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Azathiprine and smoking

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 5/1/2016 9:54 AM (GMT 0)
Hello it's been a while since I have posted on this site and I have been on a long journey in the last two years and am looking for some advice.

I have pan colitis and have been in flare for about two years and am now hopefully fingerescrossed near enough in remission.

During the last two years I have had 3 iron infusions the last being in January, so lots of energy at the moment :-) , and been on 3 courses of Prednisolone and became steroid dependant as each time I tried to tapper I ended up back in flare. I was first started on azathiprine over a year ago but my body rejected it at 75mg so I had to reduce it back to 25mg and increase it by 25mg every two weeks and I have now finally got up to my target dose 225mg and am now on my last week of 0.5 mg of Prednisolone.

I had a camera check three weeks ago which showed no active disease and I have just done a stool sample which I am going to get the results of next Wednesday.

Now the question I have is that I used to be a smoker and have read many articles about smoking and colitis so against my better judgment but desperate to get of the steroids I started smoking 4 cigarettes a day which has now risen to about 7 a day when I'm not at work. I do not smoke at work but I am now getting very ratty and am unable to concentrate at work but do not want to start smoking at work as I will then class myself as a full time smoker and I am now desperate to try and stop.
Does any one have any advice is it the cigarettes that have helped me to get in remission or do you think it is the azaterophine and should I stop or ween my self off.

I'm sorry for the long post but I feel in a good place and don't quite no what to do so any advice is greatly received.

Thank you in advanced
Bez
Posted 5/1/2016 1:30 PM (GMT 0)
Nicotine has the best odds of success for people who for this pattern: longtime smoker who quit and then got uc. Others not so much. Smoking can mask uc symptoms, and quitting reveals uc.
Posted 5/1/2016 2:29 PM (GMT 0)
I was a former smoker who received the gift of UC three months after quitting. I never returned to smoking but tried an e-cig which did not help. I have also been diagnosed with COPD and would never return to smoking but I say if you can keep it at 7 or taper to 5, go for it--it will be less expensive, less painful and so much less debilitating than recurrent UC flares, not to mention extra-intestinal problems. The e-cig, patch or gum don't seem to work, has something to do with combustion. Good luck.
Posted 5/1/2016 4:32 PM (GMT 0)
Hi thanks for your replies. I have really noticed an improvement in my condition also as I have increased the azathioprine and my question really is could it be the aza or do you think it's the cigarettes?

I don't want to smoke but I don't want to flare again has anyone been in this position and gave up smoking and been ok?

Or do I risk flaring agin if I stop smoking?

I know we are all different but really would like to know if anyone has a similar story?
Posted 5/2/2016 7:38 PM (GMT 0)
Each of us is different, and each has different reactions to different therapies. In my case e-cigarettes and nicotine lozenges have kept me mostly in remission for many years. At first is was predominantly e-cigs but as they became increasingly politically incorrect I came to rely more and more heavily on lozenges. But again, what works for me may or may not work for you, you just have to try.
Posted 5/8/2016 10:42 PM (GMT 0)
One study showed former female smokers were 5x more likely to develop UC than never/non-smokers, and there are several posts here from former smokers who tried everything, and back to consuming nicotine in some form put them in remission.
I was an INVOLUNTARY smoker as a child/teen of a heavy smoker, and as child was even diagnosed as having allergies to smoke, but Mommie dearest (happy mommie-dearest day!) continued to smoke. UC for 19 years, I am convinced the former exposure to smoke is at least half the cause.
I became very, very sick few years ago with no meds helping, so did nicotine patches and it quickly put me into remission.
Cigarettes are full of chemicals, and nicotine is consumed in a large, fleeting dose, which (apparently) is part of the cause of addiction. I wasn't a smoker in that sense so am just going on what I have read.
Long story short: my advice is to use nicotine patches instead of cigarettes but also use some maintenance meds if you can afford them. My co=pay for asacol was $1200 dollars so that makes nicotine patches all that more appealing. IMHO side effects from nicotine better than prednisone, if not many other meds.
Just my two cents.
If I would have had info about nicotine 19 years ago when first diagnosed ( I don't even think they had nicotine patches then LOL) I would have taken them in a heartbeat. Sure beats the prednisone, chronic pain, rapid weight loss, affects on social life/career/finances that I have certainly suffered through.
good luck, I would google nicotine and UC for more info
Posted 5/8/2016 11:06 PM (GMT 0)
I forgot to mention that I have been on azathioprine the entire 19years so clearly, in my case, it did NOT prevent me from getting sick. No clue why I so suddenly got so sick after being not really in remission- but having manageable symptoms for several years. You can view my other posts on what nicotine did to my microbiome and colonoscopy results.
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