Without hijacking this posting, but in response to chadta... I've been a smoker from a very early age.. I quit smoking after my parents 50th anniversary, within 4 months
I became ill.. they were never able to accurately diagnose it.. but after 1 1/2 months of steroid treatment, I became better... Fast forward a decade.. I'd started smoking again (I'd been mis-diagnosed - thought I had terminal cancer - figrued what the hey) Anyway, long story short.. I quit smoking again.. Again, within a few months, I was ill- this time I didn't respond to treatment.. Kept getting worse, wound up in ER, (as any number of times before, but this time with other patients who had IBD or related illnesses.. ) Despite everything the docs did, my blood loss from bowel wouldn't decrease.. Couple of fellow patients advised me to resume smoking.. Did so.. Blood loss slowed almost immediately.. Took me a long time, but I eventually found 2 different doc's who reluctantly admitted that smoking was the 'old, old' treatment for IBD.. Very loathe to admit it because the cure is worse than the disease-- NO mistake.. SMOKING KILLS!! However, it seems that 6 - 8 smokes a day will lessen the blood flow - as it constricts overall body ability to move blood around.. Same reason it causes/increases coronary arterery disease, heart attack, stroke, etc.. Now, I really want to quit smoking, but I really don't want a relapse (esp with my best GI on maternity leave).. So I am waiting for her return, then my plan is to quit, and if my blood loss increases to try to fight it with transdermal nicotine patches as a substitute for smoking again..