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As someone who smoked, vaped and quit - nicotine is extremely addictive. Like, by far the most addictive substance I have ever used. When you abstain from nico

As someone who smoked, vaped and quit - nicotine is extremely addictive. Like, by far the most addictive substance I have ever used. When you abstain from nicotine, you will get physical withdrawal symptoms. Nausea, headaches, heart racing, that type of thing. But you'll also get psychological symptoms - paranoia, anxiety, irritability. I know for a fact it's the nicotine because: 1. Vaping contains a lot of nicotine, too, and it satisfies the craving. 2. You can actually feel the nicotine hitting your blood when you relapse. 3. Nicotine patches remove the withdrawal symptoms.

eru 1y ago
And yet, nicotine patches do not cause any addiction.
- const_cast 1y ago
  According to who? Certainly going from a 21 mg patch to nothing will give you withdrawal - I know because I tried it. Nicotine patches aren't perfect, and the reason they might be less addicting is because there's no hit. It's a constant stream of nicotine which ends up feeling like no nicotine at all. Instead, it feels like it's just preventing the affects of a lack of nicotine, i.e. it's inhibiting withdrawal. But it's not giving you the effects of nicotine. Like when you smoke a cigarette you immediately feel relaxed and happy and it's a very sudden effect. But with nicotine patches since there's no curves you don't get that.
  - eru 1y ago
    > Instead, it feels like it's just preventing the affects of a lack of nicotine, i.e. it's inhibiting withdrawal. But it's not giving you the effects of nicotine. Nope. I never smoked, but tried patches, and I certainly felt the effects. (And I didn't have any withdrawal that I needed to inhibit.) My non-smoking friends who tried had the same experience.
    - const_cast 1y ago
      Okay sure, for you, someone who didn't smoke and therefore did not become accustomed (tolerant?) to the immediate effects of a nicotine hit. But, as a cessation tool, which is what they are, this has been my experience. And, I would be hesitant about using nicotine patches or something like Zyn recreationally. Nicotine, even by itself, is harmful to the cardiovascular system over a long period of time.

eru 1y ago

And yet, nicotine patches do not cause any addiction.

const_cast 1y ago
According to who? Certainly going from a 21 mg patch to nothing will give you withdrawal - I know because I tried it. Nicotine patches aren't perfect, and the reason they might be less addicting is because there's no hit. It's a constant stream of nicotine which ends up feeling like no nicotine at all. Instead, it feels like it's just preventing the affects of a lack of nicotine, i.e. it's inhibiting withdrawal. But it's not giving you the effects of nicotine. Like when you smoke a cigarette you immediately feel relaxed and happy and it's a very sudden effect. But with nicotine patches since there's no curves you don't get that.
- eru 1y ago
  > Instead, it feels like it's just preventing the affects of a lack of nicotine, i.e. it's inhibiting withdrawal. But it's not giving you the effects of nicotine. Nope. I never smoked, but tried patches, and I certainly felt the effects. (And I didn't have any withdrawal that I needed to inhibit.) My non-smoking friends who tried had the same experience.
  - const_cast 1y ago
    Okay sure, for you, someone who didn't smoke and therefore did not become accustomed (tolerant?) to the immediate effects of a nicotine hit. But, as a cessation tool, which is what they are, this has been my experience. And, I would be hesitant about using nicotine patches or something like Zyn recreationally. Nicotine, even by itself, is harmful to the cardiovascular system over a long period of time.