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What's common is for me to see, in my soft stools or "semi-diarrhea," quite a bit of YESTERDAY'S rice, bits of almonds, and sunflower seeds.
My question is this: If the rice/nuts/seeds were still in my gut from the day before, does this mean they were not absorbed? Or can this mean that they were still enroute to being absorbed, but the food I had THAT DAY (the day after, that is) interferred and pushed it all out in the form of diarrhea?
In other words, if I had avoided the orange juice I had earlier today, would I have NOT passed the rice/nuts/seeds, assuming that the OJ is the culprit?
If normal transit time takes like 24 hours, then I suspect that the OJ is interferring with absorption of the rice/nuts/seeds.
I've been documenting my food intake and bowel habits and any patterns regarding when diarrhea occurs, what's in it, what I ate earlier, and what I ate the day before, are still not clear. On days without OJ, I'll still have "semi-diarrhea."
I have not tried any drugs yet to treat this, as I am still documenting to see what's what. Thanks ahead of time for your response!
Transit Time Question: Please Help
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Kristtene,
Transit time through a "normal" human digestive system varies, depending on the characteristics of the individual food items, themselves. It is claimed that it takes approximately 2 to 4 and a half hours, for the stomach to empty halfway, for example. Obviously a bowl of soup is not going to stay in the stomach anywhere near as long as a rib-eye steak, or a sandwich, because the soup does not require much breakdown in the stomach, in order for the digestive process to be completed in the small intestine. The trip through the small intestine takes much longer, as a rule, but usually somewhere in the 4 to 8 hour range, for typical foods. The residue from the food that we eat spends most of it's time in the colon, (in order to allow sufficient time for water to be recovered from the fecal stream). (It is much easier for me to track transit time, since I have no colon). My normal transit time seems to be roughly 8 to 9 hours, for most solid foods. When I still had a colon, it was more like 30 hours, (in remission).
Here is my interpretation of the details of the types of diarrhea that we have with MC - why it happens, and what is involved.
If we have osmotic diarrhea, then the colon absorbs very little water, (if any), and transit time is shorter. If we have secretory diarrhea, then instead of absorbing water, the colon secretes water into the lumen, (rather than recovering water), greatly increasing the volume of the fecal stream, and shifting transit time into high gear, since the injection of water, (and electrolytes), into the colon, is the equivalent of an enema. Unfortunately, with secretory diarrhea, not only does the colon secrete water into the fecal stream, but it also secretes electrolytes along with the water.
The stomach can only absorb alcohol, so no nutrients are absorbed there. Virtually everything of nutritional value is absorbed in the small intestine. Foods that cannot be digested, (or completely digested), in the small intestine, pass into the colon, where any complex carbs not completely digested in the small intestine, are digested by fermentation, typically resulting in gas, bloating, and cramps, (an example of this is the fermentation of lactose, in people who are "lactose intolerant"). The only "nutrients" absorbed in the colon, are water, and electrolytes. All vitamins, amino acids, fats, etc., not absorbed in the small intestine are going to pass through the colon unabsorbed. The fact that electrolyte absorption normally takes place in the colon, is what makes anyone with MC so vulnerable to dehydration and electrolyte depletion. Secretory diarrhea is common with MC, during a reaction, so the risk of dehydration and electrolyte depletion can be extremely high, in some cases, because of the risk of losing virtually all of the electrolytes, (and water), that would normally be recovered.
Therefore, if digestion of certain foods is incomplete, (or non-existent), in the small intestine, it does no good for it to linger in the colon, since no nutrients will be absorbed there, anyway, even if they were to be released by the process of fermentation. That's why the body tends to purge poorly-digested food, (IOW, induce diarrhea), because if it remains in the body, all it can do is rot, and cause gas, bloating, cramps, and a bacterial imbalance.
That said, it's certainly possible that the orange juice might be interfering with the complete digestion of certain foods, simply because it has the capacity to cause rapid transit for many of us, and digestion must take place in the proper sequence, or it cannot be completed. IOW, if food passes through the stomach too quickly, it is not going to be completely digested in the small intestine, etc, and so on down the line.
Tex
Transit time through a "normal" human digestive system varies, depending on the characteristics of the individual food items, themselves. It is claimed that it takes approximately 2 to 4 and a half hours, for the stomach to empty halfway, for example. Obviously a bowl of soup is not going to stay in the stomach anywhere near as long as a rib-eye steak, or a sandwich, because the soup does not require much breakdown in the stomach, in order for the digestive process to be completed in the small intestine. The trip through the small intestine takes much longer, as a rule, but usually somewhere in the 4 to 8 hour range, for typical foods. The residue from the food that we eat spends most of it's time in the colon, (in order to allow sufficient time for water to be recovered from the fecal stream). (It is much easier for me to track transit time, since I have no colon). My normal transit time seems to be roughly 8 to 9 hours, for most solid foods. When I still had a colon, it was more like 30 hours, (in remission).
Here is my interpretation of the details of the types of diarrhea that we have with MC - why it happens, and what is involved.
