Re: colitis & smoking?

[Guest guest]

I heard about this connection too a couple of years ago! Wonder if it has

anything to do with the calming of the nerves? Stress does aggravate our

symptoms.

Suneeti (Crohns, SCD 2000)

[Guest guest]

excerpts of article are below...

http://ibdcrohns.about.com/cs/ibdfaqs/a/smokingguts.htm

Research has shown that there is a connection between nicotine and inflammatory

bowel disease (IBD). However, what is puzzling is that smoking seems to have

opposite effects on the two main forms of IBD -- ulcerative colitis and Crohn's

disease.

What Is the Connection Between Ulcerative Colitis and Smoking?

Ulcerative colitis appears to be a disease of non-smokers. Former smokers are at

the highest risk for developing ulcerative colitis, while current smokers have

the least risk. This tendency indicates that smoking cigarettes may prevent the

onset of ulcerative colitis.

Researchers have discovered that it is the nicotine in tobacco cigarettes that

has a positive influence on symptoms of ulcerative colitis. Nicotine is a

naturally occurring substance in tobacco that has a complex effect on many

organs and systems in the body. Nicotine is also highly addictive, and many

people who smoke cigarettes have difficulty quitting despite the serious health

risks.

It is theorized that the nicotine in cigarettes affects the smooth muscle inside

the colon. This effect may alter gut motility (the rate at which food material

moves through the GI tract).

....

Should Former Smokers with Ulcerative Colitis Light Up Again?

Some studies have shown that former smokers who develop ulcerative colitis and

then go back to smoking experience fewer symptoms. However, smoking itself

carries other serious health risks. Physicians would not advise that a patient

start smoking, as the risks of smoking far outweigh any possible benefit.

....

What Does This All Mean for People With Ulcerative Colitis?

The total effect of nicotine on ulcerative colitis is still unclear, but it does

present a promising direction for development of new treatments. As nicotine's

role on the colon is better understood, patients with ulcerative colitis may

someday benefit from new treatments based on this effect.

SCD 3 Months

>

> I am not suggesting anyone start smoking!!!!!!!!

>

> I am only asking if anyone else out there with colitis has noticed that taking

nicotine via cigarettes or the patch has helped. I quit smoking 3 years ago, and

shortly after all these GI issues started in for me. Most recently I had an

X-ray done showing possible colitis, and a swollen, inflamed, backed up colon.

Well, I had a few cigarettes and wine last week, and woke up feeling so much

better - go figure! I then have been smoking 2 cigarettes a day, and don't feel

all this terrible inflamation anymore, also don't feel backed up. I read the

following article, and I can totally relate:

>

> http://ibdcrohns.about.com/cs/ibdfaqs/a/smokingguts.htm

>

> I think I may start taking nicorette gum, maybe one or two pieces a day. As I

really don't like smoking - and long term it is in no way a solution. Although,

I instantly felt like I was in remission. Oh, and after 5 days of smoking 2

cigarettes a day, I no longer wake up in pain everynight with a burning side,

and my food sensitivities have decreased. I get the feeling smoking might not

help those with colitis that didn't smoke before, but it sounds like for

x-smokers, there is a definite link.

>

> Overall, though, Smoking is very bad, and I may not have gotten GI issues like

this if I never smoked in the first place, but I did, and here I am I am 31

years old, and was never a heavy smoker, but I did start in high school and

smoke into my 20's.

>

> -

> SCD 3 months

>

[Guest guest]

You know, I quit a few months ago and was terrified because of all this information..... Until my awesome gastro told me that in his 25 years of treating collitis patients only a handful got worse when quitting smoking; the majority it made NO difference. I trusted him more than the Internet. And: I'm not only fine, I'm training for the LA marathon. I'm very strict scd legal and monitor myself carefully.... I'd do anything in my power to never smoke again.That's my two cents!!Dana Sent from my iPhone

I am not suggesting anyone start smoking!!!!!!!!

