Have YOU EVER HAD a Medically Important Side Effect of Enemas

I can't help but wonder how many people HAVE ACTUALLY HAD A MEDICALLY IMPORTANT side effect they warn about. This might include cardiac irregularity, dehydration, verified electrolyte imbalance, syncope, severe dizziness NOT caused by postural hypotension when you get up going to the toilet, repeated vomiting, nausea lasting more than 15 minutes.

I am not interested in short lived transient effects.

Interestingly, when you google it, all the references relate to Fleet enemas.

I would estimate from the probably hundreds of thousands of enemas taken by members, probably EXTREMELY FEW side effects and statistically nowhere near enough to worry.

ONE TIME, I ate a large dinner before filling up with SSE. My vagus nerve must have gotten over stimulated. I felt nausea and threw up some in the bath tub. That taught me to not eat heavily before an enema.

Yes, I've had to pee many times after a flush out.

The folks who talk about enemas being a stress reliever must remember that when you MUST concentrate on holding all that water and not leaking, other worries take a back seat.

The only one of those I have never had is cardiac Arrhythmia. My father has that one. Whether it is traceable to an Epsom salt overdose, we don't know, but that IS the most likely explanation.

I don't think I've had actual vomiting last more than 20 minutes either.

The rest of those things are pretty routine.

The only side effect is that if I do very extensive enemas, it will take my system at least a day to recover which means I will not have regular BMs for the next one to two days after doing this type of enema session. You could say this is a case of constipation due to the enemas but I really see it as a kind of system re-boot. When my system recovers in day two or three I feel like I am in a better more comfortable place than before my enema session.

I will say that I have been doing enemas since age 13 and have certainly built quite a database of knowledge. When I do enemas, I like to think I stay within the comfortable boundaries of how my body tolerates them and benefits from them. I separate these extensive enema sessions by about a week, which is where I found my body responds the best. If I were to do enemas more frequently than about a week a part, then I think I could become dependent on them to have BMs which I would consider a problem.

So in general terms, I think it really comes down to the frequency and volume of your enemas that could result in a medical issue- if you over do it, then problems could happen.

Having taken enemas for a long time, I bet all of us have had some very mild side effects but I for one have never had any that were "MEDICALLY IMPORTANT". I agree that these effects are probably extremely rare.

I myself have not had any problems from enemas. I did see a patient who had ruptured her sigmoid colon from a very large enema with a retention device. She presented with profound abdominal pain, absent bowel sounds and a rigid board like abdomen. At laparotomy she had a large amount of feces floating in the peritoneal cavity. She was shocky and septic. She had the peritoneum flushed with many liters of saline with antibiotics and had a diverting colostomy. She had a very rocky course and nearly died. She left the hospital after a couple of months. Beware!

No notable side effects for me after fifty years of occasional enemas. I don't overdo it on volume, most of the time I use plain warm water, occasionally with a little salt or glycerin.

I did see a patient who had ruptured her sigmoid colon from a very large enema with a retention device. She presented with profound abdominal pain, absent bowel sounds and a rigid board like abdomen. At laparotomy she had a large amount of feces floating in the peritoneal cavity. She was shocky and septic.

Egad. I can't help but wonder if encountering all those kind of horrid, grisly things doesn't put you off of medfet entirely. For me it would take any pleasure right out of the game.

My question about enimas is since I do a body detox three times daily, would I be able to take a faster enima or not? I have never done an enima but do believe in proper colon cleansing. Also, would enimas help with digestive issues? I have problems with digestion and take digestive enzymes. I want to be safe while doing enimas. Also, how often does one do them?

I have been into enemas for over 50 years, and have never experienced a problem. The side effects noted seem more applicable to chemical laxative enemas. I have never heard of soapsuds, glycerine, or salt and baking soda causing problems. I DO recommend limiting the number of enemas in a session, especially if using plain water. These can leach important electrolytes.

No, been into enemas for many years and never a problem.

I did see a patient who had ruptured her sigmoid colon from a very large enema with a retention device.

As a frequent user of a retention nozzle this scares me.

What things can be done to prevent this? Obviously being aware of not using too large a volume for your individual anatomy is one thing. Is there something specific to the use a retention nozzle though?

I ask as I really enjoy having my nozzle hold really tough enemas in when I'm cramping like mad. However, I don't want to injure myself so knowing how far to push it is important! All advice greatfully received.

It's the large volume held under pressure, not a smaller/normal volume of a hard to hold solution that is potentially dangerous in causing a rupture or perforation.

It's the large volume held under pressure, not a smaller/normal volume of a hard to hold solution that is potentially dangerous in causing a rupture or perforation.

How large are we talking here? I can comfortably do 3 litres and often 4 with proper prep. More than that I've never tried.

