Does Smoking effect Treatment?

[Trinity4]

Yes, I smoke about 1 pk every 4 days.  I know it's a nasty, vile habit.  I've smoked since I was 25 years old so that's over 25 years of smoking.  I've never been a heavy smoker and quit with both pregnancies and a couple of times through out the years. Never smoke in my house, car, or at work.  It's after dinner, and during the evening hours.  As a matter of fact, I had quit for a year prior to dx of hepc. Cold turkey - no patches, no pills.  The logic is why am I even bothering with tx when the smoking is going to kill me anyway?  True that, and I know every reason in the world why I should quit right now, this minute.  I've mentioned coping mechanisms in the past that help us to keep ourselves in check when the sx get overwhelming.  I've tried AD's before - the sx from them are worse for me than the actual depression.  I don't get the benefit from them that most do and I really gave it an honest try.  So, when I get to the boiling point, I smoke a nasty cig and life becomes tolerable again for a while.  My question is, does smoking effect the chances of SVR?  If I was not a smoker, would I have possibly gotten UND at 12 wks instead of the 793 IU/ml?  I haven't seen any studies on this but I haven't made a great effort to find any either.  What are your thoughts on this -  BTW -  I already know what a knucklehead I am for smoking so please don't give me to much grief about that.  :)
Trin  

[Rockerforlife]

i just eat a whole watermelon last nite...took me 6 hours tho...and i am not kiddin...i got  asurprise in da morning when i seen bright pink in the toilet bowl...first time i had pinky poo...gotta stay in fashion

[CockSparrow]

Surprisingly little on Smoking and HepC isnt there.
There is one thing that smoking might be good for and that is it might help reduce the sides of Tx.

Interferon surpresses CYP1A2.
Tobacco Induces it. Just thought i would throw something outa left field here.

From
Differential Effect of IFNa-2b on the Cytochrome P450 Enzyme System:
A Potential Basis of IFN Toxicity and Its Modulation by Other Drugs

Results: The results indicate that HDI differentially impairs CYP-mediated metabolism, having no effect on some enzymes (CYP2E1) and substantial effects on others
(CYP1A2; median 60% decrease). A significant association was found between the magnitude of CYP inhibition and the occurrence of side effects including fever and neurological toxicity, which may form a novel basis of the underlying pathophysiology of some IFNa-2b-induced toxicity.

The associations of CYP2D6 inhibition with flu-like symptoms, and CYP1A2 with neuropsychiatric symptoms and fatigue are significant and demand additional study

[Trinity4]

Jim,
Thanks for the study info - very interesting.

Rocker
I know - I'm such a loser when it comes to just quitting and my heart really does know it -in more ways than one!

geter
LMAO -  Hazardous to others for sure - I could try Rockers 3 lbs of apples a day

[geterdone]

I smoke a nasty cig and life becomes tolerable again for a while.

Precisely why you should wait until after treatment to quit. Your body is chemically dependent on it and part of your matrix when you first started treatment and to try to quit while on treatment may be hazardous to your health and “OTHERS”

jasper

[Rockerforlife]

You know deep in your heart you should not smoke while on tx....the odds are that  you will improve clearing ..come on....bunker down and stop for 1 year at least...your life depends on it.

[jmjm530]

This study suggests that cigarette smoking is a negative predictor of SVR for genotype 2's and 3's but not genotype 1's. http://www.natap.org/2006/DDW/DDW_25.htm

That said, there are studies out there that show that smoking can accelerate liver fibrosis. It would be refereshing if some of the energy here directed against social drinking would find its way into an anti-smoking message for those with Hep C. My guess is some of those that write those posts  have a cigarette in their mouth :)

This is the group that helped me quit smoking over 20 years ago:
http://www.smokenders.com/