Diet and Health FAQ

Tagged As: Ischemic Colitis

Question:
I was just diagnosed with Ischemic Colitis, Doctor didn't tell me much, says I will have good days and bad, there is nothing he can do, only surgery. Does anyone have any knowledge  or familiarity with this form of colitis?

Answer:
Ischemic means caused by an inadequate flow of blood. As far as I recall, this form of colitis is typically found only in older people. It's not an inflammatory bowel disease like Crohn's or ulcerative colitis, so the usual therapies for those illnesses won't be useful. Regarding your ischemic colitis/ did your doc offer any treatment or cause.  I have colitis which might be ischemic in nature as well.  Ischemia is lack of normal circulation which can lead to parts of an organ dying off. it also can lead to rupture.    i would ask your doc lots more questions.  I am slated to have the pill endoscopy to see if this is the trouble.  I also have vasculitis, an autoimmune disease affecting circulation that's why they think my colitis might be ischemic in nature. I had an angiogram done of all my intestines, liver bowel and kidneys. This is where the vasculitis showed up. I have been on chemotherap for a year, now have colitis. You must be in a lot of pain. If so, make sure to get enough medicine for pain relief. I am on MS contin everyday as the pain gets unbearable. Ischemic colitis is often confused with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) because its symptoms are very similar. In some cases, ischemic colitis resolves quickly, and recurrence is uncommon. Nevertheless, this illness often becomes chronic, and can be very difficult to differentiate from IBD. that is just exactly what the GI dr told us...we were really concerned as she is a frail (but feisty) old lady who had blood in her stools and the Big D...she is insulin dependant diabetic...and when we rushed her to the hospital, my husband and his siblings were all worried...they did a colonoscopy on her...did biopsies...and then told us it was Ischemic Colitis...