# Making the most of a forced bowel cleanse **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 9, 2008, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-the-most-of-a-forced-bowel-cleanse/467147 "2008-10-09T11:57:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-the-most-of-a-forced-bowel-cleanse/467147/1 "2008-10-09T11:57:42Z")
Turned 50 and my health insurance deductible has been hit so I volunteered for a colonoscopy. I’d like to make the most of the short fast and bowel cleanse that is required by fasting/cleansing longer. Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-the-most-of-a-forced-bowel-cleanse/467147/2 "2008-10-09T16:23:19Z")
Umm, Fasting really has no medical benefits, nor does “cleansing”. Yes, regular bowel movements are Good and so is just plain eating less. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-the-most-of-a-forced-bowel-cleanse/467147/3 "2008-10-09T16:50:32Z")
Fasting may have spiritual benefits, but the only reason a medical doc will prescribe it is for things like you’re about to have surgery. Even then, the fast is prescribed because They do not want you to vomit while you’re unconcious, or recovering from anesthesia. And believe me, you will feel plenty “cleansed” if you take all of the cleansing medicine. You will feel that you have purged all the food you’ve ever eaten, PLUS all the food you have yet to eat. You will have a squeaky clean colon. ---
**Author:** ![ShelliBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@ShelliBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShelliBean)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-the-most-of-a-forced-bowel-cleanse/467147/4 "2008-10-09T16:55:16Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Umm, Fasting really has no medical benefits, nor does “cleansing”. Yes, regular bowel movements are Good and so is just plain eating less. I believe he is fasting specifically to prepare for the colonoscopy. Clean out the lower half and making sure nothing is waiting to “drop” right before the procedure. Or maybe he just has a weird idea of how to kick his heels up on a Friday night… As far as making the most out of it - may i suggest sparklers and ribbons? ---
**Author:** ![ShelliBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@ShelliBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShelliBean)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-the-most-of-a-forced-bowel-cleanse/467147/5 "2008-10-09T16:56:41Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > And believe me, you will feel plenty “cleansed” if you take all of the cleansing medicine. You will feel that you have purged all the food you’ve ever eaten, PLUS all the food you have yet to eat. You will have a squeaky clean colon. Is it weird that I kind of like that feeling? It’s… freeing. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-the-most-of-a-forced-bowel-cleanse/467147/6 "2008-10-09T17:01:37Z")
> [@ShelliBean](#): > > I believe he is fasting specifically to prepare for the colonoscopy. “I’d like to make the most of the short fast and bowel cleanse that is required by fasting/cleansing longer”. Yes, he is doing the basic fast for medical reasons. But what he’s asking about is an extended fast and seems to be thinking that there’s some health benefit here- _other than what is required for your procedure._ ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-the-most-of-a-forced-bowel-cleanse/467147/7 "2008-10-09T17:03:46Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > And believe me, you will feel plenty “cleansed” if you take all of the cleansing medicine. You will feel that you have purged all the food you’ve ever eaten, PLUS all the food you have yet to eat. You will have a squeaky clean colon. Yes- those Jujubes you ate while watching that kiddie matinee in 5th grade? They will finally leave.😛 ---
**Author:** ![ShelliBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@ShelliBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShelliBean)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-the-most-of-a-forced-bowel-cleanse/467147/8 "2008-10-09T18:40:25Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > “I’d like to make the most of the short fast and bowel cleanse that is required by fasting/cleansing longer”. Yes, he is doing the basic fast for medical reasons. But what he’s asking about is an extended fast and seems to be thinking that there’s some health benefit here- _other than what is required for your procedure._ Ah, I was not experiencing reading comprehension. Well, your jeans will fit better. That’s about all I got. You can use it as mental preparation - a kind of “reset” for your way of thinking of eating. As far as physical benefits - those diamonds that you shove up your ass to get across the border are \*way \*cleaner. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-the-most-of-a-forced-bowel-cleanse/467147/9 "2008-10-09T23:27:49Z")
An opportunity to enjoy your favorite clear, non-alcoholic liquids and hard candies? (Not sure this is really the current protocol, it’s what I heard from the last person I knew who had one). ---
**Author:** ![Incref](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@Incref](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incref)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-the-most-of-a-forced-bowel-cleanse/467147/10 "2008-10-10T06:49:42Z")
Great thread title and user name combo! It was my exact reaction when I read ‘making the most of a forced bowel cleanse’. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-the-most-of-a-forced-bowel-cleanse/467147/11 "2008-10-10T06:58:24Z")
> [@ShelliBean](#): > > Is it weird that I kind of like that feeling? It’s… freeing. Not _too_ weird. I’d say it’s that feeling that fuels most bulimics (not that I’m implying anything). I remember watching some program, probably crap reality, where one woman had a bad flu and couldn’t eat for a few days and was ecstatic about how light she felt after she was better. Another woman got nervous, saying that’s what had kickstarted her ED. I agree with the ‘reset’ thing. Like people who need a specific day to start their diet (Monday, invariably), being forced to ‘empty out’ is a good way to start with a somewhat clean plate. When you can eat again, start with raw veggies and healthy shakes. Try researching what people eat after cleansing for non-medical purposes, to ease themselves out of ‘detoxing.’ ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-the-most-of-a-forced-bowel-cleanse/467147/12 "2008-10-10T19:32:15Z")
