Medical enemas ?

Are enemas common practice in medicine when it comes to treating adults and if so what for? and what are your experiences?

another question, has anyone had hydrocolonic therapy? i think some call it the super enema, what kind of facility will administer these and are they beneficial?

Enemas in a medical scenario are quite uncommon this day and age. There are a number of reasons for this. I might add that it is a shame in my opinion. I have had a few enemas relative to medical procedures in the last few years. Prior to heart bypass surgery, knee replacement surgery, and before xrays of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder.

Colonic hydrotherapy or irrigation is a relaxing procedure and clinics can be found in most major cities. They usually charge between 60 and 90 dollars for each session. An enema is more difficult to find. Practitioners/enema nurses are out there but not as well advertised in mainstream media.

Years ago the medical profession prescribed enemas more often. If you landed in the hospital, an enema was most likely lurking around somewhere. Now it's a Fleet if even that. Cost containment? Short staff and nurses don't have enough time to administer an old fashioned enema? Who knows. The 50s enemas are past and the 21 Century Fleet has taken over.

Chalet 😢

Talk to your Doctor! Be open and honest about what works for you. Remember you are paying him (or her) not the other way around. If you want an enema ask. I have talked to my doctor about almost everything, I trust him and he trust me as well. If your doctor does not see eye to eye with you, find a new doctor. Would you let a plumber tell you how not to shower or wash dishes? Or maybe let the cable guy tell you what you can watch on TV. Get my drift here?

I concur, there is a specific board for personal ads.

As for medical enemas, the medical establishment in the late 50's started caving into for-profit big dollar pharmaceutical companies in favor of chemical enemas.

I agree that Colonics are very relaxing and comfortable. There are a couple of websites that if you do a search for Colonic Irrigations you wil be able to search for people who colonics in the US.

You can place an ad in Craigslist and you should have plenty of responses from CNAs and LPNs who will come to your place and administer enemas. I've done this a couple of times and had success. The LPNs are more experienced at administering large volume, the CNAs that I've used usually have done mostly Fleet enemas, but they've been willing to do a bag enema.

As far as colonic irrigation, again, Craigslist will usually have ads, or you can look in the yellow pages. I've found a couple of colonic hydrotherapists who work out their home who also have administered enemas, but I've had to ask.

Hospitals will usually only administer a soapsuds enema if they think you're developing an impaction, otherwise it's mostly Fleet enemas or suppositories. Years ago I had a nurse in a medical clinic give me two tap water enemas before a colon procedure. However, even then, they usually just gave a couple of Fleet enemas, but the doctor was running late, so she had some extra time, and she said the Fleet enemas didn't always work.

Enemas are definitely out of fashion in medicine these days and used comparatively rarely. Small volume enemas ("phosphate enemas" such as the classic Fleet) are used as bowel preparation for rectal procedures like proctoscopy or pelvic ultrasounds, for stimulating a bowel movement following abdominal surgery and for occasional treatment of constipation. Large volume enemas, usually tap water but occasionally soap, are sometimes used for bowel preparation before surgery or, rarely, colonoscopy.

One day, I was very constipated and went to a nearby clinic hoping that I could enlist the assistance of a friendly nurse to give me a large volume enema....which I really did need.Well, after making me wait for several minutes, they took x-rays of my abdomen....gave me a manual examination...drew blood for additional tests...and 2 nurses and 1 doctor later, they reviewed all of the data they gathered and concluded that I was constipated. They told me to go to the grocery store, take a fleet, and have a nice day.They were willing to take x-rays and perform all kinds of tests on me...but actually give me a high volume enema that I needed....not so much.That's how out of vogue enemas have become in modern medicine.

I know of someone while in the hospital received enemas until clear before a colonoscopy (this was a year or two ago).

It is too bad enemas have fallen out of favor in the medical profession. When I had my colonoscopy last year I would much have preferred multiple suppositories and/or enemas to having to to drink a gallon of that nauseating, salty-tasting bowel prep liquid.

The most usual reason for in-hospital enemas for hospitalized patients is to clean out the colon for an exam. These pts are either totally un-prepped but need a timely exam, or have not been able to complete the oral prep. The results are usually disappointing. Nurses have totally forgotten the art of the enema. They are also limited to two quart bags, and don't get the solution high enough. The use of castile soap appears rare as well.

Yep, in Australia I can tell you as someone employed in the hospital system the enema has all but vanished. Now the only time they may be used is for a patient with a bowel obstruction due to impaction and for a barium enema examination (use of this examination is also becoming quite rare) even the prep before this is now only an oral prep.

Yes, enemas a rare in modern medicine. I had an aunt who worked at a big-city hospital for 35 years. "Enemas were much more common, years ago," she said. "Now, people don't 'like' them, they're 'messy' and they're seldom used. If a woman was in labor, she could expect a series of large-volume enemas. They weren't for constipation; they were used to stimulate and shorten labor. Now, they use drugs, instead. The drugs can be dangerous. Enemas aren't."

The only time I had a medical enema was 20 years ago when they actually put you in the hospital to do a lower GI.

The enema apparatus was a clear plastic tube, no tip, and the water holder. The nurse barely used any lube and without a tip the entire experience was awful.

So very sad to say, but large volume enemas have gone away to the preps by mouth, suppositories , and the small volume Fleets enema. The only people getting even a 1-2 quart enema are pregnant women going into labor, and an occasional enemas until clear for some procedures. Even those people getting 1-2 quart enemas are at the patient's request and their doctor's preferences. Patients can make up their own plan of care adding or removing what they do or don't want !

