Sluggish Colon

[slowcolon]

I am a 22 year old female with horrible constipation. I went to a GI Specialist March 2009 and have gotten worse ever since. By the time my appointment with her in June 2009, I had gone an entire month without going to the bathroom. She did a colonoscopy, and said I have internal hemroids. She told me to drink miralax and citracel. My problems continued, and I have always had this horrible pain in my left side. It has now gotten so bad that it is on my right side and middle of my stomach. Every time I reported back to her in 2009, she kept upping my dose on Miralax. I tried some prescription pill that is supposed to make you go, but it only made me nauseated. I have done two Sitzmarker tests, and both have not been a success. Each test I had all the rings left in my colon grouped up in the left side. She got me an appointment with a doctor at Vanderbilt in Nashville February 2010. I went, and he was very brief with me. He said I have a fisher, and he sent me for an x-ray of my stomach that day. The x-ray tech was smart enough to write the report up and say "patient is likely constipated." Then I went for a test the next day to check my anal pressures. I have high normal pressures. They diagnosed me with "colonic inertia." He told me that they could remove my whole colon and give me a bag, or I could continue Miralax and do a colonoscopy prep each weekend to cleanse. I tried the prep - which of course didn't work - and was completely miserable. My GI doctor sent me for two Gastrgraphic Enemas in two weeks, and neither worked like they should have. I just went back to my GI doctor, and she told me that I am too young for surgery, and I need to deal with this for 10-15 more years until a doctor will even help me. So, I have made an appointment with the Mayo Clinic in FL for the end of April. I am only looking to resection my colon. I don't want to have the bag since I am so young. Does any one have any ideas what I should be expecting?

[Morecambe]

There have been postings on Medhelp whereby a total colectomy has been suggested as a treatment of last resort for chronic constipation.

I underwent a total colectomy about six years ago - not for chronic constipation but for torrential diverticular bleeding.  In response to another Medhelp patient's question I recorded my experience on Medhelp as follows:-

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/523166

Perhaps you would like to have a look at this and do come back if you have any further questions.  It may well be that in your case the operation can be performed laparascopically with less trauma than the "surgeon's hands inside the abdomen" method.  In fact it may be an idea to print off my summary and show it to your surgeon at the Mayo and ask whether he/she would predict a similar outcome for you.

regards
Morecambe

[mammo]

I should have thought of this, have you seen an Endocrinologist?  Check out the link below.  Our endocrine system impacts every major organ in our bodies, and if anythig is out of whack, it has a domino effect.  I have hypothyroidism and suffered from contipation due to it being slow.


http://www.ddc.musc.edu/public/problems/diseases/colon/colonicinertia.cfm

[mammo]

This makes me so angry, that they would even say you would have a bag!  If by chance you ever need to have your colon removed, you will not have to have a bag, you can have a J-Pouch which means they remove your colon, attach your small intestine to it and your small intestine acts as your colon.  My son has this.  You are wise to keep getting others opinions on this.  MD Anderson in Texas is world renowned for their works with this, so if the Mayo can't help, try them.  However, the Mayo Clinic is excellent and I'm happy to see you going there.  Have you tried probiotics?  Miralax is more of a stool softener, which I don't feel you need.  I would experiment with different laxatives until you see the doctor.  I feel so bad for you, you have got to be so frustrated with all this! Don't listen to your Gi doctor about this, she is soooo wrong.  My son had to have his colon removed at 12, and is a healthy 39 year old today.  He is an ultrathoner, marathoner, mountain biker, avid hiker that puts him in the mountains for weeks at a time, and he also competes in jujitzu.  My oldest son had his colon removed at 16, we lost him at 32, and my grandson had his colon removed at 10, just lost him at 18. Nothing to do with not having a colon, but to other issues with the FAP.  We have FAP in our family, which is no way related to what you have.  I just wanted to show you that you won't have a bag, and your life would continue.  Please keep me posted on your jouney with this, and if I can find any resources for you, I will PM them to you.  Good luck and do take care....

[waffenamp]

Are you a smoker? What does your diet consist of?