Smoking Absolutely Works for UC! but be careful

Chantrelle99 said...
Smoking works Well for some and it is such a personal choice. It should not be put down. I used to smoke for years. Everytimes I stopped I ended up having flares hard to control and went back to smoking. However, last year I was so done with smoking and stopped again with the patches. As soon as I was down to the 7 mg patch it all started again. But I had my minds set about not smoking again cause it made me caugh. Therefore I went to ecig with hight nic. It did not work as I had hope but I have stick with it and it took a year to get remission.

For sure smoking helps much more than e-Cig because you don't get the carbon monoxide. But it does help un a small way. I can tell because at one point I caught down the nicotine and my flare went worse.

Now with the e-cig I will have to see how long will least my next flare. I'm not hopping for a 2 weeks flare as when I was smoking but I would be glad if it is only 2 or 3 months.

I made a choice to go toward someting not as effective as real cigarettes but healthier. I'm not the the type of people that could only have 6 cigarettes a day unfortunately. But if I could maybe I would have pick that option. 2 weeks flare are great compare to a year long one.

But any how no one should be judged negatively for pick-up smoking. There is perfect solution for UC.

There is a special eliquid that was developed for the folks that have a hard time quitting. It has more of what is in tobacco. May help with flares more than regular ecig - http://www.aromaejuice.com/Whole-Tobacco-Alkaloid-WTA-Eliquids_c33.htm

Been meaning to try it myself when I can afford it. Well thought of on the ecig forum- ECF.

Post Edited (coffeeman) : 3/9/2015 12:28:26 PM (GMT-6)

I get that smoking cigs is incredibly difficult to quit once you are addicted, but if they help so much why not smoke cigs for the 3-4 days it takes to get it under control then switch to the e-cig in between flares or why you tapper on the nicotine addiction? That to me seems like the best approach from both medicating and treating UC while being as careful as possible about not smoking anymore than absolutely needed. Nobody ever said you can't do both.

there's always this to consider >


/www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka1PeNNi6dg

I quit smoking a year prior to my diagnosis and have often wondered if the nicotine kept it quiet?

But the reasons I quit smoking are pretty emotional. Watching several close family members perish from emphysema and lung cancer was heart wrenching. I am really glad that there are "safer" ways to ingest it for those this works for.

I wonder exactly WHY this works for some? I guess it's time to go digging around again......

Wowzers, thanks for the elaboration, iPoop .......those were the things I've wondered about exactly.

Michelejc said...
I stopped smoking, a year later got UC. Didn't smoke for 6 years. I just started again.

It'll be interesting to see what happens with your UC, Michele......is that why you started back up?

I saw the "one pack a day" in your sig line with the meds out of the corner of my eye and for a brief instant thought it referred to cigs, lol....but no, it's the VSL instead.

Don't it beat all? You quit smoking to get healthy then this UC-crap hits like a load of bricks, and you have to take tons of medications. Sucks and isn't at all fair.

Smoking isn't no walk in the park either, especially with those who have a history of lung cancers within their family. Ugh.

Interesting in small-scale studies. Hardly at all conclusive though given the size, scope, and limited depth the research has been given.

I think if you can keep the number of ciggies to under five, then I would say go for it as I believe it kept my UC under control for quite a while, in fact, just reading this thread has my mouth watering at the thought of smoking, but, I quit recently when I went into hospital.

If I'm honest I think I would have carried on but I have Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and it was causing havoc with that, so I am sad that I can't have the occasional cigarette especially as I am denied so many of life's pleasures...

Well, you have a point, or should I say your doctor has a point. But, when your crapping your pants on a regular basis and can't leave the house cos nothing is working and you know you can reach for a cigarette that in all likeliness will stop the agony....then your gonna do it! especially if you have Tenesmus lol! and more so if your an ex-smoker like myself that would like nothing better than to indulge...Sometimes I think about sourcing a cigarette that might just contain less poisonous chemicals so that I can smoke...ha ha ha!

It is a bit more complicated than that..sometimes people do make a conscious choice between smoking OR taking a drug that might cause them serious problems. I smoked for a while to get a flare under control and I can tell you it can work or even bide you some time while you wait for a medication to kick in, as many medications can take weeks before you see results....we all do what we have to do....

@beatUC

I'm not opposed to it if there really are studies that explain how it helps. I live in a medical state (recreational some places, as well). There are ways to mitigate the smoke danger, too-----I guess vaporizers eliminate some of that risk?

Also there is CBD oil which has the healing cannabinoids without the psychoactive properties. I am in a group on Facebook and the topic of MMJ came up and I was blown away by how many UC and Crohn's patients said they utilized it and found it helpful.

One guy flat out said it was the ONLY med he has used that helped him. I wish my aunt who has treatment resistant Crohn's would be willing to use it as her appetite is nil, and I have heard that MMJ shines in that area. She also doesn't sleep well and has lots of anxiety. I think it'd be perfect for her.

Wow.........I guess I'll put "3 cigarettes a day" on my back burner as a possible thing to try? sure looks like a convincing possibility? only if I was in dire straights though.

I've said it before, but my diagnosis DID occur a year after quitting a long term smoking habit.

Something about watching my grandma and mom die slow deaths from cigarettes that make me just hate the idea though.

I joined this forum a few months ago, and this is one of the threads I first came upon. Being an ex-smoker (smoked for over 20 years and quit 7 years ago), the idea of this was quite repugnant. But, of course I researched everything I could find on the subject.

I can't take steroids (allergic to something in all of them) and prone to infections, so reluctant to move my medication from the 5 ASAs into immune suppressants or biologics. So, last week I made a personal decision to give it a try. I've been bleeding for over two years and I'm sick of it! Sick of bloody, muscousy diarrhea every morning and urgency and no improvements despite the medication protocols. (And when I say "no improvement" I mean none... )

Last week I added 14 mg transdermal nicotine to my medication routine. I didn't keep it on the full day for the first couple days (which lowered the actual dose and also helped me step up to 14 mg pretty quickly). I don't have any adverse reactions to it - but, heh, I'm an ex-smoker!

Around Friday of last week I began noticing a slight improvement. No D in the morning. Formed poops with a little blood (not a bowl full!) as soon as I was keeping the 14 mg dosing on in full (day/night). Today, no blood. Normal bowel movement. Blissfully normal bowel movement.

I think it is WAY premature to call this a success, but it's the first time in over two years I've woken up without D or a bowl full of blood. I am optimistic! Which is more than I have been about this dreaded disease since I began to suspect I had it (well before diagnosis).

I will check in with you all again in a few weeks and provide an update. Just thought I'd let you know that at the end of week 1, things are looking pretty good.