A SUNSHINE Coast former ironman with a severe intestinal condition has found an unlikely remedy – cigarettes and ginger beer.

Andrew Champion, a former state volleyballer, record-breaking swimmer and surf lifesaver, says he turned to smoking in desperation to combat ulcerative colitis – and his symptoms disappeared.

The condition, which affects up to 30,000 Australians and a million people in the United States, leads to severe inflammation of the large intestine.

Mr Champion, 45...started "nicotine therapy" six years ago. He began smoking 20 cigarettes a day...

The married father of two was being treated with conventional drugs, but faced alarming side-effects such as a swollen "moon face", diabetes and stiff joints.

"Doctors told me I would have to have my large intestine removed, but I thought, 'There has to be another way'," Mr Champion said.

"I searched the internet and discovered a site that recommended taking up smoking. It sounds crazy, but it has worked.

"Chemicals in cigarettes stimulate the body's production of prednisone, a hormone that alleviates the symptoms."

"Doctors are aware of it (nicotine therapy) but obviously are reluctant to talk about it."

Australian Medical Association Queensland president Dr Steve Hambleton said it would go against all medical beliefs to prescribe smoking to treat any illness.

Dr Hambleton said he would approach with caution any one-off, or multiple testimonials, from patients testing drugs outside a controlled trial environment.

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Doctors prescribe stuff all the time that has negative side effects (just reread this article for an example). They even admit that some chemotherapy drugs, used to fight cancer, CAUSE CANCER!

It should "go against all medical beliefs" not to inform patients about smoking in a case like this. For God's sake, those frigging butchers wanted to take out his large intestine instead of telling him about a possible remedy which at his age would unlikely cause him any disease in his lifetime.

What a bunch of sick bastards.

Calling them "sick bastards" is being nice...

In this day and age of the internet it pays to research any condition. It also pays to research what the tobacco companies are researching thru their subsidiaries. Many of the drugs introduced in the last 15 years are the result of the tobacco research that was in progress during the last 40 years. The problem is tobacco can not be patiented and many of it's benefits can't be reproduced without side effects.

This is also the reason the European union is trying to ban natural suppliments, at the suggestion of the World Health Organization.