I just got out of the hospital after battling a case of Acute Pancreatitis. It was the most pain I was ever in and I never want to have to go through it again. I have been reading that drinking and smoking are the main causes of this disease. I'm not a drinker but I do smoke a couple of cigars a day. So here is my question. Has anyone else ever had acute pancreatitis and do you still smoke cigars? Did you just take a break for a while or did you just cut back on how much you smoke? I can't picture my life without cigars but going through that again won't be pleasant and it could escalate into more serious. Thanks guys.
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Pancreatitis and Cigars
- Thread starter Joeytivo
- Start date
Joeytivo,
I am not a doctor and my opinion should not be perceived as a professional one, however I do have a bit of understanding regarding acute pancreatitis. My mother recently underwent a serious bout with this condition, and it really did a number to her system. It was largely attributed to drinking on a level obscene to most people throughout her entire life, but she has also been a cigarette smoker for about 50 years. She has recovered from the "acute" part, but she still runs a high risk of relapse. She has stopped drinking completely and her entire condition has improved, beyond the issues associated with pancreatitis. She continues to smoke as she always had, and her symptoms have not returned. Based on what I've seen in her, I do not think her smoking contributed to her pancreatitis. I have no research to support my statement and this is all based on one person's experience. Your situation may differ substantially, and I would recommend consulting a doctor before making a decision. I hope you get to feeling better soon and that you have a good path to a full recovery.
I am not a doctor and my opinion should not be perceived as a professional one, however I do have a bit of understanding regarding acute pancreatitis. My mother recently underwent a serious bout with this condition, and it really did a number to her system. It was largely attributed to drinking on a level obscene to most people throughout her entire life, but she has also been a cigarette smoker for about 50 years. She has recovered from the "acute" part, but she still runs a high risk of relapse. She has stopped drinking completely and her entire condition has improved, beyond the issues associated with pancreatitis. She continues to smoke as she always had, and her symptoms have not returned. Based on what I've seen in her, I do not think her smoking contributed to her pancreatitis. I have no research to support my statement and this is all based on one person's experience. Your situation may differ substantially, and I would recommend consulting a doctor before making a decision. I hope you get to feeling better soon and that you have a good path to a full recovery.
Since you don't drink, what did your doctors attribute the attack to? Were you a long-term cigarette smoker that quit and moved to cigars? Most patients make a full recovery and rarely progress to chronic pancreatitis if the causative factors are removed. There is indeed evidence that cigarette smoking is a factor in non-gallstone related AP, but I believe there is no evidence (meaning there are no well controlled, long-term clinical trials) with cigars. So the question yet unanswered is do cigarettes increase the risk of AP from inhaling, other chemicals in the tobacco processing or make-up of the cigarette or is it simply due to long term exposure to tobacco smoke.
StogieNinja
Derek | BoM June 2014
I would assume a couple cigars per day could be contributing. At that point, you're running a constant stream of nicotine through your body, as well as all the other stuff in the smoke. I'm no doctor, but I would strongly recommend that a)you consult your doctor, and b)cut back. 2-3 cigars a week has a very mild impact on your health... I would think 2-3 per day would have a somewhat significant impact.
Yeah I'm not a medical professional so take this as you will, but when I first started smoking cigars I googled how bad are cigars for you out of curiosity . A lot of what I read said that people that smoke less than one cigar a day are at the same risk of any disease as non smokers. However more than that and your 50% more at risk than a non smoker. When I read less than one cigar a day I assume they mean if there is 7 days in a week if you smoke 3-5 a week your less than one a day. With error on the safe side. Not that I follow that advice. Although I should. I spent about two weeks researching the benefits and harmful effects of cigars. I never read that cigars are a known cause of AP the way I read cigs are said to cause 4 out of 5 cases of AP. I did read that pipe and cigar smoke are believed to increase risk but that there is no confirmed study at this time.
-Britt
Guys, thanks for the valuable input. They say that the cause of the AP was a reaction to a new medicine that I started taking. I am thinking that maybe my cigar smoking might have added to it. I am seeing my Dr on Thurs and I will discuss my smoking options with him. I know his answer is going to be no smoking. I'll let you know more info as I find it. This was the most painful experience, both the disease and the cure. I was on IV fluids for 4 days, no food, no water, nothing. I never heard of this but now I know exactly what it is and it really sucks. I have been home a day and a half and I am still uncomfortable.
Did they remove your pancreas? I'm off to the land of Google to learn about it.
Thankfully they didn't.