Enemas and fevers

When I was a kid sick at home, the minute my temperature reached 100.5 I was getting an enema. No way out of it. Doctor said a good enema or two would bring down my fever so into the bathroom I was marched to receive a big soapy enema. I never knew if it worked or not because eventually every fever breaks or you die. So, when the fever goes away, even if it’s 3 days later, Mom gave the enemas all the credit. Is there actually any medical data proving 2 qts of hot soapy water up your butt brings down a fever?

I think a cold bath would be more effective.

An enema may or may not bring down a fever, but it sure feels stimulating. Especially if given by a sweet young lady who enjoys giving then. DocHoliday (I haven't been here in a long time, glad to be back. Always happy to chat with the pretty ladies).

My sisters and I received herbal enemas when we were sick, usually catnip and they were given cool, not very cold but definitely cool when we had a fever. They did work.

The BBC TV series Doc Martin in far out rocky coast of Fort Wayne, has his ready pharmacist. Ms Tischell is always wanting to take him in hand, in various subtle ways. In one episode, she has a wall plastered with gallon pastel Kantleak bags. (i realize they have no idea what a gallon is, so you may call them 3 Liter, but gallon makes my point better )

Pastels of blue, green, yellow, and red all neatly overwhelming a wall with at least 18 of them. Then i began to watch for them, to see how sales were going. If you will put this hint into the things and arrangements of the show that make no sense, suddenly it all makes sense! Write your own story, if you will and all complaints are satisfied completely.

(i realize they have no idea what a gallon is, so you may call them 3 Liter, but gallon makes my point better )

This is England, they know what a gallon is (though there it would be likely the imperial gallon). I was there at one point and saw some shops selling things in increments of 454 grams.

When my siblings an I were kids, if we were sick with a high fever, we got aspirin an a couple of cool salt and baking soda enemas. The enema aspirin combination worked for us. The enemas were for short term relief and the aspirin for long term relief. I’m speaking only for myself and my siblings experiences growing up in the fifties. When your sick with a high fever and feel like crap, a cool salt and baking soda enema really feels good. First we’d be giving a couple of aspirins, taken to the bathroom and placed on a bed of towels on the floor. Given the first of two cool enemas an once in, held for ten or fifteen minutes and expelled. Then, it was back down on the towels for the second cool enema, an once in, it too was held for ten or fifteen minutes an expelled. By the time the second enema had been expelled, the aspirin was starting to take effect, an our fever was coming down. Helping us feeling much better.

I never had a cool enema, but when growing up almost any ailment meant a couple of aspirin and a warm soapy enema. Anything else was just extra.

To the question: No. There is no medical or scientific data to support the notion that an enema will reduce a fever. If anyone has verifiable evidence of peer reviewed studies that prove me wrong I'd love to read them. There is, however, lots of anecdotal evidence to support the supposition.

I have read some online articles in relatively trustworthy sites that a cold water enema or bath, can increase the fever by causing shivering in the patient.

Many old medical texts and nursing manuals suggested enemas to help reduce a fever. The Wayback Machine will display many of those with a search. My grandma was hospitalized with a terrible infection and fever. She was given cold enemas due to the extreme fever. After she passed away, my mom had the enema bag at home and she told me, and my sister, of the many cold enemas grandma received.

I only got enemas as a child when I was sick and my memories relate that to brining down a fever. I’m sure the reason I got them was to lower that fever and I hated them because they hurt! Cramping was part of the enema and my mom told me to relax and it wouldn’t hurt. To this day the word relax reminds me of enemas. The enjoyment, cravings and eroticism all came later.

85 degrees Fahrenheit is a cool therapeutic enema. Mom was smart enough not to give hot enemas and we were always ready for whatever she thought was best.

