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Abcesses, Chrones and Smoking

Hi, just thought i would throw the topic out there and see what people think about the effects? Obviousling no one should smoke but does it make your symptoms worse? Does it contribute to smoking. I have heard and read it may.....
i regretfully admit that yes i am a smoker (wish i wasnt!) and dont find it does much to my symptoms. I know i need to give up and i have used every escuse under the sun, but just havent done it! Excuses excuses!!!
How does if affect other people???
 

Astra

Moderator
Hiya Mooch

Yeah I'm a smoker too, wish I wasn't, no excuses, blah blah
I don't know whether it makes it worse, doesn't make it better neither! My consultant gives me a weird look when he asks about the smoking, like he's just licked piss off a nettle!!
It certainly helps UC from what I've researched. In fact, my friend with UC ended up worse when she quit the fags!
IMHO, everything in moderation, this includes alcohol and chocolate!
 
My GI is constantly on me to quit. I've been smoking since before I was dx, so I don't know if it's better or worse with it. I really do need to quit.
 
Smoking might help with UC, but I wouldn't start just to help it, you know? I'd try other things since smoking on it's own can cause various types of cancers, but everyone this day in age knows that. Smoking is a big no-no for crohn's though and if I recall correctly I read somewhere that it was suspected in causing crohn's, which I wouldn't doubt anyways since it gives you so many other problems. I'll have to go dig through my sources just to be sure if it's accurate, but Crohn's disease and UC are two different monsters altogether.
 
I think it does I used to be a social smoker right up to before I had surgery, thought I better quit before the anaesthetic anyway had been doing great since surgery no symptoms no smoking then went on hols and had a few and right enough the next couple of days I suffered with the big D, bleeding, pain the lot so that was enough for me to never ever do it again and besides it will kill you eventually one way or the other cancer, emphysema, heart attack ( I know I know typical know it all ex smoker - please forgive me!!) good luck with quitting
 
I'm a smoker. I've had crohns symptoms since I was 6, so when a particular dr tried to tell me that I "gave" myself crohns because I smoke, I smugly informed her that, although my family is slightly white trash, I definitely was not smoking at 6. So there goes that theory.
My GI is on me all the time to quit smoking. Back in July I set a quit date for September first, and i was serious about it. Unfortunately, one of my medications is seriously increasing my cravings for cigarettes, and I'm smoking ALOT more than I used to. I get really stressed out and anxious if I don't smoke often. When I told my GI about this, he actually told me to push back my quit date, until I was on a much lower dose of pred. He didn't straight up tell me "keep smoking, it's the only thing keeping you sane right now" but he implied it.
Last time I was in the er, the GI there told me that quitting smoking would help me just as much, if not more, than starting remicade. I just rolled my eyes at her.
I do find, sometimes, that smoking bothers my stomach. When I first started I used to get really bad cramps right after a smoke. But I kept doing it anyways, and eventually it stopped. Smoking also used to give me diarrhea, but now I can't pin-point what gives me diarrhea, because it seems like everything does. I also have colitis, but I noticed that I rarely have left side pain. I still get it sometimes, but nowhere near as bad as my right side pain. I read that smoking can be somewhate beneficial for colitis, so maybe that's why I don't have as much pain from it.
 
I was diagnosed with Crohn's in 1981 at age 23, but was displaying symptoms for at least 11 years before that. I was a pack a day smoker for close to 30 years. After I quit my symptoms became much worse. I started having unexplained bleeding, fistulas go much worse, diarrhea was worse than ever and I developed all kinds of Crohn's related skin disorders.
 
Hi Gastro Girl :) I was going if you wanted us to move your post into the "my story" subforum, but I see you're writing one right now. Welcome to the forum :) Look forward to your post.
 
I'm asking myself these same questions. I am only 23 and was only diagnosed in dec 2010 I've been smoking full packets every day since I was 16 and I find that some days I'm fine and then other days when I light one up I have to run for the bathroom and embarassing enough sometimes i dont make it... I'm however going the balance approach still going to have a smoke here and there but only when i'm craving one so i actually enjoy it but if it makes me feel sick then I will give it a lil bit of a rest...


From Natalie
 
Hi Natalie :)

I think it's rather cool that you're able to control yourself like that, and only smoke when you think you'll enjoy it.
 
Hi there OP, I have UC and I smoke, and it doesn't completley cure all end all, UC sufferers that smoke are subceptive to "flare ups" like people with CD but I do find that the Nicotine in fags(cigs) calm down the ulcers somewhat if you have had a dodgy day with your BM's
 
Smoking the cigarette in the morning always got the bowels rolling for me. I could be guaranteed a clean out 10 mins after.:dance:
 
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