Anyone else have a Redundant / Tortuous Colon?

There is a medication designed specifically to target motility problems/chronic constipation. Prucalopride which goes under the name, "Motegrity" in the U.S. and "Resotran" in Canada. My gastroenterologist prescribed a two week supply to try. I have not filled the script. Ask your doctor what he thinks about you giving this drug a try.

Hi @jamierr, welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I see you are having many bowel problems at the moment. This is a great discussion to be a part of since there are so many members contributing.
Have you touched based with your physician who prescribed Picoprep? Did you inform them that it wasn't working?

Hello Jayne,

I was diagnosed with a tortuous colon, earlier this year,
after many tests (to rule other things out), and *finally* a colonoscopy.
My doctor did not use the phrase "redundant".

My GI doctor recommended a low FODMAP diet,
five months before the procedure, and strongly reminded me after the colonoscopy,
that it was important to continue the diet.
So I might have been on the low FODMAP diet for a bit longer than you.

The worst part of the tortuous colon for me
was the pain part, as food travels through the gut.
That would keep me up at night, affecting sleep
so the next day's focus and productivity were affected.
I've lost weeks to this issue, too.
Also, with pain, if doctors suspect a mystery GI issue,
you have to be *very* careful with pain relievers.
(Ex. aspirin can worsen ulcers, etc. The Mayo clinic already has an article on this)
This is really important, until they can figure out the issue.

I *believe* the condition caused both sharp pains and dull aches,
for several years, which made diagnosis by my general practioner difficult.
Ultrasounds came up negative, but I think all doctors should do this,
to rule out other things. The pain wasn't that bad, at first, so I just tried
my best to ignore it.
As the pain got worse, and was making me miss a lot of work, in late 2018,
this was when I started really trying to get an answer why the pain was there.
I also had mild constipation, most days, in those months, but it doesn't sound like it was at the OP's level.

***The single most important thing my GI doctor has done,
was encourage me to see a psychiatrist.***
This was more important than even the diagnosis!

Because the psychiatrist prescribed an earlier type of drug,
called Amitriptyline. It's an antidepressant,
but it also attacks the enteric nervous system (the ENS, it's in your gut).
The first night I took it, I was knocked out for about 12 hours, (on a 25mg dose).
Later, my psychiatrist told me this was a *strong* reaction, to such a low dosage.
but the next morning, the pain level was halved (4-6/10 => 0-3/10), and more importantly,
the *areas* of pain shrunk down to ~70-90% of the original pain area.
Basically, I could function again, for most days of the week.
Enteric nervous system and amitriptyline, seriously, look them up.

I believe the best treatments could be related to
what caused the tortuous colon in the first place.
I have suffered from depression, anxiety, sleep issues, for many years,
but at this point, it's like the chicken and the egg.
Was the chronic pain the stressor to help cause the mental health and sleep issues
or was it the other way around?
I don't know, but I know Amitriptyline helped me get my life back.

Again, my constipation doesn't sound as bad as what you are going through, Jayne,
but I think with constipation, if the muscles in the gut
randomly tighten the wrong way around one (of our too many) bends in the colon,
this could cause hard-to-predict constipation or uneven absorption of water.
In theory, helping the nerves *around* the gut, from overfiring,
may help avoid as many muscles over-tightening, which could help reduce the chance
of constipation around the bends of a tortuous colon.
BUT I AM NOT A DOCTOR.

For the low FODMAP diet, or diet in general,
(or what happens after I put stuff in my mouth),
here are my thoughts:

---It is more important to eat *something* than to religiously follow such a
restrictive diet.
(Ex. Garlic and onions are not allowed in the diet,
but they are used in small concentrations in many seasonings in many foods).

So I'll eat food with *tiny* concentrations of unallowed ingredients,
not on the low FODMAP diet, in at least one meal of the day, as a cheat.
When I first started following this diet, I found I wasn't eating *enough*,
because I was so afraid of what I could *not* eat...
New food (with fiber) and water can help push the old food through,
so make sure you are eating enough to begin with. But still remember moderation.
My grandma was kinda right...

