I was told at my last 2 colonoscopy's (every 5 years due to my mother passing away from colon cancer at age 44) that I have a redundant/tortuous colon along with diverticulosis. The surgeon just says it and then walks away. Never an explanation of what it means. So I go home and research. I am 60 and suffered from constipation most of my adult life but it progressively gets worse. When I went to a GI doctor in Jan 2020, he said I have a lazy bowel and prescribed Linzess. I had tried all OTC meds that would work for a short time and then stop. Linzess has been the same. It worked for about a year, 72mg, then I went up to 145mg and I still take that but have to add Miralax and or Milk of Magnesia or laxatives. I have only ever gotten diarrhea (sometimes 6 a day) but at least I'm getting something out. So recently I went to see my Gastro docs PA. I cried during the appt about how this effects my life. I am sick of waiting half the day and nothing comes out or spending half the day running to the bathroom. I asked if this is what my life will always be. The doctors have never given me a clear answer. The PA had compassion (for once) and prescribed me Lactulose 2X day and upped the Linzess to 290mg. The problem is nothing works consistently! I can't spend the rest of my life around my BM schedule! But for now, that's what I'll have to keep doing. She also sent me for a Colonic Transit Study. I started that 3 days after my appt with her so I had to stop all constipation meds for 7 days. The first day they gave me the Sitz marker pill. The next 5 days in a row I had to be at the hospital the same time each day for an x-ray. The study showed all 24 markers on day 1, 24 on day 2, 24 on day 3, 19 on day 4 and 9 on day 5. The PA wrote back to me on MyChart, after I inquired what the next step is, that I should make an appt with my colo/rectal surgeon to see what he can do. She said I need to find a motility specialist. After all of my research on here and other websites and forums, I do not have high hopes that this will ever be fixed. I have already been through a small bowel resection due to peritonitis in 2006 from a doctor nicking my bowel during a tubal ligation surgery. I've had a hysterectomy in 2016, a partial small bowel obstruction in 2018, and breast cancer in 2020. Other then that, I'm pretty healthy! Lol.
I just thought writing in here maybe someone can relate and offer a suggestion. I have not made an appt with my colorectal doctor yet. None of this is cheap either due to our high deductible insurance. We pay 100 percent until $9100 deductible is met. Yikes, that's a lot of money! I'm sure you can all relate to this also.
Anyway, thanks for reading my long post. I empathize with all of you!!