E-Cig and Ulcerative Colitis Update

Hi! I just wanted to update everyone. I have Ulcerative Colitis. Recently, I made the decision to try using an electronic cigarette to "vape" nicotine as a form of therapy for my UC. It was a hard decision to make, however, after about 5 weeks of successful "vaping", I have noticed promising results. There is no blood in the stool, I have become more regular (I suffer from the constipation), also, my stomach pain has gone away. I currently vape 18mg a day. I should also point out, that I was a smoker for ten years, as soon as I quit smoking...I started having symptoms of UC. 8 months later I had a diagnosis of Ulceratvie Proctitis...which has now been upgraded to Ulcerative Colitis (at my three year mark of non smoking). This past Tuesday I had an Upper Endoscopy (as a follow up after my endoscopy/colonoscopy), My G.I. doc said that I was "A thousand times better" than I was eight weeks prior. I have "minor" throat irritation. My doctor believes it is from some ulcerations that haven't finished healing (I will take minor over the severe that was noted 8 weeks ago). I was very happy to hear that. I'm not sure if the mild irritation is from the vaping or the Esophogitis, however, since I have started vaping, my symptoms have improved and my GI doc was happy. I am going to continue vaping, and see where this goes. Hope this helps anyone else trying to make this decision!

p.s. I also wanted to point out that I do not have severe cravings like I did when I was a smoker, actually, some days I forget that I am even vaping and won't remember until the evening...I was concerned about this being a previous smoker and wasn't too excited about becoming addicted to nicotine again, I haven't noticed the addiction with vaping (that doesn't mean that it isn't addictive, it's just not as harsh as cigarettes). :)

~Elyssa

I completely understand how hard it is to make the decision to use the E-cig. I had been trying to decide for months if it was something I really wanted to do. If you begin vaping, I really hope it helps your condition. That's one of the reasons I didn't want to start too, I was afraid that I would become addicted to Nicotine and still have flare ups. Vaping took a couple weeks to get used to but I am doing well with it. I wish I had discovered vaping when I quit smoking three years ago. I may have been able to avoid my flare ups. Good luck to you too! :)

Yes, that is correct, I use the 18mg concentration solution. I vape when the "mood strikes"...it would be safe to say that I probably take about 35-50 puffs throughout the day. Congratulations CaptPoopyPants on your positive results as well!! What have your results been and how long have you been vaping?

Well, let's see. I think it's gone a little something like this...

2009 Apr - Diagnosed with UC. My doc had me try several different brands of 5-ASA meds over the course of the next year with very little success and I was still going 15-20 times per day.

2010 May - Began the SC Diet which gradually reduced my bathroom trips down to about 6 per day, but at that point I hit a plateau without any further improvement.

2010 Nov - Started smoking 2 cigarettes per day (real ones, not e-cigs) and that quickly cut my bathroom trips down to 2 per day. Blood stopped completely.

2011 Apr - Replaced the real cigs with the e-cig. Now I'm down to only 1 or 2 trips to the bathroom each day. I almost feel back to normal except I still have to avoid certain foods or else frequency increases.

Does 'Nicotine therapy' only work with vaping or could I use something like a patch or nicotine gum. Currently I have a bunch of 4mg Nicotine gum from a friend who quit smoking. I'm wondering if this might be of some assistance?

Any thoughts?

Just my opinion and i don't mean to offend but to begin smoking knowing all the harmful effects of smoking in an attempt to help UC is just stupid. Also i have read studies that show those vapor "e-cig" can be just as bad if not worse than real cigs because of the chemicals some manf use. Just do some googling to know what your getting yourself into.

