# Ive just had a colon transit study can anyone help me?



## freeme2 (Mar 16, 2011)

Hi everyone,hope you are all well,well as well as you can be suffering bowel problems,what i wanted to ask is has anyone else had a colon transit study also called shape test and sitz marker tests,as i have just had a colon transit study done and i asked the man who did the xray if i could have a look at my xray,all of the markers were still in my bowel none had come out so i have to go back on friday to have another xray,can anyone tell me what it means if all the markers are still in my bowel and none have come out??? ive been suffering badly for 5 years and am desprate if anyone can give me some advice.hope to hear soon,thanks.x


----------



## Mary5 (Apr 17, 2006)

It means you have SLOW TRANSIT CONSTIPATION. You may be a candidate for surgery. You will have to discuss with a recto-colon surgeon.


freeme2 said:


> Hi everyone,hope you are all well,well as well as you can be suffering bowel problems,what i wanted to ask is has anyone else had a colon transit study also called shape test and sitz marker tests,as i have just had a colon transit study done and i asked the man who did the xray if i could have a look at my xray,all of the markers were still in my bowel none had come out so i have to go back on friday to have another xray,can anyone tell me what it means if all the markers are still in my bowel and none have come out??? ive been suffering badly for 5 years and am desprate if anyone can give me some advice.hope to hear soon,thanks.x


----------



## freeme2 (Mar 16, 2011)

Mary5 said:


> It means you have SLOW TRANSIT CONSTIPATION. You may be a candidate for surgery. You will have to discuss with a recto-colon surgeon.


----------



## freeme2 (Mar 16, 2011)

i have been hoping i would have surgery as im desprate for my life back,thank you very much for your advice,have you had the colon transit study and surgery??


----------



## em_t (Jun 8, 2010)

Were the markers all over the bowel or all clumped together near the bottom - if the are scattered all round the bowel you have severe slow transit constipation whereas if they are concentrated near the rectum you may have slow transit coupled with outlet problems.


----------



## freeme2 (Mar 16, 2011)

em_t said:


> Were the markers all over the bowel or all clumped together near the bottom - if the are scattered all round the bowel you have severe slow transit constipation whereas if they are concentrated near the rectum you may have slow transit coupled with outlet problems.


----------



## freeme2 (Mar 16, 2011)

the markers where on the asending colon and desending colon there were none in the transverse colon or the sigmoid or the rectum,so what do you think this means?


----------



## freeme2 (Mar 16, 2011)

does anyone have an answer for my last post???


----------



## em_t (Jun 8, 2010)

I just recently had the transit study but my gastroenterologist has put me on a new medication to try and then wants to repeat it to see if it makes any difference. I doubt they would do the surgery on me because I'm only 24 and they usually only do it as a last resort. They won't just jump into surgery, you'll have to have testing done on your pelvic floor to make sure its working properly (otherwise the surgery will not be successful) and also studies on your small intestine to make sure there's no motility problems there.Let us know how you get on!


----------



## freeme2 (Mar 16, 2011)

Yes i have had this problem for over 5 years now and they just told me i had ibs but i have had other tests over the years i have had barium enema,barium swallow,camera down the throat,sigmoidoscopy and i had a polyp which they removed,ive had a wheat test,the barium swallow they had to roll a football on my tummy in the end as the barium liquid wasnt going through and i was the first one in and the last out,consultant said yes that was due to a bit oof slow transit plus i was told a year later after complaining of this unbearable pain in my stirnum through to my back that i had inflamation in my stomach,so this colon transit study is the test i had done today and i feel i have been treated badly as ive been left for this long and im in agony every day,so from what i told you about the markers what do you think?plus im having a test on my pelvic floor in a few months but i dont think there is any problem with that.


