Smoking and Cytokine Storm...might save you :)

IF....you get swine flu (or any other flu that causes cytokine storm), there is some evidence that nicotine going into your lungs can stop or slow the cytokine storm, and help reduce the inflammation. So either you'll survive, (YAY!) or just suffocate to death slower....I guess? (hmm...)

I wouldn't exactly go for taking up smoking as prep for handling the swine flu outbreak as it comes closer to where you are...but....it can't hurt to make sure you know how to smoke one if you don't already? lol Though on the brink of suffocating to death, knowing it might help, I'm sure you'll give everything you got left to get that nicotine into your lungs...

Oh yes, anyway...here's a link.. coloyan.com... I'm going to look for some more info on it and in general, things that can help prevent or help save you from cytokine storm symptoms, because I simply don't trust doctors

And edit/post as I come across them.


One more on nicotine affecting cytokine activity:
www.jci.org...
For this one, to jump to the start of the info on nicotine and how that works, look for the heading "Preclinical efficacy of experimental therapeutics"


[edit on 29-4-2009 by phoebeflakes]

[edit on 29-4-2009 by phoebeflakes]

Well I smoke WAY too much at the moment, but hey, I may be one of the few to come through this (if it happens) without a worry.

Ive gotta have a bit of a chuckle, this is the first time i have really heard anything positive about smoking...although i highly doubt the accuracy.

Do you think if its true they will change the labels on cigarettes to "Smoking reduces the risk of Swine Flu" with a picture of a healthy person with a big smile?

Well, for once this smoker can laugh at all you non-smokers! I'll be safe for another couple months I guess because I promised myself I'd be done smoking by the time I was 40......

Go to hell Phillip Morris and your phony research plants to scientific publishers!

Hahaa....well I dunno about changing the labels, or about smoking preventing the swine flu, but concerning specifically the scenario of being attacked by cytokine storm, if all the best of everything else available or that the docs are doing for it aren't working, I'ma have me a pack on hand....

It doesn't claim nicotine will prevent swine flu itself; only help one specific symptom that can (and may or may not) occur.
But knowing the tobacco industry and the floundering economy, I wouldn't blame them for trying to announce their product as a cure during a time of outbreaks

TBH I'm having a hard time finding many sources on it, outside of other forums/message boards/hearsay. The last link I posted in my edit seems about the best I've found so far. But as far as possible remedies/relief, something is better than nothing and if I got sick, I'd give it a shot.

Considering I smoke about 3/4 of a 25-pack a day I think I'll be quite safe given that this information was true...

...that and the fact I don't leave my house very often so my chances of exposure are lower than most others.

Originally posted by Kryties
Considering I smoke about 3/4 of a 25-pack a day I think I'll be quite safe given that this information was true...

...that and the fact I don't leave my house very often so my chances of exposure are lower than most others.

I had to edit my first post, after, because I realized I had said 'it' instead of 'cytokine storm' in my first sentence, making it seem like the article claimed nicotine could prevent swine flu.
But I don't want anyone to take from this that it will. It will only assist (possibly, if the studies are accurate/credible) in dealing with the cytokine storm - which is often the deadly factor in some flu cases.

So don't rely on smoking in place of other flu preventative measures on account of my poor writing skills (not that you or anyone would or isn't smart enough to guess that as much would be wise, but for my conscience I just wanted to throw this in lol)

Yep. Just throwing this in, just in case....

reply to post by phoebeflakes


LOL I was more hving a dig at myself and how much I smoke I am smart enough to figure out that nicotine, at best, might only slow the process somewhat and should not be used as a preventative measure.

I hope this is true because I smoke 20 sigs a day... (keep us updated if you find more info on this)
Although I know that smoking does more bad then good, I've been saying for years that the smoke inhaled eases my distress when I have a cough. You know when you have a 'cough attack' and you just can't stop? I just take another sigarette and it stops. Now my doc says that isn't possible but I know other smokers have noticed it aswell...
so there could be truth to this.

well you don't have to "smoke" to reap the cytokine overdrive suppression benefits of nicotine.. you can use a patch or gum or an e-cig.

you don't have to instigate cancer with EVERY dose of nicotine...

-

GypsK - my boyfriend claims the same thing and I've seen him light up when his puffers weren't working for his asthma attacks, and it solved the problem right there...
You'd think it would kill him on the spot if you weren't used to seeing it lol...

Originally posted by prevenge
well you don't have to "smoke" to reap the cytokine overdrive suppression benefits of nicotine.. you can use a patch or gum or an e-cig.

you don't have to instigate cancer with EVERY dose of nicotine...

