Ischemic colitis

Posted by mo1216 @mo1216, Dec 6, 2016

Has anyone ever had ischemic colitis?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Digestive Health Support Group.

I an 54 yo woman and I was in the hospital for ischemic colitis for 6 days. It began with extremely sharp abdominal pains, nausea, and ultimately hemeraging diarrhea. The onset was very abrupt and I had SEVERE pain for 5 days. I have never felt pain like that. It literally felt like knives were carving up my belly. It was like have my kidney stone for 5 days. It was managed with either 4 cc of morphine of 2 - 4 cc of Dilauded. (sp?) Fortunately the biopsies cam back and indicate Ischemic Colitus - not ulcerative colitis or IBS.. They said I just need to rest and let my body heal.
I now know that it was precipitated by severe dehydration from 2 days of physically demanding gardening in 88* sunny weather. It totally caught me off guard! It seems hard to describe to people how excruciating it is.

Questions:
1)How long did it take you to heal enough to return to work?
2) How did you know you were well enough to return?
3) Have you had recurrences?
4) Did you dramatically change your diet like those with ulcerative colitis have to?
5) Can you drink alcohol when episode fully ends?
6) If I "do too much" could it stimulate a relapse?

I have never before posted on a blog. This experience has pushed me to do so.

Nancy

REPLY

Hello @mo1216, and Welcome to Connect.

There are a few members who have either had ischemic colitis or have discussed it. I'm going to tag @nkells, @opiffle, @frane1939, @sunnie, @crawdia, @malori33, and @karthiekay with the hope that they will join in with some information.
You may also wish to view their discussion here: http://mayocl.in/2gQUTSM

@mo1216, have you or a loved one been diagnosed with ischemic colitis?

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My mother passed away from Ischaemic colitis so you can imagine the dismay I felt when the ER of a hospital diagnosed me with the same issue.

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I have and had a colon resection after several episodes with it which was 15 years ago. I have not had a recurrence since. I still have had diverticulitis on several occassions even though the thinking was that they had cut out the area of my colon that was affected. I have been told by a couple of medical people that this Ischaemic colitis is akin to a heart attack of the colon.
Please accect my sincere sorrow for the loss of your mother.

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@nkells

I an 54 yo woman and I was in the hospital for ischemic colitis for 6 days. It began with extremely sharp abdominal pains, nausea, and ultimately hemeraging diarrhea. The onset was very abrupt and I had SEVERE pain for 5 days. I have never felt pain like that. It literally felt like knives were carving up my belly. It was like have my kidney stone for 5 days. It was managed with either 4 cc of morphine of 2 - 4 cc of Dilauded. (sp?) Fortunately the biopsies cam back and indicate Ischemic Colitus - not ulcerative colitis or IBS.. They said I just need to rest and let my body heal.
I now know that it was precipitated by severe dehydration from 2 days of physically demanding gardening in 88* sunny weather. It totally caught me off guard! It seems hard to describe to people how excruciating it is.

Questions:
1)How long did it take you to heal enough to return to work?
2) How did you know you were well enough to return?
3) Have you had recurrences?
4) Did you dramatically change your diet like those with ulcerative colitis have to?
5) Can you drink alcohol when episode fully ends?
6) If I "do too much" could it stimulate a relapse?

I have never before posted on a blog. This experience has pushed me to do so.

Nancy

Jump to this post

I was hospitalized for 5 days I also had it happen abruptly,at first I had what they call a bursting headache then diarrhea,dr. sent me for blood work and a ct scan and I was hospitalized the same day ,my primary dr. tried to explain it to me by saying its like a stroke in the bowels,during the ct scan they found a pancreatic cyst which they were able to drain ,I also have ibs

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@nkells

I an 54 yo woman and I was in the hospital for ischemic colitis for 6 days. It began with extremely sharp abdominal pains, nausea, and ultimately hemeraging diarrhea. The onset was very abrupt and I had SEVERE pain for 5 days. I have never felt pain like that. It literally felt like knives were carving up my belly. It was like have my kidney stone for 5 days. It was managed with either 4 cc of morphine of 2 - 4 cc of Dilauded. (sp?) Fortunately the biopsies cam back and indicate Ischemic Colitus - not ulcerative colitis or IBS.. They said I just need to rest and let my body heal.
I now know that it was precipitated by severe dehydration from 2 days of physically demanding gardening in 88* sunny weather. It totally caught me off guard! It seems hard to describe to people how excruciating it is.

Questions:
1)How long did it take you to heal enough to return to work?
2) How did you know you were well enough to return?
3) Have you had recurrences?
4) Did you dramatically change your diet like those with ulcerative colitis have to?
5) Can you drink alcohol when episode fully ends?
6) If I "do too much" could it stimulate a relapse?

I have never before posted on a blog. This experience has pushed me to do so.

Nancy

Jump to this post

Hello @mo1216 and welcome to Mayo Connect! I'm so sorry to hear of your health issues and hospitalization. It sounds like a frightening experience. How long ago was your hospitalization? Are you doing better now? I hope that your recovery is going well. Keep in touch with Mayo Connect, we are a caring community that will "walk with you" in your journey of healing. I'd like to introduce you to @safetyshield and @dawn_giacabazi who are also mentors here at Mayo Connect.

