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Crohns and smoking

Ive recently been feeling rubbish as ive been having a flare up and thinking about looking after myself a bit better. I am an occasional smoker (stupid, i know but it i have cut down and it is very hard to give up completely) and recently got thinking about the link between smoking and crohns. I have been told that there is no evidence that smoking affects crohns or that there is no evidence that the disease is hereditary. However, it got me thinking last night that my mum and my uncle (on my dads side) both had crohns and mine started when i started smoking at 17. I am now starting to think that if i hadnt started smoking, then i wouldnt have woken the dormant crohns passed down to me by my relatives. Does this situation sound familiar to anyone? Does anyone know if there is any research currently being conducted into the link between smoking and crohns? I hope so as if it is proven to be hereditary and linked to smoking, i will be able to try to put in measures to prevent my children from getting this disease. Thanks :D
 
I have always been told by my doctor that smoking can affect crohns disease as I used to smoke and was told that I should quit because of having he disease plus all he other risks from smoking.
I also thought that if your parents have IBD it increases the chance of having a child with crohns disease, I can't remember the exact percentage chance of passing it on.
 
Just found this on www.nacc.org.uk thought I had seen it somewhere hope it helps. On te website there is also a information sheet about the affects of smokin on crohns disease.

What are the chances of my child having IBD?
Parents with IBD are slightly more likely to have a child who develops IBD. If one parent has the disease, the chances of a child developing IBD at some point in their life is around 5%. This risk seems to be slightly higher with Crohn’s than UC. If both parents have IBD the risk can increase to 35%. However, even with genetic predisposition, other additional factors are needed to trigger IBD.
Another risk factor has been suggested in a recent study, which links parental smoking during pregnancy to the development of IBD in children.
 
According to researchers, smoking is one known trigger for crohn's, doesn't mean it's necessarily every CDers trigger, but it's definitely noted as one known trigger specifically for crohn's disease...the weird thing is, for UC it can actually aid inflammation in the colon (due to the carbon monoxide) and many UCers don't end up getting UC until after they quit smoking, so for many of them it actually keeps their UC at bay.

http://www.ibsgroup.org/other/articles/Dr_Rubin_QA.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/01/060103084934.htm
 
I have a good few research papers on smoking and IBD from when I was doing my dissertation at uni.

I have no idea how to attach them to this, but anyone who wants them can message me and I'll email them.
 
Smoking definitely affects Crohn's; just the pure fact that it stresses the body, as any other source of stress Crohn's sufferers have flare ups. I have watched my high stress periods closely and can relate. Not only working long hours and especially nights .. smoking 2 packs a day for a few months always have gotten me from a beautiful remission straight into a flare up.. usually lasts for couple months. I could rarely control or get out of a flare the natural way; always needed some 12+ pills per day, I've been put on all sorts of medications.

In other words my Crohn's isn't that bad, actually pretty ok but I have worsened it by smoking and other factors, but I would say smoking has had an incredible 50%+ contribution to my flares.

Thinking about quitting smoking every single day for the past 5 years.. never achieved unless in surgeries.

Good luck to everyone in quitting is a big no no for us
 
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KWalker

Moderator
I think it's safe to say smoking does nothing but harm your body. If it does all this damage to "healthy" people, just think of the problems it causes to people with weaker immune systems like ourselves
 
Thanks for all the comments. Since i posted this ive quit smoking and feeling a lot better.:thumleft: Just hope i can stay off the smokes!
 
Well done! It's so difficult but really worth doing I remember feeling amazing about a month after quiting and how much lighter my chest felt. Keep it up x
 
I like to smoke too and know it is very bad. My GI certainly thinks that it has an impact I quote "you have Crohn's and you smoke... tut tut". Okay consider myself told off!

I am please to say (positive thinking at this time!) that i'm going to Chemist tomorrow for some patches to help me quit on Wed.

I am fed up of having D and I know all too well how the smokes makes me go more often.
 

kiny

Well-known member
I have been told that there is no evidence that smoking affects crohns or that there is no evidence that the disease is hereditary.
NOD2 and ATG16L1 are both related to an increased chance of having CD.

Smoking, maybe, there's studies that show it increases the chance and others that don't show an increase at all.

Why smoke though, it's so bad for you.
 
I don't smoke, never have and never will.

However, pretty much everyone in my family does and I had been around second hand smoke for a good portion of my childhood. Sometimes I wonder if that is somehow connected with me developing Crohn's.
 
