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Crohn's and Nicotine?
- Thread starter Nausea
- Start date
Actually, I am not sure smoking does make Crohn's worse. It might, but there does not seem to be any clear studies proving this that I am aware of. I have heard that it can make Crohn's appear higher in the intestinal tract.
Some think the stress relieving effect may be useful. Of course all of the other health risks probably make it a bad enough idea on there own merits.
I am pretty sure chewing tobacco is not going to help, but I think that will become apparent if you try it.
I quit smoking right in the middle of my flare and stricture problems, prior to diagnosis. The only result was my pain level went up a couple of notches over night. When I started again, it did not improve.
Dan
Some think the stress relieving effect may be useful. Of course all of the other health risks probably make it a bad enough idea on there own merits.
I am pretty sure chewing tobacco is not going to help, but I think that will become apparent if you try it.
I quit smoking right in the middle of my flare and stricture problems, prior to diagnosis. The only result was my pain level went up a couple of notches over night. When I started again, it did not improve.
Dan
I myself believe smoking does make it worse or exacerbate it. I speak only from my first hand experience from it. I started smoking in july/aug 06, started having stomach pain in oct. 06, diagnosed may 07. I quit smoking in April 09. I used ocassionally, the commit lozenges with no problems.
I had not had any stomach issues prior to smoking. I'm sure I crohn's laying dormant within me before, but the smoking made it active. My stomach issues have improved to almost pre-diagnosis status again.
I had not had any stomach issues prior to smoking. I'm sure I crohn's laying dormant within me before, but the smoking made it active. My stomach issues have improved to almost pre-diagnosis status again.
I have heard it is the nicotine that makes it worse. Nicotine actually constricts blood flow in the body. Here is one article that discusses it. Also, it has been said to improve ulcerative colitis. Weird huh?
http://ibdcrohns.about.com/cs/relatedconditions/a/smokingguts.htm
http://ibdcrohns.about.com/cs/relatedconditions/a/smokingguts.htm
I pulled some quotes from that article:
"Crohn's disease patients who smoke have an increased number of relapses and repeat surgeries, as well as more of a need for aggressive and immunosuppressive treatment. No one knows why smoking worsens Crohn's disease. It is theorized that smoking may decrease blood flow to the intestines or trigger a response in the immune system. "
Again, is the nicotine that is causing the harm, or the act of smoking? I cant find any clear answer on this anywhere.
"Crohn's disease patients who smoke have an increased number of relapses and repeat surgeries, as well as more of a need for aggressive and immunosuppressive treatment. No one knows why smoking worsens Crohn's disease. It is theorized that smoking may decrease blood flow to the intestines or trigger a response in the immune system. "
Again, is the nicotine that is causing the harm, or the act of smoking? I cant find any clear answer on this anywhere.
GoJohnnyGo
One Badass Dude
I quit eight months ago and it made a dramatic improvement (to the point I'm close to remission). I made a bunch of other lifestyle changes at the same time, so I'm not going to attribute it entirely to quitting smoking.
Since cigarette smoke contains so many other chemicals other than Nicotine, the odds are in your favor that Nicotine is not the culprit. That is just statistically speaking. I doubt that they have narrowed it down to the specific chemical that would affect Crohn's.
You could just switch to the nicotine Gum and wean yourself off of it. I used it once to quit smoking, and it did make it slightly easier. The twenty dollar bet I had with two other people may have helped also (I won but started again a couple of years later).
Dan
You could just switch to the nicotine Gum and wean yourself off of it. I used it once to quit smoking, and it did make it slightly easier. The twenty dollar bet I had with two other people may have helped also (I won but started again a couple of years later).
Dan
I just came across this article from back in 2005. A wordy but interesting read about affects of both nicotine & tobacco smoke on gastroitestinal diseases. Its not conclusive but suggests that nicotine could have positive affects on people with crohns.
I cant post a link, because Im a new member and just joined to share this,
but search for:
Mechanisms of Disease: Nicotine -- A Review of its Actions in the Context of Gastrointestinal Disease by Gareth AO Thomas; John Rhodes; John R Ingram
I cant post a link, because Im a new member and just joined to share this,
but search for:
Mechanisms of Disease: Nicotine -- A Review of its Actions in the Context of Gastrointestinal Disease by Gareth AO Thomas; John Rhodes; John R Ingram
IBD patients are already under more oxidative stress then healthy people, even when in remission. Oxidative stress is an imbalance of pro-oxidants compounds and antioxidant compounds in the body. smoking a cigarette can induce a state of oxidative stress and depletes antioxidants vitamins in the body like, vitamin c, vitamin e and carotenoids. So smoking might be a bad choice. then there are some anti-inflammatory properties shown for some chemicals in tobacco which might actually help inflammation, so perhaps other nonsmoking forms could have a slight benefit. Here is a study that showed transdermal nicotine patches improved UC. http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199403243301202?viewType=Print&viewClass=Print&