# Nicotine patches as a keep alert while driving **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 14, 2013, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotine-patches-as-a-keep-alert-while-driving/660974 "2013-06-14T07:36:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotine-patches-as-a-keep-alert-while-driving/660974/1 "2013-06-14T07:36:18Z")
What are the downsides to using nicotine patches (7mg) as a stimulant while driving? ---
**Author:** ![\_Olive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/4af34b/32.png) [@\_Olive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_Olive)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotine-patches-as-a-keep-alert-while-driving/660974/2 "2013-06-14T08:17:04Z")
I have never heard of that. I am addicted to the nicotine lozenges. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotine-patches-as-a-keep-alert-while-driving/660974/3 "2013-06-14T12:21:01Z")
Nicotine patches usually cause weird dreams/nightmares at night. Other than that, I dunno. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotine-patches-as-a-keep-alert-while-driving/660974/4 "2013-06-14T12:25:40Z")
I’d go for coffee or soda over a patch. Actually, you should be stopping every so often and taking a break. That will keep you awake. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotine-patches-as-a-keep-alert-while-driving/660974/5 "2013-06-14T12:38:37Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > What are the downsides to using nicotine patches (7mg) as a stimulant while driving? Nicotine addiction. May accelerate coronary and other arterial disease states, especially in the settings of hypertension and/or diabetes. Those would be my top two reasons to not use nicotine as a stimulant. ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotine-patches-as-a-keep-alert-while-driving/660974/6 "2013-06-14T12:50:25Z")
Aren’t the patches too strong for someone who doesn’t smoke? Maybe a few puffs on an electronic cigarette instead. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotine-patches-as-a-keep-alert-while-driving/660974/7 "2013-06-14T15:53:01Z")
Thanks for the responses. ---
**Author:** ![thicksantorum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@thicksantorum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thicksantorum)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotine-patches-as-a-keep-alert-while-driving/660974/8 "2013-06-14T18:29:30Z")
Gum or e-cigs are probably a better method than patches, if you’re set on using nicotine as a stimulant. More control over the dosage. ---
**Author:** ![randomface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@randomface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randomface)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotine-patches-as-a-keep-alert-while-driving/660974/9 "2013-06-14T18:55:29Z")
That’s not too bad of one, although they made me irritable. I used those when I had to drive longer trips before I was diagnosed as narcoleptic because smoking kept me awake but I didn’t like to smoke. So I reported to the University Stop Smoking program and got free patches and some gum, which I didn’t like. ---
**Author:** ![yorick73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5a626/32.png) [@yorick73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yorick73)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotine-patches-as-a-keep-alert-while-driving/660974/10 "2013-06-14T19:04:42Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Nicotine addiction. May accelerate coronary and other arterial disease states, especially in the settings of hypertension and/or diabetes. > > Those would be my top two reasons to not use nicotine as a stimulant. Is it known that nicotine has these effects without the use of tobacco? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotine-patches-as-a-keep-alert-while-driving/660974/11 "2013-06-14T20:08:24Z")
> [@yorick73](#): > > Is it known that nicotine has these effects without the use of tobacco? Yes. Smoking tobacco is far, far worse, but nicotine does seem to have some role in increased risk for hardening of the arteries all by itself. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotine-patches-as-a-keep-alert-while-driving/660974/12 "2013-06-14T20:29:51Z")
If you are not a smoker it may make you sick, probably will. I am a smoker and they make me dizzy and sick to my stomach if I leave them on too long. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotine-patches-as-a-keep-alert-while-driving/660974/13 "2013-06-14T22:01:11Z")
