Ischemic Colitis

Posted by spivak @spivak, Jun 21, 2022

My husband, 74 yrs old, was diagnosed with Ischemic Colitis 2 months ago. He had a pretty severe episode of non-stop abdominal cramps with urges to go to the bathroom and with every bowel movement he was passing blood clots.
We checked in to Emergency Department. He had a colonoscopy with further pathology. The dr finally said that he thinks it's Ischemic Colitis. The Dr. ordered an MRI to check the Blood flow in the abdominal area. The results were normal. The Dr. said its good news, most likely the blood flow was interrupted in the small vessels and that that is better then if large vessels are constricted. No meds were suggested and basically no diet restrictions.
After this episode, my husband recovered and for 2 months he felt well.
Unfortunately this morning he had another flare.
Can someone, who has a similar condition, can share how you manage the flares and what usually triggers the flares. Are you on any medication.

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cgent | @cgent | Jun 22, 2022

Yes and yes ... check my other posts on colitis diets and balsalazide disodium RX. Mostly avoid caffeine, fatty foods, and carbonated drinks. Cut way back on beef and pork, rather eat lean turkey and chicken. No chocolate. Eat good grains, avoiding more highly processed foods.

Ingegerd Enscoe, Alumni Mentor | @astaingegerdm | Jun 22, 2022

@spivak - I’m sorry for what your husband has developed.
Question: was all the work up done in the ER?
There is a gap of information in my mind- he is diagnosed with ischemic colitis, but all tests did not show direct evidence of impaired blood flow, just an assumption.
To my knowledge, the best way to determine abdominal blood flow is through Doppler ultrasound. Any positive result then could be confirmed with a CT angiogram.
Does he have a gastroenterologist managing his problem?