A Student Nurse and the Biochemical Nicotine Quit

Years ago, while I was a student nurse, I decided it was finally time to quit chewing tobacco. In fact, my nickname “stunur” comes from Student Nurse. Today I am a Registered Nurse, but one of the most useful lessons I learned about nicotine began with my own quit.

Learning the basic pharmacology helped me understand what was happening inside my brain.

Our nervous system naturally uses a chemical messenger called acetylcholine (ACh). Think of ACh as a key. It fits into special locks on nerve cells called acetylcholine receptors.

Nicotine is a biochemical impersonator. It can fit into a type of acetylcholine receptor called a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. In other words, nicotine acts like a counterfeit key.

Once nicotine turns that key, the effects spread through the nervous system. Brain chemicals such as dopamine are released. Dopamine is especially important because it helps create feelings of reward and teaches the brain, “That was important—do it again.” Nicotine also affects chemicals involved in alertness and stress and can stimulate the release of epinephrine (adrenaline).

With repeated nicotine use, the brain adapts to having nicotine around. When nicotine disappears, that adapted nervous system protests. We experience that as withdrawal—cravings, irritability, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, and the powerful feeling that something is missing.

Understanding this changed the way I viewed my quit.

I wasn’t simply fighting a can of chewing tobacco. My nervous system had learned to expect nicotine, and now I was asking it to learn something new.

The wonderful part is that the brain can adapt again.

For me, quitting became more understandable when I could say: This is biochemistry. My brain is adjusting. Give it time.

And I did. You can too. I’m proud to be quit with you.

NOTE: This piece written by stunur