine than neurotypical people. Numerous studies show nicotine patches reduce ADHD symptoms. Why is it so difficult for people to get their heads around the possibility that NICOTINE HELPS THEM? Niicotine is so demonized that we assume nicotine use is a problem. It's just a mild stimulant that increases focus, attention and memory. Ritalyn and Adderall do that too (with more unpleasant side effects than nicotine ).

[@Deviliza]

Does there excist any area where they don't think that more study is needed 🤔

[@kellimeder8236]

I wish someone would’ve explained this to me when my son was diagnosed years and years ago. Now at 20, he vapes and drinks and I’m worried about what else he may be doing. I always raised him to stay away from that stuff and can’t stand seeing him do it.

[@themobbit9061]

That was great info. Thank you!

[@Lisa-ep5bw]

My question is... If you have never smoked, could you possibly use a nicotine patch to replace pharma focus meds?

[@DivineLightPaladin]

Risk of addiction but yes

[@caractacustube]

Seems to me that smoking alters cognition providing some measure of relief for impairments. Pleasure of nicotine treatment has nothing to do with it.

[@wheeldogg]

Pleass do a video on cannabis use and ADHD. Thank you so much

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

Will do.

[@Deviliza]

How about chocolate-abuse🤔 I think that I might have a problem there.

[@bellaluce7088]

Sugar affects the dopamine system. Addiction researcher Nora Volkow (who is one of my heroes : - ) actually *listened* when people described feeling addicted to sugar. Her team had used fMRIs to show that addiction to drugs changes the brain (and abstinence helps). She used this same technique to study self-described food addicts and controls. Not only were the changes in the brain similar, but the subjects' level of obesity correlated with the amount of change in the brain!!! When my brother stopped drinking, his consumption of sugar massively increased, and I don't think it's coincidence that AA meetings have sugary desserts (and lots of smokers)!

[@faethe000]

Informative video, but it seems like these studies don't understand WHY nicotine is alluring to ADHD people? That would be a surprise to me, because as someone with ADHD, it's patently obvious. Nicotine is an OTC treatment that works on ADHD. It's dangerous and addictive and not as effective as methylphenidate or amphetamines, but it does work. There were times during the med shortages of the last few years that I used nicotine patches to keep my job. I chose the the patch because the slow delivery greatly lessened the chance of addiction, and I never did get addicted. But my point here is that they worked until I could get my meds again.

[@gameziper]

I have used tobacco and nicotine overall basicly since i was basiclly 12 or something years old however i couldnt be dependent on nicotine or tobacco since i couldnt buy it at that age so i started hanging out with older people which could buy it for me. Im now 25 years of age and have used tobacco and nicotine since my early teens ever since and believe me i have really tried too many times to count when i have tried to quit using it but all i managed was small periods without it then falling back to using it very quickly! i cant seem to fight the urge to buy and use it no matter how hard i try.

[@jaixiluvit261]

Look into shrooms (psilocybin, mushrooms,) for trying to kick it. Had a lot of success stories on people who had addiction to hard drugs to cigarettes. If you have time research it a little of you are still in need

[@microcolonel]

I'm glad we live in an age of pure, relatively safe forms of nicotine. The research on nicotine itself (studied apart from tobacco and vape products) seems to show that nicotine itself is not especially dangerous, and is not clearly moru harmful than beneficial for all users. Obviously people should consider all of their options with informed consent, I'm sure amphetamine may be a better option for many ADHD sufferers, but nicotine clearly helps some people with ADHD be productive and pay attention to critical tasks.

[@PamelaMcGlothlen]

I am 53 have ADHD and have smoked cigarettes since I was 16

[@jizzlord]

Zonnics entirely replaced my Vyvanse. Will I possibly suffer cardiovascular or other vascular conditions? Yup. It’s possible over extended use. My Vyvanse came with warnings of heart conditions, stroke, high blood pressure. Yup. I’ll take my chances with nicotine.

[@smilefriend7171]

Considering this as well. Do you develop a tolerance with nicotine? I've been feeling anxiety and heart pain from Ritalin, sadly it's the only stimulant available in my country and I'm already taking the smallest dosage (5mg).

[@mnmlst1]

Me and my other 3 siblings, along with my 2 nephews, we are all diagnosed with ADHD. After my diagnosis I'm 100% we inherited from my mother, and she smokes a pack of cigarettes a day, and is unable to focus and is very impulsive. From the comments in this video, if she quits smoking her symptoms might worsen a lot, then.

[@ChristianConstitutionalist3192]

I have ADHD. I've Been Smoking Cigarettes since I was 14. I have Tried Quitting Twice without success. As for Alcohol, most years I only drink 3 Times A Year, but Have Been Known to drink up to 7 times a year. Every year, I drink on: 1) Independence Day (The 4th of July) While Doing Fireworks. 2) Sometimes on Thanksgiving. 3) On New Years Eve Until Midnight. Sometimes I will Also Drink On: 1) My birthday. 2) Thanksgiving. 3) New Years Day. 4) Some Other Random Day of the Year. I Still Have a Bottle Rum behind my Safe that is A Little More Than Half Full from 01/01/2024.

