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+--- Thread: What exactly does smoking do? (/showthread.php?tid=19)
What exactly does smoking do? - ArmandCNP - 10-22-2025
The statistics surrounding the widespread use of tobacco products are constantly fluctuating. The peer reviewed research reports that 80% of those with schizophrenia enjoy nicotine in one form or another. A number far higher than the average population. There must be a reason, right? The conclusions of said studies might surprise you.
The surprise comes from the fact that there are two conflicting reasons given. One, nicotine was shown in some studies to provide relief for the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Two, nicotine was shown in other studies to lower the blood levels of many APs taken by patients who smoke regularly. This raises an obvious question.
Antipsychotics, the medications supposedly demonstrated to lessen the negative symptoms of schizophrenia, should be providing reduced symptom relief given that the aforementioned studies say that nicotine is lowering AP blood levels. A schizo patient should therefore quit smoking, correct?
Lets not forget the conclusions of the first study mentioned. APs lessen the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. For the uninformed, negative symptoms are all but indistinguishable from the side effects of antipsychotics. Let's simplify this.
Antipsychotics are said to both weaken the effects of medications that help with negative symptoms as well as provide relief for negative symptoms. If that isn't adding up in your head, that's because it doesn't add up. I have a layman's explanation that at least won't contradict.
Schizophrenia causes more stress than anything the normal brain can imagine. Newsflash, Smoking is one hell of a stress reliever.