-

But if you are suffocating quite miserably, wouldn't you rather inhale the nicotine than wait for a patch or gum to kick in? (btw I don't know what an e-cig is yet so I haven't included that)
Anyhow, yeah, in my mind, having understood the effects of nicotine to take action much faster if it goes straight to the lungs, I wondered about that.
Inhalers would probably be just as good then, I'm sure. Plus no tar...

Additionally, there might be a problem if you are stuck on a ventilator at the hospital....I don't foresee them letting you out for a smoke any time soon....so the patch might just have to do after all....provided somebody around knows to try that and bring one/put it on you...

reply to post by phoebeflakes


too bad by the time the cytokine storm erupts - cell mediated immunity with interleukin flooding, pulmonary edema/ ARDS - you will be in an ICU. Ever try smoking in an ICU?


Leading up to that, interesting premise that smokers will do better, since smokers invariably do worse with respiratory failure in ICU's.

So now we know the real reason why smoking has been banned in most indoor public places..

That's why so many now frown on smokers...
smoking has been made to be sooooo bad yet it just might save your life if the fever hits..

it's a conspiracy they dont want you to smoke so you all die from the bug.

Originally posted by Extralien
So now we know the real reason why smoking has been banned in most indoor public places..

That's why so many now frown on smokers...
smoking has been made to be sooooo bad yet it just might save your life if the fever hits..

it's a conspiracy

they dont want you to smoke so you all die from the bug.

Strange you should mention this. I have to admit that I have pondered, why all the recent laws on smoking in public? Do our governments really care that much about us that they will fund anti smoking campaigns, ensure labels on packets etc? and at the same time take a massive cut on taxes made from their sale. I mean over here they must make at least 6 euro for every pack of 20 in taxes. Big hearts our Governments have. Especially when they turn a blind eye to, chemicals in our water, being robbed by the banks, in process of handing our countries control over to EU Elites, heathcare system, lack of cancer research and treatment centres and education. What an enigma our leaders are!

Get the swin flue (tretable, not very letal) or get lung cancer..

hard to choose eh?

Just kidding smoking is good

Originally posted by phoebeflakes
IF....you get swine flu (or any other flu that causes cytokine storm), there is some evidence that nicotine going into your lungs can stop or slow the cytokine storm, and help reduce the inflammation.

Great...and I busted my hump all that time and finally quit.

Figures...

I'm wondering if chewing snuff will have a similar effect... Is it only nicotine transfer through the lungs, or will a nice pinch between the cheek and gum not only satisfy, but save?

I do a lot of running... It would be a real shame to tarnish my pretty pink lungs, but I'm not scared of losing a few teeth!

Originally posted by drphilxr
reply to post by phoebeflakes

 

too bad by the time the cytokine storm erupts - cell mediated immunity with interleukin flooding, pulmonary edema/ ARDS - you will be in an ICU. Ever try smoking in an ICU?


Leading up to that, interesting premise that smokers will do better, since smokers invariably do worse with respiratory failure in ICU's.

Yes, I covered that point in a later post, (well, at least, being in hospital on a ventilator if the storm occurs) and mentioned it seems that one would have to have somebody around to stick a patch on them, or something.
I don't know how likely that would be either. I don't forsee many doctors using nicotine as a method, although at an orientation course I took at a hospital recently, I discovered that they do keep nicotine patches on hand for various purposes....

That said, I hope you aren't suggesting that it was my premise that smokers will do better. It's pretty common knowledge that it is very destructive to the respiratory system.
The idea here is that somebody out there claims that nicotine can help during cytokine storm.
And it's nice to know of something like that, of anything to keep in mind that could help, and with any ailment really.....I mean, what if this flu got insanely out of hand, people were stuck in their houses, nobody allowed in to hospitals, or something....
I'd be happy to try nicotine, in whatever form or anything accessible thought to help, rather than nothing.

reply to post by cbianchi513



Buy some nicotine inhalers - some say that it doesn't have to be through the lungs. I am not certain, though I would guess that that is correct. But if you are worried, there are nicotine inhalers you could throw in your first aid kit or whatever; no tar!
And again, nobody should start smoking to prepare for this flu or anything - it's spoken of as a sort of as-needed remedy....from what I've gathered so far, in the sources.

I also wonder, what if a person is having a terrible time breathing and can't even use an inhaler?
Can't hurt to keep a couple patches too, anyway lol

Don't go messing with your lungs for this, no need at all

One time I had a really bad cough for quite a few weeks, so I stopped smoking. The cough got way worse, so I went to the doctor. Doc told me to start smoking again! He said something about how it irritates the lungs from forming mucus and would calm the cough down. Can't remember exactly what he said but he did tell me to start smoking again! I got better.

Well since this is a close contact, and a breathing in the virus smokers may be at an advantage anyway. When you smoke you stink, so people will stay further from you, and smokers probably don't inhale as deeply in a normal breath (unless of course they are taking a drag of their smoke) as a non smoker.