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Neurochemical and behavioral studies on ethanol and nicotine interactions. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2004 January;27(8):713-20. Larsson A, Engel JA. Department of Pharmacology, Goteborg University, Box 431, Goteborg SE-405 30, Sweden. The most commonly abused drugs, alcohol and nicotine, are likely also the most costly drugs in terms of health and societal costs. A large body of evidence from epidemiological studies indicate that smoking and alcohol-intake are positively correlated. The mesocorticolimbic dopamine system has been implicated in mediating some of the reinforcing effects of ethanol, however, the mechanism(s) of action remains to be elucidated; consideration as to ethanol's ability to interact with ligand-gated ion channels should be considered. Accumulating evidence from electrophysiological, pharmacological and neurochemical studies suggest that ethanol may interact with the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). Thus, it has been shown that the ethanol-induced stimulation of the mesolimbic dopamine system and of locomotor activity as well as ethanol intake and preference in rodents may involve central nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Additionally, data has been presented that nAChRs located in the ventral tegmental area may be of particular importance for these effects of ethanol. Studies aimed at defining the nAChR subpopulation(s) involved in mediating ethanol-induced locomotor stimulation and accumbal dopamine overflow as well as ethanol-intake have revealed that alpha(3)beta(2) or alpha(6) (using alpha-Conotoxin MII) but not alpha(4)beta(2) (using dihydro-beta-erythroidine) or alpha(7) (using methyllycaconitine), could represent targets for developing new drugs in the treatment of alcoholism. These results do not allow any conclusion as to whether the involvement nAChRs in mediating the effects of ethanol is direct and/or indirect. With regard to an indirect effect, evidence has accumulated indicating that the cholinergic excitatory input to the dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area may be an important part of the neuronal circuits mediating natural as well as drug-rewarded behavior. The possibility may thus be considered that ethanol activates the cholinergic afferents causing a release of acetylcholine in the ventral tegemental area leading to a stimulation of nAChRs and thereby excite the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system. PMID: 15019421 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15019421
Accumulating evidence from electrophysiological, pharmacological and neurochemical studies suggest that ethanol may interact with the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). Thus, it has been shown that the ethanol-induced stimulation of the mesolimbic dopamine system and of locomotor activity as well as ethanol intake and preference in rodents may involve central nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.
Additionally, data has been presented that nAChRs located in the ventral tegmental area may be of particular importance for these effects of ethanol. Studies aimed at defining the nAChR subpopulation(s) involved in mediating ethanol-induced locomotor stimulation and accumbal dopamine overflow as well as ethanol-intake have revealed that alpha(3)beta(2) or alpha(6) (using alpha-Conotoxin MII) but not alpha(4)beta(2) (using dihydro-beta-erythroidine) or alpha(7) (using methyllycaconitine), could represent targets for developing new drugs in the treatment of alcoholism. These results do not allow any conclusion as to whether the involvement nAChRs in mediating the effects of ethanol is direct and/or indirect.
With regard to an indirect effect, evidence has accumulated indicating that the cholinergic excitatory input to the dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area may be an important part of the neuronal circuits mediating natural as well as drug-rewarded behavior. The possibility may thus be considered that ethanol activates the cholinergic afferents causing a release of acetylcholine in the ventral tegemental area leading to a stimulation of nAChRs and thereby excite the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system.
PMID: 15019421 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15019421
Jun 19 04 8:41 AM
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Everyone who drinks needs to go into drinking situations with his or her guard up and reasons for quitting and wanting to stay off intact. Waiting until being inebriated to deal with smoking thoughts on an intellectual level is dangerous and should be considered life threatening.
Life threatening when you consider that such a lack of preparation can cause a relapse and a relapse is fully capable of costing you your health and your life over time. People who know they are recovering alcoholics cannot drink--smoking or quitting smoking is not the variable here of primary concern for why they drink. They have an addiction to alcohol to be concerned with.
People who have never considered themselves to be an alcoholic or a problem drinker but who cannot drink in a controlled manner, or people whose drinking at one time has adversly effected their health or caused them any economic, professional, legal, or personal problems--these people need to think long and hard of whether they are in fact problem drinkers or possibly dealing with alcoholism issues. If your drinking threatens your quit, you are in effect a problem drinker--you are putting your health on the line to drink.
The vast majority of non-alcoholic social drinkers can still drink without risk of relapse--but being mentally prepared is crucial here. Go into ALL drinking situations reminding yourself that you are a recovering nicotine addict and you are going to be a recovering nicotine addict for the rest of your life.
While that may not sound great in concept--being a recovering nicotine addict--it beats being an actively using nicotine addict hands down. For over time being a recovering addict has no real signs or symptoms and no real adverse health or even social effects associated with it. Being an active user would actively be destroying tissue with every puff, depositing cancer-producing chemicals with every puff, assault your heart and circulatory system with every puff, cost you money with every puff, and make you reek with every puff. To avoid all the problems of being an active addict still translates to always knowing that to stay smoke free--even when not totally sober, still only requires remembering to never take another puff!
Joel
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Imagine being at or near the peak of physical withdrawal and nicotine detox, where your brain begins working fast and hard at restoring natural neurotransmitter sensitivities now that nicotine's arrival has ended. Imagine your conscious dreams and desires of freedom doing a wonderful job at calming, suppressing and overcoming subconscious fears, craves and anxieties associated with arresting your world of chemical dependency, a world of "nicotine normal." Now imagine taking early recovery into a smoke and smoker filled environment and then commencing to drink large quantities of a mind altering and inhibition diminishing substance. What are the chances of your healing surviving? It's what these threads are all about. Although Freedom teaches that we need not give up anything when quitting, that rule must be applied using a bit of common sense. We also teach baby steps and little bites and those principles work extremely well in helping each of us work-up to fully engaging all aspects of life. Alcohol may play a role in half of all fatal vehicle collisions here in the U.S. but it likely plays a much greater role in the death toll stemming from nicotine relapse. Plan ahead! Break the event down into smaller doable bites. Have a coping plan ready. Have a back-up plan. Have an emergency plan. You have but one healling patient to protect and it is "you!" A host of expectations, emotions and new experiences to encounter but only one guiding principle determining whether the patient's healing lives or dies, no nicotine just one hour, challenge and day at a time, Never Take Another Puff, Dip or Chew! John (Gold x5)
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