Hi. I'm a 60 year old woman with collagenous colitis and multiple food allergies and intolerances. I'm presently on Nalcrom (Gastrocrom in the U.S.) and it seems to work reasonably well for now.I've been experiencing some bladder problems the last while , and since my surgery for uterine cancer in April 2013, the bladder problems seem worse. Often they seem to occur with a colitis flare. I have urgency, frequency, etc. My urologist (new) says I drink too much water. I drink ~8 - 10 glasses/day (water and milk) except when I have a colitis flare and drink more(usually with added electrolytes, such as Gastrolyte). Otherwise my heart rate, blood pressure, etc go haywire. I'm on a low dose Calcium channel blocker for irregular heart beat and chest pain.
He says even 8 glasses is way too much for me and that I should cut down. My gastroenterologist disagrees. Any thoughts? Obviously I adjust the fluid and food intake according to my colitis symptoms, etc. I eat a moderate salt diet. I have normally low blood pressure. I get a lot of migraines. More water intake seems to help. I also have sleep apnea.
BTW, I'm ~5"1" and my BMI is ~25.5. Another question: Last year I shrunk almost an inch due to spinal curvature (I have scoliosis). If I weigh the same, obviously my BMI will appear to increase since I lost height. How can I maintain a reasonable BMI if my spine is compressing, or do I calculate on the basis of my original height?
Thank-you.
Fluid intake with collagenous colitis
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Fluid intake with collagenous colitis
allergic to :nuts, all seeds, tomatoes, eggplant, all pepper, nutmeg, most raw fruit, many cooked fruits, peanuts, chestnuts, etc.
Hi,
Your GI specialist is correct, and your urologist is wrong. How do I know? Because your urologist knows nothing about CC, and your GI specialist at least has a basic understanding of it. Dehydration is a very real risk for anyone who has CC or any other form of MC.
Your body tells you how much water you need to drink, so you know much more about your needs than your urologist (despite the fact that he would surely disagree). You are correct about the migraines, too. Dehydration is a primary cause of migraine headaches.
Not all of us, but many of us who have this disease find that we have the same bladder issues that you are having — namely a frequent need to urinate and increased urgency. The symptoms are very similar to interstitial cystitis, and the symptoms appear whenever our CC or LC is active, so apparently it's connected with microscopic colitis (whether your GI specialist or your urologist realizes it or not).
In my case, it typically was not connected with a full, or even half-full bladder, so obviously drinking too much water has nothing to do with it. I simply had the urge to urinate much more frequently. It's a case of increased frequency due to inflammation of the bladder. This is strictly my unprofessional opinion, but IMO, it is caused by mast cell issues. And the fact that your gastroenterologist is treating you with Nalcrom (Gastrocrom) (and it's helping to control your CC) is proof that you do indeed have mast cell problems associated with your CC.
The correct height to use would be your original height, but I wouldn't worry about body mass index. It's a fictitious number, and recent research has suggested that it's a very unreliable indicator of health for many/most people. If you're interested in reading about some of the problems with BMI, please read the articles at the following links.
http://www.drbriffa.com/2013/01/04/why- ... ur-weight/
http://articles.latimes.com/2013/aug/22 ... h-20130822
In fact, research shows that higher than "ideal" BMI values are associated with longevity, so obviously the doctors who promote BMI indices in the "ideal" range are confused.
http://www.drbriffa.com/2010/02/04/anot ... -of-death/
As long as your blood pressure and heart rate are fine, and you don't feel as though you're too full of water, then you are probably drinking the right amount of water that your body needs.
You're very welcome.
Tex
Your GI specialist is correct, and your urologist is wrong. How do I know? Because your urologist knows nothing about CC, and your GI specialist at least has a basic understanding of it. Dehydration is a very real risk for anyone who has CC or any other form of MC.
Your body tells you how much water you need to drink, so you know much more about your needs than your urologist (despite the fact that he would surely disagree). You are correct about the migraines, too. Dehydration is a primary cause of migraine headaches.
Not all of us, but many of us who have this disease find that we have the same bladder issues that you are having — namely a frequent need to urinate and increased urgency. The symptoms are very similar to interstitial cystitis, and the symptoms appear whenever our CC or LC is active, so apparently it's connected with microscopic colitis (whether your GI specialist or your urologist realizes it or not).
In my case, it typically was not connected with a full, or even half-full bladder, so obviously drinking too much water has nothing to do with it. I simply had the urge to urinate much more frequently. It's a case of increased frequency due to inflammation of the bladder. This is strictly my unprofessional opinion, but IMO, it is caused by mast cell issues. And the fact that your gastroenterologist is treating you with Nalcrom (Gastrocrom) (and it's helping to control your CC) is proof that you do indeed have mast cell problems associated with your CC.
The correct height to use would be your original height, but I wouldn't worry about body mass index. It's a fictitious number, and recent research has suggested that it's a very unreliable indicator of health for many/most people. If you're interested in reading about some of the problems with BMI, please read the articles at the following links.
http://www.drbriffa.com/2013/01/04/why- ... ur-weight/
http://articles.latimes.com/2013/aug/22 ... h-20130822
In fact, research shows that higher than "ideal" BMI values are associated with longevity, so obviously the doctors who promote BMI indices in the "ideal" range are confused.
http://www.drbriffa.com/2010/02/04/anot ... -of-death/
As long as your blood pressure and heart rate are fine, and you don't feel as though you're too full of water, then you are probably drinking the right amount of water that your body needs.
You're very welcome.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
fluid intake and c.colitis
Excellent response! IMO you're better than a doctor. I probably do have mast cell issues. When I reduce the histamine containing foods in my diet, bladder issues and c.colitis improve. Of course, the urologist wouldn't listen to my explanation. All he did was promote water restriction.
Thank-you so much!!!
Best wishes
Thank-you so much!!!
Best wishes
allergic to :nuts, all seeds, tomatoes, eggplant, all pepper, nutmeg, most raw fruit, many cooked fruits, peanuts, chestnuts, etc.
You're very welcome, and I appreciate the kind words.
It I knew then what I know now, I would have tried taking an antihistamine to see if it would have helped my symptoms back when I was reacting.
I hope you continue to make progress with your treatment.
Tex
It I knew then what I know now, I would have tried taking an antihistamine to see if it would have helped my symptoms back when I was reacting.
I hope you continue to make progress with your treatment.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.