please forgive me for sounding somewhat stupid--i really have no medical background. and appologies for TMI ahead.
so i'm not having a good time with my colon these days. in fact, it downright sucks. but i don't know if i can describe this as a flare--because i am not having any D. i am having no more than 1-2 BMs a day, not fully formed, but not liquid, either.
what i am having is a whole lot of pressure, air and noises. there is pressure on the "exit" and my muscles are working overtime to hold it in. when it does release (in the bathroom), it is either dry, or wet, and at times containing small particles that release at great speed--like a shot. when i go to clean up, things are very slippery--so i suspect it involves mucus. there is also pain that's limited to one/two spots. sometimes my entire insides feel almost like they are burning, like they've been scratched by a sharp comb of some sort. i am taking my Asacol like a good girl, and so far today have had nothing but bananas, rice and a sweet potato with some turkey.
here's my question. i feel like i am running to the bathroom for no. 1 a lot more frequently. i also feel like the air/pressure in my gut is somehow affecting my bladder. its like once the air is released, all of the sudden there is more in the bladder to release. it is making no sense, and i have no idea how the two can be connected. its like water isn't getting processed or absorbed properly. i haven't even had that much to drink because putting anything in my mouth causes more pressure, it seems, so i am not sure where the urinating or the mucus or the wet air is coming from. and no, i don't have a UTI--nothing is burning or itching or hurting.
so could there be a connection, or am i losing my mind?
an anatomy question of sorts
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fluffypoodle
- Adélie Penguin
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- Joined: Wed Mar 13, 2013 9:51 am
Hi,
Those are common issues for MC (at least they were for me). For many of us, the inflammation that affects the intestines (not just the colon, but the small intestine as well), affects some or all of the other organs in the body cavity, including the bladder. When my MC was flaring, I could not empty my bladder without a bowel movement, and vice versa. And I had pain and greatly reduced bladder capacity, also.
The "explosive" diarrhea is common with the disease, and the mucus means that you have a lot of intestinal inflammation. (When inflamed, the lining of the intestine secretes copious amounts of mucus, in an effort to try to protect it's delicate surface from the toxic agents in the fecal stream. As the inflammation subsides, the mucus will also diminish. It takes a while for enough healing to take place for a reaction to wind down, but if you faithfully stick to a bland diet of foods that are not inflammatory, you will be able to see significant improvement after a while.
The gas/air pressure is due to poor digestion (caused by all the inflammation), which results in the fermentation of undigested carbohydrates in the colon. If you limit your intake of starchy foods, you will reduce the gas problem. For example, many of us eat only broth, or chicken or turkey soup during the worst parts of a severe flair, and this eliminates the carb fermentation problem. After our digestion improves a bit, we can begin to reintroduce some carbs into the diet, in limited amounts at first, so as not to overdo it.
Tex
Those are common issues for MC (at least they were for me). For many of us, the inflammation that affects the intestines (not just the colon, but the small intestine as well), affects some or all of the other organs in the body cavity, including the bladder. When my MC was flaring, I could not empty my bladder without a bowel movement, and vice versa. And I had pain and greatly reduced bladder capacity, also.
The "explosive" diarrhea is common with the disease, and the mucus means that you have a lot of intestinal inflammation. (When inflamed, the lining of the intestine secretes copious amounts of mucus, in an effort to try to protect it's delicate surface from the toxic agents in the fecal stream. As the inflammation subsides, the mucus will also diminish. It takes a while for enough healing to take place for a reaction to wind down, but if you faithfully stick to a bland diet of foods that are not inflammatory, you will be able to see significant improvement after a while.
The gas/air pressure is due to poor digestion (caused by all the inflammation), which results in the fermentation of undigested carbohydrates in the colon. If you limit your intake of starchy foods, you will reduce the gas problem. For example, many of us eat only broth, or chicken or turkey soup during the worst parts of a severe flair, and this eliminates the carb fermentation problem. After our digestion improves a bit, we can begin to reintroduce some carbs into the diet, in limited amounts at first, so as not to overdo it.
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.
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fluffypoodle
- Adélie Penguin
- Posts: 54
- Joined: Wed Mar 13, 2013 9:51 am
