Severe Tortuous & Redundant Colon

I hope someone can give you a helpful answer. I can only send you a hug, hoping you can find a non-surgical solution.

Your symptoms seem significant, you have had them for 15 years and they are getting worse. I think the solution I use (diet - all aspects of food) may be something to try before surgery, and if you go the surgery route, get a gifted surgeon - check out doctors recommended by top doctors you know as well as the Castle and Connolly website. They research each listed doctor to verify their excellence; they don't charge for this; they make their money another way. Google the site and see for yourself.

I have a much milder case than you do, but several other gut problems too.

I have a severely redundant colon that slow motility and causes constipation.

I solve my milder problem by eating soups with well cooked veggies or that are pureed. I eat hot cereal once or twice a day. I have "regular food" once a day. Soft, moist foods are easier to digest. Little meat and fish. Almost everything is cooked (which makes it easier to digest).

I drink a lot of warm drinks as well as cold milk and I try to sip water all day, all to keep things moving. Peppermint tea relaxes the gut. I drink it for IBS-C but it may help you too. Heather's Tummy Care sells an awesome peppermint tea in bulk purchase form.

If you give your gut soft, liquidy food that can move through your gut's twists and turns easily, that would be something to try before surgery.

I have read on this Mayo site that some surgeries of the gut work well, but some create adhesions (scar tissue) that can also restrict gut movement and digestion. Hence the need for a gifted surgeon if that is your best or only route to improvement. If it turns out how and what you eat doesn't matter, I would consider surgery if I were in your shoes, and I would find a gifted doctor.

Thank you so much. Yes this has become worse over the years. It has gotten so bad that I am doubled over in pain, having a (mostly diarrhea) bowel movement and at the exact same time vomiting. This goes on for a long time (I call it a "purge") and it may last for a couple days or end after that episode. It used to be more infrequent, but now it is weeks at a time with this cycle.

I will go for 3-5days without going. Its like nothing moves through at all, and it is always soft stool when I do go. (Which I know is a form of constipation) Then the entire "cycle" starts all over again. During the "no go" days, I will start having severe bloating, pain, burping and nausea. I drink about 70oz of water a day, eat a lot of vegetables, low fat and lean meats and dairy. (My husband had a heart attack and stints placed so we only eat low fat, high fiber)

I very much appreciate your comments as I have been so depressed with the thought that I was going to have to go through this for the rest of my life. (I am 54) I will look into your recommendations, I appreciate it. I have had gall bladder removal, a hysterectomy and my appendix removed, I have some bad adhesions.

I had to have the surgery. The Dr could not get the scope through. Worked well at first but I have scar tissue from the surgery thus still have issues, hope you find some relief without the surgery. At the same time you don't want to risk waiting too long.

I bet the gallbladder removal didn't help. I am sure you are following a "gallbladder removal" diet (sounds like it).

I would want to see how you do on a mostly liquid, soft (hot cereal, not thick, pureed soup) diet, if that can navigate your gut's twists and turns and prevent all those symptoms, which (just guessing) could be from a build-up at a twist and then a break-through along the lines of your x-day cycle.

Keep in mind that pea protein powder isolate and egg whites together are a complete protein (like steak). I add them to my hot cereal all the time for protein (along with Lactaid milk) as I can't eat a lot of meat or fish or any egg yolks.

For my hot cereal, I use green plantain flour. LiveKuna's brand is well-priced. and tasty. It has the right consistency for hot cereal too. It has some fiber and is an allowed FODMAP carb for me. I add a half-teaspoon of ground chia seed; I cannot tolerate the whole seed. I also add something crazy called K-Fiber from Australia (I use about 1/8 of a teaspoon).

Also try slippery elm tea (inner bark). It soothes (really well) and supports the mucosa of the gut. I use half a teaspoon, first thing in the morning, adding boiling water and drinking it like tea. A larger serving of slippery elm (inner bark) and/or more often, may help what you eat get past the twists.

And drink those soothing hot liquids. My hot drinks are mostly water. To make them, I add to 2-3 T of milk:

*a bit of powdered ginger and cinnamon or cocoa, or
*cocoa and peppermint extract, or
*cocoa and instant coffee.
*or whatever you fancy.

I also drink at least one strong cup of peppermint tea a day.

Keep me posted and if all of this doesn't work, I can't imagine the results from surgery being worse than what you are experiencing now.

I wish you the very best of good fortune.

Your responses are so helpful. I really appreciate it.

When I woke up from the colonoscopy the doctor said that I may be sore as they had to "move me" in different positions to get the scope to advance through the sharp turns and it was very severe. I am curious, what made them decide to do the surgery? Do you feel it has helped ? Is your life more normal now? I appreciate your help. When I leave the house I carry a dog poo bag with me so if I have a sudden bout of this (as it happens very quickly and without warning) when the "purge" decides to purge... so that I have something to throw up in while I am having diarrhea. In my house, every bathroom has a bowl near the toilet, although I have had to use waste paper baskets as well.

Two more things:

As you know, a torturous colon can require emergency surgery. Should you elect to get non-emergency surgery, you select the surgeon. If you are in an emergency situation, you won't be able to select the surgeon.

Case in point: my brother shattered his elbow. He had emergency surgery by a trauma doctor. Since elbows are delicate (likely more so than the gut) the surgery had to be repeated with an expert elbow surgeon (and the original trauma doctor to "unwind" what he'd done).

Regarding Castle and Connolly-listed doctors. First you find Gastro surgeons in your area, then you Google their names and get on websites that list what they specialize in. The sites also tell you how often they do certain surgeries compared to the average surgeon.

Sending you well wishes to a brighter future. Hang in there.

I was diagnosed after the docs could not finish my colonoscopy and I had to quickly go to an MRI center to have the remaining colon looked at. I was clear for polyps again, but at 76 told no more colonoscopies.

This explained my years of constipation which seems to worsen with age.

I use Miralax daily. If I don’t go for a day I do it twice per day and alternate different laxatives. It’s important to not get blocked. I overlay with one of these: Ducolax, Milk of Magnesia and senicot. 2 of one of these usually every 3 days. I do abdominal massage to help. I drink 10-12 glasses of water and eat 35 grams of fiber. I aim for insoluable. Total Fiber cereal is 18 grams. I have it daily. I eat a lot of cooked veggies and some fruit (pre diabetes so watch sugar)

I walk daily 3-4 miles and still work 2 days per week and am on my feet.

I’ve manage this way for even the years before I knew what slow transit was and why.

But the redundant colon I’m sure is why. I keep it moving to not get blocked - don’t want an obstruction.

Hope this helps someone.
Thank you.

Yes, I am thinking I will have to do some sort of laxative to help with motility. I drink a lot of liquids and try to eat a whole grain diet, but sometimes bulking up the stool, at least for me makes me extremely uncomfortable. It's the vomiting that gets really old. I thank you so much for your help, I really appreciate it.