# Colonoscopy=Long Colon??



## blw911 (Jul 18, 2002)

I had a colonoscopy a couple of days ago and followed up with the Dr. today. I'm 28 single male, he said I had a long colon. And basically I interpreted it as my colon is in real bad shape for my age. He said down the road I may be looking at removing part of my colon or all of it and hooking up the small intestine. But "were not there yet" he says! What the ####?? Is he nuts? I didn't have anything else wrong apparently. I'm IBS-C and alternating severe D.What helps better for constipation, metamucill or citracel?Aloe Vera Juice? Prune Juice? Anyone else with similar experience or long colon? I've had severe IBS problems for a year and a half. Even though I was diagnosed several years ago.thanks


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## Isis5244 (May 4, 2003)

Surgery?!! Doesn't make sense to me either. "Long colon" doesn't sound like a diagnosis, certainly not one requiring surgery. Did the doctor see some kind of inflammation? That would indicate something other than, or in addition to IBS, which is a functional problem and not a degenerative disease. I think I'd find another doctor. I'm IBS-C, diagnosed about a year ago. I don't know how these things would work for you, given that you alternate with D. Everyone is different, but here's how it's been for me, maybe some of it will be useful to you...What seems to work best is a daily combination of things: 1) lots of soluable fiber 2) some type of stool softener 3) lots of water. 4) exercise5) osmotic type laxative like milk of magnesia,only if I can't keep symptoms under control with the other things.It's very common for any of these things to stop working after a while, so I keep a list of soluable fiber sources and stool softeners, switching to different combinations of things periodically. I'm very wary of snake oil disguised and cleverly marketed. I only put things on my lists that I can find valid evidence for, or that make sense to me based on fact. When I'm desperate for relief though there is a real tempation to try just about anything, but the fear of doing more harm than good in the long run always stops me. Dependancy and side effects would only complicate an already unpredictable picture. I also try very hard to introduce only one new thing at a time. The fewer variables I add to the mix, the easier it is to sort out what works and what doesn't.To answer your questions: Metamucil worked great for me but caused lots of gas, so I switched to Citrucel, which stopped working after a while, so now I make sure to have Oat Bran Cereal (hot) every morning.Aloe Vera works like a stimulant laxative, I wouldn't use it on a daily basis because with a chronic condition like this it's too easy to become dependant. I would use an osmotic laxative like milk of magnesia for 1-3 nights before I would use any kind of stimulant. While dependancy is still possible, it's a lot less likely with an osmotic.I recently added a daily glass of prune juice to my routine. The effect has been inconsistent. At first 8 oz was too much and 4 oz not enough. 6oz worked well for about a week, now it 's not working at all any more even with 8oz. I keep trying to stay a step ahead of it by changing what I do at the first sign that something is losing its effectiveness, it's a definitely a challenge. Things can get bad very fast, giving me no alternative but to use a laxative.


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## Tiss (Aug 22, 2000)

I also have a extra long colon. I haven't found answers to the questions though about whether it affects C or not. There are actually several people on this BB that have been told they have long colons. I've always been C so I presume that having a long colon has something to do with the constipation however my GI doc said it did not. My doctor did not tell me about having parts of my colon removed so I'm curious about why your doc thinks parts of your colon need to be removed at some point.


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## blw911 (Jul 18, 2002)

Good question, I'm going to have to do some follow up with him to see the reasons for removing part of a colon or all of it. It didn't really get into the reasons. Plus I want to ask some other Dr.'s to see what there opinion is??


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## blw911 (Jul 18, 2002)

Thanks for your advice/help. The Dr. didn't really explain well why he said having part or all of my colon removed down the road. I'll have to do some follow up and get some more explaination out of him. I want some other Dr. opinions also. He didn't find anything serious during the colonoscopy, other than things looked irritated and he mentioned I have a long colon.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I'm not sure you can always conclude that the colon became longer because it was in bad shape.I think part of the problem is that you find anatomically abnormalities in both people without symptoms and people with and so it isn't clear that the anatomy is causing the symptoms.Now I do tend to think that sometimes when problems arise it may be that people with extra colon have more problems than normal colon (more to be problematic) but I don't have any data for that see http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=AN00239 K.


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## Guest (Jun 1, 2003)

A long colon is no "biggie". However, most likely what he encountered during the scope was a very flexible transverse colon which can "sag" downwards quite a ways when it wants to. Like almost down to the pubic bone when it usually runs across your waistline. The colon is kind of like a stretchable hose, you know, the kind that has like "ribs" in it and those ribs smooth out when you stretch the hose.Me thinks you need better communication from and with your gastroenterologist. What you've said he described sounds more like Inflammatory Bowel Disease - IBD. That could be Ulcerative Colitis, Indeterminate Colitis or Crohn's Colitis. Prepare a list of questions that you have for him and take the list and a small handheld tape recorder with you the next time you go to see him. Ask your questions, tape your entire conversation with him so you will have it to refer back to. Did he take any biopsies or pictures during your colonoscopy? Did he show them to you? Go over them with you to explain them? Ask him to do so.


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## Guest (Jun 1, 2003)

Sorry. I jumped the gun a bit. Irritated doesn't necessarily mean there were any ulcerations or scarring which would be indicative of IBD.However, the fact that he went so far as to say surgery was down the road for you leads me to believe he strongly suspects IBD as the source of the "irritation" he found.Excellent idea to get at least one other opinion. Take a list of questions and your tape recorder. Sometimes there is so much to absorb in the short time allotted to our office visits we don't catch everything we are told or tend to forget some of it. The recorded conversation can refresh your memory.


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## passionflower (Feb 1, 2003)

My colonoscopy showed a too long colon, too. My GI, who I really respect, said a long colon is curlier and has more kinks/bends to it and probably contributes to my pain/discomfort with IBS. When I asked if he couldn't just remove part of the colon so it wouldn't be so kinky, he said, "no". He did not recommend it. I'm 39. I was 37 or so when I had the colonoscopy and I suffer a lot of pain, but, this guy who I understand from a nurse friend is really a great GI did not recommend it. I'd get a second opinion.


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