Why has society's view of enemas changed

I still think the advice given in the Consumer Reports Home Health Guide was "many agree it is much better to stimulate the lower 8 inches than to irritate the whole intestinal tract."

My experience is the same. When I'm feeling plugged, a quick enema clears the problem and discomfort quickly, and I can get on with life. Of course, when time permits, a full clean-out really gives pleasure both during and for some time after.

Thanks for the suggestion Switchable, but I will have to decline. Having a tube stuck up my bum or talking medicines because I am not patient enough to wait for nature to take its course is not for me.

I reckon it is nurture over nature so a cultural thing. The standards of living in our 2 countries are the same, and so is our lifestyles although we do have free at the point health care. So why over stimulate your bowels when there is no need to or over the years has it become an obsession.

I don't think people have the time or don't want to take the time to take enemas using the bag. Fleet enemas are being sold by the thousands. People need to slow down and enjoy the benefit of a good old fashion enema.

I´ve had several Fleets given to me in a hospital setting. And maybe oddly or not, but I found they did not really clean me out or cause much of an urge either. There was just a short momentary urge to go and that was it. In fact, during one proctological exam the doctor remarked to the attending nurse that I was not completely ´cleaned out´ and quietly (but still distinctly) asked if I had given the correct preparations ... that was a bit disconcerting in a way.

But my point is that it seems that Fleets are not really all that effective - certainly not for me in any case.

Well their you go again . One nurse I DON'T know why she is on here . I mean why are you in talks about ENEMAS . If you don't think people need them THEN GO SOME WHERE ELSE . This is for people that believe in the use of enemas . As for those FLEET ENEMAS . I have heard a thing out . That if you do more than one OF THEM AT ONE TIME . It could KILL YOU . They are VERY BAD to dehydrate your system an really MESS you up . I have taken them . An have felt like CRAMP after it . I NEVER feel that way after a few good enemas . An yes if you don't have time for a big enema . A small enema works good. So you nurses on here so against ENEMAS . Please go some where else . I know you have your right to say your DOS . But if your that DWON on enemas . Then don't tell us !

I am happy I don't live over their in your country . I thought most people over their believed in enemas . But I guess your one of those that don't . Again why as a nurse are you in a enema group . If you don't believe in enemas why tell us . You need to go find another group please .

Perhaps she's a kloset Klysmo.

Or perhaps she is really just another "he" posing as a "she" that gets off on a little attention here

Ronpoo you keep mentioning about a "she" nurse objecting to enemas. I have checked through the posts and the only posts I can see with Nurse in them is me. So I will assume I am whom you are talking about.

Whilst I accept that "Nurse" is part of a nom de plume or pseudonym, I can assure you that I am very definitely a male and have never said otherwise (pse take note redbulb) not a female, as my wife and the medical profession will testify. How you ever got it in to your head that I was a female is beyond me.

You would love my country, not only do we have a history going back more than 238 years but we also have free at the point of contact healthcare. I could be in the most horrific car crash tonight, and I would get the best care possible for as long as it was needed and not when my money ran out.

As for " thought most people over their believed in enemas ", I have asked people on all the social media sites I am on, and asked several doctors and nurses in the local hospital that I know, and no one has been given or given an enema even in the maternity ward.

I am not against enemas, I just question why anyone would have one. And unless I am mistaken this is not "an enema group", it is a thread asking why enemas are on the decline and I ventured an opinion and raised a question. You may not agree with my statements or opinion, but they are not libellous and like over here, offense is in the eye of the beholder.

I am happy I don't live over their in your country . I thought most people over their believed in enemas . But I guess your one of those that don't . Again why as a nurse are you in a enema group . If you don't believe in enemas why tell us . You need to go find another group please .

Why would anyone talk about ´believing in enemas´? It´s not a religious belief for goodness sakes, it´s just a procedure that used to be prevalent in some countries at some period in time and now no longer isn´t all that much. And some people like them for any number of reasons and others abhor them, also for any number of reasons. My wife for one, a medical professional, simply abhors them for no apparent reason she will talk about, but which I can perhaps guess at. I myself think they are grand and sensual and quite a pleasant thing to do.

