New Medical Food Relieves Symptoms After Colostomy

"I have diarrhea," colostomy patient Eva Dennis complained. "I have diarrhea all the time."

Even worse, whenever there was even a tiny spill from the colostomy bag onto her skin, Eva's skin would burn as if she had splashed battery acid on it. When fecal matter leaked under the seal, the bag could even break, causing leading to an unpleasant cleanup and a serious acid burn.

Many Gastrointestinal Conditions Involve Constant Inflammation

Although Eva's problem is relatively common among people who have had a colostomy, there are many other gastrointestinal conditions that also lead to symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain and discomfort, bloating, abnormal bowel function, and malabsorption of nutrients. Inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, peptic ulcers, duodenal ulcers, and gastroenteritis are just a few of the chronic conditions that a fueled by irritation of the lining of the bowel that may necessitate a colostomy. These symptoms are also all too common in elite athletes, particularly in athletes who pursue long-distance endurance sports such as marathon racing, Iron-Man and Iron-Woman competitions, and long-distance skiing and rowing competitions.

Doctors treat these conditions with NSAID pain relievers, immunomodulators (drugs that reduce the power of the immune system), and even genetically engineered antibodies that bind to inflammatory hormones, but digestive inflammation can also be treated with medicinal food.

Serum-Derived Bovine Immunoglobulin/Protein Isolate.

The latest innovation in medicinal foods for treating gastrointestinal inflammation is serum-derived bovine immunoglobulin/protein isolate. This product is essentially a collection of immune particles extracted from beef blood. It is not unique. There are other products made with immune globulins found in beef and pork products, but it does seem to be more effective than other products, in that a recent clinical study found that 10 out of 10 users improved (less diarrhea, less inflammation of the pouch made by surgeons after a colostomy) after using the product for two to three weeks.

When the colon and rectum have to be removed due to ulcerative colitis, Crohn disease, ischemic bowel disease, or some other form of inflammatory bowel disease, surgeons often leave a "pouch" for digested food to accumulate before excretion in a colostomy bag. The problem with the pouch is that it does not have the mucosal barrier of a normal, functioning colon. In a healthy person, the friendly, probiotic bacteria of the colon form the first line of defense against infection and inflammation. The body is also protected by the lining of the colon itself, which is permeable enough to permit the movement of digested nutrients but "tight" enough to avoid "leaking." Underlying the colon is the lymphatic system, which is a third line of defense against infections that can cause irritation and inflammation.

READ Facts about Irritable Bowel Syndrome

In colostomy, all three layers of defense against bacteria and inflammatory agents in the large intestine are compromised, and the result can be the pain, swelling, abdominal distension, and diarrhea associated with bacterial imbalance. Bovine immune globulins replace some of the immune function previously provided by the lymphatic system and relieve some of the symptoms associated with colostomy.

It Isn't Just Colostomy That Can Disturb Bowel Function

Several other conditions cause similar symptoms. Duodenal ulcers, overuse of NSAID pain relievers, irritable bowel syndrome, and HIV can all damage the lining of the large intestine so that it becomes "leaky" and inflamed.