This is a guest post.
I have occasionally had Nicotine show up in microbiome prescription suggestions. I have tended to skip it because that usually implies smoking -- not a healthy choice. A person recently share their recovery story (below - as written by them) using Nicotine Patches, not smoking. It is an interesting aspect that I had not considered before.
My Journey to complete remission
Updated June 2023
#TheNicotineTest
Twitter: NickChambers2
- ME/CFS
Diagnosed in 2015 – 8 years ago – Possible Glandular Fever.
- Vax injury (AZ)
2021 – 2 years ago – Moved from mild to moderate. Increase in symptoms and severity. Mostly housebound.
- Long Covid??
Caught Covid twice, but no long Covid diagnosis.
Symptoms:
PEM, Brain Fog, Light, noise, heat, cold sensitivity, Anger, muscle tightness & soreness, air hunger, body jerks, anxiety, depression, joint soreness, IBS.
Condition:
Mild & Moderate. I need to use the bannister to climb the stairs. I’ve been generally housebound since my Covid vaccine.
I’ve included some links in this document as some people have asked for them. Various alternatives are usually available and often at a lower cost. I’m not endorsing or recommending anything.
My Health Routine:
Most of these are daily and I’ve been doing most of them for 12 months or more.
- At one stage I was taking 96 tablets a day. I’m now taking 35 tablets a day.
- Pemf Mat – Curatron XPSE
- Twice a week HBOT – At local MS centre
- Red light panel – Biomax 900 https://platinumtherapylights.com
- 16:8 intermittent fasting
- Two minutes on a rebounder / lymphatic drainage
- Nebulising 0.5% hydrogen peroxide
- Low dose naltrexone – 1ml
- Grounding sheet on bed
- Grounding in garden
- 100 billion oral probiotics (Symprove & Capsules)
- Additional prebiotic powders (6 types)
- Skin brushing
- Only drinking distilled water
- Cold showers
- Coffee Enemas – Join this group for info https://m.facebook.com/groups/coffeebreaksupport/?ref=share
- Pre & pro-biotic enemas
- Juicing
- Sunlight exposure
- Epsom baths
- Vagus nerve stimulation (Concha Cymba/tens machine, Neck/Pulsetto, Chest/Amofit S)
- Infrared sauna blanket – https://www.mihigh.com/products/infrared-sauna-blanket
- Very little Alcohol, Red meat, Gluten, Wheat, Dairy.
- At home oxygen concentrator – DEDAKJ 2L – 9L (3 lpm at 75% oxygen) https://amzn.eu/d/hRjAnZ0
EMF’s – I’ve moved our bed and my child’s bed a foot from the wall due to increased EMF’s from the electric wiring. I no longer charge anything in my room. This is the EMF reader I own: https://amzn.eu/d/7yb66g0
Mobile Phone: I try to not have my mobile in my pocket, to reduce any potential radiation exposure.
Also experimented with:
- Methylene Blue
- DMSO
- Diamateous Earth
- High dose B12
- Methyl B Vitamins
- Nebulising glutathione
- Lymphatic drainage massage
- Cryotherapy
- Nattokinase
- Rectal Ozone Treatment
- Energy Therapy
- Iodine (Lugols)
- Colonics
- Binaural Beats – Theta Waves
- Acupuncture
- Creatine Monohydrate
- Meditation
- Activated charcoal
- Juicing 10cm ginger root a day
- Anti Depressants
- Armpit detox (as aluminium levels were high)
- Mushrooms (Chaga, lions mane etc)
- CBD oil (no THC)
- Melatonin 5mg before bed
- Herbal remedies
- Homeopathic remedies
- Not working 9-5 to reduce stress
- Yoga, Pilates & Stretching
- Mindfulness
- The Lightning Process (brain retraining)
- Talking therapy
- Keto diet
- Goat Kefir
- Irlen lenses to reduce light sensitivity
- Ear plugs/Air pods to reduce noise sensitivity
- Nutritionist for 12 months to assist with the mine field of supplements
My favourite Tests & Key findings/results:
- Www.biomesight.com – Helped to create an improved gut microbiome
- Oat Test – told me I had high level of aluminium and an e-coli infection – who knew!!
