8 replies to this topic

[Mikels]

Hi. i've wrote before about mental problems after nicotine usage. It's getting better a bit. However the biggest problem is emotional control. It's feels like i can't control my desires, actions, thoughts, speech, etc - like before.

Studies report that nicotine damages fasciculus retroflexus, which is responsible for control:

Nicotine causes degeneration in a region of the brain that affects emotional control, sexual arousal, REM sleep and seizures, UCLA neuroscientists report in the current issue of the journal Neuropharmacology.

And the bigger nicotine dose, the bigger the damage:

"Even at this much lower dose, we still found degeneration in the tract. We measured the degeneration and found that the larger the dose, the more damage."

Seems like all addictive substances more or less damage this are of brain. Any way to boost neurogenesis in it?
I've read lots of studies on promoting neurogenesis in hippocampus, but what about fasciculus retroflexus? Can't find any studies, data in this at all.

[gamesguru]

They don't specify if it's due to apoptosis or chromatolysis. In either case abstinence is key; although, given how many functional people abuse tobacco, I don't think the effect is that detrimental. Assuming that it's not terribly toxic, natural neurogenesis should return you to near your baseline as long as you eat well and have a good attitude. It will probably take a few months. Going to extremes, such as CBT, medicines, spiritual awakening, and a strict diet are really in excess, and I wouldn't be so worried.

If it is simply chromatolysis, vitamin D2 may help regenerate the damaged axons, though this study doesn't deal with nerves in the CNS, let alone the fasciculus retroflexus: http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/18986226.

Edited by dasheenster, 26 July 2012 - 03:06 AM.

[Mikels]

In either case abstinence is key;
^^^ 100% true - no coffee, no alcohol, no tobaco, no sugar, no fats - my regiment for last year.

although, given how many functional people abuse tobacco, I don't think the effect is that detrimental.
^^^ look at how they handle stress. Put smoker(any addict) in stressful situation and take away his addiction substance - look at their behavior... I am the same guy professionally - i calculate fast, speak good, good sale skills, but my emotional control - this department is strongly damaged...

Assuming that it's not terribly toxic, natural neurogenesis should return you to near your baseline as long as you eat well and have a good attitude. It will probably take a few months
^^^ it's already one year. Getting better. But not even close to what i used to be. That's the reason i am trying to make healing part faster.

[Mikels]

If it is simply chromatolysis, vitamin D2 may help regenerate the damaged axons, though this study doesn't deal with nerves in the CNS, let alone the fasciculus retroflexus: http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/18986226.

I have nothing to loose. Will try. thx for suggestion!

[gamesguru]

It appears to be primarily damage to axons: http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/11044749 & http://www.ncbi.nlm....les/PMC3137256/. It isn't known whether or not this leads to apoptosis, but I suspect it might. So vitamin D2, if it reaches the CNS, might help. There are probably other such compounds to be found via googling.

Well sure, smokers have problems with emotional stress and thinking straight, but I tended to attribute these cravings to withdrawals and addiction. To me, it doesn't make sense that doing further damage will alleviate symptoms which we believe arise from such damage. Though someone who's adapted to damage might be just conditioned to (and we might even say programmed to) keep damaging that area of their brain, this seems to be a long shot, and it doesn't explain why causing more damage alleviates stress. Nice hypothesis though. You could still rescue it if you could support the idea that smoking a cig really doesn't do anything to alleviate the stress, even though they expect it to.

Edited by dasheenster, 26 July 2012 - 03:28 AM.

[Mikels]

To me, it doesn't make sense that doing further damage will alleviate symptoms which we believe arise from such damage.
^^^ keep in mind the more person smokes(uses drug) - the more emotionally unstable he is.

dasheenster, thx for you links - they are big help to me. will order vitamin d2 tomorrow.

[gamesguru]

Yes, but why does smoking it seem to bring short-term relief? All smokers, as I notice, tend to get relaxed for 5-30 minutes after burning a cancer stick. If the primary cause of the stress was the damage, we would expect smoking to worsen the emotional instability within minutes...not stabilize them.

Of course, there may be more than one primary cause...and long-term damage to these brain pathways could explain the processes underlying (long-term) relapse...it just doesn't seem like a very powerful argument to my mind.

[Mikels]

Yes, but why does smoking it seem to bring short-term relief? All smokers, as I notice, tend to get relaxed for 5-30 minutes after burning a cancer stick. If the primary cause of the stress was the damage, we would expect smoking to worsen the emotional instability within minutes...not stabilize them.

Of course, there may be more than one primary cause...and long-term damage to these brain pathways could explain the processes underlying (long-term) relapse...it just doesn't seem like a very powerful argument to my mind.

agreed, any addiction it's pretty complex thing. And it's hard, close to impossible to tell how it works and what to do to get read of addiction 100%.

Edited by Mikels, 26 July 2012 - 03:56 AM.

[Mikels]

Seems like b9(Folic Acid) might be also beneficial, here are the studies:

1. Folic Acid Supplementation Enhances Repair of the Adult Central Nervous System
2. Folate regulation of axonal regeneration in the rodent central nervous system through DNA methylation.

Edited by Mikels, 26 July 2012 - 12:45 PM.