Smoking with RA
Just curious if there are any RA folks that are cigarette smokers? I'm curious because after extensive research it seems that smoking will increase chances of getting RA, but once you have it, it can make the disease worse and make treating it less effective....but then other research shows NO connection to disease severity/treatment effectiveness at all. I'm curious if anyone can remark on this?
I mean, obviously smoking is inherently bad for your health in general. But I find it strange that research is so 50/50 on the findings at this point. So I'm asking for actual experiences here please! Thanks in advance!
Personally, I haven’t seen evidence of 50/50 so would be interested in those studies. I’m a non-smoker that was exposed to significant second hand smoke in the home until adulthood. I don’t believe it caused my RA, but wonder if it was one of multiple risk factors that worked with my genetics to lead to RA. I’ll never know for sure. Anecdotally, when I am exposed to poor air quality, such as forest fire smoke, I have increased joint pain. My lifestyle allows me to avoid cigarette smoke, so I no longer have first hand experience with it. I’m also interested in others experiences. Thanks for bringing this topic up! Jo 
I was diagnosed with RA at age 11 and smoked until I was age 23 or so. I wasn't smoking at age 9 when I first showed symptoms so I can't say for sure if smoking makes the RA come on, but in my own experience smoking didn't make it worse. Now, if you are talking bout cannabis then yes, for me, it makes my RA go nuts so I avoid it like the plague. Regular smoking, though, didn't seem to affect me much but just for the health risks in general I gave it up after about 10 years of smoking. Hopefully that helps a bit, keep on keepin' on, DPM
Wow who knew cannabis smoke could do that! If you had tried them, do edibles have the same negative effect? Very interesting on all your points! I have been smoking for 20+ years and need to quit, but I am struggling with it.
RA is so uniquely complex and complicated for everyone. Even two people with the same lifestyle choices and health condition will yield different effects and outcomes. So even with research and another person's experience, the results and feedback will still leave you in question. If you haven't done so already, I encourage you talk to your doctor about quitting. They can assess your current state of RA up against the effects of smoking and can suggest treatments and put you in touch with counseling or support groups that may help you kick the habit. Quitting isn't easy but you definitely can do it! Wishing you all the best, Latoya (Team Member)