Enemas have fallen from favor. Almost 15 years ago when my husband had to get a sigmoidiscopic exam he was told to do two Fleets before the procedure, but he never bought them and never said a word to me. The evening before is when he said he needed an enema so I gave him one then and another in the morning. I never had an enema in the hospital, not even when I gave birth. When I explained this to my mother she was horrified and said that when she had me and my brother that a labor enema was standard. Also, she said even as recently as the 60's if you went to the hospital it was almost expected that you got a "welcome enema". Times do change.

I went to this place with a friend that has 'green and organic' as it's themethey offer many packages,I had a hydro colon therapy session there, then after the session finished, i get to eat in their all-you-can-eat organic restaurant @_@Im not sure if its supposed to have any relation between them,but sentimentally, it made me feel healthy and clean *lol*I got 'cleaned up' and I get to eat all delicious organic foods there, I wanted to go there again, but I forgot the address and location as I went there with a friend last time. I'm not sure about how to ask her since its kinda embarrassing, don't want her spreading gossips at the campus 😳

Yes, I'm afraid enemas are no longer considered a desirable means of treating constipation. As other contributors have said, there was a time when an enema was almost obligatory while in hospital. Nowadays however, such treatment is considered to be not necessary. As far as colonic irrigation is concerned, I suppose it could be described as a super enema inasmuch as it cleans out all sorts of nasties that may be lurking in your insides for ages. I've had a few over the years and always had a renewed feeling afterwards. I would thoroughly recommend.

Yes enemas are no longer a practice in the medical field and it is a shame because it is such a healthy practice for us to use but they want to sell they're drugs.

As far as a colonic I have my own board and yes it is very relaxing and it is very cleaning for the colon, I do recommend a coffee enema first before the colonic so you stimulate the colon and the liver to get the bile and other organs to get rid of the toxins in the system so they wash out why receiving the colonic so relax enjoy and just go for it and also the places you are looking for do body cleansing 😃

Sadly, enemas aren't used medically like they used to. Those damned chemicals are used now and I really don't think they are near as safe as a very gentle and warm cleansing

I still administer enemas in the med surg units. They are mostly fleets and if the patient is well enough we let them self administer. I have given a few bag enemas under a doctors orders only and they were tap water only.

A friend of mine was admitted into the hospital for her congestive heart failure and could not have a BM so she said the nurse came in and give her a 2 quart bag enema and she said it was one of the greatest feeling in the world that the nurse who had administered the enema did so well that she had a orgasm during the process which she said it was hard to not blurt out the pleasure when she had the Big O. Maybe the doctor did not want to give her any meds to help her have a BM because of her congestive heart failure. I did not ask her that. Hope I get that nurse if I am ever admitted in the hospital and can not have a BM.

I think most of the time these days in medical units that Fleet enemas are administered. They're faster (less nursing time involved) and are thus not as expensive as large volume enemas. Also, I think there is less training of nurses and other personal on how to administer a large volume enema, so I think, a lot of them don't know how to administer one and have probably never given one.

Three years ago I had major surgery on my knees and did not have an enema before the surgery. I didn't have a bowel movement for almost 2 weeks because of the pain-killers. When I finally DID have a bowel movement it made me feel some small degree of sympathy with my wife who gave birth vaginally to our children. Pain for 20 or so minutes while the bolus made its excrutiatingly slow and painful exit. In retrospect I "shudda aksed" for an enema and didn't. Stupid mistake!

I think everyone admitted to the hospital should receive doctors orders for a tap water or soap suds enema on admission and every other day unt discharge, it would prevent a lit of the constipation problems patients of all ages have and I think in general after to submitting to it, patients would like it. The nurses would have to get very proficient with keeping the bottoms up though...

Deb,

I agree completely with your suggestion. The problem would be cost, of course. I think doing so would go along way towards simplifying the tracking of patients bowel conditions. You wouldn't happen to be a nurse, by any chance?

Oh, and enemavamp, the administering of enemas to heart patients is a subject of much debate. On the one hand, there is the stress of the trauma of the enema; but on the other is the very real possibility of having a heart attack while straining to have a bowel movement. (According to statistics, this does happen, primarily to seniors.) Tough choice, only to be made by qualified medical personnel. (Where are those emoticons when one needs them?)

Cheers everyone

I think people would line up for a hospital stay if they knew the would get enemas every other day. I know that I'm not feeling too good right now and need to go to that hospital!!

It does seem like enemas have fallen out of favor. That's a shame, because now we haven't anything fun to look forward to during a hospital stay. I'd like to have a series of large warm soapy enemas administered to me by a female nurse during my hospital stay. Every day wouldn't be too often.

But of course enemas have fallen victim to cost-cutting by saving valuable nursing time.

Finally, I can let this out.... This is my 3rd day of very serious enemas. I am now drained of emotion , and spirit, but I know that this was all good for me. I feel like a puppet, or a butterfly that has been pinned to a board. This was all done to me by a very dominant older family member, who actually I have literally been under his control ( because I trust him) But never knew just what he had in store for me. I would have no ides that my Uncle would have so much enema equipment, things that I have never seen before. But he made sure to use every one on them on me. The colonics that he inserted into me, were very time consuming, it took at least 1 hour to fully insert the 30" colon tube, and after the entire tube was inserted, the 4 quart enema slowly started entering my rectum, slowly, slowly, slowly. This was my hell to bear, because, I didn't know what to expect next. As I told you, I was under his complete control. After my moaning, and barley holding the first 4 quarts, and, the colon tube still inserted, he came into the room, with yet another scarey nozzle, that had 2 balloons on it. That's when he said, it's time to take you into the special enema room, so we make sure that what we put into you, will not leak out, until we want it to. RIGHT!