Experience with Peristeen?
Does anyone here have any experience with long term use of Peristeen (or any other TAI system for that matter)? I have suffered with colonic inertia and chronic slow transit constipation for over half of my life. I was formally diagnosed about 15 years ago by a colonic transit time study, x-ray defecography and anorectal manometry. I have tried and failed prescription drugs and a wide variety of OTC laxatives. I am currently on a cocktail of bisacodyl tablets and Miralax, but that is hit or miss in terms of effectiveness. The next logical step in treatment, before resorting to surgery, would be a trans anal irrigation program.
I had a one-month trial of Peristeen a couple of years ago and found it effective in relieving my symptoms. Unfortunately, my health insurance declined coverage going forward for the consumable supplies. I did not feel that I could continue by paying out of pocket.
Over the past few years, the cost of the monthly consumables pack has come down considerably. I can now buy the 15 disposable catheters and water container for $234 US. I am willing to commit to Peristeen long term but was curious what other long-term users (more than a few months) have to say about their experience. In particular, I am interested in knowing whether the body builds up a tolerance, making the effectiveness wane over time. That has definitely happened to me with all manner of laxatives.