i was talking to a friend today who has RA and has recently been told that it is smoking that has caused this type of arthritis. i had never heard of it before . has any one else heard this?I have seen articles saying that smoking raises the incidence of RA among other things. Also awhile back on another RA board there was sort of a survey taken and alot were or had been smokers so ???????????I was..........I also remember alot were nurses too.Hmm, well, I'm sero-negative (but still undiagnosed), and I've probably
smoked a TOTAL of MAYBE half a pack of cigs. And never anything else..
Soooo, who knows.
Although, I still may not have RA, but as time passes it looks more and more like it!!!
I'm a smoker; but I've never been told that's what's caused it. Maybe...I smoked for over 25 years. I quit at the beginning of Jan this year. Shorty after that the RA symptoms started...how weird.
I was told by someone at the Arthritis Society that a recent study showed that RA patients who smoke have a poorer prognosis than those that don't. She didn't say anything about smoking causing it though.i have psoriatic arthritis but i have just found out that psoriatic arthritis is a sero negative arthritis. i smoked for 25 years . i was an asthmatic and had flu after flu but continued to smoke until i suffered an attack that litterally killed me. i was put in an induced coma until my lungs were strong enough to survive. i never smoked another cigarette after that. it was then that the psoriatic arthritis began.
[QUOTE=allycat]i have psoriatic arthritis but i have just found out that psoriatic arthritis is a sero negative arthritis. i smoked for 25 years . i was an asthmatic and had flu after flu but continued to smoke until i suffered an attack that litterally killed me. i was put in an induced coma until my lungs were strong enough to survive. i never smoked another cigarette after that. it was then that the psoriatic arthritis began. [/QUOTE]
Did you have ARDS (Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome)? My father had that and had to be put in a drug induced coma for 48 days while his lugs healed. We almost lost him several times.
they didnt really say . all i knew was that i couldnt get better from having the flu. i was smoking heaps and not using my asthma medication . luckily i was only in the coma for 10 days . but it was touch and go. they tried 3 times to get me out of it. but my lungs couldnt handle it. i would have had to have a tracheometry if they didnt bring me around by the 11th day. i was then paralised for about 3 weeks and had to learn to walk with a frame . the pain has been with me since the day i came to. but it wasnt until 2 years after that i was diagnosed with PA.I have nothing to add here...except that we've all been told that smoking can be the leading cause of a lot worse illnesses than RA. Lisa...congratulations of quiting Hey Blessed, When my sister Carol had heart by-pass surgery seven yrs ago at 53 yrs old she beveloped ARDS. WE almost lost her several times and she did have the trach.She was in drug induced coma for 12 weeks. The Drs. told us that ARDS is almost always fatal and not to get our hopes ups. Thankfully she pulled through with much prayer and wonderful Drs. No problems now and is fine, only a scar/hole in her throat as a reminder of how blessed we were.......Genesis
[QUOTE=toycarlvr]I have nothing to add here...except that we've all been told that smoking can be the leading cause of a lot worse illnesses than RA. Lisa...congratulations of quiting
[QUOTE=genesis]Hey Blessed, When my sister Carol had heart by-pass surgery seven yrs ago at 53 yrs old she beveloped ARDS. WE almost lost her several times and she did have the trach.She was in drug induced coma for 12 weeks. The Drs. told us that ARDS is almost always fatal and not to get our hopes ups. Thankfully she pulled through with much prayer and wonderful Drs. No problems now and is fine, only a scar/hole in her throat as a reminder of how blessed we were.......Genesis[/QUOTE]
They told us the same out come...we are so blessed! Ever since my father has awoke from the coma...he has been on fire for the Lord!! He has no a Pastor.
Smoking in itself cause a lot of problems and I could see that it could possibly make our RA a little harder to control. But I don't think smoking in and of itself would cause RA.
There are some strange theories floating around out there lol.
An edit to this post. Smoking does slow the ability to heal after surgery and recover from infections. I know that the docs always want me to quit before surgery so there are no complications post-op with healing. I never do manage to quit tho for surgery. One of the current theories on how RA developes is that you have a major stress in your life...get an infection your immune system can't fight off (it is lowered due to stress) and for some reason your immune system sends the infection to your joints and viola...RA. I wonder if smokers vs. non smokers have a more progressive and/or severe case of RA. Or if people that did smoke and then quit have a more progressive or severe case of RA. Just wondering because of what smoking does do to the body. And sheeesh....knowing what it does do and how bad it is...why can't I manage to quit!!!!
Oh please, I have never had even one puff of a cigarette. I have a dear friend who has been battling gum cancer for 3 years- a terrible and painful disease and she has never smoked or chewed. Let's not lump people into categories please. This just makes me mad. As if we do not have enough to deal with already.
Laker
Laker i wasnt intending to put anyone in categories. It was a friend who told me this and i was just wondering if others had heard it also. I did not mean to upset any of the smokers out there.(or non smokers)Ive never smoked ever.. not one cigarettet..
I suddenly developed cardiomyopathy and heart failure with NONE of the triggers.. no smoking, no diabetes, no high b/p, no family history, no clogged arteries, and low cholesterol.
I have sero negative RA.. no family history, no smoking,
people are all different.
Sorry, I know that's not what you meant. I just get the impression sometimes that people think I must have done something to make myself sick. I think it goes back to a very fundamental style upbringing which regarded illness as possibly a means of God getting our attention for some misdeed. Thanks for not being offended at my negative comment.
Laker
I have heard that smoking changes your genetic makeup,could that cause our genes to be more vulnurable to disease? or did our parents smoking change there genes,than passed it to us? this would also include all invirnmental pollutants. I am also a smoker,would love to hear anyones success with that new chantix!
kel