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Anyone else have a Redundant / Tortuous Colon?
Hello. Anyone else out there that has a redundant/ tortured colon? I was diagnosed with this a few years ago. I’m usually ok, but if I get constipated, I get sick for a week or two. Last year my gastroenterologist referred me to a surgeon for urgent surgery to remove some of my colon. The surgeon I ended up seeing (not on the recommended list by my gastro doc due to others not available for a long time) said he believed I could live with the redundant colon if I followed a low FODMAP diet. I tried the diet religiously, scientifically (I’m a scientist), and I found it’s not the food I eat that causes these bouts of constipation. The only item I’ve found that might cause the bouts is coffee every day. An occasional coffee seems fine. What has helped me stay regular in a big way is Benefiber (or any pure wheat dextrose generic) three times per day. Lots of fluid.
My gastro doc was upset with the surgeon and said I’d regret not having the surgery. He fears I will end up in an emergency situation. I have searched the Mayo site and don’t find anything about redundant/ tortured colon. Are any Mayo docs doing research or treat this condition? Anyone else suffer from this too?
Thank you! -Jayne
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The only way to stop bowel muscles from atrophying and stop working is to exercise them with fiber. A high percentage of soluable fiber foods (not insoluable ) at every single meal I found is key, and those that contain cooled resistant starch (not digested by small intestine and makes it to the colon) best. Examples of high soluable fiber foods are oatmeal, hard crunchy fresh apple flesh, root vegetables etc. Overcooking will destroy the fiber. Insoluable is husks, skins, roughage which can irritate an already irritated colon. Both types are needed in the diet but meals that have high percentage of soluable fiber I have found as a key. Chew food to soft pulp with no hard dry pieces. Some oil/fat at each meal also keeps things moving. I wrote more extensively on `Tortuous colon diagnosis and diarrhea`. Mayo posts. Same problem whether diarrhea or constipation it seems. Drinking and moving all day. Sitting a lot seems to stop things from working.
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3 ReactionsMost of you are mentioning weight loss associated with tortuous colon. I was informed that I have the condition after my third routine colonoscopy-- this time, the doctor said that everything was fine other than "the tortuous colon which you're aware of". Well.....NOPE! I had never been told I had a toruous colon, and had no idea what that even meant! So, about 20 years and 2 colonoscopies later, I'm finally told about my condition (grrrrrr!). I am always constipated and have many of the symptoms many of you have described-- except I am not losing weight- I'm having an extremely hard time getting the scale to budge. This is very disheartening because I've begun exercising regularly and eating much healthier (mainly raw diet), and since I began this regimen nearly a month ago, I have not lost an ounce. I haven't had a BM in nearly a week this time, but really having no other symptoms other than mild discomfort. But the lack of weight loss is depressing to say the least. I'm at a healthy weight (according to the BMI chart) but I would like to lose about 10 pounds to be at the weight where I feel my best. I'm 63 years old. If this is what aging is like, I don't like it one bit!!!! Has anyone else had the weight gain or weight plateau issue? I feel pretty desperate at this point. A number on the scale is instant gratification for all of my hard work- I need that little boost!
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1 ReactionIn 2024 I was diagnosed with EPI and am now taking Creon. I am still working thru this diagnosis which also lead to a Chronic Pancreatitis diagnosis.
Hello Loconner. I am posting for the first time in this group, because your post caught my attention. I have a tortuous colon (likely congenital) with increasing diverticulum and two recent infections, combined with a biliary and stomach backup and bile reflux with stomach damage, likely resulting from the back-pressure of tortuous colon. My blood sugar levels and my post gall bladder situation (long since gone) are players. It puts my pancreas and liver at risk. This has made it difficult to keep my weight down despite low carb diet and exercise. While my weight is good now (lost 15 pound) and holding, it is because I have been so nauseated. So my PCP has me carry ondansetron. This helps me followthrough with a cooked diet, high liquids, limited meat, etc. All this was not enough. So my PCP has me taking miralax 2/day. Combined with the ondansetron and diet, this was a game changer for my pain levels and bowel motility. Now I have just started adding Metamucil capsules to address the diverticulum. I dont want to lose my bowel or develop cancer. The future is yet unknown. Keep your head up. Its a circular process, and will take time for inflamed areas to reduce, and for the gut microbiome to recover. You have to avoid obstruction and diabetes! Good luck with this complex issue. Hopefully this post has helped. Keep conversations going.
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1 ReactionAustralian black licorice is actually candy- warning though, be careful if you have high blood pressure. It’s so much easier to find now, thanks to the internet. In the “old day” I would purchase once a year when I visited Cape Cod which has a great candy shop that carried it.
I can’t speak to whether it affects gerd, since I don’t have it. Good luck if you decide to try
I have success with what upartist is doing - a cooked diet, high liquids, limited meats. More fluid through the "pipes" cuz they are extra long and curvy. Think of it like household plumbing. So try dumping the raw food, that is for normal guts. And I and others have shared our myriad ways of dealing with constipation, though a more liquidly, cooked diet will help your gut process your food. I sip water between meals, take magnesium and one Colace at night, and take some slippery elm inner bark powder with almost every meal. I also have a rhubarb-kiwi compote at night as it is has a stimulant effect. Experiment with what everyone uses.
I think not being able to lose weight could be something else. To lose weight, get your resting metabolic rate measured. Once you know how many calories you burn "doing nothing," you can figure out how many calories to eat and how much exercise to do to be in deficit mode and lose your weight. It's calories in and calories expended that works as a focus.
you sound like me!
Thank you for the vinegar tip. xoxo
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1 ReactionI have a torturous colon. I have a colonography instead of a colonoscopy. You still have to prep for it, but you are awake and photography is taken inside of you.
Longcolin,
I do a lot of things differently now -- I had Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for anxiety and I can control it now at a school grade of B -- necessary as there is no firewall between my head and my gut. I eat bland food (vineger is out- when my gut was better it was in). I always have some fiber with a meal. I take methylfolate and B12 together as it seems to help my gut and energy levels. Slipperly elm inner bark powder with almost every snack/meal to provide slip to stool. Kiwi/rubarb compote at night as it has a stimulant effect, hopefully natural. Magnesium at night with 1 Colace brand stool softener. I sip more water; every MD says it matters and it does. I take Intolerans dietary enzymes with every snack/meal. I still have a limited diet but am doing better with small amounts of fish and meat. My gut needs a lot of support. I hope your gut is better, even if I sound like you. Note I am grateful to have come out in a decent way on this journey. And I am sure, in my case, I wrecked my gut when I was a sugarholic. I counsel everyone to eat better than I did. All my best!
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2 ReactionsI found your old post and I hope things are a lot better now. I've posted a number of times today to ask people how they were treated when they had mobile cecum and what their experience was if they had surgery. Did you ever find a surgeon or did you decide against surgery? Thank you for anything you could share.
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