# Does inflamation in the bowels go away on its own?



## LadyM (Feb 17, 2001)

When I had my colonscopy, it showed that I had inflamation(colitis) in my bowels. It was not the bad kind of colitis(not uclerate, can't spell it but you all know what I mean) I told you all that I was going to ask the doc about it, so the other day I did, I ask the GI doc about it and he said that it would go away on its own? His answer didn't sound to logical to me and the only thing I can figure out is that IBS can cause inflamation from time to time. I am a C and D and a N too. I don't see many threads that mention the muscus discharge much, but I do have at time alot of the muscus discharge. After my gallbladder surgery for months it was pouring out of me. But I am just curious on the inflamation I had or still have, who knows, and would like to know if anybody else has had it and does it go away on its own? I go next week to my family doc(all I have done since my gallbladder surgery is run to doctors, ugh) and I going to ask him the same question, I trust him more







God Bless.


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## mitchell goldstein (Apr 6, 1999)

assuming your m.d. took the necessary biopsies and the results of these biopsies showed no evidence of inflammatory bowel disease you should have nothing to worry about. if you scratched your skin long enough and had that portion of skin biopsied it too would show signs of inflammation. non specific inflammation is just that; a situation not indicative of very much. please see your m.d. for clarification of any issues that disturb you. i am not an expert so discount anything i post here. good luck, mitchell


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## Nicol (Aug 13, 2000)

Well inflammation and IBS are not related in any way. Something is causing the inflammation but the Drs do not know why. I would not worry about it unless your symptoms worsen. If you do get worse then you need another scope. Just in case you did not know IBD is VERY hard to diagnose, if they biopsy the wrong spot then they will miss the cause of the inflammation. Just watch your symptoms for changes and ask your Dr about meds to stop the inflammation, I mean who wants to wait for the pain to go away?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

A number of things can cause inflamation. It is an normal and natural part of the healing process. The inflamation in your colon from lets say a bacterial infection goes away by itself because once the infection is ended, all the immune system mediators that cause the inflamation go away and the inflamation stops.In Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's the problem is that you have an autoimmune disorder. Your immune system is being triggered by something that should not be triggering it, some part of you is no longer recognized as self and the immune system attacks. This is like MS where the immune system decides that the insulation surrounding your nerves is not apart of you and kills those cells, or like transplant rejection where the immune system tries to kill the new organ. In UC and Crohns the inflamation tends to be an ongoing thing (although it does naturally wax and wane) and drugs that suppress the immune system have to be used.K.------------------I have no financial, academic, or any other stake in any commercial product mentioned by me.My story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html [This message has been edited by kmottus (edited 03-09-2001).]


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## Guest (Mar 9, 2001)

Lady M's doc was like my doc with advice. He gave me option of just letting things get better on their own or taking medication. I opted for the medication, not wanting to go back if I didn't get better and go through the multi-enemas. The actual exam of the colon is nothing, compared to the enemas! So I have been on medication for several months and I am more "normally-bowelled" than I ever was. And I am so busy that I skip medication. So I am not hurting now. That's all I know. Not a long recovery time, compared to slipped discs in my neck. THAT is PAIN!------------------Jim


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## Nicol (Aug 13, 2000)

In IBD there is not always inflammation, it comes and goes, that is what a "flare" is. Immunosupressant drugs are, by far, not the only drugs used to control IBD. There are also steriods, ASA drugs, antibiotics etc.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Steroids supress the immune system, particularly the inflammatory response. When you are on steroids, particularly long term, you are more likely to get an infection.Asacol suppress the inflamation response which is also an immune system function. How it does this isn't well known,K.------------------I have no financial, academic, or any other stake in any commercial product mentioned by me.My story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html [This message has been edited by kmottus (edited 03-09-2001).]


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## AnneMarie (Dec 4, 2000)

Abour four years ago, after one of my numerous colonoscopies, my doc found what he termed a small spot of "non-specific inflammation", meaning it wasn't ulcerative and it did not appear to be Crohns. He started me on Pentasa and I was better within 48 hours. I continued taking the Pentasa for a few months just to be safe, but haven't had any trouble with inflammation since. I wasn't given the option of just "letting in clear up on it's own." I really thank my doc for that. I had been feeling so miserable and the med made such a difference.Good luck.


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## Nicol (Aug 13, 2000)

Steroids (we are talking the glucocorticoid kind, a synthetic form that the body makes) are not immunosuppresants drugs; however long term they can lower your immune system slightly, therefore creating the possibility of infection that you mentioned. Steroids are anti-inflammatory drugs, if they weren't then they wouldn't be classified as such. Immuran is an immunosuppresant drug. Technically, they do not know how Asacol or Pentasa work and therefore they cannot be called immunosuppressants, they are classified as an anti-imflammatory but work differently than steroids.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Sorry-I was using a term too generically, for autoimmune diseases the target of the drugs to counteract the disorder will be some portion of the immune system. Last I checked inflamation was caused by the immune system. Can you forgive me







K.------------------I have no financial, academic, or any other stake in any commercial product mentioned by me.My story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html


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## Mike NoLomotil (Jun 6, 2000)