- DNA Test (www.mydnahealth.co.uk – pro version) I don’t absorb vitamin D from the sun very easily (that explains the SAD Syndrome!) increased my vit D to 10,000 IU a day
- York Test – Told me I have various food intolerances. Amended accordingly.
My Favourites ❤️:
- Nicotine Patches (Game changer)
- Coffee enemas
- Vagus Nerve stimulation
- Juicing (lower energy required for digestion)
- Low dose naltrexone – definitely helped, but struggled to find ideal dose. Currently back down to 1ml a day.
- Did a www.biomesight.com test and followed recommendations for improved gut health
- Sauna blanket – Helped to detox and sweat – we don’t sweat when we have fatigue!
- Red light – no change to pem or brain fog, but it made my hair grow back and fixed my bletheritis!
- 1g Cinnamon capsules a day for tight hamstrings
- Cordless tens machine for muscular aches and pains
- Intermittent Fasting – 16:8 for 6 days a week for probably the last 9 months
My Nicotine Patch Journey
Position: Left shoulder (upper body is best, but not neck or head). Put new patches in different areas of left shoulder to avoid irritation from patches. Reduced effectiveness if placed on fatty areas apparently. May come off in Bath. Use additional tape to hold in place if you need to.
Nicotine Patches I used: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001E5CDTG?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
These patches can’t be cut, but if you want to start on a lower dose (3.5mg), place some tape underneath the patch, covering half.
Started Patches: 15th April 2023
Days 1-7 : 7mg Nicotinell patches, worn 247
Side Effects: Nausea, headaches, herxing, flu like symptoms, increased depression and anxiety. Sleep affected. Crazy angry dreams.
Days 8-20: no patches. Feeling better each day, but only 90% recovered.
Days 21&22: 7mg patches. 247. Thought process is that I might need to mop up the last bit of spike protein. Same side effects as before.
Days 23-34: No patches. Feeling 95% better – all symptoms.
Days 35&36: 7mg patches. Just in case right? Hardly any side effects this time. I think it might be out of my system.
Days 36 onwards: I’ve got drunk, I’ve had a cold and cough, I’ve been kayaking, I’ve been on holiday and had to run to the gate as nearly missed the flight, I’ve dug holes and mixed cement. Only lingering symptoms are minor body jerks and air hunger. Still no PEM or brain fog.
Day 56: Happy, Happy, Happy.
Future: I will try the patches again for two days in a months time. Just to see if I herx etc.
Helpful Links:
#TheNicotineTest Links!
Survey!
Protocol 2.0
Step by Step Dose
Objectives & Doubts
Hypothesis 1.0
https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheNicotineTest?src=hashtag_click
External websites:
Nicotine Patch Study:
https://bioelecmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42234-023-00104-7
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9845100/
Make sure you translate to English in your browser:
Part of @RenzPolster’s comment on a recent Health Rising article:
“in healthy people after exercise: the DMN [default mode network] is being switched off and the central threat response networks are being activated. In ME/CFS, however, parts of the DMN are NOT being turned off after stress exposure but are activated instead.”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33216167/
Detox:
To help remove the spike protein, I detoxed before, during and after the patches.
Daily supplements:
- Activated Charcoal 500mg,
- Vitamin C 5g,
- Ashwaghanda 500mg,
- Licorice Root 500mg,
- Psyllium Husk Powder 3g,
- NAC 1.5g.
I would also take my usual probiotics, prebiotics and vitamins and mineral supplements.
Note: I took the patches off on two nights, as I was struggling to sleep. I just put it back on when I woke up in the morning.
Summary:
I’m now in complete remission. I mean COMPLETE REMISSION (well… I have very mild air hunger and body jolts once a day). I feel the same as I was prior to my CFS diagnosis 8 years ago.
The NICOTINE PATCHES were like a light switch moment. The only thing that physically worked and continued to work for more than a week.
QUESTION: Am I in remission because of all the other things I’ve done/doing, which made it easier for my body to recover once the Nicotine Patches did their thing? Time will tell.
