# Would Enema help or hurt?



## IBSHelp100 (Sep 21, 2014)

Sorry for no long introduction, but I'm in heaps of pain and looking for a solution soon, probably around tomorrow is when I would take it.

Anyways, I'm 16, been dealing with my stomach my whole life, and so on. For the past year or two I have been battling constipation to the point of where I have a routine where I only go once every 4-10 days, usually with massive amounts of pain and just basically "purging" my system by taking multiple trips to the bathroom at that obscure time in that day, then I don't go again for another 4-10, USUALLY.

Basically, now, it's been two weeks. I've gone twice since my last big "purge", however it was very little, and with all of this stuff I always seem to be putting in more than I am putting out per se, and two days after that last big purge I went to the emergency room for INSANE acid reflux pain (I'm having it again today, two weeks later, hence why I'm posting this), turns out I was extremely constipated and I was told to do an enema or Miralax. This was only two days after my big BM and I didn't each much (less than normal, but enough) since that date until my pbviously un-planned trip to the emergency room, so there was no way I could be that full again, so stuff must be sitting inside of me.

I'm really ready to do the enema physically, however I'm concerned about the pains, my IBS is very scary to me and it brings me the worst pain I've ever felt in my life, and unfortunately some of the worst times were after using things to help move it all along.

Miralax woke me up on multiple occasions in the middle of the night with extreme stomach pain, it helped me go a little, but frankly I don't think it was worth the pain, it was absolutely terrible, and that's said to only be a light laxative. A while after that being tired of my routine, I took a Dulcolax suppository, and that was quite the mistake. I was in the bathroom for hours with the worst pain I've ever had in my life (other reviews compare it to the pain from giving birth, using this product), and although it definitely emptied me out, it took several days in quite a bit of pain to finally settle that. Never ever ever ever ever ever ever again. I'm okay with semi-frequent trips to the bathroom however I have a very low pain threshold or a really really messed up stomach, and I'm curious if any of you have bad experiences with enemas that would out-weigh the good. I'm not sure if there's any sort of risk either if there were to be a blockage or something of the sort, either, and how much pain this would cause me.

Thanks so much. The quicker the responses the better, I'm unsure of what to do and my GI appt. is not for days still, and even then he always tells me the same thing, use the Miralax, I'm thinking of switching because of that and other reasons, he doesn't really fit with me whatsoever as he has a very "cold" personality, so hopefully I can find some answers here until I do. Thank you!


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## grumpytum (Sep 12, 2014)

Wow it sounds like you are having to deal with a lot of pain & stress with your digestive/bowel issues. I am a lot more regular than you in that I go almost every day (sometimes more than once) and yet I managed to get impacted a few months back. I found that the little Miralax enemas were insufficient at that time. They gave me the urge to go but all I did was strain as they couldn't have reached up far enough or the blockage was further up? I'd be trying to go and having the pains but no joy. In the end after I couldn't stand waiting any longer for the Miralax or the Movicol (laxative) to work so ended up going to an after-hours clinic. There a battle-axe of a nurse gave me a fleet enema. It wasn't much fun but it did work. The fleet was of a much greater volume than the Miralax. I still continued to take laxatives for a couple of days after & my doctor prescribed me a stool softener which I took for a few weeks. I still have to watch that I don't get too constipated again as getting impacted is no fun.

It sounds like you need to address your problem long term (diet/exercise/meds etc) but in the short-term you need to drink lots of water and find a way to move your bowels. Do you have a trusted pharmacist who could advise you on options re laxatives/enemas? You could ask if using a fleet enema would be appropriate? Some people also recommend drinking a mixture made from Epsom Salts (magnesium) but again you should probably seek medical advice before doing so.


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## balancedgrub (Jul 13, 2014)

I really feel for you, but the worst thing you can do is stress and worry over it. First I recommend finding a new doctor that shows concern and sympathy for you.

I used to be like you but worse (i'm a 28 year old female), as I have a hypo-sensitive sphincter (no feeling of needing to have a BM just resulting in huge amounts of abdominal pain) so, up until recently I had never had a BM on my own.

Have you been tested for Colonic inertia (slow bowel transit)? This may be worth getting done if you have battled with this your whole life. Also if you IBS-C it sounds more than likely that you do have a slow sluggish bowel which is resulting in chronic constipation. Miralax is an osmotic laxative which draws water into the bowel to make it softer and more comfortable to pass. Having said that it can take up to a few days to work, just keep hydrated when taking it.