If you can do 3 liters without retention nozzles you won't rupture anything. The problem is when you try to increase your volume with retention nozzles that you couldn't hold on your own or try to force in colon tubes that you can run into very big problems--surgery, colon repairs, colostomy, peritonitis, death etc. Actually, my saying etc after "death" is kind of unnecessary. 😁

A couple of quarts of Milk and molasses, which can be hard to hold won't rupture anything, although it will make strong cramps and some people nauseated.

Be careful with high pressures and also things such as colon tubes which can perforate the gut. A large amount of liquid would be extravasated into the peritoneal cavity and the ensuing peritonitis would be disastrous. Even a perforated diverticulum would allow enough fluid into the peritoneum to cause a lot of harm.

@Switchablesusie @liquidsky

Thanks for the feedback on my question. Really useful to know. Although I'm interested in colon tubes I'm in no hurry to try them out bearing in mind the risks.

I've suffered from an anal fissure - not positive that is due to my enema habit, but it could be. I've never indulged in a great deal of anal play otherwise - nothing bigger than a douche bulb nozzle - so my guess is my issue likely is related to enemas.

The fissure then led to an abscess inside my rectum with which I had a hell of a time with diagnosis - many exams, I colonoscopy, etc. - and a couple of months living with the pretty intense pain. Finally, one day I couldn't take any more on the drive into work - literally on my 40th birthday - and rerouted to the ER. An MRI finally found the abscess, and I had to go under general anesthetic to drain it. I ended up having to have that procedure done 4 more times over that next year, but it FINALLY didn't come back. Miserable times.

Moe relax. I would doubt very much that your fissure was the result of taking enemas. Fissures usually are from passing large or bulky stools. It sounds as if you might have had a fistula which forms when a small abscess in the crypts just inside the anus tunnels to the outside. I'm sorry you had the abscess. They are no fun. I always am sympathetic to patients who have them.

I've heard of people harming themselves with enemas, but fiound most prolems were caused by doing something stupid. I've never had a problem, and have received, and later given, enemas since age 4 yrs. I suppose that some soaps might cause an allergic reaction, and know that several plain water enemas will deplete electrolytes (stupidity).

that several plain water enemas will deplete electrolytes (stupidity).

That problem is ridiculously overstated by people.

If that were a real problem, people having colonic irrigations would be landing in the ER all the time, the states would closing down colon irrigation establishments and that clearly is NOT happening.

Now, what you would say about DEATH from enema side effects ? I experienced very near miss in 2014 when a blood wessel opened up a fraction in my brain, sheding few precious drops of blood. It felt like big burst in my head, with loss of sound for a few seconds and panic afterwards. The resultant headache, temperature rise and vomiting and spinal stiffness made me deaf in left ear .

Now, after two full years I can confess that it was due to cold water enema under pressure, but I concealed the fact from doctors back then. Turned out that I have inheritent weak spot in blood "tube" in my brain. They offered me brain surgery, but I refused firmly.I regained ability to walk&talk in few weeks at home,without any medicine.

However I continued with enemas since then, just avoiding cold water and mechanical pressure. Must say that after that "near miss" I have less fun in sexuality and less fun in life too, but this is more for Psihology Corner..... Otherwise I agree that enemas cannot destroy your health more than smoking, drinking, wrong foods etc.. At least, average persons health.

Excuse me for my poor English.

It sounds like you had a wet stroke that had nothing to do with your enema. They just occurred at the same time.

It sounds like you had a wet stroke that had nothing to do with your enema. They just occurred at the same time.

By a wet stroke I surmise it is the same as an aneurysm, a burst blood vessel in an important part of the body?

If so, aren't aneurysms also known to occur from straining during a bowel movement? That is something I have read many times in any case. So wouldn't taking an enema under pressure produce somewhat similar 'straining' and rise in blood pressure?

Susie cerebral berry anuerysm rupture?? goood thing they ct'd him clot buster would have clearly killed him on the spot. could the enema increase his ICP enough to cause the blow out? Ive seen berry rupture from a very minor hit.

I am sure when people use extremely hot water, unsafe solutions, high pressure, they could do some real damage!!! Back in the late '80's early 90's during my "wild child better living through chemistry" phase, I did quite a few vodka enemas, mostly straight vodka, very little if any water.

I have never had a side effect or problem.

I think a lot of it is common sense. Too much of anything can be bad. Too much fluid, to fast a flow, too hot, too much soap. Most of these things will cause discomfort more than anything else. However, one thing to keep in mind and that is dehydration. Here again, common sense. Don't go out running in 95 degree heat and than come home and do two or three enemas. Wait a good long time, get hydrated and eat a good meal. Dehydration can lead to some fairly nasty side effects.