So there you have it. I live in a country other than the US that also doesn´t have a tradition of giving enemas in medical surroundings (and also offers practically free medical treatment irregardless of one´s bank account). But that´s no reason to give blanket statements about people living ´over their (sic)´ in countries other than your own. It´s a wide wide world with lots of variations in customs and ways of thinking. Why in world would you think someone should leave this group because he politely and coherently (and correctly spelled) expresses an opinion different than yours. And mine also for that matter - but so what? - it doesn´t bother me.

or perhaps she is really just another "he" posing as a "she" that gets off on a little attention here

Jeez guys, c´mon ... You know, I´m quite certain that male nurses are no longer an oddity or an aberration of Nature. I´ve been treated by any number of male nurses since many years ago.

And besides, even a cursory reading should suggest that part of the pseudo is short for ´Kevin´ ...

FYI NurseKev: Our country has the best healthcare in the world - bar none. And NO ONE in a critical condition is denied healthcare because of an inability to pay, notwithstanding what you may have read, heard or believe. And yes, you are mistaken: this particular forum that you are posting in IS an enema group.

FYI NurseKev: Our country has the best healthcare in the world - bar none. And NO ONE in a critical condition is denied healthcare because of an inability to pay, notwithstanding what you may have read, heard or believe.

The operative word in this retort about healthcare is ´critical´.

Yes indeed, no one is turned away from emergency care wards in the US. But that doesn´t mean that the bill for those services won´t be presented afterwards and that moreover the costs can be extravagantly high compared to emergency medical care in other countries. In fact, medical costs in the US can be so outrageously high that the US has the unique concept (and sadly the actuality as well) of a thing called ´medical bankruptcy´. It becomes impossible to pay for medical costs so that a person ends up stripped of assets and possessions, losing home and car and what all not. No offense intended, but this is just something that does not happen with any frequency (if at all) in other industrialized countries. People and families in other industrialized countries do not loose all they have because of an illness. And that´s not even mentioning things like refusal of health insurance reimbursement because of pre-existing conditions, or capping medical reimbursements. Low medical costs are intrinsically inherent in being able to have good healthcare. And health care costs for individuals in the US is very high indeed compared to other countries.

Besides, health care is more than emergency medical services. Preventive health care is often far more important in maintaining good health and well being. It is not only cheaper and a more responsible way of conducting health care for the general population, it also results in statistically longer life expectancies for inhabitants of virtually most industrialized countries, except the US. And when average life expectancies or the outcome of certain serious medical situations are broken down by income, regional and ethnic factors, the differences in the US become even more striking.

So please - ´the best healthcare in the world - bar none´?

FYI agracier: You are correct in that my post was specific to critical care. I'm sure however there are more appropriate forums/topics for your denunciation of our healthcare system. And I can't say I ever heard of anyone traveling to England or Belgium for heart surgery, cancer care or any other number of serious conditions. They come here. Because we have the best.

It seems to me that 'saving time' has such a high premium such that companies will market a product that promises quick results. Over the counter drugs occupy over 90 percent of display space opposed to less than 10 percent of enema products. Technology offers a lot of improvements in life, but the consequences yield a hectic daily rush where personal time is lost like a set of car keys when late for work.

Redbulb

Your views seem to differ from your own Commonwealth Fund about which country has the best health care.

That said, I fully respect your views on the efficacy of your countries health care system, and all I can do is apologise for the less than satisfactory service that you received when you had to use the health services in Aglaciers and my country.

... denunciation of our healthcare system. And I can't say I ever heard of anyone traveling to England or Belgium for heart surgery, cancer care or any other number of serious conditions. They come here. Because we have the best.

You may not have heard of it, but depending upon certain procedures and the skill and knowledge of physicians at particular institutions, patients in Europe do often travel between countries to get the best possible treatment. This all depends on the allocation and specialist training in this or that specific area. But the thing is that these trans-national procedures are available to all and sundry and are accorded to anyone needing them. They are not dependent on the size of one´s bank account and therefore there is little need to trumpet them in the media.

