[SteveE]

Before an attack of IBS, like the one that kept me home from work today, I witness something strange around bedtime the night before. Usually it starts with a little bloating in the belly, then, I notice that my wedding band is about to slide right off my finger! It's as though the fluid in my fingers suddenly took a trip down to the belly. Is that what is likely happening or is it something else? What? Why? Anyone else with this?Thanks

 

[Missycat]

If I bloat up - everything bloats up. Yuck.------------------Missycat

 

[flux]

I doubt fluid is shifting from one part of your body to another. Rather, in edema, fluid ususally shifts between the different fluid compartments in the body (cells vs blood, etc).For example, if you eat a diet that has very little protein, you get a permanently bloated belly (e.g, the children seen in Ethiopia, etc). This results from fluid in the blood filling the abdominal cavity.Anyway, have you tried measuring your finger and abdomen to see exactly how much they change?

 

[Missycat]

Excuse me, but what the heck good would measuring do for Steve??Maybe your blood flow changes somehow in your body. It's known that after a person eats, the blood flow to the stomach is increased to aid in digestion. Maybe when you're starting an attack, the blood flow to your digestive system increases. If it does increase in your belly, then it would probably decrease from your extremities. Does that make any sense? Ever notice that when you're cold, your ring gets looser? It's because the blood flow has gone from your extremeties to your more important internal organs. Survival of the fittest and all - our bodies would rather protect our valuable internal organs than our extremeties. Maybe it's something similar to that.I dunno, but I like to theorize!------------------Missycat

 

[Guest]

Hi Steve. I get the same thing with my rings falling off when I'm having IBS trouble. My fingernails often turn more bluish, too and I get cold after an intense IBS-D attack. This also coincides with increased urine output, which has been mentioned under another topic on this board. I think there is definitely something to the diruretic effects of an IBS-D episode. When you have D, doesn't your body pull more water into the colon? Makes sense that it has to come from somewhere. It sometimes feels like my body is just trying to expel everything

 

[SteveE]

So maybe the blood carries away fluid from the extremities to the colon & kidneys and we start expelling that when we have an IBS-D attack, but why? Is are body attempting to rid us of some as yet unidentified infection? Or is our body initiating some kind of immune response when it shouldn't be, such as a food allergy?

 

[flux]

I think blood flow changes in the gut are a local effect: it wouldn�t be very good from a evolutionary viewpoint to have to steal blood away from other parts of the body that have no stake in the matter and for this to happen every time you eat. In cold surroundings, these parts do have a stake: they are causing the body to lose heat.In addition, you�d see effects of it, your hands would feel cold.The colon absorbs water from inside the gut, not the other way around unless there is something wrong.Again, I think you should measure it to find out just how much difference there really is.

 

[Missycat]

My hands get cold after I eat.

 

[flux]

But does one cause the other?

 

[Missycat]

Fluz - If blood flow increases to the stomach to aid in digestion and my hands get cold after I eat, I would make a logical assumption and say that my hands getting cold certainly could be a result of decreased blood flow to the extremities (caused by increased blood flow to my stomach). Unless I'm bleeding, the blood volume in my body stays constant - if the flow is increased somewhere, then it is also decreased from somewhere else. It's logical.Have you ever heard of people trapped in snow or extreme cold? One of the reasons (besides the temperature) that extremities get frostbitten is because the body has to make a choice - it can't keep blood flow constant throughout the body under these conditions, so it makes the choice to protect the internal organs. This is also well-known.The circulatory system does not stay constant in all areas of the body. Granted, large volumes do not shift, but enough can shift to make rings feel looser.Hee hee - the only way I can get off the diamond ring my fiance gave me is when my hands are cold! I worry about how I'll manage during the wedding unless I lose weight!!------------------Missycat

 

[SteveE]

flux--I get your point about the colon absorbing water from the gut...but like Missycat, I'm unsure what benefit I'll have from knowing how much difference there is. Clearly, if my ring is snug when I'm well and it literally falls off every time I point my hand downward when I'm not well, it has shrunk, and I'm trying to figure out why.I don't notice my hand being colder under those conditions, but I suppose it is possible that the hand is physically colder and perhaps because of bloating in my gut or whatever, I'm not really tuning-in to that part.

 

[mitchell goldstein]

steve, missycat is 100% correct. after eating blood flow is increased to the gastrointestinal tract to aid in digestion. this diversion is appreciable; the fatigue phenomenon after eating is attributable to this diversion of blood from other areas of the body. this diversion is not pathologic but normal function

 

[Missycat]

Exactly - ever notice how you want to take a nap after eating? Sheesh! Sure wish I could! How about a "nap break" at work?

------------------Missycat

 

[flux]

If you measure it, you can watch when it changes and how long it takes to change and do the same when it returns to normal.Regarding the cold and tired feelings...maybe they are not normal.Feeling cold after eating? How about postprandial temperature deficit disorder? Eating makes you tired? How about postprandial fatigue syndrome?[This message has been edited by flux (edited 04-07-99).]

 

[Missycat]

How about postprandial digestion normalities??------------------Missycat

 

[Guest]

Why is it that all I could think about during this whole thread was the old "Seinfeld" episode with George and his problem after being in the swimming pool!(Sorry, couldn't resist!)

 

[Guest]

I can still see him screaming "Hey, the water was COLD!!"

The sleepy feeling you get after eating is probably from too much insulin being released into your bloodstream. There are many people who react to pasta, bread, and sugary foods by releasing too much insulin. You can find out if you are insulin sensitive by eating a big plate of pasta, and then seeing if you can stay awake a few hours later. If you eat some lean protein and a little fat with your carbohydrates (and try to eat your carbos in the form of fruits and veggies), it will lessen the effect.

 

[LDanna]

Okay, now I'm thinking about the Seinfeld episode where George & Jerry (and later, Elaine as well) attempt to get Jerry's girlfriend stupefied by feeding her a huge turkey dinner with lots of starch and a humongous "box" of red wine, so that they can play with her vintage toy collection while she sleeps.I've experienced this same "shrinkage" but it's usually after a really bad attack, not before. I always put it down to the dehydration that accompanies sever bouts of d.

 

[flux]

lgd , this is not true. Unless a person has an insulin tumor, there is no such thing (aka pseudo-hypoglycemia) as what you are describing.[This message has been edited by flux (edited 04-08-99).]

 

[mitchell goldstein]

igd, as usual mr. flux is incorrect. an insulinoma is not the only cause of post prandial excessive insulin release. certain gastric situations(gastrectomy etc.) or no surgery at all can cause rapid gastric emptying, a subsequent rapid absorption of glucose and excessive insulin release. again, i am no expert so anything i say must not be taken as gospel! but the more i see mr. flux post the more i feel like an expert. i'd like to thank mr. flux for indirectly improving my ibs; the use of the little knowledge that i have is making me feel better about myself! keep up the good work mr. flux!