An enema will help is a very short amount of time in the same ways as an osmotic laxative. They are usually quite safe but depending on the severity of your constipation the doctor may want to give you a large enema to empty you out.

Grumpytum is right you need to get this sorted long term as it is no way to live. You diet is a really important step in helping to reduce your symptoms of IBS. I recommend a Low FODMAP diet and cutting out all lactose. You would be surprised how milk and dairy products can cause constipation. Also if you do have a slow bowel be careful of fibre and protein as these can draw water out of the bowel even more.

Keep up with the Miralax and drink at least 2 litres per day, initially you'll get tummy aches and feel bloated but after a few days you will fill better. I used to take 2 saches a day.

I hope that helps, stay calm, 4 to 10 days is not long enough to do serious damage, but diet does play a big role too.


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## IBSHelp100 (Sep 21, 2014)

Thank you for both of your replies. I also feel no urge to do hence why I don't go more often, like, almost nothing at all and if I do try to go in takes at least 20 minutes to get something the size of maybe a quarter out, or even a bit larger than a dime. It's never really an issue of being too big to come out however if there's no urge it just doesn't, sometimes I can even feel the feces there ("down below" however I cannot get it out. I never have any pains really around that area from any of it being "too big" to come out, so I suppose it's not that as a factor like my GI seems to keep pointing out.

I've also stopped drinking milk (including lactaid, as it still gives me bad pains, but not as much), I try to be weary around bread / gluten, and I've also cut out all fast food products, as well as most greasy foods and other things that are known to bother me. Also it's worth nothing I've only had constipation mainly for the past two years or so, and aside from that I've noticed my stomach pains seemed to only remain because of this, the only other times I would get them was from eating something that definitely didn't agree with me, which then gets everything moving which probably causes even more pain. So, I try to keep a hopeful attitude as I think I sorted out my diet at least from things that directly bother me, however I also have an appointment with a nutritionist soon, just in-case, and it is always good to have a professional opinion and guide. Right now it's at the point where I wouldn't be able to hold a job (I go to school almost fully online, 95% of it, I would say, or even more), so hopefully once I get this sorted out and I stay strong to a better diet (I stopped drinking milk and the other things due to fear which does a pretty good job on making decisions now when I'm out to eat rather than the "This looks pretty good, I want this, I'll deal with this later" mentality I had when I was younger.), it will be much more in-frequent or even non-existant, although I don't want to be TOO un-realistic.

Here's something I posted to *some friends (not family, lol) on my Facebook* *meant for those people ("that audience") in particular*, hopefully it gives some more insight on to how I feel and if anybody can relate.; I've tried to censor out most of the obscenities, hopefully that was done in a suitable fashion, it was written in a tone meant for close friends hence the lack of punctuation and capitalization of words and letters:



> i just need my health problems fixed and i'll be a happy camper and then i get a job and do so many things
> 
> this s*** has taken over my life for so long and it makes me wonder what i could be doing instead of living in fear, it's really crazy that life can be pretty easy or it can be what you want it to as long as you work hard and you're free of problems and restraints, i think some people really take that for granted and it really seems quite nice if i didn't have to deal with this
> i've been incredibly gifted with an incredible family (not perfect, but close), and a safe house, good neighborhood and other things of that sort, however this s*** I've had my whole life and it has gotten worse over the past two years (Stomach problems I've had my whole life), that I live in fear much of the time, so i don't stray away from home much because usually all you can do if it hits is just lie down and hope extremely hard that you can fall asleep, everything else gets pushed aside in your mind because of the pain, i start getting irrational thoughts, and it's just not a fun time, not only is it incredibly pain, you feel SICK, like, it's weird to explain but straight stomach pain is a lot less scary to deal with
> ...


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## Brahd (Sep 22, 2014)

I've found I use a prune based laxative, it seems to empty me out so to speak, but I have thought about an enema myself to see if it just clears the system right out. Sometimes, that is what it feels like is needed. The problem I have is that I suffer from haemroids and the thought of going that much scares me a little, but I'd actually be curious to find out if it did help.


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## Nuffa (Sep 12, 2014)

What do you mean by prune-based laxative brahd?


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## Brahd (Sep 22, 2014)

Supposed to have active ingrediants from prunes in them, I don't know if they really do, but unlike other laxs, they don't give me explosive movements.


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