While you are well, take your temperature before and after. Many are practicing this regularly along with weighing up as well, before and bigged as part of the intrigue. Lovers do this to emphasize their euphoric treatment. After working out in the cold all day, take a hot bath with the 85F enema going in shortly after getting into the bath. See for yourself, what happens. Rest and observe, giving careful attention to every sensation as things progress. Then afterward, with pencil and paper see what you can recall. Then next time, tune in again and see if you don't discover something more, and update your list. Maybe from year to year about the same time, stop and make a record for discovery. We have done this ceremonially causing harmony as well. Comparing and discussing notes will cause more awareness, creating a secret bond, even with patient and care giver too. Many have said how their enema calms ragged nerves. (I believe temperatures between 75F and 105 are safe, but 85F to 95 are the best, though I seldom go below 85F anymore) Listen to daddy and take in your waters carefully, defining every variance of discovery and set dates for devoted discoveries. My wife's parents wrote love letters and we discovered later, their Our Enema Diary. In there they recorded special times, situations, places of their hearts, and great adventures on the cheap, marked with enema mindedness and love of nature.

Lzrd

Thank you for your thoughts and advice regarding enemas and fevers. I intened to try what you describe and thinking it will further add to the closeness between my husband and myself. Zity is a wonderful place to shar experiences, ideas, and other helpful "advice" that can enhance one's relationship. It make me wish I had a fever to try and see how it all works out. Trouble is, I cannot remember having a fever in many years... oh well...lol Denise

When i was a child i had the flu and vomiting. After two days my mom took me to the ER AND I WAS ADMITTED WITH A 104.3 FEVER. I don't remember a whole lot but i do remember them putting me in a big tub of ice water and making me drink ice and water but i could not hold it down. My mom talks about that story a lot

“Doc Grams” was our family doctor when I got married and for about 30 years when our two girls were growing up. She was “old school” in some ways, which included an enema for fever, but it was more, in her words, “to help rest the digestive system and make us more comfortable while our body was fighting off the infection.”

However, if one of us was sick with no bowel movement for 48 hours, a “tepid water enema was appropriate.”

She said running a temperature was actually a good thing, unless it was over 102 orally (103 rectally) which was rare, and continued for more than 48 to 72 hours. In that case, she prescribed acetaminophen, orally or suppositories, to bring down a fever.

When I was growing up my Mom gave me a daily hot soapsuds enema whenever I was too sick to go to school regardless of whether I had a fever or not. This was on the doctor's advice.

@gboy said,

When I was growing up my Mom gave me a daily hot soapsuds enema whenever I was too sick to go to school regardless of whether I had a fever or not.

That was the normal routine when my siblings and I were growing up. If we didn’t go to school, because we weren’t feeling good, mom gave us a soapy followed by a rinse enema. When we were out of school, because we were sick in bed, we received a soapy then a rinse enema the first day. Then going forward, we received daily rinse enemas until the illness passed. Our siblings that weren’t sick, and still going to school, received daily rinse enemas until the illness passed as well. Daily enemas for the sick one, were on doctor orders, and he recommended the others receive daily rinse enemas as a prophylactic. However, to mom or grandma that wasn’t a suggestion or recommend, it was the same as doctor orders.

I hated school & can recall often pretending some illness or another in the hope of not having to go for a few days. I didn't get any enemas but suspect if I had this would just have had me pretending sickness all the more!

Our family doctor was very ' pro-enema ' and would advise my mother during the my childhood illness appointment office exit ' doctor's orders ' review where ... ' ... If his temperature continues to rise after taking ' aspirins ' ........... give him a ' cold enema ' to reduce his fever .... ' ... . Mom followed his advice which ' worked ' to reduce the fever as per ' doctor's orders ' . Once when confined in our local community hospital for some pediatric illness issue , ' he ' issued the same ' order ' to the nursing staff and ' it was a done ' deal ' ' there as well . ' Cold ' enema given ....... fever quickly reduced according to the next temperature reading .

