Enema Before Doctor Visit

Indicate your gender and how many enemas your Dr. requires for a routine office physical and the Dr gender.

Vicki, my doctor is a female. I take an enema every morning anyway, and she always chews me out because she cannot get a stool sample for a blood culture during a prostate exam.

But I take a cleansing enema, before visit, so she can check anal hole.

Never been told to take one, when you think of it, a physician may find it less contaminated to do a prostate exam on a male patient if they were cleaned out before going for the physical. Maybe something for future physician training programs.

Vicky

I have never been instructed to take an enema prior to a doctors visit but I always do because one never knows when the prostate is going to be checked. However, my colon therapist has suggested I take one before a colonic to get rid of the major pieces of excrement. She states that this assures a more thorough cleanout during the time alloted.

My Dr. does not request an enema before I visit, but I always want to be as clean as I can.

Like willy's, my therapists (several of them over the years) all are in favor of doing an enema at home before treatment for best results, especially if impacted. Also like willy, I have a movement with whatever it takes before an expected prostate exam at the doctor's.

The nurse told me once when I scheduled a full physical to take an enema before my appointment. I thought that was a little weird and since then I have spoke to others and they thought it was. But now I am happy to know that I should. I'd rather be clean down there for a prostate exam. I think more docs should tell their patients to.....but I also think enemas are healthy for you anyway.

To be totally honest...I haven't really talked to my doc about my enemas and wish I could. I just get very shy about the subject and feel sometimes that I am the only one that stays healthy this way...until I log on here. Thanks guys! 😃

I will take an enema before any medical procedure where I have reason to expect rectal examination will be included....even remember taking one before my draft physical some 37 years ago......I failed the physical, BTW 😃.

I'm female, and never been told to take one (I suppose because I don't have a prostate!). But seriously, I never even thought of this question. During my gyn exam, the doctor does a digital rectal exam but he's wearing a glove of course and I never even thought about cleaning out.

You learn something new every day.

I too have never been asked by my doctor or his nurse.

I've never been asked/required to take an enema before visiting a medical professional and I've never taken one on my own prior to a doctor's visit. In fact, I've never received an enema before any type of medical procedure, even abdominal surgery.

Seems to be a good example of how the enema has fallen out of favor within the medical profession.

The only time I was ever told to take an enema before seeing the doctor was once when I was having some minor surgery done near the anus. The nurse said just in case he needs to check inside. I about flipped with excitement of having to do an enema, then the thought of him possibly "checking inside". Turned out he didn't check inside, but I was clean and ready anyway.

My Doctor has never told me take an enema before my visit but I always

take one.

I am never told to take any enemas before a doctors visit and my dr's female, but since I get so turned on with enema I usually take a few anyways. Now as for my patients I usually just give them theirs when I'm seeing them.

Good question and some good answers over the past many months.

From my end, none is the answer. Possibly because it hadn't occurred to me (dull thinking on my part, Doh!).

However, the popsicle stick and matchbook cover hemo test part is less than arousing to me, I guess I'll just continue to show up au natural.

- mcclane

I have never been told by Dr. or Nurse to take a enema before exam but I always do. Have been doing it for many years I just like to know that the rectum is nice and clean for whatever may happen.

I used to take (or tried to) an enema before I visited my colon hydrotherapist, on the day of or at least a day or two before my appointment. I always told her when I had last had enemas.

I started by volunteering that information, and in time she'd ask me sometimes, usually asking if I was still doing enemas. Then I'd tell her when I had last had them.

It was great having someone, a nice older lady and all, that I could talk about enemas. Especially nice while she had a hose & nice big nozzle up my butt!

I always do a quart or more enema before a Dr visit. I would be embarrassed during the vag/rectal or anal exam to be full of s**t.

Female-my ob/gyn has never asked for one but I do one just in case I missed any thing on wiping after my latest bm. I have hemorroids from pregnancy and sometimes I have to wipe 7 times before I feel have it all.

There was only one doctor in Mahattan whose office manager told each new patient that he (male physician/male patients) should use two Fleet enemas prior to his physical, I think even stating an hour before the physical. The reason was simple: this physician, quite an older guy when I saw him, used a rigid, not flexible, sigmoidoscope as the last part of the physical exam and so needed a clear view inside.

My Dr. is a male and has never told me to take one before a visit, but if he does a D.R.E., I'd be real embarrassed if his gloved finger came out smeared. So I take a small bulb before going in. In fact, throughout my diagnosis of colon cancer, my CT scans, my prep. for bowel resection, my surgical recovery,etc. and all the post op scopes (rigid sig & flex. colonoscopies), I 've never been told to take one Had countless followup scopes and only told to drink the "Draino". It's disappointing. After my resection in the hospital I had excruciating gass pains in my gut, which I guess is common after they open the bowel. I told my surgeon how bad I hurt and the R.N. alongside us suggested she could give me a Dulcolax Suppo. to get some of the air out. The surgeon strongly said,"I don't want ANYTHING going up there for 6 months." He told me to keep hitting my self-administered narcotic button on the syringe in my shirt pocket. The R.N. was PRETTY, early 40's, recently finished nursing school and I was hoping for a colon tube from her, at least, but no go.

The surgeons warning about nothing for 6 months scared me so much, I didn't do a single flush for about 8 months. I'm sure he was worried about breaking his anastamosis sutures, etc. He had me come in 3 mos. post-op for a look and used a rigid sig. 18 in. long and when he filled me with air, I thought I was going to die. I knew it was not going to be pleasant when his office R.N. got in front of my face and grabbed my hands with a real sympathetic look on her face.

Jim

Hi Vickie. I'm a male. My doctor knows I take enemas. One time his receptionist called and told me not to take an enema due to a prostate exam and he wanted a stool culture at the same time, otherwise, yes before each exam.

Except for sigmoidoscopy, I've never been told to take an enema prior to a dr's appointment.

In the seventy I had several kidney and bladdar xrays.The standard preparation was to take a laxative the night before and an enema prior to the xray.

Recently I had a prostate problem and I had a procedure involving a TRUS The prep instructions called a bowel prep.That was really an enema. The nurse asked me prior to the procedure if I done a bowel prep or an enema.

I go to a urologist for prostate exams twice a year (elevated PSA). He's never said anything about taking enemas before these visits. However, I know a digital-rectal exam is always part of the visit, so I clean myslef out the day before the visit and again the morning before I visit the office. This is just common sense and makes things more hygienic for both of us. Of course, I also use enemas on a routine basis to maintain cleanliness and to heighten sexual arousal.

My doc has never told me to but since she may do a rectal at any time, I almost always take an enema before every visit.

I haven't been told to take one prior to any visit; However, my most recent (and only) colonoscopy, during the 'review meeting' after it, the specialist indicated that he wasn't too happy about the 'cleanliness of things'; so, taking this as a subtle clue, in prep for my next one (coming this fall), in addition to the fasting and clear liquids, and power laxative, I plan on an enema or two prior to my trip to his place of business 😃

My prostate is being monitored closely with frequent exams and PSA blood testing. Although I have not been specifically told to take an enema before an exam, I always do. When I was scheduled for a prostate biopsy my wife gave me three the night before and three the morning of. I told the doctor that I had cleansed before the biopsy and he commented that the procedure was so much easier and safer when people prepped but that the profession wasn't allowed to recommend an enema when they could be liable for the rare complications that an enema might induce.

I like to take an enema before going in for a physical. My doctor does a DRE prostate exam and it is much more comfortable if there is no stool in my rectum.