Yeah maybe linked. Like i said, mine started when i started smoking. Feel sorry for you if the second hand smoke has somehow contributed to the crohns:thumbdown:
 
I quit about two months ago when I realised I might have Crohn's and I can tell you I feel ten times better after giving up, I used to vomit every morning and occasionally after smoking and when I smoked I often gagged and threw up a little in my mouth. But since giving up I only vomited for the days after giving up and since then I haven't vomited. The minute I found out I might have Crohn's or any bowel/stomach problems I knew I had to give up and off them now over two months :) went from nearly 20 a day to nothing. You can't cut down on smoking, it just doesn't work. You need to stop completely. I did it out of the blue on Sunday.
 
I have never been a big smoker myself, though I did it socially on and off. But I gave up totally and easily a few years ago when my Dad was diagnosed with lung cancer.

However I have done alot of passive smoking, I used to work in pubs when they still allowed it, and attended quite a few lock-ins after it was banned.
Plus I live with my mother-in-law who smokes like a chimney.

After my Crohns diagnosis I asked her not to smoke around me any more, on the advice of my doctor.
In my opinion it is one of the best things I did for my health and would encourage everyone to give up and/or ban people from smoking around them - just think it could save you from surgery in the long run.
 
I used to smoke and realised when I did it have nothing but bad effects I got stomach pains straight after having a fag and needed the toilet straight after as well. Although it was tough I managed to give up and I think anyone can seeing as one of my friends who had no reason to give up has as well for my sake. Trust me you will feel better if you give up. Although smoking cannabis helped me a bit like with pain and stuff without any of the symptoms of smoking a cigarette. Not saying everyone should get high just telling what helped me lol.
 
I used to smoke and realised when I did it have nothing but bad effects I got stomach pains straight after having a fag and needed the toilet straight after as well. Although it was tough I managed to give up and I think anyone can seeing as one of my friends who had no reason to give up has as well for my sake. Trust me you will feel better if you give up. Although smoking cannabis helped me a bit like with pain and stuff without any of the symptoms of smoking a cigarette. Not saying everyone should get high just telling what helped me lol.
Sounds exactly like me :wink:
 
I smoked around a pack a day for about five years and can't say I ever noticed it having an effect on my Crohns (though neither did anything from what I can tell). In fact i've only recently become suspicous of Crohns in the last couple of months, coinciding with the fact that i'd given up smoking.

I wonder if facing my anxieties head on rather than by smoking and the added stress this has given me is what's activated my first Crohn's like symptoms (which do seem almost completely gone whenever i'm distracted)
 

Judith

Crohnsforum Science Advisor
Simonjking,
It is admirable that you are considering your children and their likelihood of developing (or exacerbating) Crohn's disease.
Here is a paper that discusses certain variables that predict Aggressive Crohn's disease. Two of note include "Smoking" and "Gene Mutations"
Yarur AJ. et al 2011

Best of Luck!
 
I read before that smoking does have a negative effect on people with Crohns disease and you're more likely to suffer from the disease if you do smoke, but for people who have UC it can actually help relieve symptoms. But we all obviously know that smoking is seriously bad for your health. I only smoke because it looks cool!
 
I switched from smoking cigarettes to using electronic "cigarettes" - it's an atomizer used with a liquid that contains nicotine. The nicotine is about the same as caffeine on your body. It's the smoke that is so damaging.

It's been 2 years now, and my doctors are delighted. I've gotten many of my friends to change, and some of them were able to quit completely because you can buy liquid with varying amount of nicotine in it. I think the motion of lifting it to your mouth is part of the addiction, but I've noticed that I can go extended periods of time without feeling any kind of need to smoke or use my atomizer.

The only time I'm tempted to smoke is when I see it in a movie, or smell smoke where someone's been smoking. right, it doesn't annoy me, it makes me want one. I keep some high nicotine liquid around in case I really get the urge to smoke, and it has worked so far.
 
but for people who have UC it can actually help relieve symptoms.
This was very true for me. My last flare started as soon as I quit smoking and never stopped. I had to weigh the negatives of colectomy versus lung cancer/emphysema for remission. I opted for surgery and don't regret it.
 
I love smoking! I love almost everything about it! It tastes amazing with my J.D and diet coke. I love the smell of menthols in the morning. It makes me look cool!

BUT!

I tend to feel like I have been kicked in the guts for about a week after 1 night out smoking and the diarrhea really is not worth it! DAMN thanks Crohns! BOOO!
 
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This was very true for me. My last flare started as soon as I quit smoking and never stopped. I had to weigh the negatives of colectomy versus lung cancer/emphysema for remission. I opted for surgery and don't regret it.
Same here- i smoked for 2 years with my CD. As soon as i stopped i had the worst flare ever and lost 5 years of my life to severe illness but its been 6 years since i stopped and its the best thing i ever did. Probably just an awful coincidence for me
 
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