How often do you take an enema?

@peartree the “continuous drip of bile” mechanism story seems like it works for most people most of the time, so I’m sure it’s justified in its popularity. But in my new life without a gallbladder, as I run an uncomfortable N-of-one experiment every time I eat, drink, or give myself an enema (or don’t), I can tell it isn’t the only thing going on.

The other story that’s popular is that your liver will “learn,” over time, to better tailor how much bile is produced. I don’t know what feedback loops “teach” it, but I believe this, and believe it came into play well before my scarred and ultimately inflamed gallbladder was removed. My liver wasn’t compensating perfectly for a gallbladder that I bet was very poor at ejecting bile, but it did a pretty good job. Now, without the nonfunctional mess of my gallbladder in the way, it probably needs to re-tune its operations.

But that’s also not the only story that seems to matter for me.

There are even more variables, some that I’m still learning. Monthly female hormones seem to have some strong connection to this process; when my estrogen drops not as much bile goes where it needs to go. Caffeine seems to be a big player in forcing my liver to release more bile; a second cup of black tea is usually a recipe for GI pain and irritation. Too much insoluble fiber per meal seems to cause problems, too, which is lousy because I tend to love foods with insoluble fiber.

I suspect these are just a few of the other physiological and mechanical factors contributing to the release of bile and the ratio of bile to free fats in the small intestine.

I’m learning enemas seem to help only with the resulting constipation and the times when the flow of bile must be less than my digestion needs.

When my gut is very irritated with what I suspect is excess bile, I find it hard to retain an enema and now strongly suspect the enema itself causes the release of more bile. While those enemas feel good at first, I’m coming to think they may leave my colon feeling ultimately even more irritated. (Not to mention the spectacular accidents, which can leave my person feeling irritated at the cleanup. Had I not recently purchased a reusable absorbent mat, into which I quickly lost a good 700 mL of enema, I think I would have been scrubbing down half my bathroom floor last Saturday.)

So for now I’m using enemas before my period and after I’ve chowed down on a lot of insoluble fiber, but after very recent experimentation I’m thinking it’s best to abstain if I’ve had too much caffeine or otherwise have the feeling that excess bile is irritating my gut.

My next step will be to try adding some soluble fiber into the mix, which some gallbladderless people seem to recommend. For me all of this is still very much a work in progress.

Tagging @Iris1858 in the event any of this lands as useful for her.

For as much as we understand about the body, it is still an amazing mystery. Or at least mine is.

@Sweetest_Relief ". Enema Butler" .Love that term. How much does the job pay ?

@ronniewater that story is still in the imagination phase but my imaginary billionaire is thinking of a near six-figure salary, a flat fee for signing an all-important non-disclosure agreement, and small milestone payments for maintained discretion.

Not often enough but when either the mood moves me or I need one I find time alone

@Sweetest_Relief your observation about lack of holding power, due to gallbladder loss, gave me thought about how I noticed a change in my ability hold my enemas. I hadn't given it thought except for the noticing of the change from when I was younger but now with your astute observations my view that it is a result of "old man" problems has been relieved. 😜

I’ve been given many over the last few years, pretty much all coffee. How it started. Too much beer and. after a while, tenderness in my side.

My friend a nurse started me on the coffee enemas. Her first treatment , I had three 2qt bags which were given slowly then retained. Took like two hours. Finally after the routine was over, I was physically tired. I slept well. She stayed w/ me. The tenderness abated.

Forward to about a week ago. Had a physical w/ blood drawn. Two areas looked at by my primary: Fatty liver, triglycerides. I mentioned I tried coffee enemas. Her advice: You can take them if you want, but know it’s not mainstream medicine recommended and it can present risks. . Probably won’t help with the issues.

Stopped the beer. Will do the meds I’ve been given for 90 days, then be re -evaluated.

Will hold off on the coffee enemas too . If I am constipated, which really never happens I might grab the bag w/.warm tap water.

I’ll investigate other enema recipes too.

I posted question a while as to if studies on coffee enemas are / were done to determine their efficacy.

I think too often... I'm becoming dependent from it!

Now I think every 2 or 3 days...

It depends a lot... usually one every 10-15 days. I've been doing this since I was little.

Lately, I've been listening to my body much more and deciding when it's time to take one.

The amount varies, depending on how I feel.

During periods when I feel constipated, I increase the frequency, sometimes even one a day for 2-3 days.

Not often enough. With the increasing price of gas and food, enemas will soon be the only fill up we'll be able to afford.

I usually take enemas 2 or 3 times a week, but once in a while I'll take 2 or 3 enemas one after the other.