nicotine vs prednisone

Hi all, I'm new here but I've been reading about nicotine for remission and am thinking of taking the plunge. I've never smoked, so I'm guessing nicotine will be rather unpleasant at first, but so is prednisone. From this forum and the publications people here have cited, I get the general idea that nicotine is good at generating remission, even in nonsmokers (though long term maintenance will require mesalamine etc).

I just want to get an initial remission without steroids. I've been on prednisone twice. It led to asymptomatic remission both times, slower the second time, but I don't want to do it again due to the short and long term side effects (mood swings, insanity, fatigue, glucose imbalance, bone demineralization etc). I need to be somewhat normal in under a week for job related reasons so I may be throwing immodium into the mix.

So I have a pack of 7 mg nicotine patches and a bottle of prednisone pills. Trying to decide. I'm wondering if anyone else who has gained remission on nicotine might be able to comment, especially people who know about nonsmokers doing this.

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History: male, diagnosed UP 1996, distal 6 cm. Occasional flares: Initially gained remission by rowasa and asacol (~10 times), later after more severe flares by prednisone (2 times). Have never smoked.

Rx Meds: lialda 4/day, rowasa 1/day.
Herbs and stuff: aloe vera gel, tumeric, apple pectin (new this week), vitamin D3, Vitamin C, bean.
Food: resistant starch sources (green beans, kidney beans, semolina)
Excluded food: no yeast, no processed foods, no 'natural' or artificial flavors, no fermented foods, low simple sugar intake.

Post Edited (IcRed) : 6/28/2013 10:38:10 PM GMT

Some people have success with nicotine. My belief is that cigarettes helped me keep my symptoms at bay without realizing it all these years. Typically, and at least in my own experience, I do not think the patches or ecigs do much but some claim otherwise. I think it's actually the CO2 and/or other chemicals in the cigarettes themselves.

I smoke ecigs hoping that it would do something but honestly it feels like a placebo to me. Maybe helps a small amount but hard to say. I do the 15mg drips, sometimes 30, but puff away on it all day so don't think it has to do with the amount itself.

That said, be careful as well when coming off cigarettes as this can often trigger a flare, sometimes worse than what it was treating. I quit smoking on and off over the early years of UC and managed fine. But when I quit cigs for good 2 years ago I had the worst flare and was bed ridden for 3 weeks, resulting in prednisone and remicade. I still stuck with quitting because I just didn't want all the other harmful effects of cigarettes.

Given your experience with smoking and flaring, and that you have quit smoking, don't go back to smoking. You already know it won't help.

From what I remember I thought the consensus was that something about smoking helped UC but that it was not traced to nicotine. It seems like I have seen many come here who had tried nicotine products other than smoking and I don't remember one where they said it helped their UC. From what I understand it seemed more like the helpful agent, like in eciggs and regular ciggs was actually carbon monoxide. I could be wrong.

Trying the 7 mg 'up and up' patch from Target (cut in half). So far no effects (at 30 minutes) except its itchy and red under the patch.

Thanks coffee man. I think people are scared to try it. They think it means you'll start smoking. I'll taper it back down if I get remission, as it is a narcotic. I'm just looking for that initial remission. UC always comes back but the trick is getting that initial remission from the flare. Then one can use diet, herbs, yoga and such to try to keep it at bay.

Update: Moved the patch to triceps below the shoulder. This seemed to be a better spot than the chest as it is not itchy or red there. So far I feel fine with the half 7 mg patch. We'll see if it does anything.

update: 12 hours with the '3.5 mg' patch. No nausea or other side effects. No weird dreams (well at least no weirder than usual).