Anyone using Nicotine patches for Long Covid?

Posted by tgroff @tgroff, Apr 19, 2023

There is lots of discussion on Facebook Long Covid forums about nicotine patches helping with long covid symptoms after a few days of adjustment to the patches. Any thoughts on this?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Post-COVID Recovery & COVID-19 Support Group.

I posted this same thing awhile ago... so for newer readers:

Maybe the patches and gum do work for Covid. I don't know.
I have used patches and gum to quit smoking. Please keep in mind the following:

Remember that nicotine is a stimulant. It is possible to overdose on it, especially if you never used tobacco. It can make your heart pound, your head ache, blood pressure go up, and make you throw up, and give you the jitters- mentally and physically. Read the warnings on the box.

The patch adhesive can cause rashes/reactions.

Use caution and your common sense, if you decide to try this remedy.

Here's hoping we all feel better soon!

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@drmumpower

Started 7 mg 24 hour patch one week ago on planned 2 week trial regimen. No symptoms - good or bad - as yet. I fluctuate between 60% and 80% of my norm (probably average of 75% most days) prior to Covid hospitalization in January of 2024. Was on ventilator for 5 weeks, lost from 190 to 160, etc. I will post again when I complete my intervention.

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I completed my two-week 7 mg nicotine regimen two days ago. I had no side effects other than minor constipation and some sleep disturbance – no improvement in energy or strength during the two weeks. Since the last patch, I have noticed an improvement – not during the two weeks, but over the past two days. It has been mostly in the form of my ability to keep going, exercise, and sleep a bit better. My wife has noticed the improvement – calls it encouraging. I will keep you posted with what time brings. cm/Asheville, NC

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See follow-up reply on results of 2-week 7mg Nicotine patch regimen above. cm

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@anneb22

Thanks for sharing! I was aware that healthy, non-smokers have been using nicotine gum to increase focus well before the pandemic. I bought some nicotine gum a while back but have been hesitant to use it for fear of any bad side effects. Gum seems like a safer starting point than going immediately to a patch though.

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Any side effects from nicotine cannot be as bad as living with Long COVID. Nicotine is found naturally in nightshades. Nightshade is a family of plants that includes tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, and peppers. Tobacco is also in the nightshade family.

Two days ago, I started a recommended protocol of 14 mg Nicotine patches as follows:
1/2 patch for 6 days

No change yet that I can tell, but I'll definitely let you know if I see improvement. My brain is fried from this Long COVID, so memory is a real struggle.

I also have bilateral neuropathy, loss of bladder control, and gliosis in my brain (per MRI). I had NO issues prior to the vaccine. All of my doctors - and specialists - have told me NOT to get the booster. I will not be taking any more COVID vaccines.

Prayers for all of us suffering from this awful and completely avoidable - and manmade - disease.

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I started with the 7 mg patch a week ago. I'd found and read the original report on 5 patients, with descriptions of methods and graphs of their symptoms from day 1 until they reported no symptoms at all. The authors had instructed them to keep a record of symptoms, rated 0-5, for 4 days before beginning.

I'd been tracking my symptoms for months, while exercising as much as I can tolerate (precious little), and taking a 5-minute "brain break" and a 20- minute rest once an hour. So I contiued that while using the patches. started right in.

On the second day, I felt dramatically better. I was alert, and had energy all day. Then I decided that since it's a stimulant, it might interfere with sleep, and began removing the patch before bed. After that, my symptoms went back to what the had been before the patch.

After a week, looking back at my records, I saw that after day 2, there was essentially no change. I was about to give up when I noticed the package said, "7 mg over 24 hours". By removing it at night, I'd reduced the dose without realizing. So I decided to give it another week, leaving it on 24 hours. Today is day 1 and I'll report back if there's progress in a week.

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@txsongbird

Any side effects from nicotine cannot be as bad as living with Long COVID. Nicotine is found naturally in nightshades. Nightshade is a family of plants that includes tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, and peppers. Tobacco is also in the nightshade family.

