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Should I start smoking?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 3/5/2012 6:34 PM (GMT 0)
" Smoking = No UC in nearly all cases. "

This is not true. The largest prevalence difference is between heavy smokers and ex-heavy smokers. That amounts to 4.4 fold increase in the disease. This amounts to a chance of approximately 4/1000 v. 1/1000 chance of getting UC with those two groups.

Smoking(let alone heavy smoking) results in a 20% chance of dying of a direct smoking related disease like lung cancer or COPD.

Once you are diagnosed the issue is whether smoking v. not or smoking v. another form of nicotine is effective in reducing severity and if the additional risk from smoking is acceptable. I have never seen a paper that indicates the risk is acceptable for smoking as a treatment even for the group that benefits the most..ex-heavy smokers. Benefits are not that clear the risks very clear.

It seems to appear that poor health habits including heavy drinking and smoking, poor diet and little exercise all reduce the risk of UC because they weaken immune response. There are much better safer drugs to do this. While steriods and biologicals are scary they don't even approach the health risks of smoking.

Using patches, gum etc is considered ok as far as risk/reward for certain patients. I would not start smoking
Posted 3/5/2012 6:34 PM (GMT 0)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/01/060103084934.htm

The link above is titled "carbon monoxide soothes inflammatory bowel disease"...scientific proof, it's been known for quite some time now.

The meds most are taking for their IBD do some horrific things to the body as well.

To each their own and I would hope that in this day and age, considering there hasn't been a miracle cure found for us to date and considering this disease is over 100 yrs old now that people would be more supportive.

We ALL know smoking is not good for our health in general, people will do desperate things in desperate times and more understanding/support would be helpful.  There are lots of things that aren't good for us that we are all guilty of doing, poor diet, excessive alcohol, lack of exercise, the list goes on.

6 smokes/day does my crohn's colitis better than when I quit smoking all together and went through 3 yrs of my flare being worse than ever in my 21 yrs of having IBD. 

And by the way, my colon and rectum surgeon actually did tell me 20 yrs ago not to stop smoking because they even knew then that nicotine had a possitive/helful effect on inflammation in the colon which is mainly where my CD has been active (along with perianal disease) and same with my family doc, he said I could cut down on my smoking rather than quit all together due to the facts they knew about nicotine being a benefit.

Everyone is different, what helps one may not help another...but since they have learned about the carbon monoxide being the real help, they have since started trying to develop a med that mimics what CO does, without all the other harmful effects of smoking.  Once they have this med ready for human consumption, if it works for me, then I will quit my 6 smokes/day.

Posted 3/5/2012 7:09 PM (GMT 0)

deltaforce said...
The way my GI told me, it helps to ONLY those who got UC after stopping smoking. If non-smokers start smoking, there is hardly any chance (i.e. close to zero), it will work. Secondly, in the 'hope' of helping yourself with UC, you are exposing yourself to more hazardous form of toxin which will have detrimental effect, not only on lungs but on various body parts. My GI is also against nicotine patches.

If I were you, I would not bother with smoking. Its not worth it.

That seems to be generally true, although I have see one or two exceptions reported here at Healingwell. My own success with e-cigs and Nicorett lozenges (no CO) would not apply here as I was a heavy smoker and was DXed after quiting.
Posted 3/5/2012 7:42 PM (GMT 0)
I think I would have less concern with it if, like myself, he had got into a bad flair after quitting and decided to start again.
I had such a difficult time quitting that I hate to see someone start who doesn't even know if it will help them. I remember what
it was like to be so sick you can't roll over in bed without almost having an accident and trust me, if someone had told me then that
starting smoking would stop that I'd be all over it. But it's a hard road to go down maybe for nothing.
Posted 3/5/2012 8:25 PM (GMT 0)

Gonk said...
Brian,

Why don't you give LDN a shot. There is really no downside to trying it and it has worked wonders for some people. Like all other uc treatments it does not work for everyone, but there really isn't any reason not to try it. I would do that before taking up smoking.

I just got off the phone with my doctor and he said that LDN is not in the cards at this time. I am still with pediatric gastro doctors which are much less aggressive than adult GI doctors are.
Posted 3/5/2012 11:52 PM (GMT 0)
Prednisone has a lot of bad side effects but I think its side effects are more tolerable than those of smoking.

I'm an ex smoker and I haven't had a cigarette in almost 4 years, and I still crave them from time to time. It's a terrible addiction to try to break. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.
Posted 3/5/2012 11:56 PM (GMT 0)
Brian-

I really wouldn't go the smoking route because you are just going to be adding on a new problem. You mentioned surgery. Have you given any thought to it? I'm not sure exactly what you have and have not tried as far as the meds go. I went thru the whole laundry list of drugs and diets and nothing helped me. Surgery was the best decision I ever could have made. My UC was very severe though.

I do believe in trying everything you can first....that is reasonable...I don't think smoking is reasonable. Just my two cents.
Posted 3/6/2012 5:27 AM (GMT 0)
Well, fecal transplants or VLS#3 enemas would be quick, cheap, and non-risky options you could be trying before the summer. VLS#3 enemas (once every other day, three times) saved me from epic humiliation during a family road trip. Alas, the effects wore off.
Posted 3/7/2012 8:57 PM (GMT 0)
No. You shouldn't. (I am an ex-smoker and smoking didn't stop me from getting UC.)

Also, I'm not sure you're aware that smoking also makes you feel like crap in the short term. I "only" smoked for 5 years, about 10-15/day, less for the first year or so, but it made me short of breath, I coughed all the time, I got sick with colds and infections ALL the time (now I barely ever get colds or any other illness), I couldn't run or do other exercises as well as I can now, I was fatigued more often, etc, etc, etc. It also makes you smell like crap and have bad breath and taste bad to anyone kissing you. And have fun wasting $6-10 per pack of cigarettes. It's anti-social since you have to go outside to smoke and leave the party or your friends. Cravings suck. You wake up feeling really groggy until you get your first nicotine fix of the day. You get burn holes in your clothes and on car upholstery. You might want to check out www.whyquit.com to see what hell nicotine addiction is before you pick up the habit.

there's also the fact that more deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by all deaths from HIV, illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides and murders combined.

Post Edited (Sara14) : 3/7/2012 2:14:14 PM (GMT-7)

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