I am only asking if anyone else out there with colitis has noticed that taking nicotine via cigarettes or the patch has helped. I quit smoking 3 years ago, and shortly after all these GI issues started in for me. Most recently I had an X-ray done showing possible colitis, and a swollen, inflamed, backed up colon. Well, I had a few cigarettes and wine last week, and woke up feeling so much better - go figure! I then have been smoking 2 cigarettes a day, and don't feel all this terrible inflamation anymore, also don't feel backed up. I read the following article, and I can totally relate:

http://ibdcrohns.about.com/cs/ibdfaqs/a/smokingguts.htm

I think I may start taking nicorette gum, maybe one or two pieces a day. As I really don't like smoking - and long term it is in no way a solution. Although, I instantly felt like I was in remission. Oh, and after 5 days of smoking 2 cigarettes a day, I no longer wake up in pain everynight with a burning side, and my food sensitivities have decreased. I get the feeling smoking might not help those with colitis that didn't smoke before, but it sounds like for x-smokers, there is a definite link.

Overall, though, Smoking is very bad, and I may not have gotten GI issues like this if I never smoked in the first place, but I did, and here I am I am 31 years old, and was never a heavy smoker, but I did start in high school and smoke into my 20's.

-

SCD 3 months

[Guest guest]

Hey Dana,

I think that is awesome! I have been following SCD very strict, as in NO

illegals at all, only eating foods I can tolerate, for almost 4 months. But

after the first 2 months, my symptoms just kept getting worse. I stayed

positive, did lots of hiking and backpacking, ate super healthy, then when I saw

my colon on X-ray, I could not believe it, it scared the @#$% outta me. I think

for me, I may have to resort to nicotine gum occasionally. I was never a heavy

smoker, meaning, I mostly smoked when I went out and had drinks with friends on

the weekends. Which is what I did last week, before moving away from Eastern

Oregon, to now join my boyfriend on the Oregon Coast.

I am on the hunt for a new job, hopefully with health insurance, and I will

still go through the normal route of testing with the Docs, but nicotine seems

to be making my life more tolerable for now. And I plan to pick up a pack of

nicotine gum today, as cigarettes are pretty yucky.

Another neat point, is I am in no pain at all right now! And I can tolerate my

food so much better. I feel like my normal self, no more waking up in dire pain

in the middle of the night. It doesn't hurt when my boyfriend wraps his arms

around my body (my colon was so inflamed up until this past week, that being

touched in the wrong spot really really hurt!)

I was not suggesting that anyone start smoking, but in my case, I am glad to

have found nicotine to help me through this time period, until a better solution

can be found. I will also stay on strict SCD.

Thanks for commenting! Congrats on all of your progress! I am excited for you!!

Running a Marathon would be awesome.

-

SCD 3 Months

>

> I am not suggesting anyone start smoking!!!!!!!!

>

> I am only asking if anyone else out there with colitis has noticed that taking

nicotine via cigarettes or the patch has helped. I quit smoking 3 years ago, and

shortly after all these GI issues started in for me. Most recently I had an

X-ray done showing possible colitis, and a swollen, inflamed, backed up colon.

Well, I had a few cigarettes and wine last week, and woke up feeling so much

better - go figure! I then have been smoking 2 cigarettes a day, and don't feel

all this terrible inflamation anymore, also don't feel backed up. I read the

following article, and I can totally relate:

>

> http://ibdcrohns.about.com/cs/ibdfaqs/a/smokingguts.htm

>

> I think I may start taking nicorette gum, maybe one or two pieces a day. As I

really don't like smoking - and long term it is in no way a solution. Although,

I instantly felt like I was in remission. Oh, and after 5 days of smoking 2

cigarettes a day, I no longer wake up in pain everynight with a burning side,

and my food sensitivities have decreased. I get the feeling smoking might not

help those with colitis that didn't smoke before, but it sounds like for

x-smokers, there is a definite link.

