Colonic Inertia

Does anyone out there have colonic inertia?

dawolfe,

I had to google it but I do not have it. Perhaps another member will chime in here. The following is from the Medical University of South Carolina web site.

Colonic inertia is referred to as a motility disorder; that is, it is an abnormal passage of waste through the digestive system. Motility disorders are very common, especially problems associated with constipation and diarrhea. Walk down any drug store aisle and you will eventually be presented with many over-the-counter medications to correct these problems.

However, motility disorders may indicate a more complex problem. The function of the digestive tract may be impaired. Symptoms include:

constipation
diarrhea
abdominal pain and bloating
nausea and or vomiting
bloody disharge

More information can be found at http://ddc.musc.edu/public/diseases/colon-rectum/colonic-inertia.html

Bain

Hello dawolfe.  

Thank you for bringing this subject up as for some time now I had wondered whether this might be the reason it takes me so long to irrigate.

Like Bain, I Googled it but apart from the label 'colonic inertia' I was really none the wiser about my own situation.

One of the things that medics like to do is to give accurate labels to to things that are descriptive of what is happening. This is great when they also have adequate solutions to the problems caused but it is a bit frustrating when the label simply reiterates what we already know without pointing us towards a 'cure'.

I suspected something was wrong with my own digestive system long before I had the stoma and, when I had problems swallowing food, which would not go down the oesophagus, they did a series of tests, which resulted in them telling me that I had problems with my digestive motility (which I knew already!)and there was nothing they could do to put it right.

Of course, I would be very interested if anyone else has had this problem, especially if they have found a way to circumvent it.

Best wishes

Bill 

Hi dawolfe!

Yes, I have colonic inertia and it's the reason I now have an ileostomy.

Do you have an ostomy or is it a consideration?

I have had issues with chronic constipation for many years. Also have rectocele and other pelvic floor issues. Like the chicken/egg debate, not sure if one caused the other or even if related... but certainly painful. I tried laxitives, prescription medications, biofeedback what seemed like a million hopeful remedies. The final test was a sitz-marker test which indicated what should move through the digestive system in under 34 hours, took over 135 hours. My surgery was in Feb and has been a bit of adjustment - but, I'm happy I did it.

Let me know if you have any specific questions or if there is anything I can help with... even moral support :)

Vicki