Letters from the SCD support group: concerning smoking & nicotine Nicotine Published articles on the subject are placed under "Articles"
Re: smoking Sat, 10 May 1997 4:29:12 GMT Matt, My brother sent me an article (I'm not sure of the magazine) about a study that was written up in Annals of Internal Medicine. It discusses nicotine "soothed symptoms of ulcerative colitis". In the study the patients wore a nicotine patch. The article states: "The patch releases enough nicotine into the bloodstream to curb colitis woes, like severe diarrhea, by increasing the digestive mucus that lines and protects the colon" "Study author William Sandborn, associate professor at the Mayo Clinic, say he believes patients will likely need a maintenance dose of he patch for one to two years". It doesn't state what happens after two years on the patch. Are you cured? In remission? Can you get addicted to the patch? I am not recommending it, but I have been in your situation and wanted to pass this on. Take care, Roger
Re: smoking Sat, 10 May 1997 19:35:21 GMT Just wanted to mention a few things about smoking and IBD. First of all, it seems to be beneficial to people with UC and detrimental to people with Crohn's disease. It seems to be the nicotine that is responisble for it's effects. And many studies have been done with the nicotine patch. I don't think any doctor would ever want to recommend smoking as a treatment to other diseases. Also, I have heard that they are developing an enema that contains nicotine as an alternative to the patch as it would have even fewer side effects. Take care, Tina (Ontario, Canada)
Re: smoking Sun, 11 May 1997 13:35:33 GMT Matt, Roger and others, In October 1996, Dr. Cecilla Benoni from Sweden published the results of a scientific research in Sweden stating that "the more smoke, the greater risk for Crohns" - smoking increases the risk of relapse and flare for Crohns, whereas it can have a positive effect for Colitis. She emphasizes, though, that even if you have Colitis, smoking is NOT healthy. (It is better to use nicotine plasters.) Generally, smokers get to the point where they need an operation earlier than nonsmokers. Concerning nicotine, also check the articles at http://www.inform.dk/djembe/scd/scd014_1.html#ANCHOR01 (and http://www.inform.dk/djembe/scd/scd026.html) Yours, Mik
From: pete@yellowman.demon.co.uk To: SCD-list@longisland.com Subject: Smoking, again Hi, folks I apologise in advance for asking questions that have probably been asked a thousand times before, but.... I've just stopped smoking for the 3rd time in 7 years (on the previous two occasions I started again a couple of years later). I am now convinced of the link between smoking and the bowel problems and other symptoms I have got (joint pains, sore eyes, tendon problems, etc), because after 3 weeks without cigarettes, the symptoms, which almost disappeared while I was smoking, are back. This has happened each time I have given up in the past. I was re-reading the Gottschall diet book, and in chapter 2 there is a quote from a bloke by the name of Dr. Heaton, who says
Has anybody else had the same sort of problems after stopping smoking? Have you managed to solve them? Why should cigarettes cause problems with the gut bacteria balance? Thanks in advance for any replies. pete-lawton@yellowman.demon.co.uk
From: Rachel Turet <rachel@longisland.com> To: SCD-list@longisland.com Subject: Re: Smoking, again Dear Pete, Lots of people on this list dont smoke & have never smoked and have this disease. Some of them get touchy to read about smoking being in any way advocated here and I don't blame them. The facts about nicotine are in. Its dangerous! Having said that, my experiences have been exactly like yours. After being in total remission on the diet for over two & 1/2 years, I quit smoking, and within 3 weeks began bleeding. I went back to smoking and stopped bleeding. Pretty awful right? I've done a lot of online research into the matter & have spoken to Elaine at length on the subject. I sent her a load of data I'd downloaded on nicotine and she did find one interesting link. One of the articles I sent her described the affects of nicotine in sending messages to the brain. It slows down certain impulses. Well, it seems that when her daughter was put on the diet, Dr. Haas had her take a small amount of something called atropine sulfate. At the time this was available over the counter which it no longer is. It seems that today it is only used in certain surgical procedures (mostly dental) to slow down the bleeding. Elaine said that the information I sent her on nicotine was identical to the description on the affects of this drug. She said she's tried over the years to find out more about the drug and how to obtain it, but with no success. I dont know how we can go about finding out more, I'm certainly no scientist, but it would seem worth investigating. The other thing I want to tell you is that when I stopped smoking, I went on the patch. It wasn't till I stopped the patch that the bleeding started. When I tried to go back on the patch, it seemed as though it was too late, the bleeding wouldn't stop. When and if I ever get the courage to try again, I will reamin on a small dosage nicotine patch over the long haul. I know someone that has done this and it has worked for them. I was going to write this letter to you privately, but decided to send it to the group in case someone has any ideas about how to track down more info on this atropine sulfate. Lots of luck. Rachel
