Ph levels low with no colon?

Why are you concerned about a normal value? Do you have comparison values from before colectomy? Just wondering...

Jan

No comparisons value from before. I had my surgery 24 yrs ago when I was a teen and didn't think much about my health and learning about what I need to do to be healthy. . I've been having back flank and between shoulder blades pain and the drs have yet to find out why after many scopes and CT scans. My Ph levels do come back low and I know that a low Ph level is a breeding ground for cancer. I was curious if not having a colon has something to do with lowering your Ph. I am in a constant state of dehydration it seems no matter how much water I drink.

This thread is potentially confusing because you are not discussing WHEN after the colectomy the test is or should be done and not accounting for the fact that it may adjust over time in many if not most cases. PH level has been studied in conjunction with the butt burn phenomenon. Alkalinity is high after colectomy. Thereafter it adjusts in most people who only have butt burn temporarily. The test is hugely irrelevant unless done 2 years plus after colectomy. The body does adapt to the surgery, although in some people better than others.

However, even then, as Jan noted, without a baseline value before colectomy, it is pointless to guess at causation because it can never be proven.

In your case it could be the low ph level is due to other factors, or it could be due to your body not having adapted well after surgery. To my knowledge I have never had any blood PH issues. I also had no butt burn after about a year after surgery. Whatever PH issues I had, and I presume I had some that were causing the butt burn, resolved.

What I am not understanding is how you are saying the pH is low, when it is within normal limits.

Dehyration is a whole other issue, and lack of a colon can absolutely be the cause. Typically though, most people only have frequent trouble with this during adaptation, in the first year or so. But, some have to be always vigilant to prevent it.

If you are having chronic musculoskeletal pains, have you been referred to a rheumatologist. IBD related arthritis is more common than you'd think, and colectomy may not prevent it. I know this from personal experience.

Jan

Thanks for the feed back and so sorry to be confusing! I've only recently been tested as part of many other tests to determine what's going on with me so unfortunately I have no benchmark. I say low because it's my understanding that the ideal Ph level is 7.5. I have been to a rheumatologist and they can't find anything either, other then the obvious UC.

Anyway I'm just on a hunt trying to figure out what's wrong so I can fix it before it becomes a major situation. Even my gastro is stumped.

Thanks for the clarification. The pain issues definitely seem bothersome. Have they ruled out fibromyalgia and related disorders? The pH thing seems sort of like a red herring to me though. Yeah, ideally they say neutral blood pH is preferred. But, I'd want repeated tests before getting alarmed about a single value. From what I read, acid serum pH is present when there is cancer, but that does not mean it causes it. My point is that you should not put more importance on that than it deserves. I get my blood checked for a whole slew of things every three months, and pH isn't on the list (I have about 20 different things monitored).

How is your sleep? Do you eat a varied and balanced diet? Do you exercise? How about your stress levels? These are all things you do have control over and may impact your symptoms.

Hope you get some answers.

Jan

Thanks Jan for giving me some perspective! I carry a lot of stress. It was one of the factors of my UC getting so bad 24 yrs ago that they had to do the surgery. I am trying to control it. I recently started working out again after a 15 year hiatus and the one thing I do do well is my diet. I eat extremely clean, limit meat intake, and no processed foods. As a matter of fact I'm currently drinking beet, apple,carrots, celery, and dandelion greens that I just juiced. But this lifestyle has only been for the last 7 years and I haven't always been so diligent. I've just cut out wine after a long term love affair. .

I think you're right about the stress tho. I need to find a better way of handling it and unfortunately being afraid that something major is wrong isn't helping but getting some perspective as you've given definitely does. I need to use your tag line as a mantra.

One other thing, I did test positive for H.Pylori but no one seems that interested in treating it. I had 5 tests and 3 of the 5 came back positive.

H. pylori is very common, as is C. difficile. But having the bacteria does not automatically mean disease, as you have to have the pathogenic strain. Oodles of people out there with these bugs, but without any symptoms of disease.

So, unless you have a stomach ulcer or gastritis, H. pylori is fairly meaningless.

High stress levels are a HUGE factor in overall health. Life is stress, so I don't mean give up your life and join a commune. It is how you cope with stress that matters. If you don't have the greatest coping skills, high stress levels increase your stress hormones: adrenaline and cortisol. Elevated for long periods, these hormones wear your organs down.

You can't change how you are basically wired. If you are a worrier, you probably will remain one. But, you can learn to think things through, use relaxation techniques, and practice healthy living to help lower those stress hormones. Often, chronic muscle pain is associated with chronic stress. The fact that your doctors have found nothing to treat should give you a great relief, but instead it causes further worry. I'm not saying it is time to see a shrink, but if it were me, I'd be focusing on stress relievers, like leisure activities. Maybe even picking up that glass of wine and toasting life! (OK, that sounded a bit too simple, but you get my drift).

I think you will be OK.

Jan

You should also have blood bicarbonate numbers,where are they.
How about urine ph.
Old Mike