I was listening to a radio program today with some lady saying how beneficial coffee enemas and colonics were. I was under the impression most doctors don’t recommend these things. Is this belief changing, or are these still regarded as useless, and potentially dangerous, procedures.
Also, has anyone every had either of these procedure done? If so, what was the result? Thanks in advance.
I Am Not A real Doctor. That being said- yes, they are mostly useless, and potentially dangerous.
There are times when constipation will lead a real MD to suggest a colonic, or at least they used to, anyway.
Ask your doctor. But don’t try one on your own- or without a MD (or at the very least the “advice Nurse”) saying “Ok, go for for it”.
Get more fiber in your diet- most Americans don’t get enough. Drink lots of fluids- water, juice, and such.
This is not Medical Advice, and you were just asking out of curiousity; not for medical advice, right?
People who recommend colonics usually tell their “patients” that they have huge impacted deposits of matter in their bowel and that NOTHING except a colonic will shift it.
They further claim tht tese impacted deposits of faeces are slowly poisioning them and turning their systems “toxic”.
NONE of this is true. If you had a bowel obstruction or impacted faecal matter in your colon, you’d be seriously ill in hospital.
The bowel prep laxatives that are given to patients before colonoscopy is a very efficient colon cleaner. Trust me, if there was anything left in the bowel you’d see it with the scope, since you don’t, one would have to say that you can empty the colon completely with laxatives alone in the vast majority or cases. Enemas, colonics etc aren’t usually needed.
If you’re constipated (less than 1 bowel movement in 36hrs), the standard advice to drink more water, take more exercise and up your fibre intake is probably all that needs to be done. If you don’t fancy eating prunes or bran, you can get Psyllium husk preparations that are mixed with water to give an orange flavoured drink.
The regular long-term use of laxatives such as Senna or Bisacodyl is not recommended, unless you’re directed to do so by a doctor.
If you notice any change in bowel habit (constipation, diarrhoea, blood in the stools) SEE A DOCTOR ASAP.
Just curious. I have no desire to do this, I was just making sure the woman I heard on the radio was full of shit. Thanks to everyone who responded.
The next time I order coffee I will specify that I want it black…and oral.
No way I’d get a coffee enema.
OW!!! HOT!!!
reminds me of the joke about the guy who checks in to the holistic health center for a coffee enema:
As the “nurse” began administering the enema, the man winced.
“Oh! I’m sorry…is it too hot?”
“No”, replied the man…“too sweet.”
So it is agreed that it is not useful, but how dangerous is a colonic?
I can see a new product offering in near future from Starbucks.
I read somewhere that in Mayan or Incan ruins they kept finding tubes (perhaps bamboo) that archeologists didn’t know what were used for. Eventually it was figured out that they were used for enemas.
“Dr. Jones, what is this for?”
“Maybe it’s a flute! Blow into the brown end!”
Not if she’s practicing what she preaches, presumably.
All good advice. Note that the “orange powder stuff” is sometimes called a “bulk forming laxative”. As long as you take it with enough water, it is generally safe, and an easy way of increasing your fiber intakes. The* other types* of laxatives one should generally avoid, unless your MD says otherwise.
you gotta wonder how people discover this kind of stuff.
“hey, i know, let’s shove some coffee ground up this guy’s ass. it’ll probably help and stuff.”
What better was to wake your ass up? 
was=way :smack:
Oh, there’s soooo many cream in your coffee jokes here…
Ah, that reasoning is pretty obvious. Probably went something like “Gee, putting the coffee in the other end gets things moving. So if we put it in this end, it’ll really hit the fan.”
Probably a lot of this stuff is derived from folk medicine, or even what passed for actual medicine a hundred years ago. When all you had was household ingredients and a handful of orifices to put stuff in, I guess you experimented
Several people here at work swear by colonics and how they “clean out your system”. ::shakes head:: A lot of them don’t “believe” in evolution either, much less Darwinian natural selection, and a significant proportion of them seem to take seriously the theory that the moon landings were faked. And they all serioulsy play the lottery, arguing that, “We have to win sooner or later.” And these are technically-educated people. :rolleyes:
As Robert Heinlein wote, “Man is not a rational animal, he is a rationalizing animal.” Even those with high IQs.
Stranger
Just to post an alternative view - and before I start - this is my cousin’s view - not mine - I’m just putting it out their for people to chew on.
My cousing is a Physical Therapist by trade, and after completing her degree, she went on to complete an after-degree program in “colonic-therapy”. Basically, it’s a program in butt-washing, but rather than the traditional colonic bag, a special machine is used - it has a nozzel attached to two tubes with a switch - the nozell is inserted in the appropriate oriface, and the machine is switched on - warm water is pumped very slowly into the butt while the PT does abdominal massage. Then the switch is flicked and the water is very slowly sucked out of the butt.
The reason my cousin did the after program is because the elderly lady that she boarded with had a boat-load of butt related problems - she couldn’t leave the house because she was needing to have a bowel movement so often - she did some research and found the colonic-therapy mentioned as being good for her type of condition - she and my cousin struck a deal where the elderly woman paid for cousin’s after-training and machine and in return got all the colonic therapy she wanted or needed.
Apparently, in her case (the elderly lady) the colonic therapy was able to improve her condition to the point where she was having 2 or 3 BMs a day, rather than 20.
In any case, even my cousin said that the best therapy was to eat a healthy diet with lots of fruits and veg and whole grains, limit meat and refined sugar and drink a boat load of water - however, for people that don’t do that, or for people that do that despite the healthful diet and water consuption, the colonic therapy is supposed to have some beneift.
The one thing I can say for sure is that cousin was charging $450USD for one 1/2 hour treatment. And lest anyone think she was only in it for the $$ she did it 3 days a week, and worked the other 3 days a week in an old-floks home for peanuts.
Anyhow - YMMV. I’ve never had the procedure so I can’t report any personal opinions, but I thought I would share my cousin’s perspective. For the record - she never loaded her machine with coffee - only warm water.