My wife, for instance, back in the ´80´s, worked at a Belgian hospital that regularly received German patients because of the expertise of the resident heart surgeons. Their admittance was dependent on the agreement of German national health insurance agencies, not on the size of their bank accounts - though people rich enough can always purchase private health care should they wish to pay the exorbitant full price.

And come to think of it, I have read of many Americans traveling to either Canada or Mexico to get dental, health care or pharmaceuticals.

And what is it that should make stating obvious facts and conditions and making comparisons a ´denunciation´?

There are indeed other places to talk about comparisons of health care systems. But when posts contain things like ´we have the best´ and ´bar none´ and ´the best in the world´ ... I think it invites a response. It´s like waving a red cape. Have you any idea how these kind of statements are perceived by people living elsewhere than the US?

I seriously doubt that any system is the best, nor would there be any way to find out either. But isn´t it odd that people in other countries are not given to making such statements?

I agree with your comments 100% Aglacier.

My last post was going to be just that on this thread, but seeing that my integrity has being questioned I feel that I have the right to put my point one final time. At no time have I ever, said, implied, suggested or gave the impression that I was a female. A 10 second look at my profile would have answered any questions.

Although male nurses have been in existence since 250BC

The US may very well have good medical staff, but guess what so does the rest of the world. What I was pointing out was that as I found out when I had an accident in the states, how the hospital scrutinized the size of my bank balance compared to my own health service.

And I am sure that people may not appreciate how the rest of the world takes to "we are the greatest in the world", it is as Aglacier says a red rag that prompts a response. Statements need to be quantified with fact not sentiment

Example:

Perhaps someone might like to remind me, which county invented the;

Television

Radio

Inoculations

Penicillin

The first computer

The jet engine

Vertical takeoff jet

Telephone

Lightbulb

First SMS message

Radar

First electronic digital programmable computers

Boolean algebra (the basis for all computer programming)

World wide web

Surgical forceps

Anesthesia

The tank

I could put more, but there is not enough room

Not bad for a small little county that is not the greatest nation on the planet.

Can we now please stop the flag waving, accept that all countries have their pro's and con's and all enjoy our med fet passion together.

Well color me "English"

Agracier you are 100% correct on the cost of health care in the US. Our quality is fine but to get that care you must present documentation of sufficient funding to cover the care. In an ER you will be "stabilized" then sent elsewhere if you do not meet the funding requirement. Families are routinely pauperized by health care facilities.

I will be going to Costa Rica next month for long overdue dental care. With the cost of transportation and lodging I will pay approximately 20% of what the same care would cost in the US.

In a healthcare setting I think it is like Cheryl said below...it is all about money and time is money. 5 minutes vs 30. On the home front I think many people grew up in a household where enemas were not given. They either have an open mind or if they had bad experience it clouded their judgement. Thank God for the internet. I think a new generation is finally discovering the enema. Maybe not for traditional constipation relief but for the kinkier side. Just look at how much equipment is for sale online. Even Amazon for crying out loud! Cross your fingers and hope it all does not get banned like they have almost done here in Texas with Colonics. You now must have prescription to get a colonic. YES, you heard me correctly.

OMG I didn't know I would get people over their all up in AIR . I wasn't in any way putting down the health care over their . Yes they do have wonderful health care . An glad they don't charge like they do here . I the thing I was pointing out is that . This site to me is for people into ENEMAS ! I mean the thing we our talking about here is " WHERE HAS SOCIETY'S VIEW ON ENEMAS GONE ". I mean this has nothing to do with how good health care is . It all comes down to why the hell people and the medical people . See ENEMAS as a BAD thing to do to stay healthy . An OMG to have to have a PERSRICPTION now for a colonic . I heard once where a DAM congress woman in CA. tired to make it a CRIME FOR ANY PERSON OTHER THAN A MEDICAL PERSON . To give a enema , I mean really their going to put you in JAIL now for giving a ENEMA ! When you have all the DRUG DEALERS out their .

As society evolved views on enemas were just dragged along for the ride.

Perhaps society is being dragged along by technology that is driving too fast to allow personal time.

