Hello fellow UC friends, So Nice to be able to express myself to people who will genuinely understand!
I am a 35 year old wife and mother of two beautiful, healthy boys ages 4 and 2. I was diagnosed 5 years ago with UC. No history in the family. This is Nicole’s story: 5 years ago I quit smoking and two months after I noticed blood in my stools and changes in the form of the stool. The doctor prescribed me suppositories. All good…..got pregnant and after my son was born I lost alot of weight, couldn’t stop going in and out of the bathroom! We had NO IDEA what was going on with me.
I am only 5’2 105lbs and was in the 90′s Crazy! After having a colonoscopy, they diagnosed me with UC, moderate…I am now moderate to severe, tried almost all the meds 6-mp, asacol, lialda and tomorrow going in for my 4th Remicade treatment which worked wonderfully the first infusion but then after that it is not as effective. We will see tomorrow. And this is the first time I am going in to the infusion without being on Prednisone….need to see if the Remicade will work on it’s own not to mention that Prednisone is evil! It can make me feel like Super woman which is a great feeling with two kids and always having low energy prior. I hear stories about people who are able to be in remission from UC for years…..I just hope and pray that one day that could be me. I try to be so positive everyday……but it can be so hard when you take your kids to the store and you have an accident and have to leave…..I just need to know how can I get better, stronger, healthier? I want to live a long life…….
September 30, 2010 at 5:55 am
Nicole,
I understand your frustration. I’m 33 with two kids, also 4 and 2. I was diagnosed in 2002, and went untreated (for various weird reasons) until 2008. Have you tried natural treatments?
The place to start would be with the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, and probiotic treatment. Here are two links to the Diet I mentioned. It has given me my life back.
http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/
http://www.pecanbread.com/p/legal_illegal_a-c.htm
Brows around and read the information. I would be happy to help walk you through starting these two treatments if you would like.
September 30, 2010 at 7:08 am
Matt,
Thank you so very much! You are the first person to finally give me a listing of what foods are “legal” and “illegal” The site is wonderful! I know everyone is different but I need some guidance with foods or else I will eat whatever I want……I never needed to be on a diet or watch my weight but now I have to for health reasons so it is difficult to change your habits……
Are you on medicines too while on the diet? And how long have you been on the diet? And do you eat differently than the rest of the family? Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions……it really MAKES a DIFFERENCE, so thank you!!!
March 30, 2012 at 7:56 am
Hi Nicole
I have had the same experience when i gave up smoking but hospital would not innitally admit a link between both until much later
I now still smoke 4 a day, and am off all medication, i chose to just smoke a few a day, how i can hold down my job, but have been through all the trials and errors with medication
regards
Adrienna
September 30, 2010 at 12:46 pm
My mom quit smoking and was diagnosed about 2 months later as well. It’s such a hard thing to understand and get under control. Who knew finding things for her to eat would be so hard? I’m looking for help as well. I’d love to hear more about the probiotic treatment!
October 5, 2010 at 7:46 am
I also was diagnosed with UC about 22 months after I quit smoking. Right after the birth of my third and last baby. I have now had it for 21 years. I’ve done Rowasa in the beginning, then Asacol was added, then Colozal was added, Prednisone a few times in between. I am now on Asacol and 6MP and currently going through flare. Flares are frustrating and depressing.
November 4, 2010 at 11:46 am
33yrs – 2 kids (10 &
Gave up smoking 3 and a half years ago…. started noticing pains, bleeding, etc about 2 months after i stopped smoking! Was diagnosed few months into this year. You’d think doing the good thing of giving up to improve your life would be a good idea, half of me wishes i never gave up!
Fay x
November 4, 2010 at 11:47 am
( 10 yrs and 8 yrs )
January 28, 2011 at 3:30 pm
I know totally your frustrations on smoking, I also gave up after around 2 years I was also diagnosed with uc, was non responsive to meds so much so and to cut a very long story short I had the three very painful operations over two and a half years having to have the dreaded bag! I now have had an internal pouch formed from my small bowel and is working ok most of the time, I started smoking whilst going through the ops, still smoking 3 years later, scared to stop again but also scared to get something else. I am 40 year old women.
March 5, 2011 at 12:49 pm
I was diagnosed in 2005 in the midst of my 1st pregnancy. I quit smoking when I became pregnant, so I guess that’s what triggered it. After the birth of my first son, I went into remission and was able to stop taking the asacol & prednisone. (But I also started smoking again). 2 years later, I became pregnant again and stopped smoking…..again. Of course, the uc flared up again but this time we were able to keep it at bay with asacol. After my second son was born, I started smoking again and have been in remission for 2 years…. with no meds. I told myself UC for me was pregnancy related. Recently, I decided to quit smoking all together. I just wanted to be done with it. A couple weeks after kicking the habit, UC flared up and now I’m on meds again.
In attempt to control things, I’m smoking again until I can find some alternative. I don’t want to be on meds the rest of my life nor continue to be a smoker! I’ve read a lot obout the Specific Carb Diet. Sounds promising. Years ago, I had tried Atkins type diets, and had never felt better. Perhaps this is my answer.
Good Luck to you all
March 5, 2011 at 2:17 pm
I ALSO after stopped smoking was diagnosed with UC and after the birth of my first son it flared up!
I NEVER went back to smoking……..been struggling with meds……Remicade seems to help however I always wondered if going back would make the UC go into remission? And after reading, one person said it had for them. However has anyone tried the Nicotine Patch instead of going back to smoking?
March 15, 2011 at 7:22 am
I am 38 years old and have been dealing with a flare up now for the last few months and don’t seem to be able to get it under control. Finally got an appointment with Dr. Hanauer at the University of Chicago yesterday, who is working at the cuttting edge of UC treatment. And besides leaving me on the current medicine I am on for now (60mg Prednisone, 4.8g Lialda) he told me to start smoking again. 3-5 cigarettes per day er enough to get it into remission but not enough to cause major other issues. I am more then willing to go this route and cut a few years at the end then keep going the way it has been for the last few months. According to his patients, he has almost a 100% success rate getting people into remission. Marlboros, here i come.
And no, he was not able to prescribe them, but cigarettes are still cheaper than some of the treatments I am going through.
April 24, 2011 at 7:44 am
UC Man – Sorry to stalk your post’s but I’m hoping you’ll see one of my reply’s. I’m also hoping you can elaborate more on your appt with Dr. Hanauer. Specifically about him recommending you try smoking again. I’ve found published articles of his talking about ex-smokers resuming smoking to calm their symptoms. But I’m wondering if you have to meet other things for him to recommend it (age, specifics of your disease…etc).
Thanks!
May 16, 2011 at 1:03 pm
I quit smoking in 1987 and had UC. Suffered terrible bowels for ten yrs, went to 4 gastros, took Rowasa suppositories (oral drug gave me worse probs) until I started back smoking only two cigs a day then up to six. It was a miracle cure! I could live life again. Then, last year at age 54 I had a heart attack so told to quit smoking again. Med staff said almost all smokers have right coronary artery occlusion. Now I’m in constant pain with diverticulitis & pain but this time I was already doing probiotics, fish oil (for years). I also developed the habit from those horrible ten yrs of not eating dairy, eggs, spicy food, dried fruit, caffeine, fatty meat etc. My bowels are not as bad this time as last time I suppose due to the fish oil, probiotics & supplements I take. I go to a Chiropractor who got me on all these supplements – tried to get me off grains altogether but not possible yet. I read a recent medical article that the reason people develop bowel issues when quitting smoking is because the nicotine in cigarettes actually increases the blood flow to the intestines, and researchers thought just the opposite – that nicotine constricted blood vessels. I wish I had never started smoking. Interestingly, my mother quit smoking (she developed throat cancer) and never got bowel problems like me – neither did my father who was a 3-pack a day smoker for 30 yrs. So, somehow, it must be a sensitivity to foods (my parents had all natural foods growing up) combined with the lessened blood flow.
April 26, 2012 at 2:56 pm
Hi I was diagnosed with acute onset of UL seven years ago and yes had quit smoking 4 months previous. I was 38yrs old and was told I was old for first onset.Over the 4 months had noticed difference in bowel movements and build up of gas but never sought medical advice. I ended up in emergency one night and the doctor luckily diagnosed the Ul quickly and started me on iv steroids which saved me from having to have surgery. After 10 days in hospital and the ul under control I was released on high doses of steroids which left me like superwoman, so much false energy. I researched what might keep me in remission and started back having an odd cigarette which of course has led to me back smoking ten a day. The good news is that I am off all medication and have been in remission ever since. I have made a few attempts to quit since but each time I do within a few days I feel gas building up and know that the Ul will return so start back smoking and everything settles down again. I am aware that I am a high risk from other smoking related diseases but think I will take my chances as I feel that regular bouts of UL greatly increase my risk of colon cancer.People often ask me why do I not use nicotine patches to stay in remission but I feel if I have to put nicotine into my system I might as well do it in a way I enjoy!
April 26, 2012 at 2:58 pm
Sorry half asleep mean UC not UL