Redundant/Tortuous Colon & Severe Constipation

Obviously, just my non-medical input, but though Prune Lax sounds like it would be a “natural” way to solve your constipation, it is actually senna. Do some research if you plan to take on a daily basis or consult your gi. Senna is an osmotic laxative and can actually cause changes in your colon. Like I said, just an opinion here but my gi only recommends 2 a week at most.

Try papaya, lots of it if you are allowed to eat them. And you can always massage your stomach, start from bottom right and go up and down to left. Put a little pressure on it as you are messaging. By doing this,you are moving the stool from bottom left to to bottom right where it comes out. Also, try drinking warm water first thing in the morning. The problem with enemas and pills is that your body gets used to these and is never going back to normal. Good luck.

I was recently diagnosed with tortuous or redundant colon and as a result, have had severe constipation. I also have GERD and LPR reflux that causes too much stomach acid and have a hiatal hernia. A lot of the remedies for constipation are not good for me because of the GERD etc. I hear how good Apple cider vinegar is for you but I definitely shouldn't take it because of too much stomach acid. My doctor put me on a Miralax detox (very high dosages) and then maintenance and I hated it because it caused emergency bathroom situations even on the low dose and it never made me feel purged. I recently read from this blog that someone recommended Cleanse More by Renew Life. I investigated and decided to give it a try. I found it at Whole Foods and started on it two days ago. You would not believe how much better I feel already! I will contact my doctor to get his advice on this supplement and hope that it is safe to take at a maintenance level.

It is remarkable how different our digestive systems can be and you do have a more complex system to treat. I think it is great that you found a supplement that works for you. I will note it down, in case my needs migrate. Thank you for your response. I appreciate it.

Sorry for the long post but wanted to share this. I recently posted regarding my tortuous colon, GERD and LPR reflux that causes too much stomach acid and hiatal hernia issues. The Miralax regiment for severe constipation that my GI doc prescribed was awful. I really tried to make it work but couldn't as it caused too many emergency bathroom issues. Someone on here said that Cleanse More by Renew Life helped them. I decided to try it and just after a couple of doses, the results were amazing and I felt so much better, and no emergencies. But before I started taking Cleanse More on a regular basis, I thought I should check if it was safe to take everyday. I spoke with a Renew Life representative and was told no, it is not intended for everyday use. So I sent my GI doc a message and told him about my progress with Cleanse More and I sent him the ingredients. He told me that it is actually a very reasonable amount of Magnesium to take indefinitely. The reason they mention it is not meant to be taken every day is because it is an OTC supplement, not a medication. They have likely never been able to study this particular product when being used in the long term, but Magnesium based laxatives have been around for a long time. They can be effective and in the absence of a person who is highly prone to magnesium dependent cardiac arrhythmia, which is quite rare, they are safe to take long term. The bottom line is, always ask you doctor before committing to something you buy without a prescription. And what works for one person might not work for someone else. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this supplement will help me long term.

I also checked out PruneLax and found the same thing. It can be one cause of melanosis coli . Glad you shared. It can change the color of your colon. My research said it is not life threatening. It causes a dark brown mucosa pigmentation in the colon. It clears up if you stop the cause of it, but can take awhile. Don't even know you have it, usually detected by a colonoscopy. But something to research and think about.

Buy the Magnesium Oxide as a vitamin supplement. Much cheaper than Renew Life. I take 750mg of Magnesium Oxide a day. Many name brands that use it have higher doeses. Around 70% of the magnesium you consume is expelled from your body within 24 hours which is why so many people experience a deficiency.

The ingredients of Prunelax are: Active Ingredients: Prunes extract, Cassia angustifolia vahl (which is Senna), Cassia senna L - so I just eat prunes on my morning oatmeal and I use Senna before bed. I've struggled since I was 16 and had emergency surgery for adhesions from a previous surgery. The surgery when I was 16 resulted in the Redundant Colon. I've had Ovarian Cancer surgery 3xs which has only made chronic constipation worse. I am now 73 and live on a restricted diet -vegetarian and NO flour products - NONE. Most of the OTC products can be obtained cheaper by using the natural products such as Prunes and Senna. Senns is very cheap to buy.

I wish I could eat prunes, I love them! But they give me such terrible gas I can’t even get out of the bathroom.
I’ve recently been diagnosed with redundant colon. I’m having bouts of constipation and diarrhea. I have a couple of weeks of feeling normal then a week of discomfort then I get that back to normal and it seems to all start over again. Is almost a year since my diagnosis. I think this just might be a new way of life. Cannot plan any long trips. Have to always be feeling safe even before a trip to the store. I take miralax every morning but depending on what I eat the day before I’m never sure how I can plan my day. It’s a game of finding the right balance for each individual body!

Which ZenWise product do you take?