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[/quote]the moral of the story is if you take up smoking again you might die of cancer but your ms might be a little better.

I was a smoker for around 8 years before I was DX with RR. I found that as the years went by I would get dizzier and weaker than normal after smoking. In one of the articles I was looking at on MSRC (think thats the name) they were saying that Carbon Monoxide (CO) can possibly cross the blood brain barrier easier in MS patients due to the weakened BBB. We are all well aware that CO is not good for you and some of the first signs are: dizzy, light headed, headache,....

Coincidentaly I used to repair heating/AC equipment and respond to calls of customers that had CO alarms go off in their home. Usually a false alarm but now and then I would find one with low levels of CO in the house. I could tell within 5 mins of being inside that CO was present. I asked some other techs if they could tell=all said no. I would get foggy, a little weak, slurry speach. All previous symptoms.

And yes I quit. I have one now and then (very seldom) and it is very obvious the results. Weak leg, dizzy, balance, jittery eyes.

You might stop after the first (and possibly only) heart attack. It's no fun, and you might not live. I have no patience with the under-fifty these days, and especially idiots like I was. It's all part of what Darwin hath wrought I suppose. Consider yourself un-selected.

Especially if you're much past the ideal breeding age anyway.

A guy I know had an acute IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) attack and subsequently had to have his large bowel removed. This occured immediately after he stopped smoking. I've since read that such a reaction is not uncommon.

About the nicotine...I have a friend with Crohn's and she feels smoking helps her illness-she should just wear a patch maybe! Also, my husband's mother is perhaps the worst smoker I have EVER met. It is disgusting, but she is not physically ill from anything...looks a lot lot older than she should though. (and stinks of ciggies, so you can't bear being around her).
For the Original Poster:
My husband had ballooning done with no restenosis after 2 months. He basically had a blocked left jugular- blocked in 3 places-all places ballooned and it seems to be holding.

What happens when you stop smoking is not an excuse not to. Mostly I just gained weight, but I also got clinically definite. Maybe there's cause and effect. Certainly those pictures I've seen of what happens to veins around the path of the smoke lead me to be suspicious.

But I still don't think hair of the dog is a good idea. Had I lived, my struggle with whatever you call this disease would be even more of a struggle if I had not quit 25 years ago. I'd most likely be nothing but bone by now, anyway. As it was, along with CDMS which would not really bother me much until 20 years later, I gained a lot of weight that has been really a long time going.

I lost more during my recent three-day fast for CCSVI treatment. I have lost fat at various times, and I'm at a reasonable weight now, but unfortunately along the way that has included muscle mass.

That said, there is a genetic component to smoking's bad effects. I guess, if you like Las Vegas odds against your life, you can always take a chance on that. My father-in-law, at 80, is still smoking. He has lived a decent length of time, and he is family, so all bets are off, anyway.

His outlying-ness, though he won't comment on it, is probably one of the only excuses the tobacco industry has. But for every outlier there are many data points. They have enough of those. They don't need mine, or yours.

Squeakycat wrote:I am in the middle of a move and don't have access to my files, but to begin, in Dr. Zamboni's paper on the first 65 patients, the restenosis rate was 47% so 53% were still patent. As I further recall, he increased the pressures he was using when he had to re-balloon and as of the date of publication, I think he said in the paper or possibly in an interview, that none of those treated a second time has restenosed.

Further, he indicated in the session at the AAN that the restenosis rate had improved compared with the initial group to I think he said 27%. You will need to listen to that session or see if the transcript is available now to verify that number.

In another recent interview at the time of the AAN conference, Dr. Zamboni said that the restenosis rate was down, I think as a result of the use of cutting balloons.

Finally, venoplasty in the azygous veins was 100% patent.

Squeakycat / forum

I hope the move went well ?

Im due for screening EHClinic Scotland UK July when I asked about balloon cutters staff on help line was not aware of such a tool and when staff asked Dr Gilhooly nor was he aware but asked If I had info they would be greatful..

May I ask for a link or paper work on balloon cutters

Regards Silverbirch

silverbirch wrote:Im due for screening EHClinic Scotland UK July when I asked about balloon cutters staff on help line was not aware of such a tool and when staff asked Dr Gilhooly nor was he aware but asked If I had info they would be greatful..

May I ask for a link or paper work on balloon cutters

I don't think there is any link or papers, at least not as used in CCSVI. I suppose you could find some general information about it online? I think Kuwait is using balloon cutters, as is Dr. Scalfani. It's more commonly used in cardiology, so interventional radiologists may be less familiar with cutting balloons.