It's much better to think positively, about what you *can* eat, than what you can't.
So you can proactively find *more* meals to eat, for a more diverse diet.
To show you, I will first list what I regularly eat/drink, before the nono's:

------Fresh baby spinach leaves daily (*small* amount of leaves as a stabilizer, if necessary)
===>>> regulates amount of fiber (remember, not too little, not too much).
Keeping a paper towel inside the plastic box helps them last longer.
Also, the "fresh" part makes it easier to inspect the food, for bad leaves.
I bet some folks use kale, the same way. The dark leafy greens are healthy,
but some of the most difficult vegetables to clean effectively (i.e. remove pesticides or excess fertilizer (fertilizer which could still be poop)).

------Small daily amount of almonds or peanuts
===>>> I think *chewing* tough foods more thoroughly can help avoid pain, later on. Mechanical digesion, right?
But to be fair, I think some folks on the low FODMAP diet avoid nuts entirely, just to be careful. For me,
they are just too damn healthy to quit.

------Meat. A lot of meat is allowed on the low FODMAP diet.
I like baking fish or grilling chicken. No breading, of course, with this diet.

------Eggs

------Pedialyte or some electrolyte solution. Frequently.
===>>> I can't stress this one enough. Drinking water seemed to be the only
easy way to avoid pain, for me, for months. A colon with extra bends means
that water can get absorbed *too quickly* by the colon, causing portions of the stool
to harden earlier on in the tract. This is bad. Try to drink plenty of water
*with* the meal, not all at once, before or after the meal.
Sometimes, I sip a watered-down broth, just to be safe.
Beef broth has enough protein, for it to be worth it.

It is important to note, in most cases, as long as you don't have high blood pressure (hypertension),
it is safer to consume *too* much salt, than too little,
within reason (less than 7g / day). Healthcare Triage (on youtube) has at least two videos about salt. This doctor and his researchers are thorough.
The above opinion of salt, specifically sodium, is still contended.

But "Today I Found Out" (who does excellent research, especially if Daven
Hiskey is involved) agrees with the Healthcare Triage doctor, Dr. Aaron Carroll,
about salt in their youtube video, as well.
***Reading research studies is the best way to be sure though.

Suffice it too say, I listened to everyone saying:
"Drink more water" and
"Eat less salt"
But I think following these two pieces of common advice,
lowered the salt concentrations in my body, to dangerously low levels.

Find a brand you like, (for me, it was Pedialyte) then try to get the
powdered form of it, to hopefully save money.
I think the correct understanding of salt/water intake
in the GI tract is a critical point for people who have a tortuous colon,
but I don't want to get too far off topic.
Just make sure the brand has some *potassium* in it, not just sodium,
and that the solution is not *too* sugary.

Here's what I had to limit:
------Although many cheeses are allowed on the low FODMAP diet,
I had to reduce cheese consumption in order to help prevent
constipation.
------Although potatoes are allowed, I shouldn't eat too many potato *chips*.
It's convenient, but the grease, the lack of nutrition or fiber doesn't help.
------Greasy foods, in general. I use some olive oil in baking,
but honestly, that yellow/orange grease is the stuff I'm limiting.
It helps avoid the most common issue (acid reflux) in the *upper* GI tract,
but I think it also helps me in the intestines, too.
------Sugary foods / Acidic foods. (Ex. Soda, orange juice, etc.)
High fructose corn syrup is in a lot of things, but you gotta avoid it
in the low FODMAP diet.
------Apple juice is in a lot of other juices! I drink a *small* amount of
cranberry juice, just to get some vitamin C naturally, but to get it, without apple juice
and low sugar, in the US, I have to go for a diet Oceanspray cranberry juice
------Absolutely no Belvita breakfast bars. For some reason,
I consistently had discomfort, no matter how well I chew them...
Once I ate at least 3 or 4 of the packets (12-16 bars), and I was on the floor
in pain, unable to walk. Lots of sugar from syrups, and hard grains...

*Walking* and light physcial activity helps!
It really does.

This post was probably too late to help with your decision, Jayne,
but I hope it helps someone else later.

The low FODMAP diet is so complex, with the diversity of foods on/off the list and the *amount* of a certain type of food allowed,
that I am probably going to have to develop a meal plan soon, to reduce stress and for my safety.