----------



## em_t (Jun 8, 2010)

I don't know but sounds like slow transit to me. They have to test your pelvic floor extensively because if you do have a problem even if you have a subtotal colectomy with ileorectal anastamosis you can still have problems with constipation. This can and has happened before. I know what its like to have doctors tell you its just IBS when you know it is something much more serious indeed - I've been in hospital once because of faecal impaction and had to give up my job because in so much pain these days. Even with laxatives I still have problems with constipation! I'm on sodium picosulphate everyday, which is quite a strong stimulant laxative and my GP keeps getting me to reduce the dose but without it I just don't go - during the transit test I didn't pass any of the markers either - though for me a week of not being on laxatives was actually a relief because I had a bit less nausea and less pain than usual. I've now been prescribed Resolor, a new drug which has apparently been showing promise - but I just feel my gut is so damaged nothing will work these days! What about you, you should talk to your GP or gastroenterologist about maybe going on a trial of it for a month to see if it makes a difference. Unfortunately for me, I do have problems with my pelvic floor as I have a suspected prolapse so for me surgery will not be a possibility. In saying that I wouldn't even mind having an ileostomy with a bag these days if it improved my symptoms because I am in so much pain and so ill these days.Anyway if you wanna have a wee chat or ask a few questions you can always send me a wee PM.Em xx


----------



## freeme2 (Mar 16, 2011)

Hi Em,thanks for the reply,i have already been on the resolor months ago and it did nothing for me,also i am on durogetic pain patches fentynl if you have ever heard of it its an opoid pain killer,no other pain killers worked for the pain so my consultant put me on that 3 years ago,plus i am also living on laxatives i cant live without them,my abdomin is constantly distended every day like im a heavy pregnant woman and i hate having to go out like it plus now im getting serious back pain,really cant go on like this,im desperate for surgery plus ive also had a hysterectomy 2 years ago due to a different health problem,so i think surgery is the way forward for me,just hoping that with all the markers in the xray they might give me the surgery.Im so sorry to hear your going through so much pain,i can really understand,hang on in there x.


----------



## em_t (Jun 8, 2010)

Hi, well my GP had never heard of Resolor when I asked her about it. She prescribed me it but wanted me to come off my laxatives whilst on it but because my symptoms have been so bad lately I wasn't able to but now restarting it with the laxatives. Would be a relief to even feel some movement in my bowel these days - I spend all day massaging my stomach with water bottles to try and get some movement! My GP refuses to give me anything for pain, saying to take paracetamol - well as we all know that's like putting a plaster on a gaping wound! But I might ask about the fentanyl patches, I have heard of them before but doubt they'll prescribe me anything. Do you sometimes get severe nausea with chronic constipation? At the moment I either have severe nausea after I eat or pain - don't know which is worse. The nausea isn't just feeling a bit queasy but the desire to bring the food back up but I rarely do. Its hard because at the moment I'm managing the pain by not eating very much. I don't have a great appetite anyway but I've lost quite a lot of weight, which I am concerned about but when I do try to eat I'm just left in pain or sick. At least now with the transit test they have to take you seriously. I wouldn't let you brush them under the carpet, I would ask about surgery otherwise they may just tell you to persevere with laxatives. Its great to hear from someone else who is going through the same thing - sometimes I feel so alone and wonder why this all happened - I was never constipated as a child and have never taken laxatives until I suffered from all this.All the best and take careEm xx