From: Rachel Turet <rachel@longisland.com> To: SCD-list@longisland.com Subject: Re: acupuncture/relapse/bleeding Dear Paula, I was bleeding when I began the diet. I stopped almost immediately. I was still on azulphadine & remained so for about another year & 3 months. In the beginning I had short (one day) relapses occasionally, but they stopped altogether after a few months, and I had no blood for about 2 and a half years until I stopped smoking last Nov. at which time I began bleeding profusely and didn't stop til I went back to smoking (4-6 weeks?). So I am currently a non-med taking, smoking, SCD, bowel healthy, arthritic. BTW I am planning to stop smoking again soon, but this time, I will not go off the patch for a long time, maybe never. Rachel
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1998 23:00:16 +0000 From: Matthew Cirillo <mcirill@emory.edu> To: SCD-list@longisland.com Subject: Nicotine and colitis After 2 years on the diet, I decided to reintroduce certain foods - rice, corn (in the form of tortilla chips) and, well, beer. I also had been smoking at the time. Well, I held up pretty well, and perhaps overdid it, and my symptoms started returning, to the point where I was 100% fanatically adhered to the diet, and getting scoped and doped by my gasto (by doped I mean a prescription to prednisone, and one for asacol, which I ignore, as I'm convinced it makes me bleed). In less than a month, I was virtually symptom free. Then I decided to quit smoking. A week later, my symptoms started creeping back, even while on the diet and 10mg of prednisone per day, and now, a month later, I find myself bleeding alot, frequent trips to the bathroom, waking up at night to go... I really have no desire to smoke. Although I enjoyed it, I feel that it is out of my system, in terms of craving. However, as the link below seems to concur, it seems to me that there is a correlation between remission and nicotine (or maybe it's the tar). I've done this before (smoke to see if it alleviates my symptoms), and even posted the results to this list. At that time, It seemed that the smoking was keeping me in remission. Now I even wonder if it was the smoking all along, moreso than the diet, that was keeping me in a more remissive state. (oooh, sacriledge!) I'm pretty confused, as I don't wan't colon cancer, but lung cancer is worse I guess. I don't know which has a higher probability of occurring. I've upped my prednisone to 25mg per day (starting today) to try to control this flare. If I don't get into remmission soon, I'll probably experiment with the nicotine again. Me, the perinneal guinneapig! This link (below) refers to transdermal (patches) nicotine and it's effects on colitis patients. Patches are pretty expensive, much more than cigarettes (disclaimer - I don't live in Canada!), but alot less damaging to one's health, I suspect. But for experiment's sake, I guess either one would do. I'll keep you posted! If anyone has any advice and/or experiences on this, I'd love to hear about it. http://www.acponline.org/journals/annals/01mar97/nicotine.htm
From: Deborah Idol <cat@cloud9.net> To: SCD-list@longisland.com Subject: Re: Nicotine and colitis Hi Matthew, > it seems to me that there is a correlation > between remission and nicotine (or maybe it's the tar). I've done this > before (smoke to see if it alleviates my symptoms), and even posted the > results to this list. At that time, It seemed that the smoking was > keeping me in remission. It's the nicotine, and there *is* a definite correlation between remission and smoking. > I'm pretty confused, as I don't wan't colon cancer, but lung cancer > any advice and/or experiences on this, I'd love to hear about it. However, it's not just a choice between lung cancer and colon cancer, but a choice between premature death from many causes, including multiple types of cancers, heart disease, emphysema, years of such poor quality of life that death looks desirable, possibly; and staying smoke free.I wouldn't go back to smoking, or even try the nicotine patch (nicotine, which is a poison even when it's not inhaled, can promote heart disease), in an effort to go into remission, but would instead, look at alternatives. Check with a doctor who specializes in parasites, to see if you have little critters living in you who are keeping your gut from healing. Try going to a nutritionally oriented doctor and taking high doses of B complex and folic acid (really high doses of folic acid can be critical), perhaps even injections of B complex if you can't absorb the vitamins from pills, yet. Sometimes, the nutritional deficiencies from poor absorption will prevent healing until they are taken care of. And prednisone will create deficiencies in folic acid, among other things (for instance it will also wreck your potassium/sodium balance, making you deficient in potassium). Prednisone can also promote candida overgrowth, which will also cause gut problems, so taking care of candida (with anti candida medicines and supplements, plus diet) can also help. Good luck, and congratulations on quitting smoking! Deborah
