Enemas for constipation during sickness.

Mom made sure that any sign of sickness in the home resulted in EVERYONE getting a good, hot soapy enema. Naturally that included for any sign of constipation.

There was a similar regime in my family - albeit with suppositories, not enemas. Any stomach illness, any throwing up, any stomach pain, even if there was diarrhea - you were going to get something painfully forced up your smellhole. When I had the mumps and the chicken pox, whatever discomfort I was feeling (and we all remember the swollen face and being barely able to talk) it was made so, so, much worse by the dread of "when am I going to get medically anally violated"

My Mother was a firm believer in giving enemas for a variety of illnesses. Upset stomach, contstipation, flu, cold, fever. I remember one time I had diarrhea and she insisted on giving me an enema.

I've seldom had a problem with constipation, even as a child, but the warm Ivory Soap Suds enema was the remedy of choice for my folks whenever I had been sick for more than a couple days. I still remember the scene. It was usually in the early evening, and my mother would come into my bedroom to get me out of bed and take me to the bathroom. There was always a large soft Terry towel on the floor, and I would lay on the towel, usually on my stomach as I recall, and my mother would administer the warm Ivory SSE very gently and slowly. If I told her I couldn't take any more, she would stop for a couple minutes or so. My enemas were always from the red closed top bag, red hose, black bakelite nozzle, and the SS clip, which was hung on the doorknob on the back side of the bathroom door. I remember the scene like it was yesterday, and that was over 65 years ago. Still enjoying enemas today.....unfortunately solo.

In the case of an influenza the daily warm Ivory Soap Suds Enema has always been the best remedy.

My mom gave enenas for most every malady that can befall a child. Constipation was treated with a series of enemas to get you cleaned out.

I grew up on a farm in the Midwest, and remember we got indoor plumbing installed when I was about ten or so. Up to that time, we had an outhouse out back and a chamber pot in each bedroom. The rules were that you used the outhouse whenever possible, but it was OK to use the pot if you were sick, had to go in the middle of the night, or in extreme bad weather. I remember a few times when I was sick in bed with maybe the measles or chicken pox and got an enema in bed because I had not gone poop in a couple of days. Those enemas were given in the bedroom with the red bulb and I was allowed to use the pot. Mom emptied it later. I guess that was the proof the enema was effective.

Growing up in a rural New England town , during late 40s ,1950s , we were raised on aspirins, band aides , and enemas ! Didn't feel good ? into bed , soon up on your side , hose trailing out of your bum , Mom held hot water bottle up, over your hips, warm soapy enema made its way in . Happened each day you remained in bed ,usually mid morning , nobody was immune from treatment , even Grandma . I was the sickly one , so had most experience , enemas never bothered me , still do not. . Still have them on a 2 week schedule, next ones due on Monday .

My mom gave me enemas for a variety of ailments. Whenever I had a flu, fever, stomach ache, constipation, cold, pretty much any kind of ailment, one of the enema bags in the bathroom closet was filled with soapy water.

There seems to have been a "3 day rule" back in the day. Three days without a bowel movement meant an enema was due. I remember a situation from the 60's. I was 17 when I busted up my leg pretty bad in a motorcycle accident. I got morphine for the pain the first few days in the hospital and It must of slowed everything down. Each morning the nurse would ask if I had a bowel movement. After the second and third days of getting a "no" answer I was given some licorice tasting laxative each bedtime. The nurse told me if I did not have a bm by morning she would have to give me an enema. I was not sure what to think about that. I had been giving myself enemas at home for some time, because I liked it, but I knew this would be different. On the one hand it would be quite interesting, yet the other part of me worried about the embarrassment of getting an enema from a woman, not too many years older than me. Would I get a "woodie" like I did when I gave myself an enema? It became a non-issue because as soon as I woke up the next morning I had to shit, real bad. The laxative had done its job and all talk of enemas stopped. A couple days later I got to go home. I never did get an enema in the hospital.

Note to message 32 - error: it wasn't chickenpox I had, it was measles

In our household the Enema was the all-purpose remedy for about any physical problem and especially for constipation.

I grew up in a large extended and poor family in the south during the 50s and 60s. Virtually every household had an enema bag out where it could be seen. A few also had red rubber bulb syringes and sometimes these would be sitting on the back of the bathroom sink ready to use whenever needed. All of my cousins were boys, no female cousins, and I have no doubt they all received enemas at one time or another and probably more than once.

I had "colic bowels" (I guess a precursor to IBS as I still have the same symptoms today) growing up and frequent constipation and so I was given either suppositories or enemas, mostly enemas after about age 6 or 7. Most of my enemas were given by an aunt and uncle who were my "surrogate" parents from the time I was around 6 or 7 since my mom was single and worked long hours even on weekends. I also got enemas in the hospital on several occasions for the same problem. The enemas continued from as long as I can remember to about age 13. Needless to say, I was already "anal attentive" by age 5 or 6 and so the enemas and suppositories didn't upset me except when my aunt gave them. For some reason I didn't like her enemas and don't remember why. My uncle took over the job when I was around 10 and I had no issues getting them from him as he was very gentle but thorough.

