smokers?

I'm just curious to know how many members smoke cigarettes? I read somewhere that a large number of people with CD are smokers and that made me curious. I am a smoker and wondered how many other CD sufferers are? Thanks!

Ex-smoker. 6 months now. I highly recommend Chantix.

I decided I don't want to continue getting sick and having surgeries and if there's a chance stopping smoking will help me, I'm doing it. I smoked for many, many years and was in complete denial about how it affected my health and specifically my CD. My newest GI didn't stop pushing me to quit, and I'm grateful. He explained that I had a much lower chance of remission while smoking and of course it's really detrimental to healing.

My husband quit with me, which really helped, but he recently started again. He's not allowed to smoke at the house (inside or out) and never in front of me. This is my life on the line. I'm determined not to start again, I won't even have "just one" because I know I'll start again.

Sorry, off my soap box. I hope I can stay off the evil casket nails.

I smoke...about half a pack a day....sometimes more depending on my level of boredom or anxiety.

My doctor keeps telling me to quit. When I had my first flare from hell I was so freaked there was no way I was going to quit at that time. My anxiety was off the charts and drugs didn't cut it for me. My only solace (in my little mind) was smoking. Nobody has to tell me it isn't good for me. All smokers know that it isn't. I figure I'll quit one of these days...or not. If my ciggies don't kill me, something else will.

Besides.....I really, really enjoy smoking. If I light up and am not enjoying the current smoke, I just put it out and light up later. They don't always taste good to me. So I only smoke when they do. And when I'm feeling really lousy I hardly smoke at all. I just don't want them when I feel so gross...but I keep trying. How's that for a die hard addict?

Non-smoker for one week now!

I have so much more energy now!!

eek, im a smoker as well, my doc said i will have to quit soon, but im not in a rush with all these new drugs and things im going through, when im ready to move to that step i will.....

smoking for over 20 years

I don't smoke around my kids, especially since finding out the smoking including second hand smoke is a trigger for crohns and if one parent has IBD there is a -10 to -15 fold increased risk of their offspring also getting IBD.


:)

Im a smoker too, about 10 a day, and always smoke outside.
I have given up several times and each time I always had a flare up with the Crohn's. It was always when I was admitted to hospital I started smoking again........pleading with my family to bring me some ciggies before I went completely crazy!!!!!!!!!!!

I gave up again since my ileo surgery, but I started again, dont know what triggered the cravings as I was doing really well. Anyhoo Im giving it another go, got my Nicorette patches (maybe I should stick them over my mouth, might do the trick!!!!!!!!!!! lol)

There are other things I would rather spend my hard earned cash on, ie, saving up to go to New York next year, so Im determined to do it........

Diane xxx

Ex smoker since august of 2001. Have had a couple puffs since then and was very alarmed at how easy they were to take and so refuse to even have the occasional for fear of starting back up.

I have been smoking for 43 years.

I smoked for 10 years (from 13 to 23 years old), but I quit 7 years ago. My doctor told me that quitting may have been the one thing I did that could have contributed to the onset of my IBD, but I think that's because he is now wondering if I have UC. My previous doctor told me that I had Crohn's colitis, but I guess my case is ambiguous. So, if I have Crohn's, then it was good that I quit, but if I have UC, then apparently I should have kept smoking. I guess the smoking would have helped my GI symptoms, but led to a billion other health problems.

I've been smoking for about 25 years but am waiting for my Chantix to arrive. Hubby used it and quit last April. I tried it then, but got nauseous and had to stop it. I'm hoping this time around will be better because the Humira has really gotten my gut under control.

I could never understand the occasional smoker. Having been addicted to cigarettes for so long, it boggles my mind that someone would smoke only occasionally. If you don't NEED it, why do it? I'd love to be able to just not smoke, even if it was only for a few days at a time.

Keah,

It may be worth it to get an Rx for Zofran or Companzine to fight the nausea. I have to take an iron supplement now, and I started taking it with an anti-nausea medication to be safe. Quitting would be worth it in the long run. Good luck to you.

Oh, and I envy the occasional smoker, stupid I know, but it would be nice to have 1 or 2 cigarettes on certain occasions, but I know I wouldn't stop.