When I was a child (6 to 10) if I had a fever, I would be put into the bathtub full of cool water and be given a cool water enema while in the tub. I hated the whole experience, but it did work in reducing my temperature. Each time I was attended by both my Mom and Dad. My Dad would hold me down in the bathtub while my Mom administered the enema. I would have to hold the enema for what seemed like forever, but was normally only a few minutes at the time, and was repeated until my temperature finally dropped back down. I can remember screaming and kicking the whole time because back then I had not experienced just how good an enema really feels. I have not had a fever since that early childhood.

Cold water enemas are not recommended to bring a high fever down, due to the probability of intensive cramps. Cold water given as an enema can cause a colon to contract quite painfully.

Nurses will wrap a patient’s upper body with towels soaked in cool water, or they will give a cool water bath, and/or they will give fever reducing.medication orally or by suppository.

I saw his first hand with one of my daughters and learned what nurses do when a fever is high for any length of time.

If a patient has a fever and was given an enema, our family doc who was old-fashioned in some ways defined, tepid meant about 90°,

An enema was mom's first line of defense for an elevated temperature, no matter how slight. I don't recall ever receiving a cool water one though. Her enemas were a memorable warm and soapy ritual, and were repeated daily if the illness continued.

@Vicki_V said,

Cold water enemas are not recommended to bring a high fever down, due to the probability of intensive cramps.

My grandmother was a retired Registered Nurse and a firm believer in enemas for kids, teenagers, and adults. That being said, she used a variety of different methods to bring our temperature down when sick. Aspirin, cold packs, enemas, suppositories, and a cool bath or shower. Having been on the receiving end of enemas to bring down my temperature, the enemas per se, weren’t cold. They were just a little on the cool side, and when I was sick and running a fever, they really felt good. They were also, one of the few times, she used a colon tube to give us enemas. Putting the cool water up high in our colon. The only other use of a colon tube was during one of her 3H enemas.

Having been on the receiving end of enemas to bring down my temperature, the enemas per se, weren’t cold. They were just a little on the cool side...

@Rick6981 there lies the big difference cool not cold enemas.

@MissStress said,

there lies the big difference cool not cold enemas.

Whenever grandma gave us enemas, we usually got to watch her fix it. She never used a thermometer to the check the water temperature, she used her wrist or the back of her hand. When she taught us personal hygiene, that’s how we were taught to check the water temperature. Letting us feel for ourselves what a warm or cool enema should feel like. Sixty plus years later, I’m still using the same method she taught me when I was twelve years old. Judging water temperature by how it feels on my wrist or the back of my hand. In over sixty years, I’ve never had an issue using her method.

As @redbulb mentioned our mom also believed the fast and efficient heeling power of enemas. It he fever was mild we got suppositories as often as every 2-3 hours, however for more serious cases camomille/catnip enema was administered.

Some info about herbal enemas: https://www.hertfordshirecolonics.co.uk/enemas-and-herbs

Well, I got enemas for just about anything, including fevers. My typical enema series consisted of three SSEs and two nines. Mom would just make the two rinses from the cold water tap and have me retain them while lying on my back. If it was wintertime, she did add enough warm water so my enemas weren’t cold.

Any fever or anything else that kept me home from school or in bed required a good soapy enema cleanout. Remember getting 3 enemas a day when I got chicken pox until my fever broke. Growing up in the 50's / 60's, many kids I knew got the same treatment from their mom's.

Anytime I was ill with a cold, flu or a fever my mom would always insist on giving me a good hot Ivory Soap enema.

I wouldn't administer an enema to anyone with a fever. Especially if it's from a case of the flu or a severe cold because that alone already saps electrolyte from the body. Not to mention it's usually pretty uncomfortable with all that heat in the body from the solution on top of the fever. I will however, and usually do give a cleansing enema a day or two after my kids or husband starts feeling better. They're understandably not fans of getting one. My son hates for me to give him an enema. When he sees me enter his room with a bulging 2qt bag and a tube of Surgilube, his bottom lip usually falls to his belly button. But none of them can deny it gets them feeling better even sooner. So many ailments of the body ultimately end up in the bowel, and it's best to flush all of that on out ASAP. A few minutes of mild discomfort shouldn't get in the way of feeling better.