Twitching of large intestine

[frankcg]

I have recently experienced occasional periods of about 1/2 hour in length when a portion of my large intestine twitches, much like a bicep or calf muscle might.  It is not painful, and it is not related to peristaltic action or needing to go to the bathroom, but it is quite distracting.  It tends to occur in the sigmoid area, just below and to the left of my navel, but it also occurs up near the spleen.  After a while it simply stops, but it may recur again a few minutes or hours later.  I have a history of diverticulitis, and there has been some minor pain in both of those areas, also on and off, for the last few days.  (No fever or other symptoms of inflammation.)  Further complicating the situation is that I had an appendectomy last April, in Mexico, via a very long laparotomy right up the middle of my abdomen, and I continue to experience post operative pain around that scar.  Is there any reason to be concerned about these minor spasms?  I don't want to ignore them and later discover they were a precursor to diverticulitis problems.  Is there anything that can be taken to mitigate them?  In general, what can be done to reduce diverticulitis risk if/when one starts to experience some localized discomfort in the bowel area?  Thanks.

[Kevin Pho, MD]

Excluding serious colon disease can be considered.  A CT scan or colonoscopy can be considered to rule out things like colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, or further episodes of diverticulitis.

If the tests remain negative, treatment for irritable bowel disease can be considered.  Medications like antispasmodic agents, antibiotics like Rifaxamin or tricyclic antidepressants can be considered if IBS is considered.

These options can be discussed with your personal physician or gastroenterologist.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
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