Enemas for rehydration?

I travel a lot on airplanes, frequently 8-12 hours per flight. I drink a couple liters of water on long flights, but still seem to be dehydrated for a day or so. The same thing happens after long bike rides.

Has anyone have ideas on how to rehydrate using enemas?

Thanks,

DF

This has been discussed before.

If you want to have fun, take an enema.

If you genuinely need to rehydrate, DRINK THE DAMN WATER---100% of the water will be absorbed.

We'll, Suzie, you are delightfully direct. I do drink a lot of water, but dark urine and headaches persist for a day or so. I was wondering if enemas, besides being a lot of fun, could speed up rehydration?

^^^^ Possibly in the most minimal way if you are already DRINKING water. When I bike ride or play tennis, especially in the summer, you need to drink more than you think. You probably aren't drinking as fast as you perspire and you simply need to drink more water, sooner. If you are having headaches, you DEFINITELY need more water sooner.

Here's a question for you: Are you urinating as much when you are on your trips as you do at home? If not, you need to drink more.

As a rule, when you are doing physical activity, or any activity for that matter, if you are sweating a lot AND urinating a lot, THEN you know you are properly hydrated. If you are sweating and not urinating much, you are dehydrated. The kidneys will always conserve water if your body thinks it needs it, or if your body is under stress.

Yes, One of the item my son carried in Iraq, in his Medic gear was a rectal tube to deliver an IV bags as an enema.

[quote author=Pear Bottom link=topic=23564.msg226728#msg226728 date=1247432663]

Yes, One of the item my son carried in Iraq, in his Medic gear was a rectal tube to deliver an IV bags as an enema.

[/quote]

What kind of IV solution did he use?

Would Lactated Ringer's solution or sodium chloride for rehydrating be included?I'm just trying to remember what I see hanging on those IV bags when patients come in for dehydration among other things.I'm sure to be corrected very quickly here but just throwing a guess out there in my memory!What a clever way to use IV solutions in places like that.Never heard of it but it would definately work as well!But as everyone should know,you cannot replace drinking water as a replacement for enemas.Dehydration causes many problems and drinking water is the only way to really take care of it unless you enjoy getting an IV!The elderly don't drink water for many reasons-mainly because they don't want to get up to go because of their physical limitations and they don't want to bother someone for help.Others can't swallow properly or don't like to take liquids/food in because they are not moving enough to work up a thirst so they get dehydrated that way.Enjoy drinking your water now and only use enemas for other health benfits because age you age,dehydration becomes a bigger issue than you ever thought possible.

On long airplane trips, I try to sleep, so I suspect that I'm not drinking or urinating as much as the situation requires. Sleeping v. keeping up with hydration is a tricky balance.

Maybe the best solution would be to do more Web meetings instead of flying forever -- and use the time for playing... 😁

You do NOT want a salt solution for a hydrating enema. That would be counter productive. You want plain water.

If you were using an IV bag for an enema, the Lactated Ringers and saline solutions would be contraindicated because they are salt solutions and if you are dehydrated, you want there to be an osmotic gradient in the colon so the water would be absorbed easily.

Lactated Ringers would be fine to rehydrate if you were giving it as an IV, as would other salt solutions used for injection.

THAT'S what I wanted to say..saline!I knew what I wanted to say but my head wasn't retrieving what I needed to say and then someone comes along to correct me like I said!lol. 😁

They work very well for me to rehydrate me. In fact, it's one of my preferred hangover cures (hangovers are caused by dehydration). Mostly it's just a good way to wake up after a hard night of partying, I doubt it's any more "effective" than if I just drank the water.

If I'm properly hydrated and take one, I'll be peeing like a racehorse for the next hour, so yes, a LOT does get absorbed.

I agree that normal saline soulution would not work. NS should be isotonic or hypertonic in most people.

I wonder if something like D5W or diluted Gatoraide would cross into the bloodstream through the bowel?

[quote author=Doubleflash link=topic=23564.msg227063#msg227063 date=1247520915]

I agree that normal saline soulution would not work. NS should be isotonic or hypertonic in most people.

I wonder if something like D5W or diluted Gatoraide would cross into the bloodstream through the bowel?

[/quote]

What are you talking about "NS should be isotonic or hypertonic in most people?"

NS IS ISOTONIC, that's what "normal saline" means.

D5W and Gatorade will both be absorbed from the colon, but the water in the Gatorade will be absorbed less than from D5W or plain water because Gatorade has various physiologic salts in it.

Really, if you need to re-hydrate, DRINK the water. 100% of it will be absorbed, and much faster than water through the colon, even IF you would hold it until the entire enema was absorbed, which would take a VERY long time.

