Medicine versus enemas ?

Hello, a lady i know is going into hospital tomorrow to have a camera shoved up her bum to make sure all is well, this afternoon she had to take some medicine from the doctors ,which i gather is to clean her out ! and i suspect as i write this, she will be firmly seated ,shitting her brains out !! i wondered whats wrong with a good old fashioned soapy enema, is it because of the time/labour involved ?

Would have thought it much more convenient to have an enema, and be done with it, rather than spend all afternoon and evening on the throne, any thoughts ?

This has been discussed here before. The reason for the top to bottom cleanout for a colonoscopy is because even when the large intestine is empty, there is always chyme coming down from the small intestine which prevents visualization of the colon walls. The entire GI tract should be empty prior to a colonoscopy.

Yes, I think the abandoment of the good, large warm, enema is a major leap backward in modern health care. Enemas were a mainstay before the antibiotic era, and still work.

That being said, colonscopy is a very good diagnositic tool. Another plus, is that while they are in there checking they routinely remove the polyps---the main precursor to colon cancer. Because of routine colonoscopies the deaths from colon cancer are rapidly going to near zero in those checked regularly. Most colon cancers are slow growing taking about 10 years to kill, and the five year regular exams in most people will catch them before they invade the colon wall preventing this form of cancer.

So no take enemas, but also do the colonoscopies.

A "good old-fashioned soapy enema" or two is a good prep only for a sigmoidoscopy, which reaches only a foot or so into the colon vs the full length for a colonoscopy.

The one time I had a sigmoidoscopy (now not done as often) the nurse handed me a Fleet because it was an unplanned procedure. Yes, a real enema would have been better.

For the colonoscopy, I had a colonic along with the oral Golytly, so the prep was excellent.

I had a horrible experience with the oral liquid preps for my first colonoscopy. The nausea was so bad that I waited a couple of extra years before having my second.

I posted in the thread comparing colonics to enemas that I used colon hydrotherapy to prep for my colonoscopy last fall. I also opted to do it without sedation. I had read extensively about preps and decided to have two colonic sessions as a prep. I had also used traditional bisocodyl laxatives to assure the top down cleanse.

The ability to interact with the doctor and staff during insertion and withdrawal, eliminated the need for consultation after waiting for anesthesia to wear off. All in all, this latest procedure was almost an enjoyable one and totally completed in less than an hour.

The nurse who attended me told me that she would likely follow suit for her own procedure.

While the two colonic sessions took two hours each and cost me $120.00, the process was very relaxing and I didn't find myself hostage to the toilet. I fasted a bit longer this way, but that extra time without solid food did me good anyway. The time I spent with the hydrotherapist was also worth the interaction and socialization. She was very personable.

I don't consider Epsom salts and a soapy enema as medicine, although some might. I just consider them good clean fun, no pun intended.

I had a colonoscopy a few years back and the doc simply ordered a couple of fleets enemas before the procedure. As colonoscopies go this was the less invasive one. Anyway I did what he said but also the evening before I had a full blown colonic and then the morning of administered a couple of high volume enemas, then the fleets just so I could look him in the eye without and say yes I had the fleets. Anyway the colonic was very fast and very smooth and the doc commented that he wished they were all that easy. I told him about the colonic and at first he wasn't sure what I was talking about then said that maybe all his patients should do that. I told the colon therapist to give him a call so they could set up a partnership but I never heard if they did or not.

When I had my colonopticopsy (SP) a couple of years ago I was given some tablets intstead of the oral med. The doc also prescribed a couple of Fleets to used also.

Jmann