Nicotine Cheat Sheet

Let me state, right off the bat, that I don't want anyone to smoke cigarettes. They are a proven health hazard. PERIOD. There are other ways to use nicotine and they include vaping, the patch and the gum. Also, if you have never smoked or used nicotine then you shouldn't. But, if you have Narcolepsy with or without cataplexy and do use nicotine then this is the explanation of why you are self medicating. Nicotine is both a REM suppressant and a stimulant. It helps my brain to function and it lessens the severity of cataplexy. It is also addictive but no more so than any other med used for Narcolepsy. If you suddenly withdraw it, without tapering down, you will experience side effects... increased EDS is one of them but, for those with cataplexy, it will increase the severity and frequency of events dramatically. Nicotine is also being studied (with great success) to help other health issues that affect both mind and body.
Studies of Nicotine as it affects Narcoleptics...
http://www.jneurosci.org/content/25/21/5225.full
http://autoimmunepatient.com/wordpress/2013/03/07/narcolepsy-and-nicotine/
http://sleepeducation.blogspot.mx/2010/03/narcolepsy-waking-up-with-nicotine.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3311418/
http://forums.narcolepsynetwork.org/index.php?/topic/13980-an-accidental-confirmation/#comment-55264
Other information and studies on the benefits of nicotine...
http://www.nature.com/aps/journal/v30/n6/full/aps200967a.html
http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/drugs-alcohol/nicotine-health-benefits.htm
http://themindunleashed.com/2014/10/nicotine-are-we-wrong.html
http://ecigarettereviewed.com/top-10-studies-on-nicotine-you-need-to-know-about/
http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/20031012195753data_trunc_sys.shtml
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/06/opinion/sunday/can-nicotine-be-good-for-you.html?_r=0
So, now, all the information is in one spot and fairly easy to find for reference. I will add to the thread if I come across any other information. It would be helpful if those that are outraged would actually read the material that I've linked to before jumping all over me. Peace.