Do Enemas Eliminate the good bacteria in your system?

Forgive me if this has been asked before, I am still trying to find my way around the forum. I have seen infomercials regarding colon health as well as yogurt commercials that talk about the need for the good bacteria. I was just curious if enemas have a negative impact or if anyone recommends suppliments because of enemas

YES THEY DO! SIGNIFICANTLY.

In a NORMAL (that means you don't take enemas) bowel movement, the fecal mass is 1/5 to 1/3 bacteria by weight.

If you take enemas, there is nowhere near that amount and you risk not absorbing or not internally producing certain vitamins as a result of that. Take supplements.

I disagree with susie. The colin microflora re-establishes rapidly. You cannot give yourself a sterile colin with an enema. And enemas likely do not impact nutrient absorption unless they are deep and overused. How could enemas keep one's body from producing "certain vitamins"?

I disagree with susie. The colin microflora re-establishes rapidly. You cannot give yourself a sterile colin with an enema. And enemas likely do not impact nutrient absorption unless they are deep and overused. How could enemas keep one's body from producing "certain vitamins"?

The bacteria produce certain vitamins (vitamin K being extremely important, among others) and cofactors and help with the absorption of certain nutrients and play a role in digestion of various compounds.

I never said you could create a sterile colon.

I'm sorry if you have neither a background nor understanding of physiology, but what I said is correct.

Look it up.

Yes, Susie is correct. Eat lots of yogurt. I've even done yogurt enemas after taking anti-biotics (which also kill many colon bacteria necessary for normal digestion.)

I make no claims to PROFESSIONAL medical knowledge. However the medical field has been a serious interest of mine for years, as I both my child, and younger adulthood found me with many medical issues, and NO, I was not, and am not hypochondriac."

REASONABLE use of enemas, and a good nutritional diet will cause no real harm, and in some case, actually be beneficial. Please note the combination listed.

I've two points to make about harmful effects. Using certain enema "recipes," over and over again can indeed harm the colon's natural healthy state. Coffee, alcohol, and heavy soap suds are among these. Taking MORE enemas than needed for obsessive purposes WiLL very likely, eventually cause problems. Even plain water enemas. Walt

They can, but usually it comes back in a few days to a week. Enemas more than every six weeks or so is probably not a good idea in any case.

And, the debate goes on...

Enemas more than every six weeks or so is probably not a good idea in any case.

That could be a very telling statement. Raising my hand, I will admit that I take enemas more often than every 6 weeks. Weekly works well for me; and, were there a woman in my life, more often would not be bad on a tit for tat basis. For now, the enema and other esoteric pleasures are part & parcel to my working through a condition known as 'intimacy deprivation'; I enjoy my periodic enema from two or more perspectives.

I also like my Activa; and, it may be that I should be ingesting it in a manner not consistent with the manufacture’s designed use. Maybe Anne will provide more information on this subject.

Switchablesusie seems knowledgeable. 'Ready' appears strong in his argument, and we have to give thanks to ‘fun n kc’ for putting the discussion on the table. I have a sense that this could be a serious subject to evaluate.

We are on a website about enemas, and a group of people that for the most part use and enjoy enemas. Tis important that we learn what we are doing to our bodies, and to those who are our closest friends and lovers.

There have seemingly always been warnings about limiting the number of enemas that we should be taking. It is my thought that I should fully discern and appreciate all that I am washing out (besides the obvious) with each enema, and what I can do to replace it, to thwart any problem that my attraction to an internal cleansing can cause me.

I limit my enemas to plain water; I had used castile soap in the past, but have not used it in a while. Absorption in the rectum and/or colon seems to be significant (one experience with alcohol and I shant do that again); it is my thought that anything passed through the anus, goes into the system very quickly. Additionally, I have a sense that the tissues from the anal orifice inward may well be very sensitive; so, I want to be very careful that I do not introduce anything therein, which might be harmful or damage them.

We are fortunate to have some educated people sharing from (hopefully) a qualified knowledge base, or via experience; and, it is hoped that more information will come forth, so we can be informed consumers. I mean enema users…

I used to have a kink friendly physician in San Francisco. I could go and look up his name; he would be the type of individual that could provide a qualified medical perspective. But, it’s been a long time; and, too, he may not be so inclined to come address a public forum of this nature, wherein he has no experience with this community. If this was during the time that I was under his care, I have no doubt that he would share on the subject.