Thanks,
Jack

I know I'm late to the game here, I just found this site. As I'm reading through these posts I'm lying flat on my back in bed, dying, my pain is so horrendous. This is a three-day stint which is not unusual. Sitting is always uncomfortable for me . When I drive my seat is leaned way back. Wearing jeans or, anything around my waist will eventually lead to Pain by the end of the day. Bending over forwards, nope! I am otherwise a healthy, very active , mother of five , ages 40 to 22 years old, grandmother of five! 59 years old and for my whole life of emergency room visits for abdominal pain, I was never diagnosed until last year with a redundant intestine. This, was after I went to the emergency room and was hospitalized immediately. Nothing they gave me for pain helped. They say, narcotics do not e a s e the pain for this condition. Of course, the doctor recommended a colonoscopy but, he said, you just had one last year and it was inconclusive because they said that you were not cleaned out enough. I promised him that I did everything exactly how I was supposed to do on my last colonoscopy. He suggested, that I did two cleanings right in a row! I had to agree with him, I needed to find out what was going on with my stomach! I will say this without sounding disgusting, I could not believe how much waste was in my stomach!! Two nights in a row! Psychologically, if you suffer this pain and discomfort, and bloating, it can wear on you. Really, wear on you. I have found that being grateful for the littlest of things in my life, the beauty of nature, trying to stay in touch with my grandchildren via FaceTime , it's hard to put on a happy face with them when I'm having an episode. Currently, I have no insurance. I live in Florida. The doctor in the hospital recommended I follow up with the doctor who did they colonoscopy so I called the office to set up an appointment, I knew I would be paying cash I figured probably in the hundred dollar area. The woman was very Curt when she let me know that the initial visit fee was $275 no it's ands or buts about it, no payment plan no nothing. So, my life continues with my general practitioner trying to figure things out. My general practitioner, I might add, is a different doctor every time I go there so, there is no relationship building, no ongoing, effective, communication. I have to tell my story over, and over, and over again. One of the doctors who, I happened to see many times, and once after I was hospitalized with a severe attack, said the first colonoscopy was inconclusive. He was thoroughly convinced that my whole problem was constipation nothing more. I stood my ground, I know my body, I told him there is something in there that is not right. Wow, I know I've rambled, nobody understands what I'm going through or the severity of the pain and how it just overwhelms your whole mind and being. This too shall pass. I am, on my good days, a very upbeat, happy, funny, loving human being. I feel very alone in this struggle... I just want this never-ending pain to leave me. Well, if you took the time to read this far, thank you!

I know I'm late to the game here, I just found this site. As I'm reading through these posts I'm lying flat on my back in bed, dying, my pain is so horrendous. This is a three-day stint which is not unusual. Sitting is always uncomfortable for me . When I drive my seat is leaned way back. Wearing jeans or, anything around my waist will eventually lead to Pain by the end of the day. Bending over forwards, nope! I am otherwise a healthy, very active , mother of five , ages 40 to 22 years old, grandmother of five! 59 years old and for my whole life of emergency room visits for abdominal pain, I was never diagnosed until last year with a redundant intestine. This, was after I went to the emergency room and was hospitalized immediately. Nothing they gave me for pain helped. They say, narcotics do not e a s e the pain for this condition. Of course, the doctor recommended a colonoscopy but, he said, you just had one last year and it was inconclusive because they said that you were not cleaned out enough. I promised him that I did everything exactly how I was supposed to do on my last colonoscopy. He suggested, that I did two cleanings right in a row! I had to agree with him, I needed to find out what was going on with my stomach! I will say this without sounding disgusting, I could not believe how much waste was in my stomach!! Two nights in a row! Psychologically, if you suffer this pain and discomfort, and bloating, it can wear on you. Really, wear on you. I have found that being grateful for the littlest of things in my life, the beauty of nature, trying to stay in touch with my grandchildren via FaceTime , it's hard to put on a happy face with them when I'm having an episode. Currently, I have no insurance. I live in Florida. The doctor in the hospital recommended I follow up with the doctor who did they colonoscopy so I called the office to set up an appointment, I knew I would be paying cash I figured probably in the hundred dollar area. The woman was very Curt when she let me know that the initial visit fee was $275 no it's ands or buts about it, no payment plan no nothing. So, my life continues with my general practitioner trying to figure things out. My general practitioner, I might add, is a different doctor every time I go there so, there is no relationship building, no ongoing, effective, communication. I have to tell my story over, and over, and over again. One of the doctors who, I happened to see many times, and once after I was hospitalized with a severe attack, said the first colonoscopy was inconclusive. He was thoroughly convinced that my whole problem was constipation nothing more. I stood my ground, I know my body, I told him there is something in there that is not right. Wow, I know I've rambled, nobody understands what I'm going through or the severity of the pain and how it just overwhelms your whole mind and being. This too shall pass. I am, on my good days, a very upbeat, happy, funny, loving human being. I feel very alone in this struggle... I just want this never-ending pain to leave me. Well, if you took the time to read this far, thank you!

