Colon Bursting

Not sure i believe those who have gallon enemas or god knows how many quart enemas...........

Sirwilliam-- All I ever do is 4 quart enemas and I have survived.

hankb

My hubby injured his colon last winter while taking a four-quart enema. But it wasn't the volume that was the problem. He used a colon tube, and apparently while inserting it, snagged an unknown diverticulum. It did not perforate into the abdominal cavity, but it did tear a little artery in his colon lining. Because his cardiologist had him on a new blood thinner for which there was no immediate antidote, he bled uncontrollably from his rectum. Finally the surgeon told him he was going to bleed to death if he didn't have surgery. He did, which has left him with a temporary stoma that is an incalculable misery. Details in my blog if you'r interested. As other posters have said, this is not something you will ever want to do again.

I will not be dismayed form my lifelong enjoyment of "biggies" but I am now concerned about the safety of that narrow silicone tube. I bought a softer and large-diameter one just to be safe.

Hugs,

Diane

My hubby injured his colon last winter . . . . his cardiologist had him on a new blood thinner for which there was no immediate antidote,. . . .

Diane

Was he on pradaxa or similar medication?

Susie, yes, he was on Xarelto. Previously he had been on warfarin, (the generic of Coumadin) with it's associated frequent blood tests to adjust the INR level. The Xarelto was much easier to take, had less bruising, had all sorts of advantages. But in his time of need, the docs could not come up with an effective enough antidote to keep him from continuing to bleed, and so he ended up with surgery he might not have needed if he had been on coumadin. So now he's back on coumadin, so if there is a need supposedly there is a ready antidote to reduce the blood thinning effect.

Susie, yes, he was on Xarelto. Previously he had been on warfarin (the generic of Coumadin) with it's associated frequent blood tests to adjust the INR level. The Xarelto was much easier to take, had less bruising, had all sorts of advantages. But in his time of need, the docs could not come up with an effective enough antidote to keep him from continuing to bleed, and so he ended up with surgery he might not have needed if he had been on coumadin. So now he's back on coumadin, so if there is a need supposedly there is a ready antidote to reduce the blood thinning effect.

One of my friends was on Pradaxa and she almost died because the had a bleed they couldn't control because it has no antidote. She went through several units of blood transfusions to save her life. She is on coumadin now.

That is why I think coumadin/warfarin is better and safer than Xarelto and Pradaxa. Coumadin is more annoying to take with all the tests and diet restrictions, but there are definitely antidotes to coumadin. Depending on the severity of bleeding, Vitamin K may be able to treat it, but if is more severe, you may need plasma containing clotting factors, and if really severe, like my friend's case, you may need whole blood and additional clotting compounds to counteract the blood loss.

Ruptured colon is well-known to doctors as a complication of enemata. However it rarely happens in a normal colon or rectum. The reported incidents concern existing pathology, eg carcinoma of the colon, colitis such as Crohn's Disease, or more commonly ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis or occasionally appendicitis. Rupture of diverticulae is not uncommon in the elderly, without needing the aggravation of an enema - it can occur spontaneously.

So it sounds like large volume enemas, colon tubes, and preexisting conditions are the most common things everyone has mentioned below regarding possible rupture problems. A couple people have mentioned retention nozzles as things they would avoid. Is that only with large volume enemas? What about retention nozzles with only 2 quarts? I do that regularly, and assuming my colon is in tip top shape, am I opening myself to possible problems? Thanks.

^^^^ NO.

Thanks Susie, I was hoping you'd answer. I recently bought a quite large plug (for me anyway) that when I put it it I really don't know if I could get it out with pulling on the base. I'm interested in trying to insert it while holding 2 quarts but was curious if that was wise. I didn't think 2 quarts would do anything since people use retention nozzles all the time. I figured it wouldn't be an issue for me, and your two cents makes me feel even better about it. Thanks Susie!

You're welcome!

I will concur with others who have posted on this thread. You need to listen to your body and never advance anything (colon tube or toy) if you feel pressure or pain. I have a 48 fr colon tube 36 inches long that I can get no further than about 12 to 14 inches before I feel pressure and a slight poking pain. That's it I don't go any further. I can insert my 26 fr 30 inch tube to its full length almost every time but not 100% of the time.

I am definitely into the pleasure side of enemas so that is why I do my enemas in the tub. I fill and expel continuously with the colon tube in so I never let the pressure build up but I do stop the flow of water when my colon begins to fill up into the upper colon. Then I let the water work its way down. I rarely have cramps and I go slow.

I think injury is always a possibility but if you pay close attention to what you are physically feeling during your enemas you can do them safely and enjoy them for a lifetime.