Anyone else have a Redundant / Tortuous Colon?

@hello1234 - So glad to hear you got your successful kidney transplant and all is well!
Thank you for the good
advice about not overdoing water and salt intake. With my taste for salt now replaced by homemade citrusy sauces, my concern is that any salt feels like too much. Time to re-calibrate and balance it against the osteoporosis issue.
The World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and American Heart Association all recommend keeping sodium under 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) suggests aiming for about 1,500 mg per day.

H @notmoff
Yes. Unfortunately, I do know exactly what contributed to my low sodium blood test. My doctor was taking monthly blood tests to track my creatinine level as I started to go into kidney failure. I discovered that hydration helped the creatinine level result, so I made sure to be well hydrated before the blood test. Unfortunately, because I was scared to death of a kidney failure result at 59 years old, I drank too much water over a 5 day period. My doctor sent me to the ER for saline IVs after reading my blood test results. I didn't know if you drink too much water you can end up in the hospital! It was a definite learning experience on the importance of moderation in all things. Fast forward, I am now a new successful kidney transplant recepient and doing wonderfully! ❤
Bottom line, don't overdo the water and don't overdo the no salt diet. Your body needs sodium to function properly, including your heart. (Just don't add a lot of unnecessary salt to your cooking). That's the lesson I learned in the hospital during the saline IV treatments. 😊

Well I’m another you can add to your list…my colon, I’m quoting from colonoscopy from 2018;
The colonoscopy was technically difficult and complex due to restricted mobility of colon, a redundant colon, significant looping & tortuous colon. Many
small & large mouthed diverticula found in sigmoid, descending & transverse colon. And of course, let’s not forget hemorrhoids (internal)…what am I supposed to do with all this info? They diagnose but don’t give any treatment, except “avoid constipation”.
Also, come back for another colonoscopy in 5 years..which I did, with the same results

@hello1234 - Thinking it over, I think my problem was that because of osteoporosis and concern about heart disease, I have very little salt in my now mostly entirely home cooked plant diet. Plus I took the 1 - Senna S per day she recommended PLUS Miralax in addition. I hadn't even reached the 2 liter/day of water that she recommended.

Currently my doctor suggests I not use Miralax at all and up to 2 Senna-S and 2 - 100 mg docusate sodium stool softeners per day, as needed. I'm experimenting with just the stool softeners to see how it goes.
Do you you know what contributed to your need for your saline iv?

I thought same. Gi only told me no fiber supplements. Dietician said high fiber and fibrous foods are difficult to digest so tend to move slowly and get caught up in kinks and loops. I’ve found I do feel less “packed”. However, still having problem getting things to move. Mineral oil does help but not sure about using it frequently. I’m trying to avoid using Motegrity as I have to
go on SS at the end of year and too expensive. So I’m experimenting to find alternatives before then. Have a virtual visit with dietician in morning, so hoping for more advice from her.

Excellent post, Jacque. I agree 100% . Too many doctors slough this condition off as "no big deal" or "nothing to worry about". If you are very lucky , you will find a doctor that is actually helpful, and takes the time to help you find a solution.......even a partial one. I even had one GI Dr. suggest having my colon removed. Insanity. Everyone is different and what works for one will not work for all, (Miralax does nothing for me) so I keep trying different things in order to live a "normal" life. Right now that consists of Linzess, senna, prune juice, and coconut oil ,VERY early in the morning. Senna and colace at bedtime. Once it starts working, it takes several hours or longer before I can leave the house. Sometimes not until noon. jacque, if you don't mind me asking ...when do you take the prunelax and is that all you are taking ?

Hi @notmoff 😊
Yes, drinking too much water can definitely "wash out" the minerals in your body. I ended up in the hospital for two days as they slowly added saline IV drips. (They have to do it super slowly so your brain doesn't swell.) Most doctors will say 6 to 8 drinks during the day of 8 ounces of water is a good target. You can turn one or two of them into your Miralax drink if you want. You must have added your two 8 ounces of Miralax in addition to your normal drinking and then added a few more drinks of water to wash it down so it ended up being too much? I am on a daily Senokot S. I know it has a stimulant, but without it, I cannot go. Did your gastro doc say it's okay to take Senokot S every day?

@sallyw133
Very interesting! I have been doing the exact opposite. I thought a high fiber diet would be more helpful for slow motility. Thank you for telling me about your low fiber diet and please keep me posted on how things are go and any success you have coming up with a combination of possible solutions. This process is definitely a constant trial and error. It seems that if I find something that works, it soon stops working and I need to try something else. Nothing seems to be "the answer" for long.

I take the Prunelax every evening at 7:30pm, or as near that time as possible, and it produces a result the following morning. I also use psyllium powder, mixed in my cereal or oatmeal. (8 mg) daily. I occasionally use Metamucil crackers also, one or two depending on my diet for the day, making sure I drink a full glass of water with it. The psyllium powder makes my oatmeal a slime and I've come to find it repulsive. It inflates the volume of the oatmeal, so I've divided it in half because I just couldn't "stomach" it anymore. On those days, I supplement with the Metamucil cracker, in addition to the oatmeal. It works for me and I don't feel like I'm going to vomit with the slimy oatmeal. I've been doing this for quite a few years. The cereal is much easier and palatable for me but I know some people have difficulty with milk. But as we discussed earlier, everyone is different and we all need to find what works for us as individuals. Medicine practices have changed. And my husband, who is a retired clinical pharmacist, is the first to make that statement. He worked in a hospital for over 30 years. A clinical pharmacist is much different than a retail pharmacist at a drug store. He dealt with life and death situations. He has commented numerous times that the treatment now has turned into a "herd treatment" vs focusing on the individual. So we have to be our own best advocate and not give up! Jacque