I know I'm late to the game here, I just found this site. As I'm reading through these posts I'm lying flat on my back in bed, dying, my pain is so horrendous. This is a three-day stint which is not unusual. Sitting is always uncomfortable for me . When I drive my seat is leaned way back. Wearing jeans or, anything around my waist will eventually lead to Pain by the end of the day. Bending over forwards, nope! I am otherwise a healthy, very active , mother of five , ages 40 to 22 years old, grandmother of five! 59 years old and for my whole life of emergency room visits for abdominal pain, I was never diagnosed until last year with a redundant intestine. This, was after I went to the emergency room and was hospitalized immediately. Nothing they gave me for pain helped. They say, narcotics do not e a s e the pain for this condition. Of course, the doctor recommended a colonoscopy but, he said, you just had one last year and it was inconclusive because they said that you were not cleaned out enough. I promised him that I did everything exactly how I was supposed to do on my last colonoscopy. He suggested, that I did two cleanings right in a row! I had to agree with him, I needed to find out what was going on with my stomach! I will say this without sounding disgusting, I could not believe how much waste was in my stomach!! Two nights in a row! Psychologically, if you suffer this pain and discomfort, and bloating, it can wear on you. Really, wear on you. I have found that being grateful for the littlest of things in my life, the beauty of nature, trying to stay in touch with my grandchildren via FaceTime , it's hard to put on a happy face with them when I'm having an episode. Currently, I have no insurance. I live in Florida. The doctor in the hospital recommended I follow up with the doctor who did they colonoscopy so I called the office to set up an appointment, I knew I would be paying cash I figured probably in the hundred dollar area. The woman was very Curt when she let me know that the initial visit fee was $275 no it's ands or buts about it, no payment plan no nothing. So, my life continues with my general practitioner trying to figure things out. My general practitioner, I might add, is a different doctor every time I go there so, there is no relationship building, no ongoing, effective, communication. I have to tell my story over, and over, and over again. One of the doctors who, I happened to see many times, and once after I was hospitalized with a severe attack, said the first colonoscopy was inconclusive. He was thoroughly convinced that my whole problem was constipation nothing more. I stood my ground, I know my body, I told him there is something in there that is not right. Wow, I know I've rambled, nobody understands what I'm going through or the severity of the pain and how it just overwhelms your whole mind and being. This too shall pass. I am, on my good days, a very upbeat, happy, funny, loving human being. I feel very alone in this struggle... I just want this never-ending pain to leave me. Well, if you took the time to read this far, thank you!

Just so you know, you are not alone! It's a fight. I too was told I have a redundant, fixed, ridged colon on my last colonoscopy. I've had a few in the past and it was never mentioned. From what I've learned is that constipation over a long period of time (for me since I was 13, now I'm 71!) The "backed up" stool causes the colon to lengthen to accommodate. I almost never wear jeans...it's yoga pants or sweats. The only jeans I can wear have to be very stretchy. Anyway.... getting to the pain. To relieve the pain you must be able to go. When your having episodes try a heating pad or a hot bath. Massage your lower abdomen gently in a clock wise motion, while laying on your left side. It can help to pass gas. I'm assuming your unable to do that. Water is VERY important. I'm drinking between 50-65 oz. a day and I only weigh 104. You pee a lot, but you need to get that stool soft. Has anyone every mentioned stool softeners? Try 2 every night before bed with a glass of water. They are across the counter and very inexpensive. Doctors tend to tell you to increase fiber. But for us getting that fiber through a long colon is almost impossible. So you may want to give your colon a rest and eat a low fiber diet for a week or 2. Doctors also tend to recommend laxatives. Never worked for me, only made my pain worse and lasted all day. Lately, I am trying 1 - 500mg of Magnesium oxide with my stool softeners every night. While not perfect, I am able to go almost every morning and it's not raisins or at best chicken nuggets either. I still have bloating and some gas most days but it's better than laying in bed in pain. Walking also helps. Try walking a mile or two outside everyday. At least your in FL. so that helps. I'm in WI so I bought a treadmill this winter. I've been lucky to have a gastroenterologist and a nutritionist I'm working with. I've been told the only way back to normality is to have a surgery to shorten the colon. Not something I want to do! So I'm giving some natural remedies a try first. Besides, who knows what the surgery will turn out like? No guaranties in this. I do not want to spend the rest of my life in this condition, as I'm sure you don't either! So anyway, I hope you find some relief. There are a lot of folks out here with the same condition and everyone has something that is working (at least somewhat) for them or they will report what is not working. I know some of this is not what you wanted to hear but it's where we are at. I hope you have some better "gut" days. Sherrie