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1998 23:18:00 -0500 From: Jackie Stevenson <scarlet2@ix.netcom.com> To: SCD-list@longisland.com Subject: Re: Nicotine and colitis Hi! I'm back....I see I missed a great peanut-cashew-bean-nut debate! :) Actually, it was the cashews that caused my flare, I think I am almost over it, though. I had too much mail waiting for me to read, so if I have missed answering anyone, I'm sorry! :) Anyway, I just had to respond in regards to the nicotine. Quitting smoking was one of the things that caused me to get Crohn's! I was fine until I decided to quit smoking, my mother just recently passed away from breast cancer, (April 25th), cancer runs strongly in my family. When my mother was first diagnosed with cancer, I decided to quit smoking. A month later, I was in the hospital. A few months and many tests later, I found out I had Crohn's. I will never go back to smoking, though. The harmful effects of it far outweigh any benefit it may have for IBD. My Grandfather smoked, and he died of cancer. My mother smoked, and she died from its harmful effects. She had malignant cancer that was starting to spread throughout her body. But she also had congestive heart failure, emphysema, and bronchial pneumonia, most of which was caused by smoking and the drugs she had to take for her reumatoid arthritis. Her RA also contributed to her death. But IBD, like cancer, is somewhat of an autoimune type disease, and I really think there is a direct link to smoking. My advice to anyone would be NOT to smoke! Second hand smoke is almost more harmful than smoking, so if you smoke, you are hurting your family members by doing so. Sorry to preach about smoking, and I am one to talk, I smoked for many years, but now how I wish I had never started. I have been smoke free since February of of '97, and I never plan on ever smoking again. After going through horrible withdrawel, I would never even consider the nicotine patch. I STILL crave a cigarette sometimes! That is my two cents on smoking! :) Jackie
Date: Wed, 02 Sep 1998 11:01:18 -0400 From: ruth <callahan@webspan.net> To: SCD-list@longisland.com Subject: Re: Ruth - bleeding and scd Miriam, I tried wearing a Nicotine patch for six months during some of my worst flares. Did nothing but make me light headed. If it's out there I've tried it in changing the course of my Colitis. I even eatten purified clay three times a day on the advice of the Chinese herbalist. : / I used to have Time, Money and faith in miracle cures. Ruth
From: Matthew Cirillo <mcirill@emory.edu> To: SCD-list@longisland.com, mcirill@emory.edu Subject: Health irony (off-topic?) This may shock, annoy, disturb or amuse. If you are very opposed to smoking, skip it. A while back, I emailed the list to say that I had started smoking, and intended to post the results to the list. Well, my colitis symptoms dramatically decreased. I wasn't taking any meds at the time. I had been on the diet faithully for 2 years, and all the swelling, mucus and urgency (well, most of it) had subsided by avoiding any complex carbohydrates. However, I never totally got rid of the bleeding, or funny-stools syndrome. Satisfied that this was the maximum level of remission I was going to derive from the diet, I started introducing corn meal and rice. Neither affected me. Things seemed quite nice, as my stools were bulking up from the added rice and corn, I didn't experience any increase in symptoms...until I quit smoking. That was late August. Within 2 or 3 weeks, my bleeding and urgency started up again. It did not occur to me, I did not make the connection between quiting smoking and my symptoms reccuring. Odd coincidence. I immediately went back on the diet with "fanatical adherance." This wasn't enough, (obviously, since the diet takes a while, and even Elaine recommends medication at the advice of one's doctor) so I went to my doctor, for some prednisone and asacol. After a couple of weeks without any significant improvement, I decided to try smoking again. Wouldn't you know, within a week my symptoms were virtually gone. Now they are completely gone. In almost 3 years I have never attained this level of remmission. I actually had pizza for dinner on Sunday, and corn chips with a roll with my lunch yesterday, and for diner last night, has a chicken stir fry with rice. I even ate a nibbel off of a Toblerone bar (first in 2 1/2 years!) The only noticeable difference was that my stool was as normal as I can ever remember it being. No blood or urgency (amazing what turns us on these days). I think FOR ME (I'm NOT advocating smoking for anyone) what works is to adhere to the diet for most of my meals to avoid overdosing on complex carbos, take the asacol, (which I believe is helping as I never attained this level of remission before when I was smoking without taking the drugs while adhering to the diet 100%), and smoke between 5 and 7 cigarettes each day. I don't think this would work if I were to revert to a normal American fast-food, junkified diet. Or stop smoking. I prided myself when I was on the diet, without any meds and dramatically reduced symptoms. However, now I am eating stuff I've avoided for years, taking pills and smoking. I'm not trying to start a long thread of messages here, pro-con smoking. If you have any questions about my experience, you can Email me directly at mcirill@emory.edu to help keep this list specific to the SCD as it should be. This is the last time I will post anyting here that mentions anything that isn't part of the diet, which I wholeheartedly support, which continues to do wonders for me. (I'm having tuna on almond brad for lunch, ate an apple for breakfast...etc... (But I will snack on tortilla chips this afternoon).
Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 17:22:42 -0800 From: mpetee <mpetee@nas.com> To: SCD-list@longisland.com Subject: Re: Health irony (off-topic?) Good for you glad to hear it. I dont advocate smoking, but its funny how some would consider canibus for pain control on UC or CD and see it as a different issue...go figure. I would even consider prenisone a worse health danger than smoking: and if i had to chose i would pick smoking, but unfortunately I have CD and smoking actually agravates CD unlike UC.
Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 07:08:34 -0800 From: "Ben Montag" <bmontag@roadrunnersports.com> To: SCD-list@longisland.com Subject: Re: Health irony (off-topic?) Matthew, When I started the diet I also bought a box of nicorette gum. I chewed one piece every morning. 4mg nicotine. It's common medical knowledge that nicotine masks (they use the word "mask" for some reason) the symptoms of UC, but makes Crohns much worse. I wanted to get up an 8mg habit, but the effects of nicotine were exactly that of smoking, and being a nonsmoker I couldn't form a habit. I credit the nicotine with ending my sense of urgency and letting me stay at my desk during the work day. That helped the diet get a foothold and I assume begin the healing process. My box of nicorette has since run out and I don't have $50 for a new box. I'm healthier now, but with the nicotine I'd probably have to leave my desk a little less frequently. Benjamin
Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 09:44:02 -0600 From: porter@sprint.ca To: <SCD-list@longisland.com>, <mcirill@emory.edu> Subject: smoking vs. SCD I don't think you should use smoking as an excuse to eat non-SCD foods, but as a way to control your symptoms while you follow the diet and your body continues to heal over the months and years that you are on it. I know from experience that one snack every few days turns into one snack per day and then it's every meal you re eating something non-SCD specific. My husband went off the diet during his remission, and eventually he got sick again. It took a while, but he has not had this illness for very long. Some people's full remission of the disease take longer than the one year on the diet. This could be due to several factors--meds, how long you have been ill or how ill you are, how "fanatical" you followed the diet, including hidden di/polysacharrides, etc. Perhaps to stick with the diet for an additional year would bring you even more relief than you felt when you decidedly went off the diet. If you started eating corn and rice before your problem was healed, then the healing is not complete and the smoking is just "masking" the symptoms. This could make you very sick in the future! And your body may eventually give out and you could find yourself worse than ever, smoking or not. From my husband's experience, corn and rice are the two hardest things for him to process. I am also wonderiing if you think the SCD means avoiding all complex-carbs, vs. di and polysacharrides. Perhaps you wrote that for the sake of expediency but it is very inaccurate, as far as the SCD goes. Michelle A while back, I emailed the list to say that I had started smoking, and intended to post the results to the list. Well, my colitis symptoms dramatically decreased. I wasn't taking any meds at the time. I had been on the diet faithully for 2 years, and all the swelling, mucus and urgency (well, most of it) had subsided by avoiding any complex carbohydrates. However, I never totally got rid of the bleeding, or funny-stools syndrome. Satisfied that this was the maximum level of remission I was going to derive from the diet, I started introducing corn meal and rice. Neither affected me.
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