However, in this same vane, through our membership, or maybe via the Webmaster or Moderators with their time in grade, it may be that a physician, or a colon-rectal specialist, could be consulted, wherein we could be the beneficiaries of a medical expert (or two) on this seemingly important and very delicate subject matter.

In most of the old medical text, when enemas were actually done regularly by the medical profession, no more often that once in three days was a common recommendation. I don't think there is any clinical or research behind this. Dr. John Kellogg MD had a daily colonic irrigation for around 70 years and was healthy at 91 and still doing surgery. He died at 92, I think from pneumonia, and still had a healthful functioning colon--- A colonic is equivilant to about 12 good, high volume enemas in cleansing.

A big differnce now and then, this was pre 1950s, is chlorination. Few water systems were chlorinated prior to WWII, and chlorine in enema water can kill normal flora, and antibiotics in food and taken kill normal flora. As mentioned what you ad to the enema can cause problems. This is the reason I recommend only salt or soduim bicarbonate (NaHCO3), and sometimes even these may cause problems (High blood pressure, kidney failure etc.)

So for safety, use water without chlorine. If you are worried about bacteria, and it is good to worry about bacteria, boil the water for 15 minutes and let it cool. If you are doing enemas frequently, do them after a normal BM in the morning to let your system work on its own. And I really don't recommend them that often unless you need them for some special reason, ie recommended by doctor knowlagable about enemas.

I didn't see the first page of post prior to posting---so. Yes you can wash out flora, but there is a large amount of flora in the cecum. This is where most of the bacterial biologically activity is in the colon, and is the far end, the area least washed by the enema, so that is a safety factor.

I view the enema as a cleansing treatment, something that has been used successfully in medical care for thousands of years for hundreds of conditions. Using enemas for pleasure is a problem, like bathing. When people started bathing more than once a week there was an uproar among physicans in Europe that washing off the skin more often than once a week would cause serious problems. I must have serious problems. I take daily or sometimes more often baths. Is washing the insides more serious. I think it can be, but again I have had one patient that took daily enemas from her twenties to her ninties, and know Dr. Kellogg did---both these people had far fewer problems than more than 90% of the rest of the population.

I wrote a novel, "Marisa", in which the heroine had daily enemas from birth in order to have bowel movements as a result of having a non functioning segment in her bowel. This was the recommended treatment in 1900, as the surgery to correct the problem was too risky then. With an enema she could not have a bowel movement, and untreated this condition goes to mega colon, a serious condition. Now it is always treated surgicaly in infancy and the patient grows up with a normal bowel, but then it worked and was a standard medical recommendation.

Enemas used correctly with common sense, and some knowledge of physiology is a good treatment, but not completely safe because the colon is not protected against external injection of pathenogens and has little or no sense of being injured. Enemas should be used with caution and knowledge.

My first post, i didn't make one point clear. With enemas they should not be painful in good health unless you are doing something wrong, like wrong temperature or injecting or releasing too fast. And,I mentioned boiling water to purify it. This is a good idea, but one thing the colon is not sensitive to is temperature. NEVER USE WATER AT ABOVE 107 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT IN AN ENEMA. When I said let it cool, let it cool to room temperature, then carefully bring it back to the right temp. If you are doing enemas for any other reason than health, keep it only slightly above body temperature so the bowel will not over relax. For respiratory infections I use 107 F water to stimulate the immune system, and never use lower than 80 degrees, in fact 95 is cool to the body, so going that low is low enough. And in giving enemas get a good thermometer to measure the temperature. A pool thermometer can be good, just make sure it is accurate. Exact temperatures are imporant. A baby bath thermometer is also good. A few degrees too high deranges protiens and harms the lining of the colon.

The amount of chlorine, or flouride added to 99% of the water systems in the USA is not going to be harmful at all.

Water at 80F sounds more like Nazi medical test TORTURE. No true medical professional that I know of, would ever recommend less that 95F. For fever reduction, an enema just a bit below normal human temperature. A cup of strongly steeped Chamomille tea diluted ing 1 1/2 quarts of water will often be very effective. Good fro Milady's menstrual cramping as well.

Nice to see you posting somewhere again, Lifeknox. You ahve posted some good stuff int eh past, however, you sometimes get a bit too obsessive for my tastes. LOL. Walt

^^^^ It isn't a question of whether or not the chlorine is harmful. The enema physically washes out the bacterial flora with the feces.

