1. < Digestive Health

Anyone else have a Redundant / Tortuous Colon?

Posted by onaquest @onaquest, Nov 7, 2018

Hello. Anyone else out there that has a redundant/ tortured colon? I was diagnosed with this a few years ago. I’m usually ok, but if I get constipated, I get sick for a week or two. Last year my gastroenterologist referred me to a surgeon for urgent surgery to remove some of my colon. The surgeon I ended up seeing (not on the recommended list by my gastro doc due to others not available for a long time) said he believed I could live with the redundant colon if I followed a low FODMAP diet. I tried the diet religiously, scientifically (I’m a scientist), and I found it’s not the food I eat that causes these bouts of constipation. The only item I’ve found that might cause the bouts is coffee every day. An occasional coffee seems fine. What has helped me stay regular in a big way is Benefiber (or any pure wheat dextrose generic) three times per day. Lots of fluid.

My gastro doc was upset with the surgeon and said I’d regret not having the surgery. He fears I will end up in an emergency situation. I have searched the Mayo site and don’t find anything about redundant/ tortured colon. Are any Mayo docs doing research or treat this condition? Anyone else suffer from this too?
Thank you! -Jayne

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sandysrobb | @sandysrobb | Sep 18, 2021
In reply to @bgiddio "I, too have a tortuous bowel, but after reading your comments, I want to tell you..." + (show)
@bgiddio

I, too have a tortuous bowel, but after reading your comments, I want to tell you that I have a friend who was diagnosed with SIBO, she was put on an antibiotic and is doing very well. Just thought I'de mention that.

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My fear is it would worse. It

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thellman | @thellman | Sep 18, 2021

Surgery? Anyone know any surgeons that will do surgery for tortuous colons?

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suzbyrne | @suzbyrne | Sep 17, 2021
In reply to @bgiddio "I, too have a tortuous bowel, but after reading your comments, I want to tell you..." + (show)
@bgiddio

I, too have a tortuous bowel, but after reading your comments, I want to tell you that I have a friend who was diagnosed with SIBO, she was put on an antibiotic and is doing very well. Just thought I'de mention that.

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@bgiddio Hi. I've done the antibiotic treatment. I did it after my SIBO test. I should have gone straight to the FODMAP diet after that but I didn't. Now that I am following it, I've seen improvement. I've also taken the giant step to going decaffeinated (or decapitated as my head adjusts to no volts). I don't know how long your friend plans on taking antibiotics. However long, she will probably need to follow the diet after. Thanks for the response. Be well. 🙂

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1 reply
bgiddio | @bgiddio | Sep 17, 2021
In reply to @suzbyrne "Hi Amy. I hope this gets to you, as I see your post was made a..." + (show)
@suzbyrne

Hi Amy. I hope this gets to you, as I see your post was made a while ago. I have struggled a long time with the same symptoms. I have had several colonoscopies, a few polyps. No one has said I have a redundant colon but I’ve always wondered. My very first colonoscopy was done when I was in my early 30s because of symptoms. My GP did it (not sure that was wise) and said things were fine. As I left the exam room, I heard him say to the nurse, “That’s the longest colon I’ve ever seen.” I was young and didn’t think to ask any questions. So 35 years later I’m in bad shape. I saw an Australian doctor who suggested I have a SIBO test (small intestine bacterial overgrowth). I came up very high in SIBO, lots of bacteria. I follow a FODMAP diet and it’s been very helpful. Has anyone else in this group had that test and gotten those results? I also agree with the benefits of self discipline as an act of self-empowerment and not deprivation. I had a bout of symptoms recently and it was due to eating a larger portion than is recommended. I have experienced unintentional weight loss which is ok but not if I lose anymore. I’m a coffee drinker and I know I need to cut back, but all in good time. This is long, but it was a long hard road that got me here. Bless you all for sharing and I’d love to hear back from SIBO survivors and FODMAP followers. Thank you 😊

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I, too have a tortuous bowel, but after reading your comments, I want to tell you that I have a friend who was diagnosed with SIBO, she was put on an antibiotic and is doing very well. Just thought I'de mention that.

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2 replies
bgiddio | @bgiddio | Sep 17, 2021

Hi Jane, yes I have it. After years many of gastro Dr's prescribing laxatives, I finally found a Dr. who did a colonoscopy and endoscopy,
and said I not only had IBS C, but tortuous bowel with many twists and turns, and pancreatic insufficiency, which accounts for the years of chronic fatigue. He put me on enzymes which have helped enormously, but some of the drugs, like linzess, etc. have not. I will continue to work with him because he's the only one who has helped. I am very sensitive to meds, and trying to find a diet that will help with the constipation.Trying to balance laxatives makes life much more difficult.