What are your reasons for wanting a caffeine alternative? Generally in the context of driving folks are wanting to avoid the stops often necessitated by the traditional method of “drinking coffee.” If that’s it, why not just use caffeine pills? (In moderation of course, you don’t want to get all shakey.) ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotine-patches-as-a-keep-alert-while-driving/660974/14 "2013-06-14T22:29:19Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > If you are not a smoker it may make you sick, probably will. I am a smoker and they make me dizzy and sick to my stomach if I leave them on too long. That’s what I was gonna say - nausea ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotine-patches-as-a-keep-alert-while-driving/660974/15 "2013-06-14T22:58:56Z")
> [@thicksantorum](#): > > Gum or e-cigs are probably a better method than patches, if you’re set on using nicotine as a stimulant. More control over the dosage. Agree with this - and caffeine is available and quickly absorbed as a gum. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotine-patches-as-a-keep-alert-while-driving/660974/16 "2013-06-14T23:32:17Z")
Seriously- you do not want to get addicted to nicotine. Caffeine works just as well while driving and isn’t\* as\* addictive. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotine-patches-as-a-keep-alert-while-driving/660974/17 "2013-06-14T23:42:48Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > What are your reasons for wanting a caffeine alternative? Generally in the context of driving folks are wanting to avoid the stops often necessitated by the traditional method of “drinking coffee.” If that’s it, why not just use caffeine pills? (In moderation of course, you don’t want to get all shakey.) Perhaps because caffeine is the prime cause for needing to make those stops? Coffee accelerates your metabolism, IIUC, that it why it causes urinary frequency. Why would caffeine not cause that? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2013, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotine-patches-as-a-keep-alert-while-driving/660974/18 "2013-06-15T00:22:35Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > What are your reasons for wanting a caffeine alternative? Generally in the context of driving folks are wanting to avoid the stops often necessitated by the traditional method of “drinking coffee.” If that’s it, why not just use caffeine pills? (In moderation of course, you don’t want to get all shakey.) Migraines with caffeine and ineffectiveness. ---
**Author:** ![yorick73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5a626/32.png) [@yorick73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yorick73)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotine-patches-as-a-keep-alert-while-driving/660974/19 "2013-06-15T21:43:32Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Yes. > > Smoking tobacco is far, far worse, but nicotine does seem to have some role in increased risk for hardening of the arteries all by itself. Do you have a reliable cite for this. I did a quick scan of Pubmed and find a lot of conflicting info on the role of nicotine in the progression of certain cancers and a paper from 1997 JACC that states that NRT does not seem to increase cardiovascular risk in patients with underlying stable coronary disease. Your initial answer “Yes” seems very confident, yet your second sentence uses words such as “seem” and “some role”. It sounds to me as if the jury is still out on this one. As an aside, I wonder how the effect of nicotine on cardiovascular health would compare to caffeine. The jury still seems to be out of caffeine as well. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotine-patches-as-a-keep-alert-while-driving/660974/20 "2013-06-17T15:51:29Z")
> [@yorick73](#): > > Do you have a reliable cite for this. I did a quick scan of Pubmed and find a lot of conflicting info on the role of nicotine in the progression of certain cancers and a paper from 1997 JACC that states that NRT does not seem to increase cardiovascular risk in patients with underlying stable coronary disease. > > Your initial answer “Yes” seems very confident, yet your second sentence uses words such as “seem” and “some role”. It sounds to me as if the jury is still out on this one. > > As an aside, I wonder how the effect of nicotine on cardiovascular health would compare to caffeine. The jury still seems to be out of caffeine as well. [Not conclusive by any means, but suggestive:](http://content.onlinejacc.org/article.aspx?articleid=1127701) > [@](#): > > These results demonstrate that nicotine alone causes acute endothelial dysfunction, although to a lesser extent than smoking a cigarette of the same nicotine yield. However, the precise mechanisms by which nicotine leads to this altered vascular reactivity remain unclear. I’m all in favor of alternative nicotine delivery systems to get smokers to quit. But there is still a body of evidence that indicates nicotine alone can cause vascular damage. Whether or not it is clinically significant remains to be seen. But I’ll err on the side of caution, and advise non-smokers to avoid nicotine. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotine-patches-as-a-keep-alert-while-driving/660974.md?page=2)