Drugstore enema aisle

I remember going into a local chain store pharmacy, seeing a bin with enema nozzles, they had price stickers, not in bubble packs. There were replacement hoses, etc, that's all gone. By today's standards, the bar code would not have fit on that tiny price sticker.

When this virus is over We should come out of the closet. We are older now and talk to pharmacists at and tell them they need a better selection of enema gear. Tell them while you were in lockdown the need for enemas was in demand in your household for bowel care of elderly family members.

Doesn’t it boil down to supply and demand. 60-70 years ago there was a lot of demand as a medical need. Today it’s mostly fetish which is a much smaller group. Drugstores want to maximize shelf space for items that turnover. The internet offers a vast selection.

Won't it be cool if we all had a way to identify ourselves as being enema devotees.... Something only obvious to us, like wearing a red button or something..... be great to walk down the feminine hygiene (enema isle) in a store and see a fellow enema lover..

I talked to Dad, He is working from his own memory growing up as a young male straight kilsmo before anyone ever heard of klismophelia. As Dad said, " That's actually a good thing. Even if they had known what Klismophelia was, they would have thought it was some weird form of school what they used to call then "Latent homosexuality" which seemed to be a catch phrase especially among school"Guidance Councillors"Who, in those days were less about academic advising and more about solving "discipline-related attitude problems" like HIM, or as his father put it, "Sidewalk psychiatrists." They would have "Gone off the deep end" as he put it had they known!

and he says that in the mid 1970s the stores didn't so much have an "enema aisle" so much as a Rubber products aisle, occasionally even marked as such. It would be where you would find stuff like (usually only one of each par store) "Combination Douche-Enema Syringe And Water Bottle" a "Douche Enema Syringe" (open top) "Hot Water Bottle" something called a "Conversion Kit" which was a box exactly like the one the syringes came in, but it had no water bottle It was made to convert a hot water bottle to a syringe. Then there were all the bulbs, every thing from a "children's" enema bulb, (4oz)

"Adult enema Syringe" usually 6 oz with a nozzle that was identical to the ones in all those other syringe boxes.

A "Douche Bulb" which had the 5-inch curved, thicker, "banana" nozzle, that just by chance had the exact same thread pattern as the hose stoppers and regular stoppers in the enema gear.

There were also breast pumps of all kinds, from about the size of those douche bulbs to fully electric models with timers, whatever the hell THAT was supposed to be about. Then there were all sorts of ear syringes, nose syringes and other strange stuff he can't even remember. (it'd been 40+years by then) and all the kinds of douche mixtures. Masengill powder, jar and packets in similar size boxes, bigger jars of Massengill and several other brands that haven't been seen in forever. Says there were so many I would "freak out." There was Massengill liquid concentrate usually on the shelf below, along with several other now-disappeared brands Including a Betadine Douche!

There was a product called "Norforms" that was a vaginal insert similar to a suppository that was supposed to be an effective substitute for a douche which my Mom tried to use a time or two and which she said, "Set my vagina on fire! A fire that took 20 minutes to put out and a couple of hours to feel just OK again!" There was a collection of creams and lotions. Everything from creams and jellies that were supposed to make a diaphragm more effective to KY jelly to some other pretty strange things. I checked, miconozol nitrate for yeast infection was only on prescription back then, so while some were likely sold supposedly to treat yeast infections, you have to question their effectiveness.

Often that aisle was right across from where the tampons and pads were sold.

The laxatives were sold in a section where all the cold, and pain pills were

So no rel "enema aisle" specifically, but a strange trip compared to today's drug stores.

I do walk down the laxative and feminine hygiene isles in today's drug stores. As LisaK relates, I do recall the syringe and water bottle displays in small town drug stores in the 50's and 60's. I was unable to get much time alone to wonder through a drug store as I lived in a small town where everyone knew everyone. I would enjoy the Sears, Wards and Penneys catalogs particularly the bulb enema and douche syringes. I was fascinated by the large bulb and large curved nozzle. I was very careful with the pages so they didn't show overuse relative to the toy section of the catalogs. Sorry this is a bit off topic.

I remember in the mid 60s I went to a drug store and they had a aisle that was just enema stuff. Any kind of fittings you could think of to make up enema equipment. No longer the case now.

