Reply to: Smoking.

[Purple Dalek]

Only weak people smoke. That is also why they can't stop. Sad really.

[Cheshire Cat]

I've never smoked, apart from a few "exotic" cigarettes as a student, but was never tempted to smoke just tobacco. Probably because none of my friends at school smoked, so I was never offered them at a time when I would've been more suggestible. I have no evidence to support this, but I would reckon that very few adult smokers will have started after their teens.

I'm spending xmas with the in-laws, who all smoke (M-i-L, F-i-L, S-i-L & her husband) and neither my wife nor I do. Plus they're constantly "giving up" and offer a variety of excuses as to why they're unable (often implying each other's role in their inability to abate). I think the truth is that they enjoy it.

[gingerjedi]

Yeah IBD - its carp isn't it!

I've been lucky as mine has never gotten to a severe stage and it's remained localised to a particular area, but it's always there ready to erupt which get's me down.

It is carp indeed.

[Pogle]

I just know that spicy food on bleeding ulcers is a really bad idea!

Sorry to hear you have Crohns, I've noticed that over the years dietary advice has changed a lot, it used to be avoid fibre, now its eat a high fibre diet, so I ignore it and just do what feels best for me.
The problem with both diseases is that so little is really known about the causes.

Yeah IBD - its carp isn't it!

[gingerjedi]

Are you insane man!!
would you rub chillis onto an open wound

Ulcerate Colitis and Crohns are both Inflammatory bowel diseases.
NOT to be confused with irritable bowl syndrome.
Colitis only affects the bowel whilst Crohns can affect the whole digestive tract.
The effects can be similar, but they are quite different diseases.
For more information
http://www.nacc.org.uk

I've had crohn's for 11 years so I know what I'm talking about.

Small amounts of chilli work ok for me, obviously a madras wouldn't be advisable though I often think sod it and have one anyway!

The symptoms can be very similar, I have a London mate who was diagnosed with crohn’s for 5 years only for the doctor to change his mind and say it was now UC.

I don't know about UC but I have tried all sorts of different diets which to be honest don't seem to make much difference and the doctor doesn't seem interested when I ask about food, If I'm going through a good spell I can eat and drink whatever I like without too much trouble.

In bad times I eat soup.

[zara_backdog]

My sister-in-law suffered with ulcerative colitis for years, and had to have emergency surgery in the end and had a stoma for about a year.

She also tried nicotine patches put the did nothing for her.

[Pogle]

But bad for Crohn's which is odd seeing as it's so similar to UC.

It's the nicotine that increases blood flow so patches would do a similar job, chillis are good too if you can stomach them.

Are you insane man!!
would you rub chillis onto an open wound

Ulcerate Colitis and Crohns are both Inflammatory bowel diseases.
NOT to be confused with irritable bowl syndrome.
Colitis only affects the bowel whilst Crohns can affect the whole digestive tract.
The effects can be similar, but they are quite different diseases.
For more information
http://www.nacc.org.uk

[DogTown]

No - although it causes an increase in heart rate, it also acts as a vasoconstrictor, narrowing the blood vessels. Therefore, despite the increase in heart rate, blood flow is actually reduced, and blood pressure increased, thereby placing additional strain on the heart.

No - I believe that is what smoking tobacco causes, not the effect of what nicotine causes within a human body

[NickFitz]

Sorry to nitpick but nicotine cause a slight raise in heartbeat, therefore blood flow increase's.

No - although it causes an increase in heart rate, it also acts as a vasoconstrictor, narrowing the blood vessels. Therefore, despite the increase in heart rate, blood flow is actually reduced, and blood pressure increased, thereby placing additional strain on the heart.

[DogTown]

Sorry to nitpick but ..

decreases

Sorry to nitpick but nicotine cause a slight raise in heartbeat, therefore blood flow increase's.

[OwlHoot]

But bad for Crohn's which is odd seeing as it's so similar to UC.

It's the nicotine that increases blood flow so patches would do a similar job, chillis are good too if you can stomach them.

Sorry to nitpick but ..

decreases

[SallyAnne]

and smoking is actually beneficial if you have ulcerative colitis.

[gingerjedi]

I've had ulcerative colitis for 18 years and I have heard before that nicotine can be good for it, but I'm not sure if its a recognised treatment.

I cant imagine any doctor telling you to smoke for it!
Nicotine patches or tablets maybe, but not fags.

But bad for Crohn's which is odd seeing as it's so similar to UC.

It's the nicotine that increases blood flow so patches would do a similar job, chillis are good too if you can stomach them.

[PAH]

I gave up about 50 years ago, never wanted another since

Someone gave me a puff on a ciggy when I was five, in the school gates, put me off for life it did.

Same here, though not with anywhere like a 50 year gap!

When I was about 7 or 8, me and my best mate at the time 'borrowed' a cigar of my dad's, legged it down to the local playing field, and lit up. Took one drag and nearly puked. Never touched them since, though I really liked the smell of the pipe my grandad used to smoke when I was a lad.

So maybe a solution is to let kids try them at junior school in the hope it'll put most off for life.

[Ruprect]

Alan Carr (gay comic) was going to call his autobiog "Go on, have a fag"; an amusing play on words in tribute to the other Alan Carr (anti smoking guy) but WHSmith said they wouldn't stock it with that title!