Anyone else have a Redundant / Tortuous Colon?

I'm glad to hear this. I still find that I'm "tempermental" and some days it works better than others. Oh,... to just find something that works ALL the time and everytime!

I also tried Prunelax after seeing it mentioned here and it helps.

You described this (our) condition VERY well! And yes, I have suffered with this all my 70 years of living. Then I came down with C-diff from an antibiotic, Clyndamycin, prescribed by my dentist for an oral infection. I almost died, my husband tells me. I felt like I was going to. That will be one year ago this coming February. In the course of recovery from that AND dealing with my tortuous intestine, someone recommended Prunelax to me on this site. It took some adjustment time but it is working well, or a heck of a lot better, than anything else I've tried! i'm very sensitive to routine and times like the holidays, running around, different schedule than normal, can throw me back into the constipation and misery of it all. That just happened. So I had to take some Bisacodyl to clean out the system and start over again. If this regimen continues to work for me, which I pray it will, I can live with that and would prefer that over surgery. I hope that you can find a regimen also and use surgery as a very last resort. But I do know people that have had portions of their colon removed and they are just fine. So I hope you find what works best for you. Happy New Year! Jacque

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!!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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

@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!