Oh, they are about $50.00 for a starter kit and the "e-liquid" is about $10.00...I use the cherry flavor. The mint flavor didn't work well with me and my brother ( a professional vaper...lol) said to stay away from the strong flavors like mint, coffee, chocolates (they are strong and can make you nauseous)...If you choose to vape, use your body as a guide. I don't know if you are a past smoker, but when you smoke too many (cigarettes) they will make you a little nauseous or make you feel "green", that's your cue to ease off vaping. I wouldn't vape right before bed if you are first starting out either, it could keep you up at night ( I vape before bed now and sleep fine) OH, don NOT leave your ecig in your pocket. Movement can get your battery to heat up...My husbands pants were hot...They have cases that you can store your e cig in for travel (I personally recommend the case). Use caution if you vape in bed...don't fall asleep with your vaporizer in bed with you. Also, if you do vape and get e-liquid in your mouth you will feel a tingling sensation (this freaked me out the first time), spit it out, rinse your mouth out and try again, taking slow, long drags. It's not the same as smoking a cigarette. If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask...I bothered my brother for weeks and was thankful I had him to ask. :)

Dsm4life, I wasn't offended until your brought out the "stupid" comment. I don't feel my decision is stupid at all. I have done my own research into e-cigs. Here's my thing, My e-liquid has nicotine, water, flavoring, and Pg/vg. Pg is used in smoke machines and the FDA has stated that the PG burns the liquid but is not present in the vapor...also, for anyone that is concerned about the FDA approval label, the FDA has recently stated that they are going to regulate the e-cig. VG (vegetable glycerine) is water soluble and is used in many things. I would love to read the studies that you have found because I'm always interested in new information, especially of a product I am using and will respectively read it and consider your point of view. One of the reasons I have posted this in conjunction with my upper endoscopy was for anyone who is vaping and is concerned of the effects of their throat while vaping. I personally feel that this information is good for anyone concerned with the effects that vapor has on our throats...So, having said that, will continue to vape, and continue to report the results of my endoscopic results. I feel that it is as responsible as you can get if you are going to choose to vaporize. Why wouldn't I want to share this information?? Good or bad...now, if I had severe irritation from vaping, I would let EVERYONE know that my vaping and endoscopy results were severe irritation..the only thing that I know, is the therapy is working for me and that my endoscopy results were a "thousand times better" (my doctor's comments, not mine) and throughout my vaping experience I will post the good and the bad in the future.

Also, I prefer to think of my vaporizer as similar to the nebulizer treatments that deliver albuterol to patients...

"PG has been used as the aqueous-based chemical additive in asthma inhalers and nebulizers since the 1950s, with no serious side effects known. PG, because of its water-retaining properties, is the compound of choice for delivering atomized medication. It is also a common diluent for injectable medications, constituting 40 percent of the intravenous form of Phenytoin, an anti-seizure drug". and "While many have questioned the safety of electronic cigarettes, their concerns are directed toward the inconsistent amounts of nicotine, not the PG solution in which it is delivered".

Read more: Danger of Inhaling Propylene Glycol | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5499611_danger-inhaling-propylene-glycol.html#ixzz1Nwv8drOy

I've heard some promising things with people using nicotine patches. It's supposed to be really helpful. I've thought of trying it (this coming from someone who has never/will never smoke). Anyone used the patches? I think the study did find a possible negative side effect, but I don't remember what it was. I'll look into and post if I can find it.

Glad to hear people are having good results with it!

Studies done at Mayo and UK in the 1990s indicate that nicotine replacement therapy (they used patches) increase the rate of remission by about 50%. My own (non scientific) research indicates that this can be farther broken down to previous smokers have much better results with nicotine therapy.

My own experience is that after months of heavy Prednisone use (60 mg/day)with no relief, I was able to achieve remission within a few days of beginning taking nicotine lozenges. After a few months of using lozenges, I discovered e-cigarettes, and found them more satisfying and considerably less expensive than the lozenges. I don't know if they are more or less unhealthy than lozenges, but they work for me.

I have been in remission for nearly two years now, but still had some abdominal pain, which my last c-scope revealed to be caused by an abscessed diverticula, that was taken care of by antibiotics.

So bottom line: am I re-addicted to nicotine? Yes, without question. Am I in remission from UC? Also yes. Am I stupid? Perhaps, but I feel better.