Anyway, like one poster referenced earlier, the common treatment for most ailments in our families were band-aids for cuts, aspirin for headaches and enemas for everything else.

Oh, yes, if I was home sick from school no matter what the ailment at mid morning mom would come into my room to inform me it was enema time. Until I might have been 10 or so, that meant in the bathroom lying over her lap with the hose up my bum "enjoying" a warm soapy enema. Later, when I was older it was given as I lay on my bed and she held the bag a foot or two above me.

In those times I did not especially like having to get an enema so it was a great idea to keep me from playing sick so I didn't have to go to school.

Actually most of the times I was sick it was the opposite problem. Either could not keep food down or running to the toilet every 2 minutes.

I would get them all the time when I was young in the 70s for constipation or colds. If I was sick enough to stay home then I would get the bag.

I have had that cough syrup before but I don't think it caused me constipation. I ususally got an enema when I stayed home from school though..

The only childhood enemas I remember were following two serious illnesses when I was about 9 or 10 years old. One following a bout of pneumonia which involved a high fever and shots of penicillin. I still remember seeing myself floating around the ceiling seeing myself in bed. The second followed the "hard" measles where the window shades were drawn to keep out the light. When I was recovering I was called into the bathroom where my parents were waiting with the enema bag. Dad held while Mom handled the nozzle.

At age 9+(1959) I came down with a bad boyhood measles event. Down for nearly a week. At the nearly recovered point,the family Pediatrician shows up at the house. As I sat on my bed, the Doctor tells my Dad: "Your son needs a good, warm (103-104 F.) castille soapy water enema asap--he's all clogged up". As he is leaving , he informs my Dad: "Hang the enema bag no higher than 15" above the level of his buttocks--I want this enema to go in slower". This enema was really unpleasant--I was pouty/cranky from being sick,and I "dreaded" getting any enema. Face down,my bottom elevated by 2 firm pillows--I fussed,complained, with some melodramatic crying added. I wriggled/squirmed enough that my Dad had to gently/firmly put his hand on my back, just above my butt to keep me in place. It took nearly 7-8 minutes for this enema to fully go in my constipated rectum/g.i.tract, but it thoroughly cleaned me out.

Anytime any of us missed a day of school the bag usually came out. I remember getting the measles and got 1 or 2 enemas during that week as well. I never stayed home if I was well enough to walk.

Mum discovered spots on my tummy so I was confined to bed with measles at about age 10 in the 1950s. I was in a darkened room and not allowed to read. On about the third day mum asked if I had pooped and I said no. A while later mum and the lady next door came into my room with an enema bag. I knew what this meant and obediently rolled over and let them take my pants down. I felt the nozzle go in my bottom and looked over my shoulder to see my neighbours son my best friend looking in from the doorway. I wriggled and tensed up and got a smack on my bare bottom. I was made to hold the enema and begged to go to the bathroom. I ran to the bathroom and expelled with great relief. Later when I was no longer contagious my friend and I discussed what he had seen.

I remember a cough syrup from the 1950s by the name of Cherocol ,cherry flavored and loaded with codine if mom gave me more than a teaspoon I would be drunk and pass out! I liked the taste of it as I got older and would sneak sips out of the bottle,mom found out and then had to hide it!

I remember a cough syrup from the 1950s by the name of Cherocol ,cherry flavored and loaded with codeine if mom gave me more than a teaspoon I would be drunk and pass out! I liked the taste of it as I got older and would sneak sips out of the bottle,mom found out and then had to hide it!

That was good stuff and also very constipating. The cough syrup these days doesn't work nearly as good but you also can't get addicted to it!

Being ill and staying home from school was pretty much a guaranteed enema or two. Big and soapy!

@Moppys_jalopy These cough syrups contained products fairly close to narcotics, and in fact some drug addicts collect them. This is why they are no longer generally available. (Also, they make you sleep, which is dangerous for driving or operating machinery.)

Following surgery after my bike accident, painkillers etc. also made me very constipated.

Once again, it's interesting reading some of these answers. I once heard the expression, “Everything old is new again”, or maybe things haven't changed, or maybe it's just going back to the way things were when most of you ladies and gentlemen were kids with the current generation of parents. But, a lot of what's written here is as current as it is history. Myself. my sisters, even some friends being living examples of it. I wonder when I read these responses to this and some other questions, if things are going/have gone back to “the day” or if to some extent it never stopped, just not as common, and not as open or talked about. Not sure if that's a question or a statement.

If I had a fever or flu and stayed home from school, it was guaranteed an enema was coming. Always got one before the doctor came too.

I think I would have preferred the Cherocol. Instead my mom would opt for a clear liquid called terpin hydrate. If I could describe its taste it would have been like a syrupy fermented grapefruit juice. I hated to take it, but it sure worked probably because it had codeine in it. While I don't remember if it constipated me or not, but if it did mom had a remedy for that, too, and it came in a red bag.

When my siblings and I were growing up, the one home sick got a couple of enemas once the others were off to school. Then, after supper and before bedtime we all got enemas. This was a daily event till the sick one went back to school.

I thought terpin hydrate took your breath away and tasted like vodka.