Hi all, I’ve spent the last hour reading through these comments and feel both relieved and overwhelmed. I ended up finding this page by accident through an extensive google search of all the typical symptoms you could guess. My apologies for the lengthy post as I usually stay bottled up about this issue. I am a 29 yo female who’s dealt with “stomach issues” for as long as as I can remember. In all other aspects I am healthy and monitor my food intake/water intake. I’m naturally thin at under 110lbs but have been unable to really gain healthy weight due to life-long stomach aches and pains such as bloating/constipation/diarrhea that can take days/weeks to recover from. I’m personally and professionally active, despise soda, and drink one modest cup of coffee a day and the occasional glass of wine at dinner. For years I worked through abdominal pain and convinced myself I would grow out of my symptoms. It was last year that it became clear this would not be an option so I went to my PCP. She ordered a blood panel, CT scan, and referred me for a colonoscopy. I have no food allergies or intolerances and had no blockage at the time of the scan. Naturally the colonoscopy was next. Immediately after I woke up from the colonoscopy I was in severe pain and was told they had administered more anesthesia than planned due to the extremely complicated and unexpectedly long procedure. Due to this excruciating pain I was also given fentanyl intravenously, all while the DR told me I had the “most tortured colon” he had ever seen. That along with hemorrhoids. I don’t recall him using the word redundant. They wanted to take me for imaging after the procedure for what I assume was out of both precaution and fear that something may have gotten nicked during the scope. I declined imaging (afraid of the potential cost after already spending so much money for previous appts) and opted to stay awhile for monitoring before eventually being sent home. The days after that procedure were full of discomfort to say the least..

It has been several months since then and I have little relief and worsening symptoms that I almost hate to talk about because of the graphicness. At times I have dark black dots everywhere in my stool, bright red blood in the toilet bowl from the hemorrhoids and excruciating sharp pain all over my abdomen. In the past it was not uncommon for me to have severe pain and end up in the bathroom for extended periods of time and also resorting to sleeping in bathroom. Lately though I’m getting these episodes at the worst times and feel helpless in preventing them. Very recently at work, seemingly out of no where, I started feeling a very bad stomach ache coming on. Almost immediately I had to run to the bathroom and while making my way down the hall I became extremely lightheaded with blurry vision and collapsed in the stall before hoisting myself up to the toilet. It certainly felt like a massive drop in BP. I then sweat through all my clothes in a matter of seconds followed by the usual crazy cramping/pain, diarrhea, etc. That happened again days later while in the grocery store. It is very embarrassing and physically and emotionally draining. I had always assumed I possibly had IBS/IBD or Crohns and never heard of a torturous colon before my colonoscopy. I was unaware that could be the culprit of my symptoms since childhood. The most recent symptom that just started a year ago has been an absurd amount of reflux/indigestion. The first time it happened I thought I was having a panic attack because I had been lucky enough to never have any sort of reflux or indigestion issues and could not recognize what was going on. Now a year later it seems that no matter what I eat, or how little I eat, my esophagus reacts within minutes of “finishing a meal”.

I have been trying the FODMAP diet, benefiber powder, lots of H2O, and managing stress. Through this post I’ve heard about an antidepressant drug that seemingly helps with gut issues and would find more resources about that helpful. I have tried to solve pain without medication and my system does not handle laxatives well at all, but I feel I am running out of patience, options, and hope. My condition is not as severe as some that I have read about here (my heart goes out to those recovering from life-altering surgeries) but similar to most others this has now become difficult to manage and affects my daily life.