Perhaps society is being dragged along by technology that is driving too fast to allow personal time.

I don't think it's the technology that is dragging society and individual people along ... rather it's the people who control and own the technology who determine the pace of things. They always want more and more productivity for less and less compensation ... which means that the poor schmucks who have to work to provide a living, have to scramble and work harder and harder and have less time left over for all manner of things.

When I was younger (1970's) we were taught the theory that by the 21st century, productivity would have increased so many fold by use of new technologies, that our work week would end up shrinking enormously. We would be able to produce the same amount in a shorter time - hence more free time for all.

Instead, it's turned out that more and more is expected of us, higher productivity all the time, coupled with better and more efficient technology. And this doesn't happen by itself, but because people decide it must be so. People in the 60's thought life was fast-paced. Boy, if they only knew what was in store for them half a century down the road ...

Yes when it comes to all we people are into . It's no wonder we can't find time to take a POOP! So no wonder their are so many people unhappy . If you don't take time to POOP . You really get CRANKY ! An to me what is the best way to take care of that . Is with a good old fashion enema . I am sure even if a person took a enema now . THEY'D HAVE TO HAVE THEIR I PHONE in front of them . GOD I MISS THE OLD DAYS !

Enemas are not given as first line treatment for constipation simply because of cost restrictions i.e. "time is money". Everyone on this thread seems to know that. Believe me, at work I ordered SSEs for patients all the time. I rarely got resistance from nurses because they knew what the patients were afflicted with. Why enemas are not used in society in general is confusing. Some of it is no doubt from the folks who think rectal temps are weird as well. Also, I think that society wants "quick fixes" for a lot of things now. Times change, but I wonder who would choose a fleets or oral laxative over a large enema if they knew the true effects of each.

I think there was this desire on the part of the patient and the doctor both to "do something" even when there was really nothing that could be done. The doctors knew it, but they knew an enema in that situation was not going to harm the patient, so they gave them an enema just to be doing something!!

In my opinion, enemas have fallen out of favor because they are considered "too much trouble". Why drag out enema equipment and go through the routine and time it takes when one can either take a pill or chemical laxative in a glass of water?

Just as "convenience products" have proliferated our society, so has the quick fix for irregularity. Just consider the Fleet enema! Taking a pill or consuming a glass of water laced with MiraLax is easy, it's not complicated, and it takes no time at all. That said, a traditional enema involves purchasing the requisite equipment, preparing the solution, taking the enema, awaiting the results, and cleaning equipment afterwards.

In other quarters, the enema has become seen as an "invasive treatment" that is subject to abuse and is just downright "kinky"!

For me...despite the direction of society...it's always an enema first!

Have fun and play safe!

Deb

Lots of good posts so far on this thread.

I do agree with the notion that the idea of taking a pill to solve a problem is pretty much the method of choice in the medical setting. I think patients and the medical community have gravitated to this solution. The other trend that has moved us away from enemas is a trend to be less invasive in procedures if possible. Enemas are considered by most to be more invasive than swallowing a pill so another win for the pill. And the points about saving time (costs) on labor in the hospital setting clearly has put pressure to gravitate towards choosing a pill over the time it takes to administer an enema.

I posted in another topic thread that I thought enema usage maybe making a comeback among those that want to engage in anal play. Enemas are the perfect prep before anal play so that it is clean and not messy. And for those that are anal erotic, the enema pre-prep has become a source of pleasure. Heterosexual men are now discovering their prostates and are getting into prostate orgasms. This was unheard of 20 years ago but is now becoming more commonplace.

So I think enemas are not down and out. The Golden Age of Enemas in 1940s and 1950s may have long since past but a new generation of users are coming on board through a sexual pathway which I think is great.

I never had an enema as a child, and I was born in 1937. However, after getting unmarried around age 37 and exploring solo sexual activities for several years, I discovered enemas to clean out before anal stimulation. I got to enjoy them and STILL DO! I agree with Happyman on post 57, that I would think that the "Adult Stores" would also sell a wide variety of enema products to facilitate the use of their wide selection of anal stimulation products.