>

> Overall, though, Smoking is very bad, and I may not have gotten GI issues like

this if I never smoked in the first place, but I did, and here I am I am 31

years old, and was never a heavy smoker, but I did start in high school and

smoke into my 20's.

>

> -

> SCD 3 months

>

[Guest guest]

Ah, I should probably clarify... I am totally not a doctor and I feel that you have to do what works. I know I was smoking and wound up in the hospital (pre SCD) , and I quit five years later and I'm pretty much fine. YET, for five years I was afraid to quit because of all of the articles I found establishing this link. It is true for some people (and you may be one of them), but I just reallllllllllly hope people get the good word out there that these causal link articles are blown way out of proportion and they are not applicable to everyone who has had/ has colitis. That's my more accurate 2 cents! Wishing you awesome health & SCD successs!!!! Dana

-----------------------

Dana Claudat

The Tao Of Dana

http://thetaoofdana.com

danaclaudat@...

To: BTVC-SCD Sent: Tue, September 21, 2010 9:39:39 AMSubject: Re: colitis & smoking?

Hey Dana,I think that is awesome! I have been following SCD very strict, as in NO illegals at all, only eating foods I can tolerate, for almost 4 months. But after the first 2 months, my symptoms just kept getting worse. I stayed positive, did lots of hiking and backpacking, ate super healthy, then when I saw my colon on X-ray, I could not believe it, it scared the @#$% outta me. I think for me, I may have to resort to nicotine gum occasionally. I was never a heavy smoker, meaning, I mostly smoked when I went out and had drinks with friends on the weekends. Which is what I did last week, before moving away from Eastern Oregon, to now join my boyfriend on the Oregon Coast. I am on the hunt for a new job, hopefully with health insurance, and I will still go through the normal route of testing with the Docs, but nicotine seems to be making my life more tolerable for now. And I plan to pick up a pack of nicotine gum today, as cigarettes

are pretty yucky. Another neat point, is I am in no pain at all right now! And I can tolerate my food so much better. I feel like my normal self, no more waking up in dire pain in the middle of the night. It doesn't hurt when my boyfriend wraps his arms around my body (my colon was so inflamed up until this past week, that being touched in the wrong spot really really hurt!)I was not suggesting that anyone start smoking, but in my case, I am glad to have found nicotine to help me through this time period, until a better solution can be found. I will also stay on strict SCD.Thanks for commenting! Congrats on all of your progress! I am excited for you!! Running a Marathon would be awesome.-SCD 3 Months> > I am not suggesting anyone start smoking!!!!!!!!> > I am only asking if anyone else out there with colitis has noticed that taking nicotine via cigarettes or the patch has helped. I quit smoking 3 years ago, and shortly after all these GI issues started in for me. Most

recently I had an X-ray done showing possible colitis, and a swollen, inflamed, backed up colon. Well, I had a few cigarettes and wine last week, and woke up feeling so much better - go figure! I then have been smoking 2 cigarettes a day, and don't feel all this terrible inflamation anymore, also don't feel backed up. I read the following article, and I can totally relate: > > http://ibdcrohns.about.com/cs/ibdfaqs/a/smokingguts.htm> > I think I may start taking nicorette gum, maybe one or two pieces a day. As I really don't like smoking - and long term it is in no way a solution. Although, I instantly felt like I was in remission. Oh, and after 5 days of smoking 2 cigarettes a day, I no longer wake up in pain everynight with a burning side, and my food sensitivities have decreased. I get the feeling smoking might not help those with colitis that didn't smoke before, but it sounds like for x-smokers, there is a definite

link.> > Overall, though, Smoking is very bad, and I may not have gotten GI issues like this if I never smoked in the first place, but I did, and here I am I am 31 years old, and was never a heavy smoker, but I did start in high school and smoke into my 20's. > > -> SCD 3 months>

[Guest guest]

Yes, this is well known. Marijuana also has a positive effect.

Personally I wouldn't think it is the gut muscle effecting

gut motility - there probably is some change in the bacterial

environment. Like they all get knocked out or something.