[@nicholasmilillomusic]

Thanks

[@esteratendera5216]

I can not take any psychiatry medication that rise dopamine because i am trying to get pregnant for long time and i manage mental balance but i lately come with idea of quite vaping and it was nightmare and i back to vapping and i think that for me now its better to use nicotine patch than bupropion because it's more safe aldo I prefer to use nicotine patch for rest of my life than to take any psychiatric medication because of side effects

[@Patrick-ml7pq]

I was hoping you would address the effect of Nicotine as a "therapy" for ADHD symptoms--presumably one reason that ADHD individuals use tobacco more frequently could be a perceived helpfulness of nicotine as a "stimulant" or attention aid. Could you address this further--the idea that tobacco helps focus is culturally widespread. Additionally, I've been told that early childhood exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke increases the chances of developing ADHD--is there any truth to this?

[@Drnonstop]

Phew, I was just about to give my future a baby a cigar, thanks!

[@franciscomandryk7953]

amazing video

[@sebben13]

I'm lucky that I am so huge, that I really can't be affected by regular doses of alcohol. I have to really try if I want to get drunk. If it was easier I would probably have a problem 😅

[@majnkrafcio6550]

It's also worth mentioning that adolescent smokers have higher rates of dropping out of high school

[@jhmmgf4236]

Yes but if you take the adhd stimulants they make you want to smoke more :(

[@evanjrowley]

Things I wish I had done sooner in life: 1. Quitting Nicotine 2. Getting ADHD Treatment

[@joshuagray974]

Zyn tobaccoless nicotine pouches have saved my life, and I get the fix! Without the danger. I 💯 can understand this

[@Anil-gt2kn]

What brand is that ? Thanks

[@joshuagray974]

@Anil-gt2kn zyn is the company my favorite is citrus.

[@dwdwone]

I quit multiple times. The only thing that worked was quitting 3 to 5 minutes at a time, a version of AA's day by day. Consider that what i did required less focus. And, after three minutes, my attention was also elsewhere. Based on this experience, it would stand to reason that the real reason IS the ADD/ADHD itself.

[@ThomsonBR42]

What is the difference between dependency on drugs like methylphenidate and drugs like nicotine? Both of them have basically the same result: doctor recommended lifelong dependency vs. scary lifelong dependency. It's especially telling that even Dr.Barkley admits that pharmaceutical companies are trying to make a "nonaddictive" version of nicotine. This isn't to say there isn't drawbacks to seriously consider but if we treated all drugs the same we'd have to admit the possibility of nicotine have benefits when properly dosaged (like all drugs!)

[@meekoosh]

Do you think moms are passing on the addiction in utero?

[@surronzak8154]

Vaping harmony cbd liquid, with terpenes in it and not aromas like others worked amazingly well for me to stop smoking

[@bellaluce7088]

For anyone reading this, please do your research on vaping and be cautious.

[@admiral7599]

Nicotine is weird for me, of course it could be because I vaped instead of using other methods, but I never felt any effects from it or much at all. I never got a head rush or anything. Now, Alcohol on the other hand, I have a big addiction tendency and so does my family.

[@caitiecatcreates]

Nicotine does absolutely nothing to me. So I never picked up that habit.

[@tenthplanet3342]

Study reviewed link between adhd and nicotine if a mother consumes nicotine or even if the mother doesn't if the grand mother did, the child will have adhd. It can be passed done from grandma through the mother even though mom never smoked

[@drgillykahn]

And the depression and schizophrenia may be relevant because they all share the quality of dopamine irregularities

[@TsutsuYumeGunnm]

So nicotine help with ADHD or not?

[@SpecialEdDHD]

yes. it is a stimulant.

[@TsutsuYumeGunnm]

@@SpecialEdDHD Caffeine is stimulant too, but according to researches it dosnt help.

[@jamiejohnson5748]

I don't think that this video is expressing that nicotine helps with ADHD. My understanding is that some of the genes responsible for ADHD are also responsible for nicotine addiction. It's also much harder for people with ADHD to quit smoking, so ideally we should should use this information to prevent kids from smoking, especially if they have ADHD, so they don't have to deal with nicotine addiction later in life. I don't think nicotine can be used to help or treat with ADHD. I think some smokers experience very short lived calmness when they smoke, so it can feel like it helps you focus. But it makes things like anxiety and focus worse in the long run. Small analogy, but it's like saying, does eating candy bars make you happier? Sure, you can have 40 seconds of happiness every time you eat a chocolate bar, but done regularly, you'll probably gain weight and be less happy and less healthy overall. But nicotine is way more addictive (and more expensive) than chocolate. In the future, if there's ever a medication made to treat ADHD that's related to nicotine, then a doctor should prescribe it. The current medication works really well and there aren't addiction risks. I would definitely not try self medicating with smoking. My doctor and I are testing out how I do on stimulant medication and so far it's going ok with minimal side effects. I thought trying medication would be this big scary thing, but it's actually alright.

[@susanhenke8441]

Love smoking hate smell my adhd is so bad when comes to smoking and soda. Thank u for the information. Very interesting study.

[@TsutsuYumeGunnm]

@@jamiejohnson5748 Proper medication are good. But there is a lot countries where adhd is not recognized, and stims are banned.

[@tanyakruyt5122]

I reckon nicotine tabs is safer than amphetamines!

[@hagen.youtube]

Nicotine > Caffeine