Dsm4life said...
Just my opinion and i don't mean to offend but to begin smoking knowing all the harmful effects of smoking in an attempt to help UC is just stupid. Also i have read studies that show those vapor "e-cig" can be just as bad if not worse than real cigs because of the chemicals some manf use. Just do some googling to know what your getting yourself into.

same can be said for those of us using biologics. everything has its risks but as long as it makes your life manageable and you're ok with it, i dont see the issue with it.

thx for posting your results op.

Elyssa 1978 said...
Dsm4life, I wasn't offended until your brought out the "stupid" comment. I don't feel my decision is stupid at all. I have done my own research into e-cigs. Here's my thing, My e-liquid has nicotine, water, flavoring, and Pg/vg. Pg is used in smoke machines and the FDA has stated that the PG burns the liquid but is not present in the vapor...also, for anyone that is concerned about the FDA approval label, the FDA has recently stated that they are going to regulate the e-cig. VG (vegetable glycerine) is water soluble and is used in many things. I would love to read the studies that you have found because I'm always interested in new information, especially of a product I am using and will respectively read it and consider your point of view. One of the reasons I have posted this in conjunction with my upper endoscopy was for anyone who is vaping and is concerned of the effects of their throat while vaping. I personally feel that this information is good for anyone concerned with the effects that vapor has on our throats...So, having said that, will continue to vape, and continue to report the results of my endoscopic results. I feel that it is as responsible as you can get if you are going to choose to vaporize. Why wouldn't I want to share this information?? Good or bad...now, if I had severe irritation from vaping, I would let EVERYONE know that my vaping and endoscopy results were severe irritation..the only thing that I know, is the therapy is working for me and that my endoscopy results were a "thousand times better" (my doctor's comments, not mine) and throughout my vaping experience I will post the good and the bad in the future.

Also, I prefer to think of my vaporizer as similar to the nebulizer treatments that deliver albuterol to patients...

"PG has been used as the aqueous-based chemical additive in asthma inhalers and nebulizers since the 1950s, with no serious side effects known. PG, because of its water-retaining properties, is the compound of choice for delivering atomized medication. It is also a common diluent for injectable medications, constituting 40 percent of the intravenous form of Phenytoin, an anti-seizure drug". and "While many have questioned the safety of electronic cigarettes, their concerns are directed toward the inconsistent amounts of nicotine, not the PG solution in which it is delivered".

Read more: Danger of Inhaling Propylene Glycol | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5499611_danger-inhaling-propylene-glycol.html#ixzz1Nwv8drOy

Its been a while but i'll try and dig up the articles. The only reason i looked it up before was my brother was using the e-cig in an attempt to quit smoking.

BelleyAche said...
Dsm,

I am an ex-smoker and I developed UC after stopping smoking. Who's to say I would have gotten it anyways but the proof is there that alot of ex-smokers get UC. Had I known when I quit I was going to get a disease that would take away the quality of my life, honestly I would have taken my chances smoking. To say it's stupid to try the E cig is your opinion, nobody is telling you to try it. If it doesnt help, it doesnt help but I am willing to give it a shot.

Elyssa,
Thank you so much for all that valuable information. I too had Graves disease with a total thyroidectomy in 2000. I was diagnosed with Sjogrens Syndrome in 2003 and developed UC 1 year after quitting smoking in 2010. All I know is what I am diong isn't working and its time to try something new.

It totally is my opinion which is why i stated that in my post. Taking nicotine and smoking are two different things. From the many studies i have read i have yet to read one that says you are more likely to get UC when you quit smoking. I wouldn't blame yourself for that.

This is interesting. I have smoked for about 13 years now, but only with alcohol/coffee and only socially, and only sometimes, so I am not and have never been addicted. I would say I smoke about 4 packs per year. I always found that smoking gave me urgency (often had to run to the restroom in the middle of a cigarette), but this makes me want to try the E-cig to see if it has a good effect on me now..