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Anyone Using Nicotine Patch or Started Smoking Again to Induce Remission?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 2/9/2008 11:31 PM (GMT 0)
I think this topic was discussed before....BUT...I am curious to know if anyone is having success with either of these two methods. If so, how long before you saw "improvement"?
What strength patch? How many cigs per day? My GI doc says that it's unethical/immoral to suggest this method to UCers, although he does admit that some of his patients are in remission from smoking. So I would appreciate any detailed info to anyone now smoking or presently using the patch.

I am an ex-smoker (quit 3 years ago) - but never smoked more than 8-10 cigs/day.

I tried the 7mg patch a couple of weeks ago, but it gave me a headache and then I developed a small hive-like reaction on my arm.

I'm supposed to receive my 4th Remicade treatment at double dose (10mg/kg) the end of February. As of now, I have not experienced any positive effects from the first 3 treatments. My GI Doc says that if the 4th Remicade treatment doesn't "kick in", he highly suggests surgery - ASAP. He thinks I'm in denial about the seriousness of my UC (severe/progressive/high steroid dependent etc...).

I guess I'm grasping at anything to avoid having the surgery. Even after reading everyone's positive response after their surgery - I'm still so freaked out.a

Thanks!
Sindi
Posted 2/10/2008 12:05 AM (GMT 0)
Here's a link to a recent discussion on this:

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=1031563&g=1032858#m1032858

 

Posted 2/10/2008 3:03 AM (GMT 0)
hey Colon - first, I love your user name. makes me laugh.
second, I didn't read the earlier conversation on the forum about this, but I will say that this is something I have discussed with my GI previously. he said that studies have been done with nicotine patches and that the patches don't really work. unfortunately, it appears to be the carbon monoxide, in other words the actual act of smoking, that induces remission in UC.
I think the general consensus in the medical community is that the known risks of smoking outweigh the benefits even though smoking can help with remission.
Posted 2/10/2008 3:17 AM (GMT 0)
I had a colon and rectom surgeon tell me to never quit smoking (this was 16 yrs ago) and I should have listened to him because I quit for 3 yrs and went through shear hell for it...I started again (3/day and now 6/day since my dad died) and felt better (along with the natural stuff I take and diet changes and exercising regularly) within a few days of starting up again...my current GP told me that for the amount I smoke a day it's equivilant to standing on a corner downtown waiting for the light to change (as far as what toxins and pollutants I'm inhaling/exposed to).

To each their own.

:)
Posted 2/10/2008 4:25 AM (GMT 0)
Interesting that I just came across this info today, re: nicotine patch may help UC victims !

I have been diagnosed over 20 yrs ago and at the time I was a pipe smoker until 2 yrs ago.  My symptoms have been increasingly worse in intensity lately and when I think of it, it seems to coincide with the time I have put the pipe away. And I was not a heavy smoker, just 3 or so pipes a day.  After reading about this today, it really makes me wonder if this is only a coincidence or maybe smoking was helping me with the UC.

Tipoil Dx 1987 = UC

Posted 2/10/2008 4:28 AM (GMT 0)
Not likely a coincidence, there's research on the benefits of carbon monoxide and UC (likely any type of colon inflammation), smoking is suppose to make crohns worse, but I have crohns-colitis (my CD is affecting my colon) and I do better while smoking than not.

Read this link...

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/35173.php

The good news is, researchers are working on a med that has the same benefit of smoking without the possible bad side effects of smoking.

:)

Posted 2/10/2008 5:19 AM (GMT 0)
interesting article pb4....tyvm
Posted 2/10/2008 5:39 AM (GMT 0)
:)
Posted 2/10/2008 5:56 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks all for your comments. Thanks also for the interesting article pb4. There also has to be some sort of genetic and/or auto immune component as we all know people who have quit smoking and do not suffer from UC.
Posted 2/10/2008 6:07 AM (GMT 0)
You're very welcome, and yes, there definitely is a genetic component to UC (IBD), my mom has UC and I have crohns (crohns-colitis specifically)...it's genetics and having the disease being triggered which is thought to be environmental.

:)
Posted 2/10/2008 9:24 AM (GMT 0)
I quit smoking once for a year and was severely ill the entire time. Nothing worked to get the bleeding and diarrhea under control, not even prednisone. I couldn't even remember what it was like to have a solid BM. I then started smoking again one day and was in remission within the month.
Posted 2/10/2008 2:40 PM (GMT 0)
I have 3 friends that quit smoking and developed colitis. I also quit chewing tobacco and thats when my troubles started. I stated to chew again and it was to late. My 3 friends started to smoke and have been good ever since. The Mayo clinic has been working on this for years. My doctor told me to try it and the patch did not work. I chew now just for the peace of it. good luck . Westy

Posted 2/25/2008 1:39 PM (GMT 0)
The only thing that makes me well is smoking. The only thing. Now I use smokeless tobacco - snus (spitless and discrete, look it up!) that seems to be almost as good as cigs.
Posted 2/25/2008 2:42 PM (GMT 0)

Mitzo,

Just wondering, what kind of snus do you use? There's the original Swedish snus and then Marlboro and Camel have come out with their own versions too (which they say have less nicotine than the Swedish snus).

