Nicotine: Stimulant or Sedative?

[mso489]

Is nicotine a stimulant or sedative? I know: both. Like some other chemicals and pharmaceuticals,

it can be either. In that sense, it is like some of the stimulants they give to hyperactive children to

calm them down (but let's not debate that here, the subject is nicotine). People sometimes smoke

a cigar when they're driving after lunch to keep from dozing off. However, some nicotine forward

blends like Nightcap are recommended as late evening smokes so you can go to sleep after your smoke.

Does anyone have pharmaceutical or biochemical knowledge of how nicotine acts in the body, and when

it is a stimulant and when it is a sedative? Nightcap doesn't wake me up, but it doesn't make me prone

to sleep (to the best of my knowledge). Any information or ideas would be welcome.

 

[mso489]

I trust the old tobacco men and women who name blends like Nightcap and other references to late

evening. They know it's going to make you want to sleep or go to sleep. It's not a mistake.

 

[blendtobac]

The effect has something to do with the quantity and speed the nicotine gets into your system. When a cigarette smoker is agitated or nervous, (s)he will tend to smoke quickly and deeply, and that seems to have a calming effect. Slow puffing on a pipe tends to sharpen concentration and increase alertness. Of course, your mileage may vary.
Russ

 

[tuold]

Wikipedia has a good article on the effects of nicotine. It all depends on which parts of the nervous system that are being stimulated and nicotine hits several of them. There is the mood lifting aspect and the physical systems aspect. Personally, I can do without the quickened pulse and higher blood pressure!

 

[mso489]

This isn't going to help much, but it's information. One part of the brain where nicotine is active is the hippocampus,

which is between the base of the brain and under the temporal lobes (if I remember the anatomy correctly). I used

to work with scientists (among many others) who were working on its neuro effects. But at the time, they couldn't

tell exactly what nicotine did in the hippocampus, couldn't correlate its activity with any particular behavior or

sensory effects. This research is fascinating but slow to yield results.
blendtobac, I think you have an essence here, that it relates to dose, speed of dosing, and other variables like that,

which are not very well understood. Some things make me really groggy, but I can't say that tobacco, even high

nicotine tobacco, does that to me, so far as I know. Of course, sometimes you never no what hit you, like with

some "party drinks." I would say, on the stimulant side, that tobacco sometimes focuses my thoughts, though it

doesn't speed up my metabolism like strong coffee. When I get hungry, I get quiet and don't want to talk much.

After a substantial (but not over-stuffing meal) I become quite conversational. Caffeine also makes me much more

conversant, as long as I am not overtired. But I am still confused about nicotine, even for myself. It's hard to pin

down its effect, even just for me.

 

[redbeard]

This has been discussed here in the past, if I remember correctly it was determined that a high level of nicotine is a sedative and a low level is a stimulant. Or visa versa... I do not remember correctly often :lol:

 

[irwinmetro]

I don't think the nicotine itself acts as a sedative, but the process certainly can. Apparently heavy smokers, shortly after quitting, experience very vivid dreams that disturb their sleep. Possibly smoking before bedtime lessens dreams and allows for a more peaceful slumber?

 

[blendtobac]

I wrote this article last year that cover some of this:

http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/put-that-in-your-pipe/the-chameleon-named-nicotine/
Russ

 

[shutterbugg]

I have heard it has a sedative effect but that could also be due to or enhanced by temporary dysoxia (which accounts for the dizziness some people experience). It definitely can have a stimulant effect on peristalsis, as for me, sorry for being gross, it can have a strong laxative effect.

 

[latbomber]

For me it is also both. With a pipe it usually relaxes me deeply, some very strong cigars/snus have made my heart race like I just drank a jug of espresso.

 

[metarzan]

For me it emphasizes my mood. If getting late, it helps me drift off. In the morning it could go either way, depending on how rested I am. I do prefer NC in the morning though...

 

[4dotsasieni]

Read Russ's article (cited 5 posts above). It's the most clear and complete explanation of nicotine's effects I've ever seen.
http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/put-that-in-your-pipe/the-chameleon-named-nicotine/

 

[condorlover1]

At work I always have a pipe in my mouth - cannot think without tobacco!

 

[foggymountain]

Nicotine makes me sleepy. So do most other things.

 

[loneredtree]

I have checked my Blood Pressure and heart rate during and after smoking and do not see a stimulating effect. Never been a cig smoker so that may have some bearing on this.

 

[mso489]

Russ' article is excellent on the various dimensions of nicotine.

 

[anglesey]

I believe both, equally, depending on your mood. I love getting up in the morning feeling refreshed and powering my way through a bowl of something nice and bright while I walk the dogs.
As I sit typing now though, I'm wrapped up with the aforementioned dogs on a freezing cold afternoon (day off before the bank holiday, yay), with a pipe of condor long cut, practically falling asleep. I've had some dinner, I've got father ted on, and I'm just relaxing and falling asleep. I really need to invest in a bent pipe for times like this...

 

[tarak]

For me, it's a stimulant.

 

[tarak]

But the hobby itself is highly relaxing.

 

[sailorjeremy]

Both. Sometimes it helps me stay awake during long training days, other times it puts me right out when I smoke before bed.