u/No_Peach9018

I want to start this by saying that I don't have a diagnosis yet, nor can I be certain that UC is what I have. I've been trying to get the ball rolling on all of the right tests and so far have only achieved blood tests and stool samples despite my symptoms, since my referral for a colonoscopy would get thrown out without them.

It all started for me about two weeks ago, three days after I quit smoking. Extreme abdominal pain that wouldn't go away, exhaustion beyond my baseline, extreme lack of appetite, nausea, constant diarrhea 3-4 times a day. Eventually I went back to smoking in a fit of desperation after trying every other medication I could think of, going to a clinic, going to the ER. Had an ultrasound and a CT scan, nothing showed up. Gradually after starting to smoke again I started to feel better, it has taken about a week but the pain has been getting easier to manage each day to the point of going away entirely (knock on wood), I'm much more alert and generally have more energy. I know that there are studies that smoking can help with UC, I have every other symptom except blood, though it could be occult.

What I'm wondering is if anyone has had any experience with this? But more importantly, since my worst symptoms have started improving since I began smoking again, will the inflammation markers and other blood/stool diagnostics of UC still be found during the tests?

Will I have to quit smoking again and put myself through hell to get the right tests? Is this something I really need to push for? I'm scared and just looking for any advice anyone can give towards the process of getting some kind of diagnosis.

I quit smoking around 12 days ago after being a pretty heavy vape smoker for around 5 years.

The first three days of quitting passed just fine with minimal cravings and withdrawals, no pain, no IBS. Then the 4th day rolled around and that’s when everything fell apart for me. It started with the usual abdominal pain/cramping and everything else you’d expect, except it never went away.

I can’t eat a single thing without it passing through me in basically 3-4 hours. The cramping is constant, and I mean constant. There isn’t a minute of the day when I’m not in pain. I can barely eat because it hurts so much and I’m so nauseous.

Although I’ve never received a formal diagnosis, I have all the typical markers for a mild-ish case of IBS-D, but never this bad. I’d have a flare up every month or so, or every couple of months depending. Real bad stomach pains, an eventual bowel movement, then pretty much instant relief.

Now I’m basically bedridden with constant pain. If it were just the bowel movements I feel as though I could almost manage somehow but like this it’s absolutely unbearable. I’m at a complete loss for what to do.

Has anyone else been through something similar after quitting smoking?

Is it possible that this is something more serious, or is that just the medical anxiety speaking? (Reiterating that I have no formal IBS diagnosis, only a recent ultrasound and CT scan that came back fine)

Is this something I should ‘tough out’ to see if it improves, or should I just pick up nicotine again to feel some kind of relief from the pain? I am so close to at least trying it to see if it helps at the risk of possibly making everything 10x worse.