Interesting fact: My son would always want to feel my bicep like 8 year olds do. It has always hurt my bicep to tense it (since CFS) and it was sore when my son would squeeze it – but I manned up and let him do it anyway 😊.
But since the nicotine patches, the soreness has gone and my muscles feel fuller again!
UPDATE: 55 days in, i was on holiday and I caught a cold. A few days later I felt the fatigue, brain fog, anxiety return 🙈. I’d also developed constipation. Putting 2 and 2 together, I realised I wasn’t taking all my pre & probiotics and I wasn’t doing my usual Pemf, oxygen or coffee enemas etc.
I bought some psyllium husk and other prebiotic fibres and within 12 hours, my fatigue, brain fog and anxiety had completely gone! Therefore, this reaffirms to me, that our gut health is so important in our recovery.
My supplement list
(Taken in the last two years – for different symptoms – Bold are my existing supplements)
- K2-7+Menaquingold +K1
- Ubiquinol
- Curcumin
- Omega 3 (DHA/EPA)
- Multivitamin
- Acetyl L Carnitine
- Creatine
- PQQ
- NAC
- L Carnitine
- Alpha Lipoic Acid
- Glucosamine, Chrondroitin, MSM
- Vitamin D3 – 5000 IU
- NADH Sublingual
- Liposomal Glutathione
- Resveratrol
- Silymarin Complex
- Echinacea
- Black Seed Oil
- Chitosan & Chromium
- Choline & Inositol
- Olive Leaf Extract
- Calcium Hydroxyapatite
- Trans-Resveratrol
- Antarctic Krill
- Trans-Resveratrol
- Vitamin B12 (Sublingual)
- Magnesium – Various types
- Vitamin C Sustained release 3g a day
- Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide) prolonged release
- Aloe Vera Juice
- Organic Ashwaghanda KSM-66
- Selenium – 200mg a day
- Potassium
- Chelated Manganese
- Flushing Niacin
- Starflower Oil (omega 6)
- Quercetin – 500mg
- L-Theanine
- Nattokinase
- K-2 – 100mg
- Zinc – 50mg
- Green Tea / EGCG
- ADRENergize (Adrenal support)
- Berberine
- Astralagas
- Monolaurin
- Lions Mane
- Chlorella
- Spirulina
- Lecithin
- Cinnamon – 500mg (affects good e-coli?)
- Garlic Oil
- Melatonin – 5mg
- Panseng Ginseng
- L-Lysine
- Rhodiola
- Ginkgo Biloba
- BCAA
- L-Arginine & L-Citrulline
- Iron
- Activated Charcoal
- OPC – Grape Seed Extract
PROBIOTICS
- Sporebiotics
- Symprove
- Bio cultures complex
- Iherb – California Nutrition 30 billion
- Probiotic complex
- Acidophilus
- MicroMax – The Healthy Company
- Optibac – Immune Support
- Chuckling Goat Kefir
POWDERS
- Turmeric
- Ginger
- Ashwaghanda
- Pine Pollen
- Rice Bran
- Wheatgrass
- Hemp Protein
- D-Ribose
- Lucuma Powder
- Moringa Oleifera
- Baobab Powder
- Vitamin C Powder
- Chlorella
- L- Glutamine
- Collagen Protein
PREBIOTICS
- Inulin (chickory root)
- Bimuno (GOS)
- PHGG (Partially Hydrolised Guar Gum)
- Guar Gum Powder
- Gum Arabic
- Psyllium Husk Powder
- Acacia Powder
- Pure HMO (Human Milk Oligosaccharides)
- Organic Potato Starch
- Bifido Boost (XOS)
- Lactulose solution
Note: Many prebiotic and dietary adjustments were made after my www.biomesight.co.uk test. I’ve done three altogether over the last 12 months. Results also uploaded to www.microbiomeprescription.com for further insight, analysis and recommendations.
- 30 grams of ground nuts and seeds a day.
- Chia, linseed, pecan, almond, hemp, pumpkin, sunflower & Brazil.
- CBD Oil (20%)
- Dr Myhills Sunshine Salt
BOOKS
I will continue to update and share this document with new revelations and thought processes.
CFS Remission 