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@nkells

I an 54 yo woman and I was in the hospital for ischemic colitis for 6 days. It began with extremely sharp abdominal pains, nausea, and ultimately hemeraging diarrhea. The onset was very abrupt and I had SEVERE pain for 5 days. I have never felt pain like that. It literally felt like knives were carving up my belly. It was like have my kidney stone for 5 days. It was managed with either 4 cc of morphine of 2 - 4 cc of Dilauded. (sp?) Fortunately the biopsies cam back and indicate Ischemic Colitus - not ulcerative colitis or IBS.. They said I just need to rest and let my body heal.
I now know that it was precipitated by severe dehydration from 2 days of physically demanding gardening in 88* sunny weather. It totally caught me off guard! It seems hard to describe to people how excruciating it is.

Questions:
1)How long did it take you to heal enough to return to work?
2) How did you know you were well enough to return?
3) Have you had recurrences?
4) Did you dramatically change your diet like those with ulcerative colitis have to?
5) Can you drink alcohol when episode fully ends?
6) If I "do too much" could it stimulate a relapse?

I have never before posted on a blog. This experience has pushed me to do so.

Nancy

Jump to this post

Hi @mo1216,

Thank you for sharing your experience, especially in responding to @nkells; I moved your message to this existing discussion so that you, and hopefully other members can continue the conversation about Ischemic Colitis, here.
As @hopeful33250 said, it must have been a truly frightening experience!

@mo1216, when were you diagnosed with IBS? Did your doctors tell you what type of IBS you have (with constipation, or diarrhea, or both)?

REPLY
@nkells

I an 54 yo woman and I was in the hospital for ischemic colitis for 6 days. It began with extremely sharp abdominal pains, nausea, and ultimately hemeraging diarrhea. The onset was very abrupt and I had SEVERE pain for 5 days. I have never felt pain like that. It literally felt like knives were carving up my belly. It was like have my kidney stone for 5 days. It was managed with either 4 cc of morphine of 2 - 4 cc of Dilauded. (sp?) Fortunately the biopsies cam back and indicate Ischemic Colitus - not ulcerative colitis or IBS.. They said I just need to rest and let my body heal.
I now know that it was precipitated by severe dehydration from 2 days of physically demanding gardening in 88* sunny weather. It totally caught me off guard! It seems hard to describe to people how excruciating it is.

Questions:
1)How long did it take you to heal enough to return to work?
2) How did you know you were well enough to return?
3) Have you had recurrences?
4) Did you dramatically change your diet like those with ulcerative colitis have to?
5) Can you drink alcohol when episode fully ends?
6) If I "do too much" could it stimulate a relapse?

I have never before posted on a blog. This experience has pushed me to do so.

Nancy

Jump to this post

Doctors seem to know very little about handling the problems of the digestive system. In one week I went to three ERs ad I had mucus and was bleeding very badly. All three had different opinions and not one was a correct diagnosis. The best physician you have is to get all the information you can about your symptoms. It turned out I had to fly to Boston, Dana Farber Cancer Institute ad one diagnosis was Pancytopenia. In the hotel room in Boston the symptoms cane back for me to diagnose CDIFF and take oral Vancouver on my own. I need an FMT. Nearly impossible to get in South FL, especially since you have to pay cash and there are no MDs that do it.
As far as IBS....IN MY OPINION I HAD BOTH, HOWEVER GO TO A GASTRO AND HAVE NUMEROUS TESTS. I DONT FEEL IT MATTERS IF ITS CONSTIPATION OR DIAREHEA. MY FEELING ITS BOTH OTHERWISE ITS NOT IBS

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@frane1939

I have and had a colon resection after several episodes with it which was 15 years ago. I have not had a recurrence since. I still have had diverticulitis on several occassions even though the thinking was that they had cut out the area of my colon that was affected. I have been told by a couple of medical people that this Ischaemic colitis is akin to a heart attack of the colon.
Please accect my sincere sorrow for the loss of your mother.

Jump to this post

Thank you so much for the info. With CDIFF and diverticulitis it would be inevitable. I really need an FMT AND ZINPLAVA ASAP
YOU ARE VERY KIND

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@nkells

I an 54 yo woman and I was in the hospital for ischemic colitis for 6 days. It began with extremely sharp abdominal pains, nausea, and ultimately hemeraging diarrhea. The onset was very abrupt and I had SEVERE pain for 5 days. I have never felt pain like that. It literally felt like knives were carving up my belly. It was like have my kidney stone for 5 days. It was managed with either 4 cc of morphine of 2 - 4 cc of Dilauded. (sp?) Fortunately the biopsies cam back and indicate Ischemic Colitus - not ulcerative colitis or IBS.. They said I just need to rest and let my body heal.
I now know that it was precipitated by severe dehydration from 2 days of physically demanding gardening in 88* sunny weather. It totally caught me off guard! It seems hard to describe to people how excruciating it is.

Questions:
1)How long did it take you to heal enough to return to work?
2) How did you know you were well enough to return?
3) Have you had recurrences?
4) Did you dramatically change your diet like those with ulcerative colitis have to?
5) Can you drink alcohol when episode fully ends?
6) If I "do too much" could it stimulate a relapse?

I have never before posted on a blog. This experience has pushed me to do so.

Nancy

Jump to this post

Oral vancomycin....phone has a spelling mind of its own.

REPLY
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