Quit Smoking?

Are you thinking of quitting?

I am not in the category of no symptoms when I quit. Unfortunately I flared severely when I quit and I ended starting back up.

I had no issues with my health until I quit smoking. I quit and it all went down hill from there! Of course I am still happy I quit smoking but it was very shortly after that I was diagnosed with UC. UC runs in my family big time so I believe for me its genetic, but quitting smoking definitely in my mind, was my trigger. Smoking may help your UC symptoms, but if you really don't like it....well, that's a decision you have to make. Hope it works out for you.

I quit smoking when I got pregnant with my daughter and shortly after her birth and maybe it was even a little before her birth (can't quite remember) I started getting symptoms of UC. I did have a few cigs in about my 6 month of pregnancy when I was under the worst stress of my life. Was it the stress? Was it stopping smoking? Who knows...noone in my family that I know of has UC.

I was a heavy smoker for almost 20 years. I quit 15 years before being diagnosed but might have had UC before that. I quit because it was ruining my health and I would never start for any reason. There is good evidence that being a former smoker puts you at higher risk to get UC but the horse is already out of the barn.
The evidence that smoking shortens your life and ruins the quality of your life is overwhelming. It is a horribly addictive drug. The evidence that it will help your UC is nowhere near it. You are better off trying everything else including steriods and biologicals then getting your colon out before smoking IMHO.

I would already be dead if I hadn't quit. No doubt in my mind. No family history or anyone in my family with high BP or circulation problems and nobody else smoked for any length of time. I got both.

I started my first flare about 6 months after quitting smoking, but when I'm in remission, it's obvious to me that quitting was the right choice. And when I'm in a flare nothing makes me optimistic so when I think about nicotine I just get more downhearted.

I'm so glad I quit. I don't think a day goes by that I'm not reminded of at least one reason I'm grateful. Whether it's the cost or the hassle or the mess, or whether it's just being happy that I can go out to dinner and not immediately jump up from the table to smoke, I'm just really glad I don't have to deal with it any more.