I wish I had time to come out to play today, as this thread is a good discussion that can be augmented.Just a quick comment is that the old dogma of inflammation and IBS are not related in any is out of date. Onlt in the context of findings in most of the colon is it usually correct. But the colon is not the primary site of insult so this only stands to reason.As you have all said Inflammation is a very general term that can mean alot of things. The inflammatory responses that occur in "IBS" and other symptoms sets confirmed linked to food or chemical aberrant reactivity are focused in the small bowel where the tissue immune system and the cellular (circulating) immune system are first presented with food or chemicals as a result of ingestion and digestion and must identify them as safe or not safe.There is an aberrant mucosal reaction not that is a mast cell response but is not IgE mediated (unless the patient is one of those with comorbid Type I allergic reactions), and there is a trailing cellular response beginning in the microvsaculature that results in the release of the inflammatory mediators contained within the mast cells and granulocytes. There are literally up to 100 that can be released from storage (preformed) or synthesized in the process. This also includes the vasoactive mediators, (which increase vessel permeability), neuroactive mediators (serorotonin included, neurotoxic meditors and the cytotoxic mediators as well. This was first suggested in vitro back in 1956, and first detected in vivo many years age when some investigators first found prostaglandin E2 in stool in some IBS patients. The involved cells, degree of reactions, and offending substances vary from patient to patient. The reatcions occur in response to differing allergens and the mechansisms vary, The common thread is the end point: mast cell and circulating cell discharge of mediators into the gut wall, lumen of the gut and within the bloodstream.The most common sign of any "inflammtory" response in the colon, since the large bowel is so far from the site of insult, the small bowel being the shock organ, can be hard to detect without a biopsy of the ileocecal junction.Little or no sign of anything amiss in the colon is common knowledge. This is only logical as the Parties over by the time the remains get that far. EXCEPT at the ileocecal junction. More than one investigator has found significantly increased mast cell density in full thickness biopsy of the cecum in varying numbser of the exmained "IBS' subjects. Why here? This is where the leavings of the small bowel action enter the cecum. In some of the patients the response in the small bowel is significant enough and chronic enough to elicit mast cell migration to a site of mild chronic insult...the entryway from the small bowel is the site of first contact. So residual provocative substances or mediators in the chyme (these have been quantified by jejunal isolation techniques)would most likely have any effect in that vestibular area due to contact with the mucosa.What should be considered, as other have said, is that any immune response lower than the cecum directly related to the reaction involved the "ibs scenario" is unlikely, unless the patient is malabsobing and a substantial amount of unabsorbed provoking food or chemical is reaching the distal bowel, or the concentration of vasoactive mediators released into the chyme is so high from such a strong chronic state of reaction, or a recent episodic provocation, it is causing a non-specific low level irritation in the large bowel. I have not read of anyone substantiating this as occurring to any degree or frequency....even the PGE2 fouled stool came from unremarkable colons so to speak. As it should be. It is not the shock organ but one of the affected organs of the reactions taking place elsewhere.Anyway, not much time today at al for anything but that working thing. Have a DFWE.Eat Well. Think well. Be Well.MNL_______________ www.leapallergy.com


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## LadyM (Feb 17, 2001)

Thank you all for your responses







Since the doctor didn't offer me anything after the colonscopy, and I am doing better I guess the inflamation is going away on its own. What is making me do better.......watching my diet





















I really think like in my case that where having my gallbladder removed flared up the IBS, bland eating and watching fats has helped. It took about two weeks for me to start noticing that I was doing better, sometimes if I will stray from my diet I will suffer for it, too much fat will most certainly cause me major IBS, I am keeping a diet journal and noting when something upsets my digestive system. I still have problems, but like I said I have improved too since the diet. One thing that was taken from me was spahetti, pizza, those I can say for certain are trigger foods for my IBS. I don't like taken meds, I am meds sensitive, so if something will clear up on its own accord then in my case that is the best solution. God Bless







Have a wonderful weekend.


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## Mike NoLomotil (Jun 6, 2000)

LADY MACBETH:You have the "no gall bladder" protocols nailed down well...stick to it and I suspect you will be very fine very soon. If you still have some trouble with fat emulsification even with the low fat diet make a note here as there are one or two things that can assist with that. But better to do what you are doing first for some time. It may be sufficient.Good LuckMNL_______________ www.leapallergy.com


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## Maria Z (Feb 20, 2001)

LadyM,I, too, have had the problems you are experiencing since I had my gallbladder out nearly one year ago. My IBS-D got extremely worse. I would wake up in the morning only to have to run to the bathroom. This would go on 8 to 10 times per day. I tried Cholestyramine (a cholesterol lowering drug) to bind the bile salts. I did not feel well on it. Then came Lotronex. I am a member of the Lotronex Action Group, which is part of the IBS Self Help Group - in case you weren't aware - and Lotronex has been the only drug that has significantly improved the urgency and diarrhea. I no longer go 10 times per day, just once or twice. Unfortunately, the drug has been taken off the market, and we are trying to bring it back. It truly has been a miracle drug. But I just wanted you to know that I had that severe diarrhea, running after every meal, mucus, you name it. I became extremely anxious and depressed as well. I am currently on Lorazepam and still have some Lotronex left. We are all hoping and praying that this drug is allowed back on the market soon.Maria Z


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