Of course, they haven't studied the effect of smoke or nicotine on

bacterial colonies, because they don't yet admit that that is what

causes IBD.

Mara

> excerpts of article are below...

>

> http://ibdcrohns.about.com/cs/ibdfaqs/a/smokingguts.htm

>

> Research has shown that there is a connection between nicotine and

inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, what is puzzling is that smoking

seems to have opposite effects on the two main forms of IBD -- ulcerative

colitis and Crohn's disease.

>

> What Is the Connection Between Ulcerative Colitis and Smoking?

> Ulcerative colitis appears to be a disease of non-smokers. Former smokers are

at the highest risk for developing ulcerative colitis, while current smokers

have the least risk. This tendency indicates that smoking cigarettes may prevent

the onset of ulcerative colitis.

> Researchers have discovered that it is the nicotine in tobacco cigarettes that

has a positive influence on symptoms of ulcerative colitis. Nicotine is a

naturally occurring substance in tobacco that has a complex effect on many

organs and systems in the body. Nicotine is also highly addictive, and many

people who smoke cigarettes have difficulty quitting despite the serious health

risks.

>

> It is theorized that the nicotine in cigarettes affects the smooth muscle

inside the colon. This effect may alter gut motility (the rate at which food

material moves through the GI tract).

> ...

>

> Should Former Smokers with Ulcerative Colitis Light Up Again?

> Some studies have shown that former smokers who develop ulcerative colitis and

then go back to smoking experience fewer symptoms. However, smoking itself

carries other serious health risks. Physicians would not advise that a patient

start smoking, as the risks of smoking far outweigh any possible benefit.

> ...

>

> What Does This All Mean for People With Ulcerative Colitis?

> The total effect of nicotine on ulcerative colitis is still unclear, but it

does present a promising direction for development of new treatments. As

nicotine's role on the colon is better understood, patients with ulcerative

colitis may someday benefit from new treatments based on this effect.

>

>

> SCD 3 Months

>

>

>>

>> I am not suggesting anyone start smoking!!!!!!!!

>>

>> I am only asking if anyone else out there with colitis has noticed that

taking nicotine via cigarettes or the patch has helped. I quit smoking 3 years

ago, and shortly after all these GI issues started in for me. Most recently I

had an X-ray done showing possible colitis, and a swollen, inflamed, backed up

colon. Well, I had a few cigarettes and wine last week, and woke up feeling so

much better - go figure! I then have been smoking 2 cigarettes a day, and don't

feel all this terrible inflamation anymore, also don't feel backed up. I read

the following article, and I can totally relate:

>>

>> http://ibdcrohns.about.com/cs/ibdfaqs/a/smokingguts.htm

>>

>> I think I may start taking nicorette gum, maybe one or two pieces a day. As I

really don't like smoking - and long term it is in no way a solution. Although,

I instantly felt like I was in remission. Oh, and after 5 days of smoking 2

cigarettes a day, I no longer wake up in pain everynight with a burning side,

and my food sensitivities have decreased. I get the feeling smoking might not

help those with colitis that didn't smoke before, but it sounds like for

x-smokers, there is a definite link.

>>

>> Overall, though, Smoking is very bad, and I may not have gotten GI issues

like this if I never smoked in the first place, but I did, and here I am I am

31 years old, and was never a heavy smoker, but I did start in high school and

smoke into my 20's.

>>

>> -

>> SCD 3 months

>>

>

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

My sister has UC just as myself.. She is not following SCD.. But she is what we call a closet smoker.. she just never quit all together.. enjoys a cig a couple of times a week... She made the same comment to me the other day.. She has been in remission with 6mp since june of 2008 and she says that she went back to occassional cigs at the same time..

I am a former smoker as well.. But I just CAN NOT see my self picking up that habit again.. For reasons of price....smell....and just over all health of my lungs..I just can not tollerate the smell of it on other people..

Just wanted you to know that you are not the only one to have thought of the connection to cigs..

