Autoimmune diseases and electronic cigarettes.

[Hdivr]

I have been diagnosed with UC and Anklyosing Spondylitis....... plus a couple minor other autoimmune disorders. vaping has been a godsend for me. Never knew I had UC until quitting smoking after 30 years. The next year was terrible. Tried every drug and had every test imaginable and horse pills 6 x day. Read on internet about nicotine and UC. Started smoking again. Symptoms were gone within a week. 6 months later decided to try ecigs.

Almost 2 years later off cigs......... haven't had one UC flareup. Lost weight and can breathe must better. 24mg juice and vaping it like I stole it. I have no thoughts of going back to analogs and hate the smell......... but if ecigs were banned tomorrow, I'd start smoking again.

 

[RoseB]

What a terrible way to find out you have ulcerative colitis. Quit smoking thinking you're doing a good thing, and bam. On the plus side you found vaping

 

[r77r7r]

The medical testing that was done on nic helping UC was using nic patches. I think I'd much rather use them than smoke.

In fact, I think I'm going to ask my doctor if he can prescribe nic for UC. My prescriptions are much cheaper than OTC.

 

[r77r7r]

What a terrible way to find out you have ulcerative colitis. Quit smoking thinking you're doing a good thing, and bam. On the plus side you found vaping

Yeah, UC pretty much destroyed my health ( and will continue to do so), and the savings from quitting.

 

[RoseB]

Yeah, UC pretty much destroyed my health ( and will continue to do so), and the savings from quitting.

I am really sorry to hear that. Hopefully your doctors can find a way to help you. Or in the very least up your quality of life. Did you try any special diets? Or alternative treatments like supplements? If so did any of it help you?

 

[r77r7r]

I am really sorry to hear that. Hopefully your doctors can find a way to help you. Or in the very least up your quality of life. Did you try any special diets? Or alternative treatments like supplements? If so did any of it help you?

Thanks, RoseB. I'm about a year into it now and have had 1 flare that resulted in a short hosp. stay and 2 months of severe pain and blood loss.

With a good doctor and meds, and prayer, I've been functional the past few months. Albiet poor from the cost of meds and severly anxiety ridden.

I'd like to post a link to a forum, if I may, that has greatly helped me on this journey. There are a few people here from there, and probably many more that may arrive here that need it:
Ulcerative Colitis - HealingWell.com Forum

 

[Z_Ghost]

I have Chron's and smoked for over 30 years and the Chron's has been bad for the last 6 years.
In May the doc started me on Humira and really got on me to quit smoking.
About 4 months ago my best friends had their first child and that was the last push I needed to quit smoking.
Knowing how many times I have tried and failed I got my first ecig and found that it really made a big difference in being able to stop the cigs.
So 3 weeks after going to ecigs I went to my gut doc to get a checkup and told him about the ecigs that I was using and how it got me off cigs. He was happy about it but did want me to lower my nic level.
I seen him again a few weeks ago and he even asked about how I was doing on the ecigs again and asked me to send him some info on where to get them so he could pass the info on to a few of his other patients that smoked.

Now I am not sure if getting off cigs helped or not, but it does seem that the Humira started working a lot better once I stopped smoking and started vaping. I even can eat a small amount of foods now that would have caused a bad flair before starting the Humira and quitting the cigs

 

[RoseB]

I have Chron's and smoked for over 30 years and the Chron's has been bad for the last 6 years.
In May the doc started me on Humira and really got on me to quit smoking.
About 4 months ago my best friends had their first child and that was the last push I needed to quit smoking.
Knowing how many times I have tried and failed I got my first ecig and found that it really made a big difference in being able to stop the cigs.
So 3 weeks after going to ecigs I went to my gut doc to get a checkup and told him about the ecigs that I was using and how it got me off cigs. He was happy about it but did want me to lower my nic level.
I seen him again a few weeks ago and he even asked about how I was doing on the ecigs again and asked me to send him some info on where to get them so he could pass the info on to a few of his other patients that smoked.

Now I am not sure if getting off cigs helped or not, but it does seem that the Humira started working a lot better once I stopped smoking and started vaping. I even can eat a small amount of foods now that would have caused a bad flair before starting the Humira and quitting the cigs

I am to big of a pansy to try anymore immune suppressors. It has to be real bad before I do. You sound like you've had some rough times, and I really hope you continue to feel better. Mine has gotten to the point I have no choice but to face it. For years I tried to ignore it now it's ugh well kind of impossible to ignore. When a person's immune system starts attacking their body it is no fun.

 

[Z_Ghost]

I am to big of a pansy to try anymore immune suppressors. It has to be real bad before I do. You sound like you've had some rough times, and I really hope you continue to feel better. Mine has gotten to the point I have no choice but to face it. For years I tried to ignore it now it's ugh well kind of impossible to ignore. When a person's immune system starts attacking their body it is no fun.

Rose

It's no fun at all, I have some problems with my knees that is caused by my immune system, got so bad that I almost could not walk.
I had to go on the Humira, was getting to the point were I was taking prednisolone all the time and that's not good for anyone.
It's shot night tonight, kind of hate giving myself the shot but they do make me feel so much better.
Hope you can find a way to feel better.

Have you checked out this site?
Crohn's Disease Forum - Support group and forum for Crohn's Disease and other IBD