O.K. I know smoking is HORRIBLE so I don't need a lecture. My Dad suffers from Ulcerative Colitis and when he has an occassional cigar his symptoms improve. He asked his GI guy about this and he confirmed that nicotine helps improve symptoms in some people. Do you think this may be so for RA? I'd be willing to smoke a couple of cigarettes once in a while if it helped the symptoms!
Marijuana is a different story though. In my personal experience, it can help with pain sometimes, but not always, especially if it is particularly bad pain. However, I have both a large tolerance for pain and a high tolerance for the effects of drugs, perscription or othewise. The biggest problem with pot though is it's illegal. And, contrary to popular belief, it is not completely harmless. There can be side effects (effects on memory, decreased motivation, "burnout", and even some more serious stuff like impotence and bronchitis have been known to occur). However, those possible side effects really aren't as bad as some of the side effects that can occur with regular perscription meds. And I'm not sure what the laws are like now, but I do know that there at least USED TO BE some states that perscribed medical marijuana (I beleive Arizona was one of the states), and arthritis was one of the illnesses on the list that they would allow medical marijuana as part of treatment for pain. However, the actual scientific studies of the actual affects of medical marijuana are conflicted and varied. So the jury is still out. Some people swear by it, others think it has no affect. Personally I'm somewhere in between on that matter.
Bottom line is this though: You shouldn't start smoking anything just because you think it will help you out. You need to just talk to your doc and try and get on good legal meds that are controlled and work for you. You should definitely NOT start smoking cigarettes, 'cuase it will just lead to a bad habit that will cause you more problems. As far as pot goes, you should stay away from that too if ya can, mostly because of the fact that it IS illegal and you CAN get into trouble with the law for doing that (unfortunately, I know that from experience). Sure, I have done my fair share of smoking, both cigs and pot, but I never started either because I thought it would be a miracle cure for pain. I started 'cause I was a bored teenager in a small town looking for a cool buzz, just like pretty much any other bored teenager. But I'm an adult now, and see smoking for what it really is, just another bad habit. And an expensive habit. So just keep that in mind the next time you are thinking of sparkin' up a cig or a doobie.
Stay gold,
Jesse
I'm a smoker and so wish I wasn't.
Please don't start smoking in an attempt to ease the symptoms of RA. I don't think it helps at all and as far as hurting it goes; I'm not sure. I will say that when I get a cough/cold like I have right now smoking is the very last thing I need to be doing......and those of you that are hooked know you just don't stop because you have a cough. You keep right on smoking (HOpefully less than usual) despite the problems it can cause.
The problems that smoking can cause can be too numerous to count. If you aren't hooked already......don't start now!!
Take it from someone that knows.
O.K.momof3
Jesse - The THC *pills* act differently. They're supposed to be a lot milder, and a lot more pure (obviously). And with very little side effects. They either work or don't kinda thing. That's what I've heard....I hate this.... I smoke too.... Hate it.... wish I didn't have the desire... I don't smoke in front of many people!! Anyway, my doctor told me that smoking makes the RA worse.. so... I should quit... okay... someday! Please don't get started on it.... it's so hard to stop! Everything I read about RA is that smoking is one of the worst things if you have RA..momof3; I don't think you're weird at all.
I wish I could be that way. I wouldn't feel so bad about it if I could keep it down like that.
Good for you for having control of it and being able to enjoy it without letting it control you.
I have been smoking up to five a day since Kelsey came back. She chain smokes. I HATE IT. I plan on quitting after the move. My family would have NO respect for me if they knew. Brett is tolerant as he knows what I have gone through these passed months. Even though I only smoke 5 a day, I count them - I can feel negative effects and I hate them but I can't seem to quit right now. Too much going on. I pray once we move - it will be easy. I have never smoked a lot but when I do smoke and start feeling dependent which I do now - a day of nicotene gum always helps to quit. I DEFINITELY DON'T THINK THEY ARE GOOD FOR YOU AND THEY ARE SOOOOOOO ADDICTING