cigarettes
#272353 - 07/03/06 04:50 PM
|
|
|
|
|
polly2004
Reged: 05/30/06
Posts: 82
Loc: Minnesota
|
|
|
this is kinda for heather, or anyone who knows how ibs is linked to smoking cigarettes. when i quit back in oct 05, that's when my ibs kicked into high gear. does anyone know why?
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Smoking actually aggravates IBS.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
i didn't get any of the syptems untill i quit and my body started w/all the crap that goes w/ibs. i smoked for 10 years and never had any problems w/my "c" or what i ate...feeling bloated was never an issue, the crapping; never had it...so why did it all start when i quit?
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Hi Polly, That's a very good question! I don't smoke cig's,
but I have read about a large amount of anecdotal evidence
that smoking or chewing the nic gum has helped people's IBS,
even to the point where symptoms vanish. Of course the med
community doesn't have a clue as to why. Nic does supposedly
stimulate bowel contractions, which would point to it help-
ing C. You'll notice that on airplane flights that they
warn you about smoking in the bathroom because they know
people will smoke when they go to poop.
I wouldn't go back to smoking if I were you, but I might
try the gum occasionally. -Bob
--------------------
<img src="http://www.math.mtu.edu/~rwkolkka/BritPicA.jpg">
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
i've read something about this as well..
It was years ago, but it was in a book about IBS and the other forms of bowel dysfunctions.. i.e. inflammatory bowel disease (I think thats what its called). The book said that most of the time, nicotine and smoking aggrevates IBS, but that it can actually alleviate the symptoms of other bowel disorders. I'd keep looking into it because i'm certain that I read this.. I just can't remember the title of the book.
Do some research.. you may find something.
--------------------
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Hi Polly ... I'm so surprised to read your post about how quitting cigarettes seems to have kicked off your IBS, because I swear that's when mine when into high gear as well (17 years ago for me). Up to that point in my life, I'd struggled primarily with "just" chronic constipation. But when I finally successfully put down the smokes, within about 6 months, I was experiencing unbelievable bloating and pain. By noon most days my stomach had expanded beyond anything my clothes could accommodate, and I'd often leave work early doubled over in pain.
When I first made the connection between the two events, I attributed the IBS symptoms to the Nicorette gum I used to help me quit. But now that you've posted, and a few people have concurred that there seems to be a connection, I'm guessing it was the quitting cigs vs. the use of the Nicorette that set off my IBS.
I don't know what type of IBS you have, but I'm primarily a C, and I just recently learned via a barium enema that part of my problem is a very "redundant" colon. I've got enough large intestine for about 3 people my size. My GI doc put me on Glycolax (a generic of Miralax), which is an osmotic laxative (safe and non habit-forming, by all accounts). It has made a HUGE difference in how I feel. It really keeps things moving, which is critical for my particular problem. Also, Heather's fennel tea has been a Godsend for bloating, gas, and general tummy rumbles.
It seems that my problem was not so much what I was eating, but the fact that my system wasn't moving it around very well. I do adhere to Heather's soluble fiber before all else rule whenever I can, though, as it that also seems to help the entire process.
Good luck to you. I hope something I've shared here might be of some help. 
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
My IBS started to get worse when I quit also. Didn't aggrivate it at all. But I was IBS-C and it helped me move things along.
--------------------
~jules
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
oh my gosh!!! me too!!! what did you do? i've been on zelnorm for 4 months now just to get me back to normal for a little while. are you on anything? what do you do to take care of your "c"?
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
my doc thought i was nuts when i told him i knew quitting did it. i'm ibs "c". after 4 months of dealing w/all the ibs crap, he put me on zelnorm to help things move along. all of the other laxitives that was prescribed didn't work for me. they just kept telling me to double up. i'm a really bad ibs "c". i just went off the zelnorm and am really scared that the "c" is gonna flare up again. zelnorm is only a temp fix. i did order some of heather's fiber. hopefully that will work. thank you so much for replying back!! i need all the help i can get.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
oh, i've quit for good...all my money is going to getting my body normal vs paying for smokey treats!! LOL
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Hey Polly! My guess is that the nicotine or something else in the cigarettes gets the bowls going. I used to smoke and it really aggravated my symptoms because I am a D. However, if I felt a little stopped up from too much Immodium or something, I would smoke a cig and without fail have a BM. Go figure. Maybe you didn't have any problems because the cigs were helping things move along.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
that's what i was thinking...i wonder if i've had ibs for a long time and didn't really know, cuz of the cigarettes? hmm, who knows.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Quote:
my doc thought i was nuts when i told him i knew quitting did it. i'm ibs "c". after 4 months of dealing w/all the ibs crap, he put me on zelnorm to help things move along. all of the other laxitives that was prescribed didn't work for me. they just kept telling me to double up. i'm a really bad ibs "c". i just went off the zelnorm and am really scared that the "c" is gonna flare up again. zelnorm is only a temp fix. i did order some of heather's fiber. hopefully that will work. thank you so much for replying back!! i need all the help i can get.
I don't blame you for being scared about going off the Zelnorm. I'd lose it if someone tried to take my Glycolax away. 
Good luck with the acacia. I've always tended toward gassiness, and I just can't seem to tolerate fiber supplements, including acacia. Everything I've tried, no matter how small the dose, results in endless rumbling and excess gas. I just really can't stand the feeling, and it doesn't seem to improve with time. Also, for me, fiber supps don't give the predictable results that the Glycolax does.
Needless to say, we're all different. Hopefully the acacia will work for you.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
After reading all the posts on the effects of nicotine on the digestive system, I'm confused. I've read that nicotine helps IBS, and on other threads, that it hurts. I stopped smoking over two weeks ago, and my IBS has spun out of control. I started the IBS diet a couple of months ago, and was making progress until I stopped smoking. I'm D (or was) and now seem to be A. I get horrible smelling gas (between of 4 and 6 o'clock every day - can anyone explain that?) and have had bowel incontinence, which I rarely have. I'm taking 1/2 tsp of Acacia twice a day and drinking plenty of peppermint and fennel tea. The fennel tea does not seem to be helping with the gas. Anyway, if this keeps up, it's going to make me want to start smoking again. Please help!
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
Posts
