@complete_bowel_cleansing said
From my experience you will not be able to train your bowels through the use of enemas to be more regular, but in swallowing a good dose castor oil twice the week this one will be possible.
@complete_bowel_cleansing said
You are wrong, for castor oil will not be metabolized in the human body. By the gall and the excretement of the pancreas castor oil will be splitted in ricinoleic acid and glycerine. The ricinoleic acid will activate the passive histamines in the intestines, so the peristalsis will begin. In the case that with the gall will be excreted toxins deposed in the liver there will occur the synthesis of the prostaglandines E2 (PGE2) with a massive cramping of the bowels.
That's ridiculous. If your bowel was actually "trained to become regular" you would be able to stop taking the castor oil and you would be regular.
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@gwhap said
That's not "training your bowels" - isn't taking castor oil just another mechanism to make you poop? Like taking a laxative or an enema? There are lots of articles about bowel retraining on the internet -- I haven't seen any that advocate enemas, laxatives, or castor oil.
That is absolutely correct. Your bowel only becomes "trained" if you can STOP taking various things that will make you defecate.
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@greg said
Yes, enemas are very effective in training your bowels and it is now the medically recommended procedure for neurogenic bowels for Spina Bifida, severe SCI and a few others. Please note that adding fiber to your diet with most bowel issues is the last thing you want to do. The medical equipment companies have jumped right in with lots of really expensive products to bill back to your insurance company, Peristeen Pump System from Colplast is the current popular unit but also the P.I.E. system and the cheaper system which is the Cone Enema which can be purchased on Amazon. The programs start with a 'clean out' using either enemas or heavy does of Miralax over 2-3 days and then daily enemas with the possibility of moving to an every other day enema. The goal is that you will only go with the enema remaining continent in between. The myth that you can't go back to being regular is just a myth and not based on actual science. Your bowels will more than likely return to the same messed up place they were when you started. It is not a cure but a way of maintaining an otherwise difficult situation. There is anecdotal evidence that this method can be used with other bowel disorders. . . .
Enemas, peristeen and PIE are good for cleaning out the colon so you can go about your daily activities and not have to worry about being incontinent, but all they do is mitigate the problem of fecal incontinence. They do not teach the colon to become regular.
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@gwhasp said
Interesting - do you have a reference for this?? Anal irrigation to relieve/release bowels for spinal injuries isn't really "training" - it's relieving. From what I see on the internet - anal irrigation is one method for bowel relief - I didn't see any article that claimed enemas were the medically recommended procedure for neurogenic bowel issues.
The bowel is only "trained" if you can STOP taking enemas, castor oil, miralax or any other material and you become and stay regular.
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@Rock49 said
I was doing enemas on a daily basis to the point of enema dependency. I weaned myself off of them with the help of miralax. Now I do enemas just weekly. Mostly back to normal now.
Mirtalax is helpful because it is NOT a stimulant. It only serves to bring water into the colon which makes a softer stool which is easier to pass. Miralax is probably the best thing to help train your colon, but even so, some people may need the help of miralax because they have a slow colon and are continuously constipated. In any case, taking weekly enemas does NOT mean you are regular or your colon is trained. You are only trained if you can stop taking miralax or enemas on any schedule. Miralax is a good way to MITIGASTE the problem of irregularity or constipation but it is NOT A CURE. If you are "trained" and no longer need to take enemas, miralax or castor oil. Then and only then are you cured.
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@complete_bowel_cleansing said
I suppose that doing enemas on a daily basis will be better for you than taking miralax.
NO IT ISN'T.
SEE ABOVE.
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Just to be clear, I do not have any colon problems. I love enemas for fun and I recognize what they can do and what they cannot do. You can train you colon to become regular by eating properly (enough fiber) having enough exercise, and drinking sufficient fluids to keep the stools soft enough to easily pass. Anything else is just using a crutch to make you defecate.