Colitis in the Rectum Post-Colostomy: Seeking Advice

I had surgery two years ago for diverticulitis. I have a colostomy now and I have colitis. Does anyone have colitis in the rectum caused by having a colostomy after diverticulitis surgery?

Hello Asiam. I was interested in your thinking that the colitis was being caused by by having a colostomy after diverticulitis surgery so I looked up the 'causes' on Google. I'll paste the relevant stuff so that I don't have to reinterpret it in my own words, but it looks as though it probably has little to do with the surgery and more to do with your own constitution. 

EXTRACT FROM GOOGLE ARTICLE

The exact cause of ulcerative colitis is unknown, although it's thought to be the result of a problem with the immune system.
Autoimmune condition
The immune system is the body's defence against infection. Many experts believe ulcerative colitis is an autoimmune condition (when the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue).
The immune system normally fights off infections by releasing white blood cells into the blood to destroy the cause of the infection. This results in inflammation (swelling and redness) of body tissue in the infected area.
In ulcerative colitis, a leading theory is that the immune system mistakes "friendly bacteria" in the colon – which aid digestion – as a harmful infection, leading to the colon and rectum becoming inflamed.
Alternatively, some researchers believe a viral or bacterial infection triggers the immune system, but for some reason it doesn't "turn off" once the infection has passed and continues to cause inflammation.
It's also been suggested that no infection is involved and the immune system may just malfunction by itself, or that there's an imbalance between good and bad bacteria within the bowel.
Genetics
It also seems inherited genes are a factor in the development of ulcerative colitis. Studies have found that more than one in four people with ulcerative colitis has a family history of the condition.
Levels of ulcerative colitis are also a lot higher in certain ethnic groups, further suggesting that genetics are a factor.
Researchers have identified several genes that seem to make people more likely to develop ulcerative colitis, and it's believed that many of these genes play a role in the immune system.
Environmental factors
Where and how you live also seems to affect your chances of developing ulcerative colitis, which suggests environmental factors are important.
For example, the condition is more common in urban areas of northern parts of Western Europe and America.
Various environmental factors that may be linked to ulcerative colitis have been studied, including air pollution, medication and certain diets.
Although no factors have so far been identified, countries with improved sanitation seem to have a higher population of people with the condition. This suggests that reduced exposure to bacteria may be an important factor.

I hope you find this as helpful and educative as I did and thank you for drawing my attention to this.  The rest of the article is also very interesting and recommends that sufferers get medical help asap.

Best wishes

Bill

Very informative, Bill. My husband has UC and has had it for many years. Maybe since his teens or early 20s. His mother also had it, but to a lesser degree. His son also has it, so genetics is definitely the factor here!

Puppy

Thank you, Bill. Very informative.

As usual, Bill has taken the time to research data relative to the condition being discussed. I would like to add that antibiotics are an absolute possibility for a "cause" of UC. I have suffered from allergic reactions to antibiotics since 6 years of age due to overdosing when my cousin died from bacterial meningitis. Having spent the week prior to his death with his family, I was at high risk of contagion, and the medical industry and CDC at the time decided antibiotics were the best preventative at that time (1959). Unfortunately, I suffered the end result of being unable to take any antibiotic without resultant severe diarrhea. This was determined after treatment for a bout of strep throat. Luckily, there were very few reasons for doctors to ever consider a need for antibiotics as I grew up, as I was blessed to be quite healthy. However, at 58 I suffered from mild hypertension (140/88) and was prescribed BP meds. I had a bout of diarrhea where it was determined it was most likely the result of "fillers" in the medications. So, 52 years after my first reaction to antibiotics, at age 58, I saw a GI doctor for what we now know was a reaction to fillers in generic drugs that caused the diarrhea and inflammation in my colon. My fight with doctors began here. Their lack of continuing and cutting-edge education and willingness to admit that antibiotics are dangerous, and fillers in many generic drugs had caused my reactions caused multiple fights and resulted in my firing my first GI dr. My colonoscopies (annually as recommended by the medical industry upon reaching age 50) were all beautiful. No rips, tears, fistulas, inflammation, polyps, hemorrhoids, diverticuli, or anything but a beautiful colon. Amen. Then, I had the blood pressure meds, and the resultant diarrhea, immediate blood loss (4 transfusions in 3 days' time) ended up with me in the hospital. A hematologist determined I had a blood issue. I oozed blood through the skin on the tops of my hands, tops of my feet, and from my eyes and ears, as well as rectally. Not a GI issue. The hospital GI (new) disagreed with the oncology dr. who disagreed with the hematologist (blood) dr. who disagreed with the colon rectal surgeon, who disagreed with the ICU doctor who totally disregarded my PCP and my history. After three days, I stopped all medications myself, everything went back to normal, and I went home. Two years later, another routine colonoscopy, this one five weeks after having suffered diarrhea for two days from something I ate, (considering my history my PCP insisted I see a GI again, my mistake was in not saying no). Told by insurance they would not cover costs of care if I did not take prescribed medications--metronidazole and vancomycin-- because the GI insisted I was suffering from CDIFF and that had caused the symptoms. Test results which came in later proved no CDIFF. A "training doctor" performed my colonoscopy which caused a blood clot in right leg. Two days later I was admitted into the hospital with a blue right foot. The nightmare took full shape as my records were disregarded by hospital staff, my Mayo clinic pathology results of no CDIFF from two days prior were ignored, and I was again dosed with metronidazole and vancomycin, which I refused orally and was then given surreptitiously (as a non-compliant patient) through IV fluids. 14 blood transfusions later (those damn drugs almost killed me) I was told I had precancerous cells and extreme inflammation caused by UC, and needed my colon out. I found out later from pathology that was withheld from me, that I had no precancerous cells, self-limited colitis caused by drug reaction, and it would be "self-righting". They had dosed me with the drugs I had refused orally, creating the symptoms. Unfortunately, these test results were not made available to me until after I sued for my records and followed the entire treatment path. It took two years to get all of the correct records, first my lawyer was sent corrupted discs that destroyed her computer system!! The doctors involved (except the hematologist who refused to sign off on the surgery) are no longer at that hospital but they practice elsewhere, the hospital vacated all my bills (almost 1/2 million dollars for a month of ICU and 22 days of rehab) but I am missing my entire large colon, my right ovary, and a gall bladder--all for no good reason. There is no amount of money they can pay me that will ever restore my faith in the medical industry and if I suffer a heart attack on their doorstep, I'll roll my ass out into the street where at least I can see the truck coming to run me over. Always see all your current records and test results before agreeing to any treatment. Always.

Peace

I'm so sorry to hear about all you have had to endure.

Thank you for all you shared. I do believe we know

Instinctively if what we are doing is right for us or not ...even if the doctor recommends it.

So important to check everything about the doctors,

Hospitals, as much as one can. I have not done that myself but I will from now on.

I am thinking about reversal this spring.

Best to you, Asiam