HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Former smokers

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 12/2/2014 12:28 AM (GMT 0)
Are there any others that believe they started to flare after quitting smoking?

I quit July 29 and my current flare started the end of September. I'm vaping 18mg juice but it's not doing anything for the flare.

I seriously think about starting again, but want to give the Remicade a fair shot. I smell better. My sense of taste has improved. Once I'm off all the nasty steroids I'm sure my vitals will be good. I really don't want to start smoking again but what if....

What other nicotine replacement have you tried and what worked or didn't?
Posted 12/2/2014 1:07 AM (GMT 0)
It is well known and accepted by the medical profession that smoking cessation is a risk factor for IBD. It has never been proven that nicotine has anything to do with it. While a few have had some success with nicotine strategies, many have not. Many have gotten better though by resuming smoking.
Posted 12/2/2014 1:21 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah, the other thing people think might help is the carbon monoxide from smoking. But I don't know how extensively that has been studied.

Obviously, smoking isn't that great of a habit, but active UC is worse than most things in general so I say do whatever you may need to feel better.

EDIT: My bad, I thought you were feeling guilty about wanting to start up smoking again. I am unsure of what nicotine replacement could work, hopefully someone else can give you a solid answer.
Posted 12/2/2014 1:35 AM (GMT 0)
my dad also has UC and has been a smoker for a long time. he tried quitting a few years ago and flared again. he asked the doctor for the patch but it just didn't work for him. he started smoking again and is now fine.
Posted 12/2/2014 2:08 AM (GMT 0)
Tunnel, I guess it's a little of both.

My son, who quit smoking right after I did, said "Mom, don't start again. What's the lesser of two evils? Cancer or pooping a lot?"
I had to get down and dirty with him about ALL of my symptoms. Only then did he understand my dilemma.
Posted 12/2/2014 2:15 AM (GMT 0)
I'm pretty positive my quitting smoking triggered the onset of my UC. I've been thru a lot over the years and have a j pouch now because my colon was beyond saving and I'm still glad I quit smoking. No regrets. Don't start smoking again.
Posted 12/2/2014 2:21 AM (GMT 0)

Tunnelvisionary said...
Yeah, the other thing people think might help is the carbon monoxide from smoking. But I don't know how extensively that has been studied.

Here's the article in regards to carbon monoxide via smoking soothes inflammation in the colon...


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/01/060103084934.htm


LiamsGram, there seems to be a pretty big theory that many do quit smoking find they end up getting UC specifically and when they start smoking again many feel better again..with Crohn's however, smoking is considered one known trigger for developing Crohn's. Odd isn't it.

Of course more research needs to be done (in all respects to IBD) but it definitely seems that something about smoking seems to impact either IBD (UC or CD) oddly as I pointed out it's considered a negative for CD and a positive for UC....I have crohn's colitis (CD affecting the colon) and I had a colon and rectum surgeon tell me to never quit smoking...I did years later and it made my already bad flare even worse, I started smoking again after about 2.5 yrs of even more hellish CD flare and it calmed things down some but not near as much as it was before I quit smoking (I should have listened and never quit but chances are my flare would have gotten worse anyway, who knows)

If you do a search here at HW you'll find a ton of threads in regards to smoking and UC.

Posted 12/2/2014 4:19 AM (GMT 0)
My signature pretty much tells my story....
Posted 12/2/2014 4:40 AM (GMT 0)
I had my first full on flare 3 months after quitting smoking. I continued during all this time to vape at 18 mg nicotine, it did NOTHING for the UC. I am still trying european snus to get the full tabbaco alkoloids but having probs due to saltiness. My Gi won't say (medical standard) my UC began because of tobacco cessation but the medical science and studies are there. Don't be a fool, try snus, or other tobacco replacement, this disease sucks.
Posted 12/2/2014 6:10 PM (GMT 0)
Yeah, I stopped smoking and all Hell broke loose!!...my dad always used to nag my mum to stop smoking, and she always said "people that stop smoking end up with all sorts of health problems" which just made us all ROAR with laughter!!!..Mmmm.

