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Posted 7/11/2010 4:48 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Everyone,

Well 13 weeks into azathioprine and making no difference at all...........upped dose to 150mg. I've decided to come off all the other meds and try nicotine??? I've had a patch on for 3 days now. tried the gum but that made me vomit so will see how these go. Anyone else tried it?

Am I clutching at straws?

Debbie  

Posted 7/11/2010 7:02 PM (GMT 0)
Did you used to be a smoker? Most UCers don't seem to be helped by nicotine unless they used to smoke. My understanding is that it's the carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke not the nicotine that is an anti-inflammatory. Good luck!
Posted 7/11/2010 10:22 PM (GMT 0)
yeah, its the carbon monoxide, not the nicotine
Posted 7/12/2010 11:07 AM (GMT 0)

Hi, thanks for the replys.

I did indeed smoke and was well for best part of 10 years (med free), since giving up 3 years ago I have had several nasty bouts. Each one being more agressive and stubborn than the last! I have read some research papers on nicotine working for ex smokers.

Qunicy? Have you any advice on this one?

Thanks

Debbie

Posted 7/12/2010 12:55 PM (GMT 0)
CO experiments have been confined to mice and rats, and do show some improvement in colitis, but there are few studies.  Whenever I read mouse and rat studies, I always keep in mind that the colitis is chemically induced, which makes it a poor substitute for the real thing, in my opinion.

On the other hand, there are plenty of human studies using nicotine.  The trans-dermal patch works the best, at pretty high doses.  To someone not used to nicotine -- ie, nonsmokers -- the effects of the nicotine are disturbing.  If I remember correctly, there seems to be a high drop-out rate in these studies, mostly nonsmokers, which may account for the belief that nicotine works only among former smokers.

For awhile I tried herbal cigarettes -- the fake ones actors smoke -- but they didn't do anything.  Lots of CO but no nicotine.

Posted 7/12/2010 6:18 PM (GMT 0)
Debbiejg said...I did indeed smoke and was well for best part of 10 years (med free), since giving up 3 years ago I have had several nasty bouts. Each one being more agressive and stubborn than the last! I have read some research papers on nicotine working for ex smokers.
Qunicy? Have you any advice on this one?



I'm probably the wrong one to ask...To me, nicotine is a poison I wouldn't choose to use, nor would I smoke to help symptoms...I'd have my colon out. I grew up in a smoking home and smoked as a teen/early adult and my mom died of lung cancer....I truly believe she had UC and symptoms somewhat controlled by her smoking. I don't believe all that urgency and bleeding was just "her piles".

So, ixnay on the icotinenay.

q
Posted 7/12/2010 7:14 PM (GMT 0)
 

aha Qunicy, pigs latin ! we used to do that as kids!

Well thanks anyway. I guess this nasty condition effects people in different ways......I'd much rather 'try' anything than lose my colon.....so like everyone on here, every day I hope to be better! 

Debbie

  

Posted 7/12/2010 7:18 PM (GMT 0)

Sorry forgot to say, if anyones interested......... The carbon monoxide study is from 2005.  There may be something in it but we wouldn’t want to breathe it would we?

Nicotine patches and gum have many positive double blind studies over the years with positive results.

 

 

 

 

Posted 7/12/2010 10:22 PM (GMT 0)
I was a smoker for 8 years. It was the very year that I finally decided to quit that my UC started. When I was first diagnosed I actually had a doctor in the hospital I was staying at tell me to try smoking which I thought was pretty strange and very ironic. When I started flaring earlier this year, in a last ditch attempt I tried smoking it up again which was gross, so I tried the gum. This was also disgusting to me and neither one helped my symptoms at all. If anything it turned my stomach and the nicotine made me feel even more crappy. I would have tried anything to get out the pain I was in too!!! I'm glad I gave it a try just for the sake of argument, but it did not work for me.
Posted 7/13/2010 8:00 AM (GMT 0)
 

Good Morning from the UK,

For the first time in 8 months I'm not bleeding! I dont know if thats a coincidence or the azathioprine is finally kicking in!

ps I'm certainly not trying to advertise/sell nicotine patches!

From a very happy Debbie turn

Posted 7/13/2010 9:21 AM (GMT 0)
hi debbie im also from uk.i gave up smoking 7 years ago and thats when all my problems started.i started smoking again and my body returned to normal.in october last year i gave up smoking again and guess what all my problems returned.does seem to be a link.my doc told me only works for people that used to smoke before uc.ive decieded not to smoke again this time and see it through.i tried patches when giving up smoking and they made me sick.
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