----------



## Mary5 (Apr 17, 2006)

Freemetoo,You are not alone !There are many of us out there with this same kind of scenario: slow transit and outlet problems.Unfortunately the only new medication out there is Resolor and it is very new (and not available in the US).In the meantime we just have to continue to try and use what has been out there forever, i.e. OTC laxatives, and keep trying to find something that will work for us.I have had this problem for 9 years now and it was only last year that I had the sitz marker and def tests (the gastro sent me to a colorectal surgeon who ordered them) that finally defined what the problem was: slow transit and outlet problem.Because of the outlet problem surgery is out. He sent me to physical therapy. For the first 30 days I thought I had gone to heaven and that my problems had been partially solved, I was having normal, painless BMs!!!!So I urge you to have the def test and go to therapy if necessary. Maybe this will work for you, maybe your body will be consistent.However, in my case, and as seems to be a recurring pattern, things started to slow down and slow down...and now I feel like I'm back to square one. Except that I know that the Monster is capable of working, only not in a sustained manner.I wonder if this means there is nerve damage and if there is any research or experimental stuff going on addressing this...Anyone?They tell me slow transit is a chronic condition and the outlet issue cannot be solved either, only improved....I can't imagine living like this for the rest of my life. But one must not lose hope. Give the Resolor a chance.name='em_t' timestamp='1300315048' post='824915']Hi, well my GP had never heard of Resolor when I asked her about it. She prescribed me it but wanted me to come off my laxatives whilst on it but because my symptoms have been so bad lately I wasn't able to but now restarting it with the laxatives. Would be a relief to even feel some movement in my bowel these days - I spend all day massaging my stomach with water bottles to try and get some movement! My GP refuses to give me anything for pain, saying to take paracetamol - well as we all know that's like putting a plaster on a gaping wound! But I might ask about the fentanyl patches, I have heard of them before but doubt they'll prescribe me anything. Do you sometimes get severe nausea with chronic constipation? At the moment I either have severe nausea after I eat or pain - don't know which is worse. The nausea isn't just feeling a bit queasy but the desire to bring the food back up but I rarely do. Its hard because at the moment I'm managing the pain by not eating very much. I don't have a great appetite anyway but I've lost quite a lot of weight, which I am concerned about but when I do try to eat I'm just left in pain or sick. At least now with the transit test they have to take you seriously. I wouldn't let you brush them under the carpet, I would ask about surgery otherwise they may just tell you to persevere with laxatives. Its great to hear from someone else who is going through the same thing - sometimes I feel so alone and wonder why this all happened - I was never constipated as a child and have never taken laxatives until I suffered from all this.All the best and take careEm xx[/quote]


----------



## em_t (Jun 8, 2010)

Hi Mary,I've just been prescribed Resolor by my gastroenterologist to see if it makes a difference to my constipation. I didn't pass any markers during my Colonic Transit test so he wants me to repeat it (which I am not happy about) to make see if it makes a difference to the result. I'm on a trial of it for a month and go for my transit test on the 15th April so will keep you posted. Its only a few days into taking it so can't tell whether its made a difference or not but will keep you informed! The only thing I can say is I got nearly every side effect on the patient information list - nausea, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, headache but true as form this was worst on the first day. I do think things are moving a bit faster, had a bit of diarrhoea on the first day and even felt hungry yesterday (perhaps a sign things are moving along!) but then again domperidone makes things feel like they're moving a bit faster in me as well.Wish me luck for the second transit test!


----------



## idkwia (Feb 26, 2009)

Freeme2 - your doctor may well be advised to order a defecating procotgram which will check that something isn't blocking your defecation such as a rectal intussusception (I had one of these). I understand that you are in Southampton where I believe they have a very good lady colorectal surgeon, her name is Karen Nugent. I have a download of a Radio 4 programme about constipation and in it they are talking to Karen Nugent and another doctor at the Southampton General Hopsital, if you send me a PM with your email address I will send you a copy of the proramme which you may find useful and perhaps want to contact the doctors on the programme.


----------



## freeme2 (Mar 16, 2011)

Hi i tried to send you my email but i cant get it through it says you cant except emails.


----------



## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Did you try the private message function?That is not the same as email. Private messages go just through the board.


----------



## freeme2 (Mar 16, 2011)

Yes that is what i tried,cant get a message through


----------



## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

If is says they cannot accept emails that is not the private message function, so I'm confused. Now their message box may be full, but that shouldn't give a cannot accept email warning. It would say they can't accept private messages instead, usually.A lot of people do keep the private message function working to get messages just on this site, but do not allow people to send something directly to their email.I sent a PM to both people to see if you get that. Let me know, if something isn't working we'll need to have Jeff check it out. Sometimes there can be a bug in the software.


