# Decided to try occasional enemas; why do people not just use water?



## LeakyGasSucks (Feb 4, 2012)

I've had a fecal odor issue along with that "unfinished" feeling for a while.

(Disclaimer: This next part sounds a bit gross!) I got fed up and got me some latex gloves and performed a quick rectal exam on myself, only to feel that there was in fact hard stool stuck in my rectum which was most likely the cause of the smell and discomfort.

I used my shower head (it's one with a hose) and jetted a bit of water up my butt (not joking unfortunately) as a makeshift enema, got out of the shower, and tried to pass bowel movements... and much to my surprise, I passed some small stools and both my issues were gone!

So, I read up on enemas (enema bottles/kits). I heard enemas can cause nerve damage in the colon, so I've decided to do it only occasionally.

*My question is, for those of you who tried enemas, why not just use water? People are putting all sorts of weird things in their body (coffee, glycerin, vegetable oil). I don't really see a scientific evidence to explain these materials. The large intestine just absorbs the water in the colon to produce solid material.*

Anyway, I'm not even interested in a full enema. I just want enough of a solution to loosen up the stools in my rectal region.

Anyone have any experience in this?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Sometimes people add things because they may be more lubricating or stimulating than just plain water (and for some reason as toxic as people claim coffee is if you ingest it, they also seem to think it is magically detoxifying when going up the bum).

If you were to do them frequently or with large amounts of water making an isotonic solution (with some salts) may be a good idea as you can if you over do it (just like drinking too much plain water) get water intoxication, but I think you have to work at it. I don't know why a couple of ounce of water up the bum once a week would be a problem if you can drink that much water without an issue. I think the problem is when the amount up the bum and the amount down the hatch combined would be an issue if you just drank it.


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## twonK (Oct 30, 2006)

Kathleen M. said:


> If you were to do them frequently or with large amounts of water making an isotonic solution (with some salts) may be a good idea as you can if you over do it (just like drinking too much plain water) get water intoxication, but I think you have to work at it.


Hi Kathleen, I've been looking for trustworthy instructions on how to do such a DIY enema since I calculated that my annual outgoing on Fleet to be > $700 ... do you know of such sound instructions?

Thanks in advance,

Pete


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Most of the recipes are for nasal irrigation, but the same proportions work as Isotonic is isotonic not matter if it is for rehydration after diarrhea (could use those recipes as well) or irrigating any body part.

http://www.hmh.net/HMHWebsite/Service.aspx?PageID=181 seems to be the pretty standard amounts. I'm not sure if the Fleet are isotonic or hyper-tonic (more salty than blood/body fluids so they pull water into the colon). You may need a larger volume of isotonic solution than of a hyper-tonic solution as your body adds water to the hyper-tonic one, but you may risk dehydrating if you dump too much of the body's water out the back.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5471016_diy-enemas.html seems to be a good instruction for an enema bag use. Also I would assume the directions that come with the bag would be a good idea.


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## LeakyGasSucks (Feb 4, 2012)

I'm pretty sure that those isotonic solutions are just a proportionate mixture of salt and water (I have chronic nasal congestion as well, and I use nasal irrigation at times).



Kathleen M. said:


> Most of the recipes are for nasal irrigation, but the same proportions work as Isotonic is isotonic not matter if it is for rehydration after diarrhea (could use those recipes as well) or irrigating any body part.


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