Just fyi, but the " low grade inflammatory process in some patients' is seen more in PI IBSers, but also in IBS. This can happen when fighting the intial infection in PI IBS, but the infection goes away and a person is still left with PI IBS which can develop into "classic IBS" and the body not working right and so it thinks there is still an infection going on and keeps sending signals to the mast cells to fight the infection which isn't there. Kindof like an autoimmune responce, which can be driven by the stress of IBS itself, the symptoms themselves and life stressors, both emotional and physical in general. Say you feel a d attack coming on, your brain senses that as a threat to you, a threat to the organism and mounts a responce or even a pain attack. Fear and perceived or real threats can set this in motion. So just a perceived threat can set it in motion also and there are ways to calm this action down.
One thing to note is it is MACROSCOPIC inflammation of specific cells, mainly the mast cells I have been talking about on this thread and why I am saying its so important to learn about them and the process, but some others as well.
This is all so complex, but stress or a threat to the organism launches a chemical reaction that triggers the HPA axis or hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the bodies fight or flight, before a person is conciously aware of it even, this sends signals to the mast cells which then degradulate and release histimine, the histimine, is like mild toxin the smooth muscle of the colon and contributes to d and pain. Stress can also reactivate previous inflammation of cells this way as well. This process is called neurogenic inflammation. This is something Dr Wood is explaining on this thread, its very important in IBS.
This is an expert on it all and its not a theory.
Comment from Emeran A. Mayer, M.D. -- In contrast to the common interpretation of the term "stress" as a psychological phenomenon, it should be understood as any real or perceived perturbation of an organism's homeostasis, or state of harmony or balance. For example, in this viewpoint a severe hemorrhage, starvation, extreme temperature, or worry about the unpredictable onset of abdominal pain all qualify as stressors -- some as "physical" stressors, others as "psychological" stressors. The fear to leave the house in the morning without knowing if one can make it to work without having to stop on the freeway because of an uncontrollable bowel movement, or the fear of experiencing uncontrollable abdominal discomfort during an important business meeting are sufficient stressors to activate the central stress system.
The central stress system involves the release of chemical stress mediators in the brain (such as corticotropin releasing factor), which in turn orchestrate an integrated autonomic, behavioral, neuroendocrine, and pain modulatory response. This biological response in turn will alter the way the brain and the viscera interact, and this altered brain-gut interaction can result in worsening of IBS symptoms. Thus, pain and discomfort, fear of these symptoms, activation of the stress response, and modulation of the brain-gut interactions by stress mediators are part of a vicious cycle which need to be interrupted to produce symptom relief.
The neurobiology of stress is not a theory, but a topic that can be studied in animal models, and one of the hottest topics in drug development for treatment of IBS (e.g., substance P antagonists, corticotropin releasing factor antagonists).
This is an excellent article on it all.
The Neurobiology of Stress and Emotions- IBS
By: Emeran A. Mayer, M.D.
UCLA Collaborative Centers for Integrative Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine, California
http://ibs.med.ucla.edu/Articles/PatientArticle003.htm
The fight or flight responce can make you go.
http://www.thebodysoulconnection.com/EducationCenter/fight.html
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My website on IBS is www.ibshealth.com
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Re: A bit more clarification
