Posted 9/24/2017 3:58 AM (GMT 0)
There actually is some evidence that it is the nicotine in cigarettes that helps UC. That is why I decided to go back to nicotine. That is likely why I am also doing well right now, or at least partially.
There are other options than smoking cigarettes. I won't ever smoke another one. The crap in them is awful and I know what you mean on how they make you feel. I have used both patches and vaping. Both with great success. Not sure about people who never smoked. Though, that subgroup (never smoked) has little success with it, anyway per studies.
Nicotine:
1) Nicotine is not yet considered to be a carcinogen and may, in fact, have therapeutic potential as a neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory agent. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4002379/
2) Low-dose smoking resumption in refractory UC patients who are ex-smokers may ameliorate signs and symptoms of inflammation and have a safety profile that is at least comparable with long term corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, and biologics. This approach represents an unconventional therapeutic intervention that seems suitable only for a specific subgroup of patients. Three out of these 15 patients switched from cigarettes smoking to nicotine compounds and continued to maintain remission. https://academic.oup.com/ecco-jcc/article-lookup/doi/10.1016/j.crohns.2011.12.010
3) If you use a nicotine patch or nicotine gum to treat active ulcerative colitis, you tend to get better. Nicotine in tobacco smoke may suppress the immune system and decrease inflammation in ulcerative colitis. Nicotine and other chemicals in cigarette smoke may increase the production of mucous in the part of the colon where ulcerative colitis usually starts and serves as a protective barrier. Nicotine releases a chemical called nitric acid that may reduce muscle activity in the colon and reduce ulcerative colitis spasms. https://www.everydayhealth.com/ulcerative-colitis/treatment/how-nicotine-may-help-ulcerative-colitis/
4) While nicotine therapy appears to offer some benefit in people with active ulcerative colitis, one study suggests that it's not effective for maintaining remission. Thus, nicotine may be used to bring some patients with active disease into remission. To keep symptoms under control, though, patients likely would then require additional maintenance therapy, such as anti-inflammatory medications and drugs that work to suppress the immune system. https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/nicotine-patch-may-offer-some-benefit-to-those-with-ulcerative-colitis/
5) Small open-label trials have suggested benefit from alternative topical therapies such as lidocaine enemas, arsenic suppositories, epidermal growth factor enemas, alicaforsen enemas, and transdermal
nicotine patches. ECCO Guideline/Consensus Paper | Third European Evidence-based Consensus on Diagnosis and Management of Ulcerative Colitis. Part 2: Current Management
6) Although the specific mechanisms underlying this effect remain unclear, nicotine has a number of actions that could be potentially beneficial, including effects on the immune system [83, 84] and gut motility [85]. https://translational-medicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1479-5876-9-129
7) Our pilot study has shown that, in the 10 patients with active Crohn’s colitis, 6 mg nicotine enemas were associated with clinical improvement in the majority of patients, they were safe and well tolerated, and did not appear to worsen the condition. Larger randomised controlled trials are needed to confirm these observations and longer-term outcome data would also be of interest. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/grp/2008/237185/
Hopefully there will be more studies eventually. Since I've started my blog, I have found others like myself doing well with vaping/patches. Good luck!