Here in Houston, you've got about 3--4 named drug store choices + the grocery store OTC lanes. No old style enema bags. The disposable enema bags available at the pharmacy counter.Mostly the squeeze bottle type on the OTC shelves. Some stores do not carry the pediatric type which maybe a bit of "correctness"going on. Anyway I would never buy one--too irritating and have effectiveness issues.

I remember in the mid 60s I went to a drug store and they had a aisle that was just enema stuff. Any kind of fittings you could think of to make up enema equipment. No longer the case now.

Those were the days! That magical aisle, where I'd walk down and try to sneak unnoticed looks at what was there. Like a moth drawn to flame, the rush of the embarrassment would bring me back to that aisle and I felt compelled to be seen buying something I had seen there. A strange addiction.

Brings back memories, walking through the feminine hygiene aisle to see if anything has changed, or looking through a newly received Sears catalog, as a kid, for the same items.

Back in the day, the foundation wear section was followed by the enema bag section if memory serves me. No wonder I find both girdles and enema bags exciting!

I love to walk the enema aisle better after work when still in uniform.

At all the drugstores I went , none have a enema aisle here.....u can find just suppos.

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Za

I may have told this before, but shortly after being married we moved to a suburban area that grew around a small rural town. There was a family owned drugstore with some really interesting things. They had several types of bags, like combination, open top, folding latex, and a type of combination ice cap and syringe that looked like a blue pumpkin . They had several types of enema bulbs and douche bulbs. They also had a bunch of small drawers with replacement items such as various douche and enema nozzles and hose clamps.

They did have a few disposable enemas too, like the Fleet and one that looked like a big toothpaste tube with an enema nozzle. Curious, I had to try it. It was a saline enema just like a Fleet but a different package.

I have not seen anybody with a selection like that since then. These days maybe you find a combination syringe in the feminine hygiene aisle, and disposable enemas like the Fleet and their store brand, and some glycerin or Dulcolax suppositories. How boring.

I always take the opportunity to see what's on the enema aisle. It's also nice to see who else might be shopping on that aisle. I do miss the Sears catalog what a selection of bulbs bags and nozzles.

Understand though in those "good old days" many young girls, including my own mother and her sister were pressured by their own mothers to douche when they did not for all the world want or need to, and left to their own devices would not have.

Some from their mother's generation still believed the old wives tale that "you shouldn't bathe on your period. Imagine being told THAT in the middle of a Southern summer!!

As Dad said to me around that time in my life. "Don't let anybody kid you at any given time there is a whole lot more blood than THAT going into the public sewer system!

Doesn’t it boil down to supply and demand ... Drugstores want to maximize shelf space for items that turnover.

I agree.

Enemas are not a common household item nowadays in the USA, and many other places. Theories as to why this is the case have been discussed elsewhere on Zity.

Enemas are enjoyed by fetishists and employed in alternative medicine; for these niche markets, a plethora of enema equipment is available on the Internet.

I've noticed over the last year or so the drugstores all seem to have dropped the combination enema/douche bag fountain syringe sets from their inventory. I read somewhere it was due to pressure from the drug companies so they could sell more purgative laxative items. Don't know if that is correct. Lately, (last couple of months) they seem to be back in a few Walgreens and CVS stores but at a price three times what they were ($18.99 vs. $5.99 before). So maybe it's just a supply vs. demand type of thing. I know I sure have a demand!!! How about the rest of you?

I would agree that pharmaceutical companies would put pressure on the manufacturers of hot water bottles or combination syringes not to produce them in abundance. This would expand a money making avenue to expand the use of pills and medications at elevated costs. Lets face it, we are in a pill medication society. This was also born out of convenience. We have became a lazy society. If I am constipated or uncomfortable, instead of taking a pill and have severe cramps after waiting a while for it to work, It is easier and more rewarding and gentle to be filled with some warm soapy water and after about ten minutes, you will feel better. I also feel the use of enemas are a healthier alternative to the use of chemicals. My 2 cents worth.

Understand though in those "good old days" many young girls, including my own mother and her sister were pressured by their own mothers to douche when they did not for all the world want or need to, and left to their own devices would not have.