If we have osmotic diarrhea, then the colon absorbs very little water, (if any), and transit time is shorter. If we have secretory diarrhea, then instead of absorbing water, the colon secretes water into the lumen, (rather than recovering water), greatly increasing the volume of the fecal stream, and shifting transit time into high gear, since the injection of water, (and electrolytes), into the colon, is the equivalent of an enema. Unfortunately, with secretory diarrhea, not only does the colon secrete water into the fecal stream, but it also secretes electrolytes along with the water.
The stomach can only absorb alcohol, so no nutrients are absorbed there. Virtually everything of nutritional value is absorbed in the small intestine. Foods that cannot be digested, (or completely digested), in the small intestine, pass into the colon, where any complex carbs not completely digested in the small intestine, are digested by fermentation, typically resulting in gas, bloating, and cramps, (an example of this is the fermentation of lactose, in people who are "lactose intolerant"). The only "nutrients" absorbed in the colon, are water, and electrolytes. All vitamins, amino acids, fats, etc., not absorbed in the small intestine are going to pass through the colon unabsorbed. The fact that electrolyte absorption normally takes place in the colon, is what makes anyone with MC so vulnerable to dehydration and electrolyte depletion. Secretory diarrhea is common with MC, during a reaction, so the risk of dehydration and electrolyte depletion can be extremely high, in some cases, because of the risk of losing virtually all of the electrolytes, (and water), that would normally be recovered.
Therefore, if digestion of certain foods is incomplete, (or non-existent), in the small intestine, it does no good for it to linger in the colon, since no nutrients will be absorbed there, anyway, even if they were to be released by the process of fermentation. That's why the body tends to purge poorly-digested food, (IOW, induce diarrhea), because if it remains in the body, all it can do is rot, and cause gas, bloating, cramps, and a bacterial imbalance.
That said, it's certainly possible that the orange juice might be interfering with the complete digestion of certain foods, simply because it has the capacity to cause rapid transit for many of us, and digestion must take place in the proper sequence, or it cannot be completed. IOW, if food passes through the stomach too quickly, it is not going to be completely digested in the small intestine, etc, and so on down the line.
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.
Tex, thanks for the info, though a bit on the confusing side, since I thought the problem with incomplete digestion had to do with the large colon, where the inflammation of MC is located. I just wonder what percentage of all the healthy foods I eat are passing through me, i.e., I had 11 and a half servings today so far of fruits and vegetables, but with MC, what does that REALLY mean? Interestingly, my GI doctor said matter of factly that MC "usually resvolves on its own after several weeks."
Kristtene,
The fact of the matter is, despite the name, (colitis - implying inflammation of the colon), for most of us, it is not just the colon that is inflamed. Biopsy samples taken from the small intestine, (and even the mucosa of the stomach), will usually show an increased lymphocyte count, very similar to the marker that defines LC in the colon. Furthermore, thickened collagen bands can sometimes be found in biopsy samples taken from the small intestine, (and the stomach), just as in the colon, when CC is present. IOW, despite being incorrectly named, MC can affect virtually the entire digestive tract, (a characteristic it shares with Crohn's disease).
Few GI docs are aware of those facts. Obviously yours isn't, if he actually expects the disease to resolve on it's own, in a matter of weeks.
Tex
The fact of the matter is, despite the name, (colitis - implying inflammation of the colon), for most of us, it is not just the colon that is inflamed. Biopsy samples taken from the small intestine, (and even the mucosa of the stomach), will usually show an increased lymphocyte count, very similar to the marker that defines LC in the colon. Furthermore, thickened collagen bands can sometimes be found in biopsy samples taken from the small intestine, (and the stomach), just as in the colon, when CC is present. IOW, despite being incorrectly named, MC can affect virtually the entire digestive tract, (a characteristic it shares with Crohn's disease).
Few GI docs are aware of those facts. Obviously yours isn't, if he actually expects the disease to resolve on it's own, in a matter of weeks.
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.
Forgive me, but I openly laughed when I read that. Most of us can only dream about MC resolving on its own. I wouldn't put too much faith in your GI's understanding of MC. You'll learn a lot more by reading this board. Tex has, as usual, given you an excellent explanation of the digestive process.Kristtene wrote:my GI doctor said matter of factly that MC "usually resvolves on its own after several weeks."
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
Kristeene, I would also suspect the 11 and half servings of fruit and veggies. WOW, that is a lot for all of us when we are in a flare. I would bet your GI also told you to eat a lot of fiber. If I ate all that, I wouldn't leave the bathroom! 
Tex has given many explanations on the need to limit your intake of fiber until you get better. We are the opposite of people that are diagnosed with IBS.
I use to eat that way before I got MC; loved beans, but now the most I eat is 5 servings between the two. Read previous threads or search using the word fiber.
Here's to getting well, Ginny[/quote]
Tex has given many explanations on the need to limit your intake of fiber until you get better. We are the opposite of people that are diagnosed with IBS. I use to eat that way before I got MC; loved beans, but now the most I eat is 5 servings between the two. Read previous threads or search using the word fiber.
Here's to getting well, Ginny[/quote]