Beans:
With regards to your ongoing diversion colitis . . .
An unused and hibernating segment of colon + rectum is not necessarily a happy resting colon and rectum.
At the heart of the problem that is diversion colitis is the absence of the regular passage of feces in the segment of colon and rectum that is disconnected.
Poop/feces has a purpose. Poop/feces contains long-chain fatty acids that serve to nourish the tissues that line the intestinal lumen. A segment of colon/rectum that is devoid of the regular passage of feces becomes dry and parched and cracked owing to the lack of the long-chain fatty acids normally found in poop/feces. The dry environment leads to altered pH levels that then attract an overabundance of bacteria to flourish. The dry environment also lends to inflammatory processes. It is less that you have an active "infection" that will benefit from antibiotics and more that your diverted segment of colon/rectum is malnourished and inflamed due to the lack of passage of poop/feces and the inherent long-chain fatty acids contained.
Corticosteroid creams and foams (ex. Proctafoam) help with symptom control in dampening down the inflammation but do not correct for the root cause of the problem (lack of long-chain fatty acids). The use of antibiotics (typically Flagyl or Cipro) also help with symptom control but do not correct for the root cause of the problem.
Long-term control of recurrent diversion colitis can be found with fecal transplantation. Yep. You can easily transfer some of the feces from your ostomy pouch into your rectal stump, providing the nourishment that is sorely lacking. While the concept may initially make you cringe and feel squeamish, give the concept a quiet moment of reflection. It is your own poop. It is poop that would normally have traveled down the full length of your digestive tract, just as it was intended to do and to serve its larger purpose in nourishing the intestinal tissues. Poop/feces has a purpose. Its purpose is to nourish the tissues that line the intestinal lumen. The body in its design and function is genuinely amazing.
There is an active thread on the UOAA forum that discusses fecal transplantation for the treatment of distressing diversion colitis. Members discuss their techniques, successes and failures. Feel free to visit the UOAA forum and read through the thread and give thought to the approach. One of the UOAA members, BillG (a retired civil engineer) writes openly about the process he uses and his success in alleviating recurrent diversion colitis.
www.ostomy.org - Karen -
Dear friend to Bella Piazza, former Colon Club member (NWGirl).
I have a permanent ileostomy and offer advice on living with an ostomy - in loving remembrance of Bella
I am on Palliative Care for broad endocrine failure + Addison's disease + osteonecrosis of both hips/jaw + immunosuppression. I live a simple life due to frail health.