My sister was shown how to douche and give herself an enema by our RN grandmother before she got her period. She told my brother an I about it, because she knew about grandma showing my brother an I how to do enemas the year before. She had been very curious about why grandma, took both of us to the bathroom and stayed so long, an asked us what happened. We told her what took place, an a year later, when she was taken to the bathroom by our grandmother, we ask her what happened. She told us, what grandma had shown her. The enema part we knew about, the douching part and why, was new to us. She told us, grandma demonstrated how to douche, then she had to douche herself to show grandma she knew how. Once done, she said, grandma explained it was her personal choice whether she choose to douche or not. I can state from personal knowledge, douching was something my sister enjoyed doing. My brother an I found out a year or so later, our sister had tried douching a few times before grandma explained it to her, just like we had all tried giving ourselves enemas before being shown. We were kids being curious about our bodies and how they worked.

I always do this, with the really remote chance that a woman would be looking for the same thing, and that a conversation about the items might lead to other things!

I almost always cruise the laxative/enema aisle whenever I am in a drugstore to see if there is anything new or unusual. The best were the small town independent stores because the chains like Walgreens or CVS usually all have the same stuff. I would buy a new bag or bulb just because it was a brand or type I had not seen before. Often it turned out to be a private label of a Faultless or Davol. Over the years the selection and quality have both gone to hell. Many of my purchases went straight to the garbage bin after one use because the bag, hose, or nozzles were worse than what I had and not worth saving.

Before I retired, I travelled some and if I was alone would take the rental car to find a place to buy a bag or bulb knowing I would probably toss it in the morning. The 10 bucks spent was cheaper than sitting in a bar, and it kept me out of trouble.

I get hard looking at the enemas at walgreens

In Italy in big supermarkets you can find enema bags and syringes for injection... A sort of paradise!

I don't even bother walking down the"enema aisle"anymore because it doesn't exist in any store. The best I can do is to walk down the "feminine hygiene"but I don't see any earth-shattering products there either.

This isnt exactly enema aisle stuff, but fairly recently i was in a local supermarket that has its own chemists / pharmacy section, and as i walked past, there was a youngish girl, maybe 20 , if that, and i half overheard her asking for something to make her poop, the female behind the counter didnt seem to be able to supply what she wanted, i wish i had the nerve to move closer to hear everything, if i didnt have a partner i would probably have spoken to her, who knows what might have happened.....

@ 183... years go here in UK, someone tried to get everyone into enemas to wear some sort of badge, it was a man who wrote letters in Forum magazine, that mag had a heavy leaning towards enemas, but i dont recall his idea getting anywhere.

Like RedBulb99 said: Before I retired, I travelled some and if I was alone would take the rental car to find a place to buy a bag or bulb knowing I would probably toss it in the morning. The 10 bucks spent was cheaper than sitting in a bar, and it kept me out of trouble.

My job also had some travel associated with it, sometimes in a group, sometimes alone. I learned early that a single woman sitting alone in the hotel bar was a target for many different things. Since I was happily married and not looking to complicate things I often found spending the evening in my room with a bag was the safe way to go. Sometimes that did include a trip to a local drugstore to buy an inexpensive bag knowing I would throw it away when I leave for home. I wonder how many enema bags the maids cleaning hotel rooms find in an average day or week?

I have found that the quantity of stuff varies between stores, even the chain stores. The management might have some say about that, based on previous sales. I found a local independent recently had yellow Cara bags & white bulbs off & on. The supply varies so they must sell. The Cara bulbs are USA made but the bag kits are from China.

I too traveled frequently during my career days and preferred those evening cleansing enemas in the hotel room over the lobby bar scene. Back in those days (late 80's, early 90's) just about every drugstore stocked the Fleet Bagenema that was an inexpensive throwaway. Today even those are nowhere to be found.

Like RedBulb99 said: Before I retired, I travelled some and if I was alone would take the rental car to find a place to buy a bag or bulb knowing I would probably toss it in the morning. The 10 bucks spent was cheaper than sitting in a bar, and it kept me out of trouble.

Wow! Bet those were some good bags!

Whenever I traveled someplace I would look for any place where I could buy enema items.. I did not toss out what I purchased when I got home; instead I went through cycles of purging the collection of bags I had purchased in a misguided attempt at giving up taking enemas and buying enema bags. Finally got wise in my mid-40's and resigned myself to who I was.