----------



## freeme2 (Mar 16, 2011)

yep i have tried to send her a pm and it wont go through still,but thanks for testing it out,maybe later she will read this and will clear her messages so i can get through.


----------



## RainbowsPhoenix (Mar 15, 2016)

Hi, I am coming to an end of the colon transit study. I go for my xray tomorrow. I'm in a lot of pain as I have not gone to loo for seven days now after having to stop my toilet meds until after the xray. I have no idea what this may signify. They want me to have a barium drink and barium enema next month too. All I know at present is I'm bloated, full of gas, very painful and haven't opened my bowels for the time period I mentioned above. I'm scared stiff for when I do eventually go to loo, because I cannot pass hardly anything unless its fluid consistency, and considering I have had no toilet meds for nine days now, I seriously doubt anything will be fluid. I will have to start with the high dose picolax to help start things off but I'm scared. The picolax also makes me physically I'll with nausea, vomiting, dizziness, chills and feeling nasdty for two or three days after taking it.

I have had the odd bowel problem for years but things took a really bad turn for me when I was admitted for an emergency laparotomy for 10" small intestine being totally trapped and blocked by scar tissue. They decided not to do a resection as the tissue looked viable. Following the surgery I was very ill in hospital with an eight day ileous. They were talking about giving me TPN but decided against it. Two days after that I was discharged. Since then I have had massive problems. Unless I take meds to produce diahorrhea so I could go every three days or I don't go at all, become ill, have a ct in case its another blockage since my abdomen swells up as if I'm ten months pregnant. I then get told ct shows a backlog in the small colon but because its not surgical they discharge me and say "you know your laxatives better than us" I even had a colonoscopy which didn't show much but I found the test unbearable with severe rectal and abdominal pain.

I'm still having the same problems I also have horrendous nausea after eating for which I take two strong prescription meds. I'm now under a gastroenterologist at a different hospital who is trying to help me get to the bottom of my problems, pardon the pun. She organised blood tests, which for some reason resulted in me going on to folic acid, no idea why. She also organised the transit study which I mentioned earlier and the barium drink & barium enema next month.

Needless to say I'm hoping they can find a reason why I'm having these problems. I have been told for so long now that they can't find anything wrong with me in the bowel department so I must be some sort of hypochondriac. They haven't said it out loud but with a background in pre- hospital emergency care & instructor, I get their drift more than they realise. Luckily my husband and family know what it is like for me day to day and now I have found the links for this posting and for the ibsgroup site. Even though I have never been diagnosed with IBS it is good to know I'm not the only one having similar problems to me.if anybody on here doesn't mind, I would be greatful to anybody who can relate to me or has any ideas or advice. In the mean time i wish you all a pain free day. Thank you all. X


----------



## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

Hi

so very sorry you've been having so many many problems.

i've had two colon transit studies done and they sure are not fun are they, since we have to go off our laxatives during the test. like you, i did not have a BM either during the test. all the markers were still in my body when they did the x-rays. based on this my gastro doc dx'd me with slow colonic transit (colonic inertia).

the placement of the markers --mostly in the rectum and a bit higher--also indicated that i might have outlet problems such as pelvic floor dysfunction. so my gastro ordered another test--a defecogram-- defecatory procotgram--which confirmed this.

and like you, i dreaded the clean out after the marker tests because i was so very backed up and because all the laxatives i had to take to clean out--and they had me do a couple enemas as well because it was so bad--made me feel quite ill and nauseated. but i wanted to get the clean out done and over with because i knew once i cleaned out i would feel so much better afterwards. and i did.









so, if you can, just keep looking at the light at the end of the tunnel. yes, the test is sheer misery and the clean out isn't fun either but once you get cleaned out you'll feel better. and the test is a good one to have because it will show the doctor what is going on with you and it will prove that you're so definitely not a hypochondriac.

good luck with everything. take good care. xx


----------