I smoked about 5-10 cigarettes a day, on and off for about 10 years and was diagnosed with UC a few months after quitting.  I do not want to get back to smoking again but have been looking into snus to see whether it's something worth trying.

Posted 2/29/2008 10:29 PM (GMT 0)
I started back smoking after being quit for 3 years less 8 days. I am 61, so smoking risk are not as important as being normal. Lets face it, if I live to be 80, I still only have less than 7300 days. I think I will enjoy what I have without being miserable. I was Dx in December and was in a slight remission (no bleeding for 10 days) and then it started again. I decide on January 1 that if I was still bleeding on the 2nd ( I was) I would start back smoking. Within 24 hours all of the symptoms were gone except some bloating. Within 36 hours everything was normal and continues to be normal after nearly 2 months. I am not taking anything for my colitis at all. I still take some vitamins as usual. I also had developed asthma during the time I quit and filmed over eyes. My joints ached and I could not make a fist without popping my joints. On my last visit to my new primary care physician, she could not detect any asthma at all. I feel confident that my new glasses will be okay for a change ( I was having to have them re-done because they were constantly changing because of the filming over them). I can now reach my rear-end without any trouble from my stiff joints. I can make a firm fist. I will keep on smoking and hope that this never returns again.
Posted 3/1/2008 7:35 AM (GMT 0)
My Dr. (David Rubin at the university of Chicago) told me that smoking helps with UC but does the opposite for Crohn's Disease. He's a leading doctor in the field of UC/Crohn's/IBD so I would be very careful of what you do.
Posted 3/1/2008 3:35 PM (GMT 0)
Rio, to answer your question about snus, I import the Swedish products over the internet. They are top quality - do a bit of internet searching to see what they contain, it is a clean product manufactured under strict quality control conditions, with surprisingly minimal health risks including almost no link to oral cancer!. Just slip a little tobacco bag under your lip and let it sit there and release flavour and nicotine, very clean and discrete. My only gripe is that these products are unavalaible here in Canada and I regularly have shipments seized at Customs and delivery is delayed and occasionally I have a small fee to pay to pick them up at the post office. We have a domestic brand available here which is less pleasant to use, it is like the Camel and Marlboro in the US. I buy those too, but just to ensure I do not have to go without due to customs hold-ups. To find out more on a forum: www.snuson.com, and to order, www.buysnus.com or www.northerner.com. Snus seems to work on my colitis in a similar way to smoking, and is a much more pleasant product that the nauseating patch and gum that pharma is pushing. Check out this forum for horrendous Nicorette side effect testimonials! - http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=18612&name=NICORETTE
Posted 3/1/2008 4:18 PM (GMT 0)

Mitzo, thanks for the feedback.  I actually tried nicorette a while back.  After about 2 days of being on it I had dizzy spells and heart palpitations and stopped taking it immediately - I was on the lowest dosage.  I checked my local smoke-shop (where I used to buy cigs from) and surprisingly they had the original Swedish Snus in stock.

JM, it's great to hear that you're doing so well - I suppose with UC it's luck of the draw and just a matter of finding what works for you.

A word of caution for ex-smokers considering taking up smoking again is that if it doesn't work for you then you run the risk of getting addicted to smoking again as well having to deal with UC.  Also, I read about an ex-smoker who got into remission after taking up smoking.  After a while they quit smoking again and the UC came back with much worse symptoms and then starting to smoke again after that had no effect on the UC.

It's a tough decision whether to start smoking or not but I'm still keeping that option open for me.  However, I'd first try a smoke-free choice such as Snus and see how that works.

Posted 3/1/2008 8:53 PM (GMT 0)

EricaM said...
My Dr. (David Rubin at the university of Chicago) told me that smoking helps with UC but does the opposite for Crohn's Disease. He's a leading doctor in the field of UC/Crohn's/IBD so I would be very careful of what you do.

Yes, this is common knowledge, but I have crohns (crohns-colitis specifically, CD is affecting my colon) and I quit smoking for 3 yrs and went through total hell, I started again and things improved, so it varies from case to case, nothing is written in stone that's for sure.

CD affected my small intestines when I first got sick and at the same time, my colon, rectom and anus with perianal crohns skin tags...it is thought that smoking for CDers causes problems with flares in the small intestines, but luckily for me my CD has not affected my small intestines since I first got sick back 17 yrs ago.

:)

Posted 3/1/2008 10:52 PM (GMT 0)
Rio, enjoy those snus, you are lucky to live where they are available in shops - it is a bit of an acquired taste, but relatively harmless (read up on the literature!) and discrete. I hope something helps you with the UC. Hey, maybe I'll see you on snuson.com and we can share snus stories!
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