The biochemical healing process of our bodies once we are quit…  The healing process is a biochemical one, that is behind our emotional upheaval, depression and crying…  We are not able to help it. Its normal. We don`t have to panic. Just let it roll. It is ok. 

Nicotine is a perfect mimic of acetylcholine, which is a natural chemical our bodies produce. This natural chemical controls emotions and reactions to things in our brains, and sympathetic nervous system…  The use of Nicotine stops our bodies from producing acetylcholine. We stop the Nicotine and bodies have to learn all over again to produce acetylcholine… 

Acetylcholine: What Is It and How Does It Work?

(Very technical language, but you will get the idea of how basic and important this natural chemical is to our body functioning…) 

Acetylcholine (frequently abbreviated ACh) is the most widely spread neurotransmitter – chemical messenger assisting in carrying signals across the nerve synapse. It is the most plentiful neurotransmitter, which may be found in both the peripheral and central nervous systems (VandenBos, 2007). Acetylcholine used to be the primary neurotransmitter to be discovered. This neurotransmitter was found by Henry Hallett Dale in the year 1914 and its existence was confirmed by Otto Loewi (VandenBos, 2007). 

It is helpful to think of neurotransmitters as messengers of the brain. These chemicals, which originate within the body, assist in delivering messages from one neuron to another. Basically, neurons that use acetylcholine to send the messages are recognized as cholinergic neurons. The pathway for their communication is the synapse. Neurotransmitters shift between synapses and join the receptors specially created to get messages only from that particular chemical (Whittaker, 1990). Upon this blending, nerve cells related to the receptor site are activated in one of two ways. Either they will fire in the excitatory reaction, or they will be averted from doing so in the inhibitory reaction.

Functions of Acetylcholine

The importance of acetylcholine may be explained by the fact that there are particular cells geared to react only to acetylcholine spread through the dissimilar parts of the brain. The activated receptors enable the communication from basal forebrain to the hippocampus, two regions controlling memory and learning. ACh’s role in the brain enhances the intensity and quality of neuron signaling by increasing theta waves. In particular, acetylcholine enhances the encoding of memories in the perirhinal and entorhinal cortex (Whittaker, 1990). Also, it prompts synaptogenesis, the normal development of synapses all through the brain (Whittaker, 1990). This additionally improves memory encoding, and helps other neurotransmitters to communicate messages (Colman, 2006). The lack of the necessary neuroplasticity may be the major aspect of diseases, such as ADHD and Alzheimer’s Disease.

Acetylcholine influences a large part of body systems counting the cardiovascular system by playing a role of a vasodilator, by lessening cardiac rate, and by lessening cardiac contraction; the gastrointestinal system by means of augmenting peristalsis in the stomach and by rising the number of digestive contractions; and, ultimately, the urinary tract by lessening the aptitude of the bladder and increasing the voiding pressure (VandenBos, 2007). Furthermore, acetylcholine influences the respiratory system and facilitates secretion by all glands, which respond to parasympathetic nerve impulses (VandenBos, 2007). 

Furthermore, acetylcholine serves excitatory and inhibitory functions, which means that ACh can speed up or slow down nerve signals. In the central nervous system, its function is mainly excitatory. It assists in learning, memory, arousal, and neuroplasticity (Colman, 2006). ACh also participates in engaging sensory functions upon waking, assists in concentration, and performs as part of brain’s reward system. Also, acetylcholine is involved in maintaining rapid eye movement sleep. In the peripheral nervous system, it helps with the cardiac, skeletal, and smooth muscles’ contraction (Colman, 2006). Unevenness in acetylcholine leads to the emergence of myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune medical condition, which causes muscle weakness and fatigue (Colman, 2006).

Importance of acetylcholine for the central nervous system: in the central nervous system, acetylcholine may be discovered mainly in interneurons. In this system, acetylcholine has numerous effects counting arousal and reward, as well as learning and short-term memory (via synaptic plasticity, the capability to alter the neuron connection strength). A few significant long-axon cholinoceptive pathways have also been discovered. Remarkable is the cholinoceptive projection from the nucleus basalis of Meynert to the forebrain neocortex and linked limbic structures (Waymire, n.d.).

Degeneration of the pathway is one of the medical conditions blamed on Alzheimer’s disease. There is also a projection from diagonal band region to limbic structures (Waymire, n.d.). The majority of subcortical areas are innerved by neurons from ponto-mesencephalic area. 

This is why our emotions are literally all over the place!  This can take a while to build back up again.  Just knowing this should help us to walk thru it better… It helped me a lot. 

We can explain this to our family, so that they will understand and not get upset with what we literally can`t help… 

The acetylcholine WILL come back…  I’m toward the end of this re-balancing… 

I still get some moments, but overall I am much calmer. Be patient… this process takes time.  

Lots of people think, oh after 72 hours the Nicotine is out of me, and I’m fine…  Yes, the “withdrawal” part is done, but then, the rebuild and chemical rebalance takes a while longer. And that`s ok… It is a steady slow improvement… It is the healing (your body learning to manufacture its acetylcholine again). 

This knowledge and patience with ourselves are what helps us get through this time, because it is a normal part of the quit process.