80F degree water isn't torture at all. After a good workout or set of tennis or bicycling in the summer, it gives a very cooling and relaxing enema. You should try it.

As far as thermometers and denaturing proteins in the body is concerned, if you can comfortably hold a complete mouthful for an extended time, you can also hold it in your colon. The cell types are the same.

Question is destruction of bacteria. Chlorine is used to kill bacteria. With a large warm enema, the definition is to fill the colon to capacity plus a small amount to stretch the haustrations, good enemas are exciting enemas. So water all passes the rectum twice, coming and going. Only a small amount makes it into the cecum where most of the bacteria lives and comes back out, minimal washing.

And I agree, 80 degree water is what is defined as a cold enema in the old medical text books on enemas. I know from experience that chilling the colon to that degree causes me to have headaches. I don't want colder used on me, but then again I have arteries that tend to dilate in my cerebral circulation so it is individual. I think 95 is cool enough, but to others as they tolerate.

The importance of thermometers is effect. The average person takes and holds more than two quarts with a good enema. If it is too far off the bodies temperature it has an effect. The warmer temperatures creates an arificial fever> increased immune response, used for hundreds of years, maybe more to treat infectious diseases. Cooling the core has clinical effects as well, perhaps lowering an immune response as in allergies, asthma etc., and long used to bring down dangerous fevers. I haven't adequately researched cold enemas in a while.

But most people cant tell exact temperatures by feel. In a medical school study there is quite a range. I have the study stored somewhere. And via colon with the larger quantities of water held the temperature effect can be significant.

As to tissue, both mouth and colon are endothelium, but the mouth is rich with sensory nerves, the colon is not. The mouth is the entry way to the body and far better protected than the anus. All the colon responds to is rapid stretching above the anus, so it is possible to do harm to the colon and feel no pain, a reason for incresased caution, and my caution in recommendations.

. . . . As to tissue, both mouth and colon are endothelium, but the mouth is rich with sensory nerves, the colon is not. The mouth is the entry way to the body and far better protected than the anus. All the colon responds to is rapid stretching above the anus, so it is possible to do harm to the colon and feel no pain, a reason for incresased caution, and my caution in recommendations.

The mouth and colon are not endothelium. Endothelium is the type of cell lining the blood vessels. The epithelium of the mouth is a combination of squamous and columnar cell types.

Using the mouth as a temperature gauge is good because the mouth has thermal receptors, and because the tissue types are the same, if the mouth finds a temperature comfortable, so will the colon.

Every six weeks? Wow. If I tried to go six weeks without an enema, I would be one unhappy camper. I usually get them several times a week, and I haven't noticed any effects. Whereas Susie is totally right about losing good bacteria with every washout, I think that most of us can deal with this without much issue, especially if we're doing other good things like taking yogurt and other supplements.

As far as Activia goes, I've always heard that if you're not irregular, you don't need it. I personally love Greek yogurt for oral ingestion; it's yummy and has less sugar and more active cultures than stuff like Activia, and for a yogurt enema, I've used the nonsweetened, nonfat kind.

Hello,

it's like everything else depending on the individual.

To administer enemas regularly will take effects on bowel movements as well as bacteria issues.

So when ure using enemas regularly as laxative u'll become dependent on it.

The amount and regularity of the enema will have the most effects on this issue.

When unclear just go to ur MD and make a complete checkup to be on the save side.

Just my two cents,

"EEP"

It is ALWAYS my hope that we all allow "COMMON SENSE" to prevail over "OBSESSIVE NEED." Any thing overdone is not good for us, physically, or mentally. We NEED those bacteria for optimum digestive purposes. I feel those who MUST have an enema every day, or several in a week, wille ventually do harm to themselves. I LOVE people, and sorry if I seem to be a wet blanket. Walt

Any thing overdone is not good for us

Walt, my dear, truer words were never spoken. You made me smile!

Love,

Anne

I am very certain they will eliminate good bacteria in the digestive system and should not be used too often.

My enema schedule of allowing the colon to get back to normal BM is my gauge for another enema session. For me, an enema every three or four days does wonders and keep me satisfied. Sixty years of experience proves my schedule works well in my case. A healthy diet and supplements replaces those vitamins washed out by the enemas. At age 74 with no health problems, I believe my system is best for me.