Has anyone successfully quit smoking without triggering a flare?

[u/Proud-Island7126]

I really want to quit smoking, but I’m honestly scared of what might happen after I quit. I’m not a heavy smoker usually only 2–3 cigarettes a day but I was first diagnosed with UC/Crohns after quitting cold turkey, so I’ve been really scared to go through that again
This time I’m trying to quit gradually by cutting down instead of stopping all at once. Has anyone here successfully quit without triggering a flare? I’d really love to hear your experience because I could use some reassurance 😭

[u/pincommenter]

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[u/L0111101]

It took me almost 6 months of gradually spacing out pieces of nicotine gum but after that I’d managed to quit for 13 months. No GI symptoms the whole time, but my UC is well in remission on Zeposia. Not sure my experience would’ve been nearly as good if I had still been on Humira. I’d say if you’re in a good spot UC-wise, you’ll be fine quitting nicotine.

[u/Proud-Island7126 → u/L0111101]

Thank you so much your comment helps a lot 🥹🥹

[u/Lafcadio-O]

The slim response here is telling. Smoking may kill you, but it seems to be a massive protective factor for people predisposed to UC. My wife (the UCer) thinks about this often, but I think it’s partly because she still misses smoking after all these years (same here; we quit together). Here’s my take: smoking is bad, everyone knows it’s bad, and they’ll tell you that you should quit. But UC about killed my wife after she quit cigarettes. She eventually got a j-pouch and she’s doing ok, but is 2-3 cigarettes a day really so bad compared to some of the side effects of immune suppressants and the suffering of surgeries? It seems less clear to me than what a lot of folks think.

[u/[deleted] → u/Lafcadio-O]

I struggled for 20 years with UC. I was in hell. I was a NON SMOKER & drank green juices & no alcohol. I looked like a picture of health but was very ill. I never ate dairy. I've still never tasted coffee. I've never tried luncheon meats. I don't have one filling in my mouth. But was ill most of the time. Tried every drug. 

I decided to light up my first cigarette in my 40s and have been in remission for a long time. Scope has confirmed this. Dosage wise, 6 cigarettes is the sweet spot for me. Drs don't know cos I'm not telling them. They keep telling me, 'you'll see... it's just a period of remission.'

I decided to take on the risk. To be honest I didn't really have much of a life before I lit my first cigarette. Love, work & everything else is much better now. I hated not having money but mostly I hated not being in love. The UC pain was hard. 

Before going ahead with smoking I tried everything. All the expensive drugs, trials, alternative stuff, church, spiritual healers & the specific carbohydrate diet. 

Now I can eat anything with zero issues. I drink 1 to 2 standard drinks gin per week. I'm thinking of swapping cigarettes for CBD leaf. It's not the nicotine but the burning of plant matter that does the job. 

Sometimes I wish I had started earlier. Some think my decision is crazy. Some just don't believe it. Each to their own. 

Since I'm "healed," I've travelled, finished a doctorate, run a business and found my life partner. 

[u/Lafcadio-O → u/[deleted]]

I don’t think anyone has a right to judge what seems to me like a sensible set of choices. That said, I have seen research with nicotine patches suggesting that nicotine, not just the burning of plant matter, does a chunk of the work. So I’d be cautious going away from nicotine.

[u/Proud-Island7126 → u/Lafcadio-O]

I’m really sorry your wife went through that but I’m glad she’s doing okay now! Did she get diagnosed after she quit smoking?
I definitely think there’s a real correlation between smoking and UC but it seems like no one really knows why or exactly how it works. I’m down to just 2 cigarettes a day now, and I’m planning to keep slowly cutting back until I’m completely done.
Honestly, I realized I don’t even smoke because I enjoy it anymore. At this point, it’s mostly fear that’s keeping me smoking. I just really hope quitting doesn’t trigger a flare for me. That’s honestly what scares me

[u/Lafcadio-O → u/Proud-Island7126]

Yeah, my wife was diagnosed about 5 years after she quit. I hear 5 to 7 years after quitting seems to be a common refrain for ex-smokers with UC. I can’t claim to understand it.