Using an enema to re-hydrate is only done if the person is unconscious and an IV to properly re-hydrate them is not available.

8 to 12 hours in low humidity atmosphere and you only drink a couple of liters? No wonder you are dry. I would think for that time your minimum would be 4 to 6 liters. I'd drink even more.

The colon can and will absorb up to one liter (quart) per hour,,,it is in fact a very good way to re-hydrate....truth is that the colon is where most water is absorbed,, water is not absorbed in the stomach...it has to make its way through the digestive system to the colon..dont add salt as this can actually slow absorbtion of the water..

^^^^ Water is definitely absorbed by the stomach. Very large amounts are also absorbed by the small intestine. This includes what you drink plus several liters of salivary secretions and other GI secretions every day. The large intestine only absorbs what remains. Anybody who has taken a one or two quart enema and retained it knows that after one or two hours respectively, there is still plenty of enema water still there to expel.

Again, if you need to re-hydrate (NOT JUST HAVE FUN PLAYING WITH YOUR BODY) you should drink the water.

Anyone in the medical field can tell you that drinking plenty of water is best.I think this subject need to retire!lol. 😁

^^^^ Me too, it's getting repetitive. I'm done. 😁 😁 😁 😁

Yep. It's time to let this one go. Thanks for the input.

But before we go, here's one more use for saline enema's: http://tinyurl.com/mg4az3 You get 10 mg of diazepam beforehand. Yikes!

Hi folks, gdfru here.

Following this topic I have a question.

Can a plain water enema be a substitute for hydration? 😉

ie: instead of drinking the 6 to 8 glasses of water a day which we are supposed to do, (but I don't) how about a long time retention enema each day? No salt etc.

Would distilled water be best.? Due to a chronic cough problem, my doctor is insisting on the water to help hydrate the vocal chords. :😃

Since I like nothing better than a great excuse for a good enema (not that I really need the excuse) I'd love your advice.

😁 😁

Thank you very much.

gdfru

Absorption is different from the upper GI end vs the lower GI end. Intake via the upper end hydrates the body and you pee out the excess. Absortpion is not the same from the lower end. While taking a daily enema for hydration sounds good, it does not do the same thing as taking the liquids by mouth,

I have to agree with Susie. I have been taking enemas for years and almost all are only tap water(two quarts). I have not noticed any ill effects, but then I don't very often take multiple enemas, just one at a time.

I don't have scientific proof, but I do think the colon does absorb a signifant amount of water. When working outdoors in summer or sometimes when traveling, I get dehydrated from not drinking enough water. When that happens, an enema seems to help get me hydrated. My skin doesn't seem so dry if I can have an occasional enema in those situations. I have also tried weighing myself before and after the enema, and have gained a half pound or so. On the other hand, when not dehydrated, I have experienced a need to pee several times in the hour or two after an enema.

I find if I don't add salt to the enemas in the evening, I am up many times through the night urinating. But maybe that's just me. Two or three teaspoons of salt per bag and I urinate fewer times per night. Obviously, some still gets absorbed.

I like enemas

I have wondered about this too. I have to go in for an edoscopy fairly frequently. Due to complications in the past the doctor always makes me go under using general anesthesia rather that sleep gas. Because of this I have to fast (no water or food) starting midnight the night before. When I get to the hospital I'm fairly dehydrated and its hard to get an IV in. Sometimes taking 4-5 stabs at my veins. They say that is just the way it is because I'm fasting. So I wonder if an enema with sodium salt and sugar will rehydrate enough to make getting an IV needle in?

I wonder if an enema with sodium salt and sugar will rehydrate enough to make getting an IV needle in?

Actually, the more you dissolve in the solution, the slower and less of it will be absorbed.

If you want it absorbed, use plain water.

There are already several forums on this topic. 😡

http://www.zity.biz/index.php?mx=forum;ox=display;msg=636239

http://www.zity.biz/index.php?mx=forum;ox=display;msg=676127

http://www.zity.biz/index.php?mx=forum;ox=display;msg=621112

I've heard that flight attendants sometimes use use just plain water after a long flight. If you add salt it decreases the absorption rate. There is a story here called “The layover” where a flight attendant gets hers. I thought it was well written.

Yes, you can use enemas for rehydration. If the purpose is rehydration I'd advise just drinking water, but it is possible.

Here's what I notice in myself though (anecdote, not a study, so file appropriately). When I take an enema it seems that for some reason, perhaps the rapid absorption of water compared to ingesting it via the stomach, the kidneys seem to remove it pretty rapidly and I can quickly be back to needing to drink water.

Rectal tube filled with pedialyte.. anyone else did it?