To: BTVC-SCD Sent: Tue, September 21, 2010 11:17:23 AMSubject: colitis & smoking?

I am not suggesting anyone start smoking!!!!!!!!I am only asking if anyone else out there with colitis has noticed that taking nicotine via cigarettes or the patch has helped. I quit smoking 3 years ago, and shortly after all these GI issues started in for me. Most recently I had an X-ray done showing possible colitis, and a swollen, inflamed, backed up colon. Well, I had a few cigarettes and wine last week, and woke up feeling so much better - go figure! I then have been smoking 2 cigarettes a day, and don't feel all this terrible inflamation anymore, also don't feel backed up. I read the following article, and I can totally relate: http://ibdcrohns.about.com/cs/ibdfaqs/a/smokingguts.htmI think I may start taking nicorette gum, maybe one or two pieces a day. As I really don't like smoking - and long term it is in no way a solution. Although, I instantly felt like I was in remission. Oh, and after 5 days of smoking 2 cigarettes

a day, I no longer wake up in pain everynight with a burning side, and my food sensitivities have decreased. I get the feeling smoking might not help those with colitis that didn't smoke before, but it sounds like for x-smokers, there is a definite link.Overall, though, Smoking is very bad, and I may not have gotten GI issues like this if I never smoked in the first place, but I did, and here I am I am 31 years old, and was never a heavy smoker, but I did start in high school and smoke into my 20's. -SCD 3 months

[Guest guest]

,When my husband started getting UC symptoms, it was while he was cutting down his smoking trying to quit. You didn't cause UC, per se, but smoking depresses the immune system -- which was probably already depressed to a certain degree due to other factors anyway (stress, household chemicals, poor diet/poor nutrition). My husband does still occasionally smoke, but not much. He thought for a while that it helped, but really, it is a maintenance kind of thing as the immune suppression is rather mild. If it were me, I would be working the other direction and try to reduce inflammation naturally and boost the immune system naturally that way the body can assist the diet's efforts to control/remove pathogenic bacteria.Bromelain for inflammation is very good, epsom

salt baths for helping with detox is good, plenty of fluids, rest, moderate exercise, good fats (avocado, coconut oil, butter, fats from meat) mineral salts (potassium, sodium, magnesium etc) are all very good for helping the body stay in good health. Low dose naltrexone helps built the immune system for a great many people too. It doesn't come quickly, just like the colitis arrived through a slow downward slide, but it will over time improve until body is working at the optimum level it was designed for. AmeliaTo: BTVC-SCD Sent: Tue, September 21, 2010 9:47:23 PMSubject: colitis & smoking?

I am not suggesting anyone start smoking!!!!!!!!

I am only asking if anyone else out there with colitis has noticed that taking nicotine via cigarettes or the patch has helped. I quit smoking 3 years ago, and shortly after all these GI issues started in for me. Most recently I had an X-ray done showing possible colitis, and a swollen, inflamed, backed up colon. Well, I had a few cigarettes and wine last week, and woke up feeling so much better - go figure! I then have been smoking 2 cigarettes a day, and don't feel all this terrible inflamation anymore, also don't feel backed up. I read the following article, and I can totally relate:

http://ibdcrohns.about.com/cs/ibdfaqs/a/smokingguts.htm

I think I may start taking nicorette gum, maybe one or two pieces a day. As I really don't like smoking - and long term it is in no way a solution. Although, I instantly felt like I was in remission. Oh, and after 5 days of smoking 2 cigarettes a day, I no longer wake up in pain everynight with a burning side, and my food sensitivities have decreased. I get the feeling smoking might not help those with colitis that didn't smoke before, but it sounds like for x-smokers, there is a definite link.

Overall, though, Smoking is very bad, and I may not have gotten GI issues like this if I never smoked in the first place, but I did, and here I am I am 31 years old, and was never a heavy smoker, but I did start in high school and smoke into my 20's.

-

SCD 3 months