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Christine's avatar

Experiment with nicotine round 2. I stopped taking the nicotine patches and increased my dose of velvet bean for a few days to feel the difference. My legs feel easier with the velvet bean, but are weaker and wobblier, so back onto the nicotine patch for another 6 days.

Round 2 Day 1 of 7mg nicotine patch worn on thigh. No noticeable difference, good or bad. The patches don't stay on in very humid weather and have to be stuck on with medical dressing tape.

Round 2 Day 2 of 7mg nicotine patch worn on thigh. Maybe nicotine is somewhat strengthening, but again this test is not going to be valid because it is confused with getting a diagnosis of cancer yesterday. I am going to keep using the patches because, if nothing else, I am being heavily exposed to vaccinated medical personnel and who knows if the nicotine will help.

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DAY 1 of 7mg nicotine patch worn on thigh.

I had no allergy reactions or any noticeable skin or digestive reactions to the patch. That pleased me. However, I have been unbearably sleepy, with sleep trying to drag me under most of the time I am awake. I don't know if it is related to the nicotine or not, given that nicotine is a stimulant and encourages the production of cortisol. My blood sugar is a little high but no higher than normal, and is stable, no noticeable swings that I have detected.

DAY 2 of 7mg nicotine patch worn on thigh.

Still no noticeable reactions except this sleepiness, which if anything is getting worse. I have set aside the time to write this while I force myself to stay awake. Sleepiness is classified as a rare side effect of the patch. I will leave the patch in place as it isn't going to do me any harm to sleep more. Night night (at 4 in the afternoon). ;-) Lowest blood sugar reading in a few weeks (still a little high).

DAY 3 of 7mg nicotine patch worn on thigh (where it keeps falling off and has to be stuck back on with adhesive dressing).

No change in full range of long covid and FMS symptoms. Also no additional symptoms. Blood sugar still stable withing its normal slightly high readings. So nothing to report. My main fear of nicotine pushing up blood sugar does not seem to be eventuating. If anything I feel calmer and more grounded.

DAY 4 of 7mg nicotine patch worn on thigh

No change in full range of long covid and FMS symptoms.. Sometimes worse, sometimes better, which is normal variability for both FMS and long covid. Blood sugar within my normal range.

DAY 5 of 7mg nicotine patch worn on thigh

No change in full range of long covid and FMS symptoms.. Blood sugar within my normal range.

DAY 6 of 7mg nicotine patch worn on thigh

No change in full range of long covid and FMS symptoms.. Blood sugar within my normal range. I had a procedure today to excise what looks like quite a large and fast growing skin cancer (my first ever cancer) which may have been distracting my body from other healing efforts, so I will take 2 days off from the patches to check for addiction, then continue this trial for another 6 days. At least I have worked out that there seem to be no harmful side effects - so long as there is no addiction issue. Even more, I am sure the nicotine REDUCES my cortisol production, which for me is a very good thing. I had also stopped taking a few of my regular herbals that are notorious blood thinners knowing the doctor was going top have to cut deep so bleeding might be a problem, thus messing up my normal support for my body to heal what ails it. It's all gotten toooo complicated - too many issues to deal with simultaneously, and too little high level guidance and support out there. According to the nurse, my bleeding looked "very healthy" and "about right" - so that's good to know.

DAY 7 no nicotine patch. Collapse after medical procedure down to my lowest level of "normal" Spent all day on sofa unable to do anything. Still taking low dose of velvet bean. No sign of any withdrawal symptoms from nicotine. Blood sugar pleasingly in my low range.

DAY 8 no nicotine patch. Morning still at my lowest level of "normal" . Had wound dressed to be told that it was very clean and healing surprisingly well - but we still don't know if they removed all of the cancer. Spent most of my day on sofa unable to do anything, until late afternoon, when I "perked up" and my legs were "normal" enough for me to go for a short walk, not in pain but very weak (these sort of fluctuations are normal and usually inexplicable). Still taking low dose of velvet bean. No sign of any withdrawal symptoms from nicotine. Blood sugar pleasingly in my low range.

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