Two days ago, I started a recommended protocol of 14 mg Nicotine patches as follows:
1/2 patch for 6 days

No change yet that I can tell, but I'll definitely let you know if I see improvement. My brain is fried from this Long COVID, so memory is a real struggle.

I also have bilateral neuropathy, loss of bladder control, and gliosis in my brain (per MRI). I had NO issues prior to the vaccine. All of my doctors - and specialists - have told me NOT to get the booster. I will not be taking any more COVID vaccines.

Prayers for all of us suffering from this awful and completely avoidable - and manmade - disease.

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I am using the nicotine gum 2 mg a day for 5 min only. I am really optimistic. I’m feeling such a difference in my brain fog and stability. I am now not using my cane as of four days. I am not worried about becoming addicted. Hope this continues to get better and better.

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Tried LDN in June, not helpful fufor me. Did one Stellate ganglion nerve block in Aug. Slight benefit, oxygen rate up a couple % consistently. Saw the nicotine patch tiny trial noted by others. Started 7mg patch 10/10. No side effects. Maybe 15-20% improvement. Reduced, fewer headaches, taking Tylenol less frequently, BP and pulse less erratic. Current plan is to simply continue the 7mg daily patch. No significant health issues prior to this
.

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Almost 3 years ago I developed "Long COVID" and I am now 80% recovered (for at least a year).
Because I also want to recover from the last 20% I started using 7 mg patches yesterday
I want to use them for 6 days. Today I already noticed some improvements, like:

* Waking up went better
* Better physical load
* And I'm also more alert during the day

I tried lots of things which helped me to recover till 80% over a timespan of 2 years:

* Exercise daily. Walking 3/4 times a day helped me alot. Now I also do swimming and jogging.
* Eating biological food and drink clean water (bottled or filtered)
* Take the right supplements (Vitamine D3 + K2, Zinc, Magnesium, Selenium, Quercetine ...)
* Going outside in the sun early in the morning, but avoiding sunburn (I don't use a blocker or sunglasses).
* Not taking the vaccine because I think natural immunity is the best thing you can have.

For more info about some of the above topics, see book "INFECTED: Secrets From The Medical Underground".
Which is from 2021 but is still a very good read.

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I lost my sense of smell from covid in December 2020.
I recently listened to a podcast about the benefits of nicotine and long covid. I started using 1/6th of a 21 mg patch (I cut it in to 6 little squares) of nicotine and within a week I have my sense of smell back to 100%!!!
I used to be a smoker 35 years ago and I have 0 nicotine craving so that is not i. Anyway a worry! Or concern!
I’m so incredibly grateful to have regained my sense of smell because I had resolved to never getting it back after almost 3 years. (It was actually dangerous because I couldn’t smell things burning or gas!)
Don’t be afraid to try it, I had 0 negative side effects!!

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@hoskhouse

I lost my sense of smell from covid in December 2020.
I recently listened to a podcast about the benefits of nicotine and long covid. I started using 1/6th of a 21 mg patch (I cut it in to 6 little squares) of nicotine and within a week I have my sense of smell back to 100%!!!
I used to be a smoker 35 years ago and I have 0 nicotine craving so that is not i. Anyway a worry! Or concern!
I’m so incredibly grateful to have regained my sense of smell because I had resolved to never getting it back after almost 3 years. (It was actually dangerous because I couldn’t smell things burning or gas!)
Don’t be afraid to try it, I had 0 negative side effects!!

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I’m always happy to see that someone was helped!
I tried the patches three times. Each time I had such severe side effects I had to stop. I read that the patches should not be cut and find that somewhat confusing. I for sure could not tolerate the 7mg patch that was the lowest I could find. When I cut in half, the first day I felt nothing, and the second day I was walloped with dizziness and finally vomiting. Seemingly, the dose was not evenly split. I’m already so weak from this thing that I can’t forge on with rough side effects.
I wonder if trying gum would be beneficial for me?
I always like to see the experiences of others.

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