I found the thread title and OP username to be an amusing combination, for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-the-most-of-a-forced-bowel-cleanse/467147/13 "2008-10-10T19:43:12Z")
> [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > I agree with the ‘reset’ thing. Like people who need a specific day to start their diet (Monday, invariably), being forced to ‘empty out’ is a good way to start with a somewhat clean plate. When you can eat again, start with raw veggies and healthy shakes. Try researching what people eat after cleansing for non-medical purposes, to ease themselves out of ‘detoxing.’ Two points of disagreement - first, fasting is not a good way to start or continue a diet. Secondly, “detoxing” is a meaningful term only when one has ingested an actual toxic substance in amounts sufficient to cause problems (i.e. significant exposure to heavy metals, or in the case of alcohol or drug abusers). “Detoxing” has been fantastically abused to suggest that we need to “cleanse” ourselves of minute traces of chemicals in our environment, which are not harmful in the quantities present and are not removed by “cleanses”, not to mention the possibility of harming ourselves with the various purges that are recommended. A squeaky clean colon is overrated anyway (beyond what’s necessary for a good endoscopy). Nobody likes a squeaky organ\*. :dubious: \*which reminds me of the line in Dave Barry’s “Bad Songs” book, from the person ragging on Olivia Newton-John’s _Let’s Get Physical_, specifically the line “Let me hear your body talk”. Her comment was that she didn’t \*want \*to hear anybody’s body talk. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-the-most-of-a-forced-bowel-cleanse/467147/14 "2008-10-10T19:51:02Z")
I’ll pass. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-the-most-of-a-forced-bowel-cleanse/467147/15 "2008-10-10T20:29:11Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Two points of disagreement - first, fasting is not a good way to start or continue a diet. > > Secondly, “detoxing” is a meaningful term only when one has ingested an actual toxic substance in amounts sufficient to cause problems. Hey, you think someone can last at the Dope this long and not know this? I meant that, if one is _forced_ to starve (for science, of course), while it may actually slow down the metabolism, it may aid them psychologically in setting themselves up for a new diet. That’s ‘diet’ as in ‘way of eating,’ not ‘losing 10 lbs in a week.’ ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Hen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@Small\_Hen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Hen)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-the-most-of-a-forced-bowel-cleanse/467147/16 "2008-10-10T21:41:40Z")
Once you’ve got the system cleaned out, might I recomend keeping it clean with some added fiber to your diet? Is this a normal thing to think when going in for a colonoscopy? I’m doing a nursing rotation in endoscopy in a month or so, and as long as I’m there, I may as well impart some wisdom to the patients, if this is what they so desire. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mermaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@The\_Mermaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mermaid)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-the-most-of-a-forced-bowel-cleanse/467147/17 "2008-10-10T22:01:01Z")
The bowel clean out will do the job required for your procedure. Extending the cleanse or fast MAY make you think it’s beneficial because you can lose a drastic amount of weight during the process. Now the bad news, you will be very uncomfortable from the aching and cramping caused by fluid & electrolyte imbalances which could be fatal if prolonged. In short, do your bowel prep then follow your doctor’s instructions. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-the-most-of-a-forced-bowel-cleanse/467147/18 "2008-10-10T22:05:40Z")
Make the most out of it huh? Take your preparation and then dress up like a ninja while running around the neighborhood doing a series of spin kicks and cart wheels. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-the-most-of-a-forced-bowel-cleanse/467147/19 "2008-10-10T22:18:15Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > Turned 50 and my health insurance deductible has been hit so I volunteered for a colonoscopy. > > I’d like to make the most of the short fast and bowel cleanse that is required by fasting/cleansing longer. > > Any suggestions? Ya - don’t extend the fast. You’ll feel like your bowel has been roto-rootered anyhow. You’ll think you crapped out food from a _past_ life. If you MUST engage in dietary modification use it as an excuse to refill the lower regions with fresh, healthy foods rather than crap. In other words, “fast” from junk food, fried food, etc. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-the-most-of-a-forced-bowel-cleanse/467147/20 "2008-10-11T13:49:06Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Ya - don’t extend the fast. You’ll feel like your bowel has been roto-rootered anyhow. You’ll think you crapped out food from a _past_ life. > > If you MUST engage in dietary modification use it as an excuse to refill the lower regions with fresh, healthy foods rather than crap. In other words, “fast” from junk food, fried food, etc. That’s kind of what I was thinking. Seems like much of the argument against cleansing is that it will do more harm than good. I thought that if the harm was already done, a few more days of just juice or whatever might increase the good. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-the-most-of-a-forced-bowel-cleanse/467147.md?page=2)