Anyone else have a Redundant / Tortuous Colon?

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.

I had the same concerns about capsules getting stuck. It has happened a few times which I found out by an X-ray before having an mri for unrelated issues. Once, my dr had me take a bowel prep which resolved the problem but no one wants to go through that f it isn’t absolutely necessary. Most recently I took Phillip’s milk of magnesia when a X-ray showed 4 trapped capsules. Two or 3 nights on that resolved my problem. I have been on vibrant ever since it was approved by the FDA. With a few glitches, it has worked very well. I never thought I would have thought I would have normal bowel movements.
Adrienne

I have considered the Vibrant pill, but given the tortuosity issue, I'm scared that it will get stuck in a bend/loop. Is this an unfounded concern in your experience or your GI's expertise? Thank you!

I have tortuous or redundant colon and serious diverticulosis and internal hemorrhoids for many years identified during colonoscopy. Gastro doctor uses pediatric scope after thorough prep. I have a difficult time passing waste and am constipated most of the time. I take Linzess 290 daily, eat prunes, take stool oftener and take Dulcolax and frequent enemas to be able to defecate. I am an 82 year old male, who is active and lives alone. I also have serious sleep apnea, chronic bronchitis, asthma and COPD from an on-the-job long-term chemical exposure. No history of smoking, alcohol or drug usage

Do you have trouble sleeping every night? I can't hardly sleep and I don't during the day either... I am always so focused on getting miles in walking and then the misery starts all over. Unfortunately , I have dysergenic defecation on top of the redundancy and tortured colon.

Can you tell us more about this capsule?? I have never heard of this?

I’m in Houston…all I can say is good luck. I’ve been dealing with GI’s for Well over 10 yrs. The pain is unbearable. I can’t travel, wear anything around my waist…I do have a vibrating heating pad, it’s soothing while using, but that’s about it. I take Lactulose “daily”, but I don’t like taking anything that much, so I live (if you can call it that) on liquids mostly. I have given up.
Goood luck!

The Vibrant capsules I mentioned in an earlier post, is not a medication. The capsules vibrate in the colon, creating peristalsis.

Pretty much all US grown rice is high in arsenic. See Consumer Reports. It had widespread usage as a pesticide years ago and since rice is grown in wet soils, it absorbs a lot of it. Rice grown in India, Pakistan etc does not have that. So if you are going GF do not consume a lot of US grown rice products ie. rice flour etc. I learned the hard way, I was continually having tiny sores on my body and liver problems until I cut it out.

Hello Carol and others,
Best of luck, I have great empathy for you, the uncertainty is stressful. Good luck with your REGULARITY!!!

Disclaimer: This is only my experience going natural. I have used organic, integrative, functional, holistic Naturopathic doctor's advice along with my MD’s since the early 1980's. There is science in alternatives too.
I work closely with my ND, he said the Migrating Motor Complex and Osmotic Gradient are important. He bet I would find what worked for me. Goal: how to keep a longer than normal pipe consistently moist…. My ND also said attention would be needed from now on.

Before my ND's encouragement to find my own solution, I tried laxatives = not consistent + side effects like bloating, etc. All say for occasional use. They disrupt the system if taken continuously. I liked a co-redundant colon person said: “It’s physical” so regular constipation suggestions may not work. For me oatmeal and psyllium husks constipate so it is possible that laxatives you take may work opposite the way intended?? Don’t give up. It took me 4 months to feel I could depend on being regular. It is worth going natural. It has been over a year since then that I have been blissfully regular + have a back up of coffee and occasional Smooth Move when needed. Note: volume is twice as much each morning than before my regularity work over.

Dec 2023 doc did non sedated colonoscopy. I watched on TV. I had had a baby years ago (natural and could stand pain) so it was no big deal. Most people in world don't get put out. Very interesting and allowed scope to get through because I relaxed. He showed me the redundancy. No wonder I had been constipation on and off starting in my teens. I’m now in my early 70’s.

Start with keeping a record of your BM's. You probably have a chart of the way they look and which is best, that + our motility is slower. Because of the colon loops my husband and I thought about consistent moisture. For me I take magnesium, potassium and salt at night (I run low blood pressure so be careful if yours is high) Record, appearance, time, what foods you ate, amount, ease or not, stress state, water for the day, food, etc for a close look for your exact body. I would observe especially what I did on the great REGULARITY days and see if I could repeat it. Taking the warm water and ground seed goop in the morning and the supplements in the middle of the night was the key that brought consistency to my REGULARITY.

Throw sugar out along with processed and refined foods. Look up foods and drinks that constipate and give them up, at least as a test. OptiMag and K2+ Potassium are great supps. I take them when I go to bed and once in the night (important to keep colon moisture consistent). I include prunes/prune juice, winter squash, sweet potatoes, rhubarb etc in my diet. I eat cups of steamed vegetables each day. I grind 2T chia, 1 T sesame seeds and 2 T flax seeds, then soak in prune juice overnight. I add a T or two of carob now since it can help regularity. Take all in the morning. Drink lot of water starting with a quart of hot water in the morning - boy scouts. I drink warmed up diluted chicken broth at times too. It is soothing to my stomach. Have heard kiwi's are good but haven't tried them. Coffee and Smooth Move are my back ups. I don't like coffee and never have drunk it much but it usually works for me in a pinch. Thankfully I only need coffee a few times a month. I depend on this for daily REGULARITY first "chore" each morning. I am an early riser and when off the farm I don't want to wonder if I will have REGULARITY.

Check out helpful research of biological processes that take place in our gut:
- Migrating Motor complex which is the electroactivity in the GI tract during meals and fasting times between.
- Osmotic gradient. If too much water is pulled into the colon, diarrhea results. If not enough water is pulled into the colon constipation results. Balance of minerals is important. Magnesium, potassium and sodium brings water into the colon. I have found balancing these help prevent constipation. I have to watch my calcium supplement intake because it tends to encourage constipation. Calcium carbonate seems to be the most constipating. I depend on blood work from time to time to make sure my minerals are balanced.

Oh and letting stress go is important too - I know how scary it can be. Golly it seems there is no hope for relief but it is worth looking at diet and trying lifestyle changes that can help. Good luck, @farmersmith