Anyone else have a Redundant / Tortuous Colon?

I have the same comment from GI docs and have heard many other patients mention this. I have come to think that this is almost the norm from the number of people who have commented. Do we really know what is within the Bell curve of normal?

I have the same thing but no one has ever mentioned surgery to me. I alternate between constipation and diarrhea. Sometimes I have a few good weeks between. I take 1/2 capful of Miralax in a very tall glass of water every night. If I get constipated, I increase it to a full capful. I also drink a lot of water every day and eat fruit and chopped walnuts for breakfast ( or oatmeal with with apple and chopped walnuts ). This usually keeps me regular. I do vomit a good bit for unknown reasons. I try not to eat starches, mostly meat and veggies for dinner. I tend to be overweight. Do you have that problem? I think it s because everything stays in my colon for so long.

Could you shared what kind of diet helped you with your tortuous colon symthoms?

@cristinaespejo Hi Cristina. I'm sorry, but I don't have tortuous colon, just awful IBS. Lol.
I hope possibly another Connect member might contact you with some help with your diet. I imagine it would be a different diet than mine. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a HEALTHY 2022, Cristina!

I'm a 70 year old female and have dealt with a tortuous colon and constipation all my life. I'm active and have always been athletic. I exercise 6 days a week. (just some background). I am not sedentary. In the past 9 months I've also been recovering from C-diff, which was due to taking Clydamycin for a dental procedure. That was AWFUL and, truthfully, we weren't sure if I was going to make it but God pulled me through. That being said, because of that I ended up on this site where I learned about Prunelax, which has helped me keep regular, more than I have ever been in my lifetime. I also use psyllium powder, sprinkled over my oatmeal (8mg), occasionally use Metamucil fiber crackers, drink 4 large glasses of water a day, minimum, plus a couple large cups of coffee, maybe a diet soda, fruits at breakfast and lunch and sometimes dinner, bran flakes for cereal, or as part of the cereal. I'm finding (for me), since I found the Prunelax, I can eat what I like but I do follow the above. I have a routine and stick to it and also watch the quantity of what I eat. I never gorge myself. I even eat ice cream and/or frozen yogurt in small quantities, and sometimes not small if I have a special waffle cone a few times a YEAR. I hope this helps. I find that we're all individuals and we have to find what works for our own bodies. I wish there was a cut and dried script to follow but there isn't. It's a journey and a long process but keep the faith that you will find what works best for you. I've cried many times because I've been miserable, or embarrassed because I was running to the bathroom because of laxatives,.................I truly understand. Don't give up and say your prayers. The answers will come, one step at a time. Merry Christmas to you. I wish you all the best and I"m always open to sharing my own experiences and hope it helps someone else. Jacque

Thank you for the encouragement. Your life sounds a lot like mine (but I have NOT experienced CDiff). Sometimes it's nice just to know I'm not alone. Merry Christmas to you.

Hello all .... I just joined Mayo Clinic Connect. It is my latest grasp at getting information and help with my tortuous colon condition, which has plagued me for 40 of my 54 years. I was diagnosed with tortuous colon in 2012, and had a bunch of tests performed on me which ruled out celiac, Crohn's, gluten allergy, and other stuff. I have some food sensitivities, but essentially all my GI problems are due to my tortuous colon. Basically I am constipated 24/7/365 because my colon is a long and winding road from which nothing emerges at the end without some sort of intervention. In the very best of scenarios, usually with the help of coffee after strenuous exercise, I go once a week, two at most. I start out each day feeling OK, but as the day goes on and as I ingest food, I feel worse and worse with the bloating, gas, and general feeling that I am carrying around a cantaloupe in my abdomen. I am a relatively small person, but my stomach area feels disproportionately big because of my tortuous colon and the stuff in it that I carry around from not being able to ditch it like a normal person. My gut feels best when I don't eat (except for that hunger thing). I relate to @sher71 and probably a lot of others in this. I drink lots of water, exercise every day, and eat as much fiber as I can. So my condition would be even worse if I didn't do these things.

From reading the many posts in this thread, I see that a tortuous colon is not as rare as I thought it is. I feel better at the thought of being able to talk to people about this, people who know what it is like to have to live with this. People who have been told (e.g. @scottisfull), as I have been told, that a tortuous colon is not a big deal and can be totally managed by more fiber, water and exercise. People who know this is not true.

In the last couple of days of reading this thread, I have gotten some ideas that I will try, and just for that I am already very happy and grateful. I learned that there are many like me who have to take 3 or 4 doses of Miralax per day in order for it to do anything. Or, take other stuff, natural and otherwise, to coax the colon to wake up and do something. I relate to those like @lasirvent and @dianecostella who have one thing (or nothing) that works for them.

I started thinking the only solution for me is to take out the extra loops and twists and lengths of my colon in order to get better. Looks like some folks like @thellman and @emma83916 are also thinking about this, and some, like @ellemorgan and @kathyoung, have had it done. I would love to discuss further.

Happy New Year to everyone and I wish all a 2022 with a better stomach.

A subtotal colectomy is a big decision but, I’ve never regretted it. While there are adjustments-as one would expect, they don’t compare to many decades of hospitalisations & surgeries needed to resolve bowel obstructions. I’ll be glad to answer any questions you may have!

Talk to your doctor about Motegrity. It has been a lifesaver for me. I finally fired my GI doctor and went to a new on 3 hours away that was highly recommended from a friend. He prescribed thus fairly new drug that my previous Dr. or 3 surgeons that I talked to weren't aware of. After 2 days on this medicine I have been going everyday. It. Has been a life changed. Good luck and don't be afraid to get a second opinion.

I’ve had chronic constipation most my life but then add in a rare vascular compression that also affects my digestive system. It’s been a constant battle. I haven’t helped my tortuous colon by having to strain when going. I finally found something that works. It’s called Lactulose. It’s a prescription syrup and it hasn’t failed me yet. I have tried everything else but so far this hasn’t failed even after using it for 8 months. I only take it if I don’t go for 2 days. I have found that if I keep a handle on it and not let it go for more than three days it works better. I had a G.I. doctor tell me what you have a tortuous colon, you’ll never not have chronic constipation. I’ll show her!!