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crohns and smoking

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 12/6/2007 12:08 AM (GMT 0)
I was wondering if any of yall smoked or live with someone who smokes. My girlfriend smokes, and I have read studies that said that smoking or being exposed to second hand smoke can greatly increase your chances of having a flare, and the severaty of it. I'm trying, well begging her to quit...but well...ya know I end up getting my head bit off. I swear it seems like shes on prednisone.
Posted 12/6/2007 12:23 AM (GMT 0)
I used to smoke for years. I eventually quit but would smoke socially for a while. This past time I got sick I had been going out a lot the month or two leading up to the flare (so drinking more and eating all kinds of crazy things) and also having a few cigarettes - I am convinced now it makes everything so much worse so yes, in my opinion it can precipitate a flare.

If your girlfriend smokes she should smoke outside, that is not too much to ask. Keep in mind this is coming from someone who used to smoke and even then realized that people should not be smoking inside around non-smokers.

Post Edited (wednesday2007) : 12/5/2007 7:40:22 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/6/2007 5:31 AM (GMT 0)
I used to smoke but quit 2 years ago and then developed CD afterwards. From what I understand from my GI, smoking is said to be a possible contributing factor to Crohn's and its recurrance in the form of flares. When I first saw my GI, he suspected UC because I told him I had quit smoking and quitting is a potential factor in getting UC. Tests said the opposite. So for me, was quitting a potential contributing cause of my Crohn's or is my body just bass ackwards??
When I did smoke, though, I would go outside for the sake of my wife and kid who do not need any secondhand smoke from me. In my opinion, if your girlfriend really cares about you she would not mind going outside to smoke. In fairness to her, before I quit, I would almost bite my wife's head off when she asked me to quit for it was a very difficult thing to do.
Good luck
Posted 12/6/2007 5:42 AM (GMT 0)
I am trying to quit. I have attempted several times with out success. I am waiting on approval of Chantix. Anyway, My wife doesn't smoke and is asmatic so I smoke outside. I was fither persuaded to smoke outside when my son was born 11 weeks early and had a lot of respritory issues when he first came home.

So coming from a smoker and knowing that cigarette smoke can cause issues for people with Crohn's I think that your girlfriend should be understanding and smoke outside when you are around.

Good luck to you.
Posted 12/6/2007 5:47 AM (GMT 0)
Smoking is one KNOWN trigger for crohns (including second-hand smoke), however I quit smoking for 3 yrs and it was 3 yrs in HELL, so I started again and started taking supplements just before starting smoking again, but noticed I do better while smoking, this could also be because my CD is mainly affecting my colon (like with ulcerative colitis) and with inflammation in the colon nicotine (the carbon monoxide released inthe nicotine) has anti-inflammatory properties for the colon which is why often for UCers smoking helps symptoms.

:)
Posted 12/6/2007 6:00 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the explanation pb4. Mine is in terminal ileum, so I don't want to start again and risk making my symptoms worse(or have my wife kill me for it) plus I have gotten over all the urges. The first six monthes were rough, but not too bad for me after that.
RFWrangler-Zyban worked for me if you want to try something else.
Posted 12/6/2007 6:06 AM (GMT 0)
Ya, I don't blame you, it's likely different when it's affecting the TI and it's a bad and expensive habit (good thing I do well with only 6 cigs a day, just enough to help with my symptoms and make it more affordable and a little healthier than smoking as much as I used to before I quit for those 3 yrs)...

and I agree with the zyban, that's what helped me quit, key was to be done smoking on the 7th day of starting the zyban rather than the 14th day (for me and hubby at least)...I felt like I was never a smoker and in the past when I quit on my own it wasn't like that, the zyban was great, I literally had to force myself to start again.

:)
Posted 12/6/2007 8:51 AM (GMT 0)
i agree with most everyone else. maybe its not too much to ask to have your gf smoke outside since it is a health related issue. =) good luck!

I have smoked for about 3 years and my husband is a smoker also so we smoke in the house. being new to cd i didnt know what kind of effect smoking had but its good to know. ive been trying to talk my husband into quitting for a while now maybe this is the motivation we need. my biggest problem with quitting is that i seem to eat more. its worth a shot tho.

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