Celiac & Smoking Cigarettes

[heidi g.]

So everytime I smoke a cigarette my stomach starts to hurt or a couple minutes it will get bloated and icky feeling. All im wondering is has that happened to anybody? I am trying so hard to quit but I am addicted and I have been using them to help relieve stress sometimes. Can cigarettes damage the healing process??

Thanks(I know it's bad for you but I just want to know if it can make my stomach feel like this too)

[ravenwoodglass]

I don't know if cigs can slow down the healing, they didn't for me but I switched to an additive free tobacco when I was diagnosed as I know some cigs have gluten derived ingredients. One big plus to the switch was I went from smoking a pack a day to now smoking about 5 to 6 a day with no effort. I think I was addicted more to the additives than to the nicotine. If I do smoke most cigs, if I happen to run out of my regular brand, I find I want one as soon as I put out the last. And as a bonus my lips blister and peel. Needless to say I make sure I don't run out now.

[RuskitD]

Logic says smoking would slow down healing. The chemicals we ingest by smoking, our bodies must attack and remove from our system, just as the body does when we ingest gluten. The more things our body has to fight at one time, the harder its going to be for it to fight effectively. Putting a bigger stress on our system, slowing healing.

That being said, I have not had issues from smoking like you describe. I am fascinated with the post ravenwoodglass made! I would have never thought of that! (I am very new to this! and learning every day!) I am so glad that info was shared!!!!

From ravenwoodglass' post, I would say you are getting glutened from your brand!

I will suggest something to help you quit! Before my total health crash in January, I had researched eCigarettes. I have tried patches, gum, other ways. None were helpful. I will NOT try Chantix! Yes, everyone quits with it! But 50% of the people I know who used it have had long term mental health issues. It works on the brain to make you quit, and I guess in some people, permanently alters the brain.

From what i have read, an overwhelming number of people who want to quit cigs, do with the eCig. All you ingest with it is the nicotine. Its very easy to taper off the nicotine with these, so you are ingesting none, and then all you have to work on is breaking the habit of reaching for/holding it. From the stats I have read, most people quit cigs in a month, and quit the eCig within a year.

At first doctors said these were another bad, but now they have jumped on the bandwagon that they are a wonderful stop smoking aide.

I found myself an inexpensive one to try, in case I didn't like it. I do! I prefer it to real cigs! I am going to invest in a better one now. I know I will be cigarette free within the month, and easily! I highly recommend you find one!!! The initial investment can be a little steep, so shop around! However, they are so much less expensive than cigarettes, in the long run. And the aide to your health is priceless!!!

Good luck to you!

[mommida]

I have seen some artcles that link stopping smoking with triggerring Celiac.

Some links that say cigarette smoking can lessen Celiac gut symptoms. (This may be because cigarette smoking does make it harder for a body to absorb nutrients through the gut, and therefore may alter in the digesting as a whole for gluten too. So how would a person pinpoint it is harder for the digestion of gluten?)

Dont jump on my case and ask for these articles, because I had stumbled upon this information at least 6 years ago, and I would have to just do a new search like anybody else. I just don't have time with a sick kid right now. So just keep in mind you can run accross all kinds of "articles" but put it in perspective of your own common sense.

Is it more likely you are inflated your belly with air from dragging on that cigarette?

[Gemini]

I have seen some artcles that link stopping smoking with triggerring Celiac.

Some links that say cigarette smoking can lessen Celiac gut symptoms. (This may be because cigarette smoking does make it harder for a body to absorb nutrients through the gut, and therefore may alter in the digesting as a whole for gluten too. So how would a person pinpoint it is harder for the digestion of gluten?)

Dont jump on my case and ask for these articles, because I had stumbled upon this information at least 6 years ago, and I would have to just do a new search like anybody else. I just don't have time with a sick kid right now. So just keep in mind you can run accross all kinds of "articles" but put it in perspective of your own common sense.

Is it more likely you are inflated your belly with air from dragging on that cigarette?

I think the way it works is that smoking is somewhat of an immune suppressor, like alcohol can be. While you smoke, symptoms are kept somewhat at bay because your immune system is suppressed to a certain degree. I quit smoking 4 months before I hit the wall with Celiac so I would tend to agree with this. It was bad......

[heidi g.]

Yea I read about it postponing the trigger of celiacs disease. I also have problems with gerd and I read it can make it worse because it can increase acid production in the stomach.

[Bubba's Mom]

I read in one of the posts about MSG here today that said MSG is added to some tobacco/cigarettes. Could it be possible that you are sensitive to MSG?

I used to smoke so I know it's hard to quit. It's very important to your overall health that you try though. I had to find replacements for the times I would have grabbed a cigarette. For me, cough drops worked very well. The "ceremony" of opening it, and the fact that it's an oral stimulant seemed to make the switch much easier.

I quit smoking over 10 years ago..but still have to pop a cough drop in my mouth while driving. LOL

[cahill]

Isnt tobacco in the nightshade family??

Do you have problems with nightshades??

[heidi g.]

Yea I think I do. After eating anything with peppers and I get bloated with potatoes and I dont dare try anything with tomato sauce. I have a hard time eating ketchup sometimes. Cigarettes are part of the night shade family? I have only briefly read about it in college could you please share more information?

[cahill]

Alkaloids produced by the nightshade family:

nicotine in tobacco

hallucinogenic and deadly tropane alkaloids in belladonna

mildly irritating alkaloids in tomatoes, potatoes, and other food nightshades

As a group, nightshades have a bad reputation in alternative health circles and many practitioners recommend avoiding tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplant, or eliminating them from the diet entirely

[heidi g.]

Ahh thank you. Someone told me about a small proportion of celiac sufferers also are intolerant to fructose. So for the day i didn't eat or drink anything with it. Then i go to taco bell and get a Baja blast (totally forgot about the fructose in soda) and drank some. 1hour later and i have D and an icky stomach. And when i smoke cigarettes i usually drink something right after so i think i found my real culprit! No more candy for me and i am also lactose intolerant so no ice cream either. I can't have any sweet things. Alot of fruit does it to me too. Only thing i can eat ok is half of a banana and any grapes are ok.