Anyway I think if I was in a horrific flare and my last option was surgery, then at that point I would try smoking, its not an easy decision when you have gone through the pain of stopping....I actually had to stop cold turkey recently, I couldn't buy any nicotine patches or gum or nada where I live, none of the shops or hospitals had them, I don't know why I was so shocked and upset!!! its how my life is, and so I ordered them on Amazon and by the time they arrived three weeks later I was over the worst...but it was Hell!!
Posted 12/3/2014 9:04 PM (GMT 0)
Yeap, this is my story. My UC started after I quite smoking. Since then, for 7 years, I had remission only while I smoked. The problem is, I got back and forth with smoking, and really want to stop, but as soon as I stop, 1.5-2 month after, here we go! Flare again. I don't think it's necotine though...I tried patches and e-cigs, no majic here! Only real cig works. rolleyes   Go figure!
Posted 12/4/2014 12:34 AM (GMT 0)
I quit smoking when I became pregnant with my daughter who is now 7. I started having symptoms right after she was born but didn't get diagnosed for over a year. I kept thinking foolishly that is was something from working at a dog kennel. I was lucky and quickly responded to meds and have only had two flares since diagnosis. I have been in symptomatic remission for over 3 1/2 years. If meds failed would I start smoking again? No way. The colon would just come out.
Posted 12/4/2014 1:03 AM (GMT 0)
If they want to find a cure why aren't they looking at each and every chemical component in the inhalation of tobacco??? My GI said the origin of the term "blowing smoke out your ass" is because they gave tobacco smoke enemas to ex-smokers with colitis...she actually told me that in office. But she couldn't say it was why I had UC. I'm continuing with European snus and hoping for the best because after 40 plus years of smoking I have mild emphysema and heart disease. I will never smoke again. But honestly isn't that a big clue for a cure??
Posted 12/4/2014 1:14 AM (GMT 0)
For a hoot see http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2014/05/origin-expression-blow-smoke-ass/
Posted 12/4/2014 1:19 AM (GMT 0)
I just don't know why no one seems to be going down this road. This is actually one of the biggest clues they have.
Posted 12/4/2014 4:35 AM (GMT 0)

zengrrl said...
If they want to find a cure why aren't they looking at each and every chemical component in the inhalation of tobacco??? My GI said the origin of the term "blowing smoke out your ass" is because they gave tobacco smoke enemas to ex-smokers with colitis...she actually told me that in office. But she couldn't say it was why I had UC. I'm continuing with European snus and hoping for the best because after 40 plus years of smoking I have mild emphysema and heart disease. I will never smoke again. But honestly isn't that a big clue for a cure??

I posted this link in this thread above...if you read the link you will see they are exploring how they discovered it's the carbon monoxide via smoking soothes inflammation in the colon.

Here's the link again...


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/01/060103084934.htm
Posted 12/5/2014 6:30 AM (GMT 0)

LiamsGram said...
Tunnel, I guess it's a little of both.

My son, who quit smoking right after I did, said "Mom, don't start again. What's the lesser of two evils? Cancer or pooping a lot?"
I had to get down and dirty with him about ALL of my symptoms. Only then did he understand my dilemma.

There's more to the story than the cancer you can get from smoking. What about the colon cancer you're at a greater risk of developing if you continue with inflammation via UC? My family history is such that I feel strongly that I am at a lesser risk of lung cancer from three cigarettes a day than I would be from continued UC inflammation. I'm doing pretty well on mesalamines, but do not discount the possibility of smoking some day should I have to. Of course, I do not want to.

I've never seen any mention of other forms of tobacco, such as smokeless (Skoal or whatever). I doubt it works, but do wonder nonetheless.
Posted 12/5/2014 12:50 PM (GMT 0)
recently started smoking 3 cigarettes a day for my flare, think it made it worse, gave it only one week though, it was awful tasting and I smelled horrendous.  I use to smoke more than a pack a day 9 years ago and developed uc after 6 years so I can't say it worked.  I am now on my first course of prednisone and keeping fingers crossed. 
Posted 12/5/2014 2:05 PM (GMT 0)
It has been established beyond reasonable doubt that Nicotine keeps UC in remission so does Boswellia, Aloe Vera , probiotics, turmeric...to various degrees. In some people, these are the only things enough to prevent the flares but in many people, these are not sufficient and they do require meds like Mesalamine etc. Every person's UC is different ranging from mild, non relapsing to severe, relapsing frequently.
Food , low stress and herbs at least do help partially in most cases.
( Reference: Advanced therapy of inflammatory Bowel Disease, by Theodore M. Bayless and Stephen B.Hunter)
Diva2014: 18 yrs. Diag: UC on Nov04,2014. In remission now.

Post Edited (Diva2014) : 12/5/2014 7:09:10 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/6/2014 9:55 AM (GMT 0)
I never smoked much, but I think it was just enough to keep UC at bay. I had my first flare within a year of quitting entirely.

I believe both nicotine and carbon monoxide smoke have a protective role.

The nicotine patch studies are as positive as those for AZA and other far more dangerous drugs, if you can get over the horrible initial side effects. Nicotine is pretty safe, provided you don't inhale it into your stomach and lungs. Don't vape. I've just started using nicotine patches and am having a really positive response to a very low dose - half a 7mg patch worn for 24 hours a day. I may just stick at this level for a while. The nicotine trials were done with patches between 5 and 15 mg.

Or you can try smoking a few cigarettes a day to get the double boost from nicotine and CO. Plenty of anecdotal reports that just a few cigs is enough for many.
Posted 12/6/2014 1:28 PM (GMT 0)
Yep, got sick after quitting smoking. Wish we could cigarettes are the cause...
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply