SNUS and Ulcerative Colitis

[mccoma66]

Hey,

Just wondering if any of you folks use snus to help UC. Every time i stop smoking my system goes into meltdown within a week and no medication works. As soon as I start smoking again, everything is back to normal within a week.

I was hoping I could use snus as my cure but after 2 weeks on snus and no cigarettes, i could feel it coming on (although it was a very very mild form) I went back on cigarettes out of fear and am now still snussing and smoking.

I'd really like to cut out cigarettes altogether. Any advice from fellow sufferers?

Cheers

[darkwing]

I also have UC and smoking squelches the symptoms remarkably. Snus helps, but not nearly as much - I used to be on nic patches and they were about as useful as snus.

Apparently it is not just the nicotine in cigs that kills UC, but the carbon monoxide and other components of the smoke.

If you can, I'd advise smoking as little as you can to keep symptoms in check, and snus as much as you like.

[mccoma66]

Hi Darkwing,

Thanks for your reply and sorry to hear you're afflicted with this disorder too. Do you still smoke cigarettes and if so how many a day? When I switched over to snus only, I got the early warning signs after 2 weeks as opposed to 5 days when i used no nicotine at all. Do you think its likely progress into full blown flare up if I use snus only? I'm quite happy to be 90% normal and completely smoke free but defintely not prepared to go into flare up again. How do you manage it?

Cheers

[darkwing]

It's tricky, and any sign of the start of a flare is worrisome. I only smoke 2-5 a day, and even then, not every day. I snus about 6-10 portions a day. All together, that keeps me functioning, although not nearly as good as full-blown smoking. I'd say try to find your own comfort level - you always have the option of going back to full-time smoking if you feel you are flaring.

[Ammycin]

Better to cut out fully, I have the same type and took Canasa. Canasa (Mesalamine) is use to treat ulcerative colitis, proctitis, and proctosigmoiditis. It prevents the symptoms of ulcerative colitis.
You can see more info about this medication at http://www.internationaldrugmart.com/canasa.html
You can feel better.

[Joe234]

If it's the carbon monoxide have you tried medical marijuana and
snus? I know people use medical marijuana for UC, Crohn's Disease
and IBS. I bet it would work wonders.

[darkwing]

Nothing works on UC like cigarettes. Nothing. Not even prescription meds. Nothing.

[lxskllr]

It's been awhile darkwing. Good to see you back :^)

[snusjus]

Perhaps you could smoke a few tobacco-free cigarettes per day and use snus? That way you could get nicotine and smoke, but with fewer TSNAs than tobacco cigarettes.
This is a pretty popular brand:

[Darwin]

The wife has had severe GI problems for a long time with a severe flair-up recently. She did not take to snus at all when I started but last sunday I introduced her to snuff and she's taken to that big time. After only a few days of snuffing her symptoms have quieted down dramatically. In her case it must be the nic that's having an effect. Hope that trend continues. Thank you oh great frumious one.

[dxh]

Nothing works on UC like cigarettes. Nothing. Not even prescription meds. Nothing.

I know a few patients here that use medical marijuana for UC with great results. If you don't have issues with toking up then joe's suggestion might be worth looking into.
If pot is a no no for you then I am not sure. Wish I had more advice for you.

[muddyfunkstar]

I developed UC a few years after I quit smoking, and was using whatever the doc prescribed but it only really worked for a day or so. I read that smoking a few ciggies could help it but wasn't prepared to start smoking again, because as any ex-smoker will tell you, there is no such thing as just a few cigs! Since I started snusing (about two months now), I've seen a marked improvement in my symptoms. The higher strength portions, like Thunder, seem to have the best effect which I suppose stands to reason.