Smoking cigarettes

Hello I wanted to find out if anyone had tried smoking to help with UC symptoms. I’ve done a lot of research on the subject and it’s widely known that there is a link.

I gave up smoking 2 years before my diagnosis. I always had digestive issues but after I quit things became progressively worse until I was admitted to hospital in a severe flare!

I am told by my consultant that this is a common story. And that smoking may have been masking disease activity.

Anyway I’m at a desperate measures stage and willing to try anything. Just wondering if anyone had found relief with smoking? Obviously it’s not something that I want to do but keen to hear others experiences?

Thank you MariaMaria for your reply. How fast did you see improvements after starting 3-5 a day? I think I am going to give this a go as the more I read the more I find other getting relief this way.

The last thing I want to do is become a smoker again but if it helps me get my life back I don’t care!

I do currently vape but zero nicotine so I guess that wouldn’t help anyway. And from what I’ve read as you say it seems something in the real tobacco burning that seems to help.

Yeah it's been mentioned here a number of times: former smoker quits, gets UC shortly thereafter. Sometimes reintroducing cigs helps with symptoms a bit, given that you are willing to accept the widely known risks of smoking. We've had some successes over the years with people vaping or using patches, which are less of a risk then smoking is; something to consider.

Certainly it is preferable to manage your UC symptoms through UC meds, whenever possible. Have you tried remicade/humira? Often those work well for us, and they are a lot lower risk than cigs are!

Yes I have failed infliximab (Remicade) currently 4 weeks in to Xeljanz seems to have lowered my inflammation markers but still experiencing extreme rectal bleeding unfortunately.
I’m also on mesalamine both oral and rectal. And have been told to go back up to 40mg pred. It hasn’t touched it yet!

Notsosicklygirl this is it I was a real 15/20 a day smoker before. So I’m weighing up my options. For me if I could go back to feeling normal and off all these meds I would but I know it’s not that simple!

I guess the only way to find out is to try.

Yes I had to come off Azathioprine in order to start Xeljanz. You can’t take them together. I have a suspicion that this is why my current flare went from bad to worse. I went from loose stools occasional mucus to full on bleeding less than two weeks after discontinuing.

I did actually ask my nurse this today and she said they wouldn’t do a scope with active bleeding 🤷‍♀️ Apparently this is because during my last scope I was so inflamed they had to stop the procedure due to risk of perforation.

And based on my last mri scan there was no evidence of anything like that! I’m not fully convinced so I might try to see my GP tomorrow.

Thank you

Have you ever consulted a surgeon? Life after surgery is actually quite good, almost the same as being pre-UC, expect you go to the toilet more. Other than going more, you sort of revert to your preUC-self in the way that you stop worrying so much about toilets, drugs, doctors appointments, about being sick... I personally would consider surgery before taking up a smoking habit. I know surgery isn't ideal, and it's risky, there aren't guarantees, but at least you could potentially be free of UC. A consultation doesn't lock you into anything, it just gives you awareness of the possibilities. If you've failed the majority of options, it's never a bad idea to get your ducks in a row. If you needed surgery, you would be thankful for the plan, if you don't, even better!!

Hi i think i remember you from the other thread - 2 normal BMs per day? Have any of the doctors considered other causes of the bleeding?

I did actually ask if this could be a fistula/piles/abscess or something and she said they would all usually be very painful and mostly bleed with bowel movements and not also with passing wind! I’m not in extreme pain just a little uncomfortable. But very urgent!

Notsosicklygirl yes exactly! This is the thing my improvement has been really good from where I was 8 months ago I was exactly as you experienced! So I’ve come a very long way. The Remicade was given as a rescue therapy after I was admitted and I responded really well initially. Until my last two infusions did nothing!!

That’s why I’m finding these symptoms so confusing. I think I am panicking that I am heading back there and trying to think of any way to avoid it! The fear of being back there is so real!!! It’s like I’m almost there but no let up with the bleeding. I’d say toilet trips just to pass blood and gas are around 2-3 during the day. But through the night it can be up to 10 times! I think you are right that it must be mainly rectal inflammation. Using salofak foam enema but it doesn’t seem to be helping. I asked about the steroid enema and she said I need to continue with the salofak as I’m taking the max dose of oral steroids!

I hate this disease 😐

I had a scope early this year, as I was concerned about a flare from my daily bleeding (blood common most days on toilet paper, after wiping bum) with 2-solid bms a day without urgency. Scope and biopsies came back saying I'm currently within a remission. I quizzed my gasteroenteroligist before and after the flex-sigmoidoscopy about the possibility and presence of hemis, fissures, abscesses, etc. Doc said nothing unusual was seen.

Today, still get blood every couple days and nothing has changed, so safe to say I am still within a remission. I did have a hemorrhoid about a year ago, and I can only chalk that up to another hemi. Took a look with a squatt over a mirror a few times and do not see any obvious signs of any peri-anal crap (no hemis, fissures, abscesses, etc) and nothing obvious back there wrong. Not going to worry unless things change substantially.

Wondering if yours is the same? If you're feeling good symptom wise, and know there's no inflammation then no worries! If there is confirmed inflammation then address it of course.

The only time i experienced farts with blood was after my last scope - they took a lot of biopsies (for research) and apparently i bled a lot afterwards. It stopped after 2 days however.

I started smoking again last year and it made me flare really, really badly. I got UC as a smoker though, so it never helped me. What happens if you start smoking again and it doesn't help? Then you just have two problems and have to quit all over again.

I summarise....you are flaring, and I suggest you get on rectal meds. If you can use mesalamine, ask for 4g liquid enemas and mesalamine suppositories during the day.

Don't start smoking...please!

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