Colonic Inertia Questions

Hi

I'm new here.  My entire life, I have had severe constipation.  Recently however, it had gotten to the point that I was in such pain that I was prescribed vicadin and given several days off work.  (After several trips to the walk in and ER).  I finally had a colonoscopy two weeks ago, where it was discovered that the ascending portion of my colon (right side), has no peristalsis.  Everything looked healthy, other then no movement in that segment.  My questions are:

Have any of you heard of the Colonic Inertia affecting only one segment of the colon?

Have you had vitamin or mineral deficiencies as a result of this "affliction"?

Are there any medications that you took that truly helped get things moving?

Thank you so much for your time reading and answering these.  I certainly appreciate it.

 

Hi. I just had a subtotal colectomy on May 9th and it has been a slow healing process...I just joined this chat support system today. I think it is great! Anyway does anyone know the difference between a subtotal coloectomy and a cololectomy..thanks!

Hi. I found out today that I will be having a subtotal colectomy. I have suffered with chronic constipation my entire life. Although I am nervous about the surgery I am excited to think after years of enduring pain and discomfort relief may be in sight. I just have a few questions im hoping those with experience can answer....I am hoping to have the surgery done laparscopic. If this is not possible can someone tell me how the incision is done and where? Also is it a fairly bloodless surgery? Also what is the general recovery time?  I appreciate any input.  Thanks.

7-10 days in the hospital I mean they told me back to work in 4-6 weeks if all goes well.....just thought i would clarify that statement....sorry......heather

I have the scars for the laparscopic surgery for Colonic Inertia. I have 4 small scars less than 1" long 1 below belly above hair line, 1 above 4" above belly button and 1 to left and right of belly button. The largest scare 3" long top of belly button. The bleeding was limited and I was in the hospital for three days. My surgery was done in June of this year.Good Luck to you all. Cathy

as far as i know, a colonoscopy can't reveal functional prob. it can only reveal things like polyps, tumor, sorces of infection - things you can see in the eye.
a functional prob. can't be revealed just by looking.

hi,
I had a test called the sitz marker test, where you swallow a clear pill that has 24 markers in it and get an x-ray for 5 days in a row. The x-ray follows and shows where the markers are to determine if the colon is moving. All 24 markers were stuck in the beggining of my colon and my doctor told me my colon died, so I had to get a total colectomy, which I did in aug. 2008. When I got my colectomy, my doctor removed my entire colon and attached my small intestine to my rectum. After that I was having BM's again. For a while I was having watery, frequent bMs at least 20+ times a day, but recently I started taking metamucil and now I have 5-6 BM's a day. My sergeon did not want me to take metamucil at first because he wanted to make sure that eveything was moving and than after a few months he told me to take it. I take the powdered form because it helps me alot. i hope this helps you somewhat and good luck with everything.

hi ih8u
i know, she said they discovered that in the er with colonoscopy - it seem very odd to me.
look, all i know is that any doc. would tell you what i did.
maybe in very extreme situations it is so obvious that they can tell even just by looking....??? well, i don't have a slight :o)

Ref: Colonoscopy

I was scheduled for my own colonoscopy which had to be delayed FOUR times due to my system not cleaning out.  Once they believed that we could proceed, (I laugh now!!)  the camera became stuck and I had three nurses pushing on my stomach to unstick it.  My doctor told me right then she was 99% sure that I had colonic inertia.  To verify, I took the Stitz Marker test, which confirmed.  So I guess what I am trying to say is that maybe sometimes the colonoscopy is a tool to bring up the question of this gastric problem.  I hope this helps. . . .at least maybe a few laughs!! 

I know that the colonoscopy can be a tool but NOT a diagnosis only tool.  That I need to make clear.

I am scheduled to have the surgery in early January.  Didn't want to mess up the holidays.  I am looking forward to it, but also abit aprehensive at the same time.  I am praying that this will help reduce the amount of medicine I am on (for this and other problems).  But, I know it may not. 

I am new to the post but wanted to share my story, which I hope helps.

I had the same issue as most of you constipation and abdominal distention.  I had a barium enema to find that I had colonic inertia/right colon redundancy. I did not have a colonoscopy. Last month I had a laproscopic subtotal colectomy and I have been back to work for a week now. My surgeon only made 3 incisions: One in my belly button (vertically), one in the right lower abdominal area and one in my upper left abdominal area (the two smaller ones are already invisible). I am very happy that I had this surgry and I felt very comfortable and confident in my surgeon. I had my surgery on a Wednesday and went home Thursday night.  

I worry more about needing a total colectomy down the road but I guess I should just enjoy feeling great for now! Merry Christmas to all

Hodaya,

I know exactly what you mean about hearing from people after a couple of years.  I'm hoping that the fact that most people have the surgery and move on means that most are successful and they don't need the message board to ask questions, etc..  I do personally know a young girl who had this surgery in 2001, (she was about 27 at the time) and she is doing great.  She had a rough few months finding out what she could and couldn't eat, and after the first 6-8 months, she was still going to the bathroom about 6 times a day.  I spoke with her about six months ago, and she said she goes just once a day now, but can eat anything she wants.  She said she feels like she got her life back when she had the surgery.  She (like me) had lots of GERD issues, and they're gone as well.  If that went away for me, it would be amazing, but at this point, I'll be happy if I can poop....but not all the time!

Extreme Misery, 

I'm so sorry for your problems.  I can't imagine how you must feel. Before you had the surgery, did you have all of the tests and everything indicated that everything worked except your colon?  I've been told I have pelvic floor dysfunction as well as inertia, so I'm also afraid I'll have problems after surgery.  Right now, about 90% of the time, when I take a large amont of senokot, it will clean me out, but it's such an inconvienience, and that 10% when it doesn't work almost kills me.  The pain is horrible.  I just don't want to live this way anymore.

I hope and pray you can find someone who can help you.  You say that only liquid comes out; have you tried any laxatives (in small doses) since your surgery?  Is your small intestine working,  and not your rectum, or is the problem with your small intestine?  Whatever the problem, I pray you can find some help.  If I remember correctly, you're very young, and way to young to have to deal with these issues.

Janie

hey there, Janie, how are you?

thanks for telling me about this girl! when did it happen that her bms were reduced to just 1/day? i mean, is it going to keep reducing....?? how can we know if it's gonna stay stable? i don't mean to sound pessimistic, just trying to be realistic, you know.

i was thinking like you, that if the girls moved on, it means they are ok and don't have issues to discuss anymore.... i truly hope that that really is the case...

say, i posted a massage to you and to the other girls who are about to have the surgery. it's about 2 types of substances that are used with abdominal surgries: "sepra film" and "adept". have you heard about it?
i've found out that these substances are very important for the prevention of scar tissue/adhesions. unfortunately, surgoens don't bother to inform us about this, and only if you ask for it, then the hospital would order it for you to be used at the end of the surgery. it's quite expensive, but it sure is worth it!!
please ask your surgoen about it and be prepared for your surgery.

yeah, i hope the GERD issue vanishes for you too!!!

it's great hearing from you.

pepperann..... thanks for your reply, i'll email you.