Tobacco smoking is associated with negative clinical outcomes, including higher ratings of psychiatric symptoms and functional impairment, more missed pills, and lower quality of life (QoL) ratings, while alcohol use is associated with decreased medication adherence and cannabis use is associated with greater impairment in overall functioning and positive symptoms in patients experiencing first episode psychosis, according to the results of a study published in Early Intervention in Psychiatry.
The investigators used generalized estimating equations to determine whether recent tobacco smoking, alcohol, and cannabis use at baseline were associated with severity of illness, number of antipsychotic pills missed, psychiatric symptoms, and QoL during the 24-month treatment period. They controlled for duration of untreated psychosis and treatment group.
Full story:
https://www.psychiatryadvisor.com/schizophrenia-advisor/first-episode-psychosis-treatment-outcome-tobacco-alcohol-cannabis/article/749475/
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I understand, and agree with, the reasons stated for tobacco being associated with negative clinical outcomes, but I still believe that tobacco has, to one degree or another, benefits for either positive, negative or cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia.
Maybe I’m simply trying to justify my cigarette smoking.
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I do agree - I think nicotine has a beneficial effect - as we’ve outlined here:
Smoking and Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia.com’s guide to help reduce the health & financial burdens of cigarette addiction
Unfortunately - tobacco is the worse way to get nicotine. Check out that report and try to change to another nicotine delivery approach. Vaping is probably much better - though still with risks.
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@SzAdmin
Thank you. I’m going to read the link now.
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Some argue that it’s good for us, some say it’s a negative thing. Health-wise, it’s always a no-no. But I’ve been trying to stay off of tobacco for years. I just can’t seem to stick with it when I do quit for a short time…
Wish I never would have started. Used to say that if it didn’t get me high, why bother? Than I started getting high on speed about a year after high school and started smoking tobacco about the same time. Been smoking almost the whole time since. 