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kayburnett | @kayburnett | Sep 13, 2021
In reply to @amandajro "Hello and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect, @kayburnett. I think it is great that you have..." + (show)
@amandajro

Hello and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect, @kayburnett. I think it is great that you have both explored additional ways to support your body as well as to share what has worked well for you with others. That is truly the essence of Connect!

Had you been practicing yoga prior to finding the implementing these poses to support your body's need?

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I’ve practiced yoga for 20+ years and very regularly over the last decade. It is a way to get in touch with what’s going on with my body, offer it physical (sometimes mental) relief, and continually learn ways to stay healthy, sane and happy.
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Amanda Roe | @amandajro | Sep 12, 2021
In reply to @kayburnett "I’m just reading MyChart results from my colonoscopy last week and find I have a tortuous..." + (show)
@kayburnett

I’m just reading MyChart results from my colonoscopy last week and find I have a tortuous left colon. It’s the weekend so I won’t be able to talk to anyone at the office until next week. I’ve looked up all the words and have a sense that I have known some of this for many years, a pain in my side after eating and at other times. I’ve had intermittent episodes of extreme diarrhea and abdominal pain with no known food trigger, intensifying this last year. I have followed, loosely, the FODMAP diet described and a gluten-free and no/low dairy diet for even longer.

Many of the suggestions and comments have been very interesting to me and presented things that I plan to try. I do want to share something I do and will do more because they work for me…particular yoga poses that open and expand the abdominal area. Poses like viparita karani (legs up the wall), setu banda (low bridge) and sirsasana (head stand) all allow the abdomen to have more space, open and move toward the spine. This can relax the body and the abdomen to relieve pain and allow movement in the gut.

We are our own best advocates. I’m finding many medical opinions are just that and do not address my particular set of challenges that I must study and discover for my own body.

Jump to this post

Hello and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect, @kayburnett. I think it is great that you have both explored additional ways to support your body as well as to share what has worked well for you with others. That is truly the essence of Connect!

Had you been practicing yoga prior to finding the implementing these poses to support your body's need?

REPLY
1 reply
kayburnett | @kayburnett | Sep 11, 2021

I’m just reading MyChart results from my colonoscopy last week and find I have a tortuous left colon. It’s the weekend so I won’t be able to talk to anyone at the office until next week. I’ve looked up all the words and have a sense that I have known some of this for many years, a pain in my side after eating and at other times. I’ve had intermittent episodes of extreme diarrhea and abdominal pain with no known food trigger, intensifying this last year. I have followed, loosely, the FODMAP diet described and a gluten-free and no/low dairy diet for even longer.

Many of the suggestions and comments have been very interesting to me and presented things that I plan to try. I do want to share something I do and will do more because they work for me…particular yoga poses that open and expand the abdominal area. Poses like viparita karani (legs up the wall), setu banda (low bridge) and sirsasana (head stand) all allow the abdomen to have more space, open and move toward the spine. This can relax the body and the abdomen to relieve pain and allow movement in the gut.

We are our own best advocates. I’m finding many medical opinions are just that and do not address my particular set of challenges that I must study and discover for my own body.

REPLY
1 reply
sickofbeinsick1. AKA Tina | @sickofbeinsick1 | Aug 20, 2021
In reply to @ken82 "@sickofbeinsick1 Where did you go to get that kind of medical treatment? Certainly was not Mayo..." + (show)
@ken82

@sickofbeinsick1 Where did you go to get that kind of medical treatment? Certainly was not Mayo MN...Mayo and I keep in touch via the prescription renewals and when they require that I check-in the pharmacist tells me.. and during the Pandemic I have had 2 telephone sessions with my GI doctor there in Rochester. Now that I have had my 2 shots we plan an onsite visit in May ...(I live a 3 hour drive away from Mayo MN.). When I do other than GI visits at Mayo my GI doc always mentions those visits or problems during our sessions.. Mayo has a different pay arrangements with doctors than most places.. so given that they Mayo doctors act differently ...and as a team.

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I live in Tx…there are MANY Dr’s here…if it’s just this state, I’m in BIG trouble!

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sm6520 | @sm6520 | Aug 15, 2021
In reply to @nixbroome "Hi I was diagnosed today. Also he bottom bit is redundant. I've had problems my entire..." + (show)
@nixbroome

Hi
I was diagnosed today. Also he bottom bit is redundant. I've had problems my entire life, especially with urinary frequency as it's sitting on my bladder. Also gas and constipation. I blamed diabetes type 1 and codeine dependence (which don't help). Now I guess will try that diet.

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Is this a CT Scan? Did you have to do a prep for this? Do you know how much extra colon you have?

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