I've never tried enemas, but I've found a reletively inexpensive "cure" for my IBS symptoms. I don't have the money to go to the doctor and get a prescription, and we're waiting on my husband's insurance to go into effect, so meanwhile, I've been looking for some relief on my own.

I have IBS with constipation, and I've found that taking a half dose of laxatives (i.e. one pill instead of two) once a day causes my cramps and constipation to completely disappear, and my bowel movements to become normal and regular (perhaps a bit on the soft side, but I'm not complaining).

I don't know if this will help anyone, but if it does, I'm glad to be of assistance.

~Astral

Yes, enemas do work. At this present time I am working with a 39 year old male. I am not a doctor but was brought up with home cures. Enemas were high on the list to fix anything and everything. My friend suffered with IBS, to the point that in his drive home, he would have to find some place to stop for a movement. After any large meal or before it was over it was head for toilet. This had become a way of life for some 20 years or more. He didn’t know what it was to have a stool that was well formed and 8 to 15 inches in length and upon going feeling he had completely empty. Most often stools were pasty, mucus and water would also accompany it. First the cramps and run. In the middle of the night he would be awaken with a huge cramp and would sometimes be going before he was on the toilet. I finally talked him into a series of treatments using a formula from Dr. Knox. I started with baking soda 2 teaspoons per quart of water. At first he could only handle about 2 quarts of water. As the “shit” came out so did scale and plaque that had built up on the walls of his colon, in addition he had to have had at least a gallon of mucus to come out over this period of time. We followed this treatment schedule 3 times per week, 2 enemas each session. Volume is important, water temp is important and solutions are important. In the second week I did grandma’s favorite, a nice strong soap one using good old Ivory bar soap. This did produce some nasty cramps. He had complained for months of a pain in his right side as if his pager were sticking him. The soap was not a pleasant ordeal but it did the trick. I manage to get just over 3 quarts in him and he held it for about 3 minutes. Did we have a movement. As he expels it is important to rub and massage the tummy from his right to left placing pressure on the colon as you follow it’s path. We followed this with a heavy baking soda enema and I push for the 4 quart mark. His empting was not as good as I would like to have seen. After what was a reasonable time seeing nothing more was going to come out he went home. He noticed on the way home he had some gurgles in his tummy and the place on the right side was really hurting some. He ate a light supper and then he had to go for the toilet. He had several good gushes of water and with it was a huge amount of scale in the form of large flakes which floated on the water. He had one more small movement. He now has no more pain in his right side. He has a movement about 7 something each morning and on occasions one in the afternoon or early evening. He drinks milk, chocolate milk, in shot anything he wants. He may have a rather lose movement due to his bad eating habits but in a few hours the problem fixes its self without the aid of something to take care of loose stools. They were his only way of control. His so call doctor told him there was no cure. There was no way to do anything to treat IBS. He could treat the symptoms and that was all. He also suffered with one sinus infection after another. At least 4 per year or more, guess what, they no longer exist. Do enemas work? Yes, they do work and that is the long and short of the matter. You do not have to be doctor to do this. As of this date no one has ever died from an enema. The medical profession can not say that any any of there so called procedures. The colon is so nasty no wonder we are sick. There is a good deal of great information on the net. There is also a lot of bull, no punt intended. Anyone using common sense, can read and decide for themselves. I do tend to have a little more medical knowledge than just the average person. I am not a quote trained health care professional but I do have extensive hands on training. My fiend, I want to keep him around and in great health as I have know him some 14 years. Colon related problems keep the doctors in busines. Why don’t they tell you about this wonderful cure? They would not see you for a change of meds, or for them to check you just to tell there is nothing we can do. They want to fatten there pocket and what they are telling IS A LIE. My friend is only one of thousands who will tell you it works. It works because your colon is cleaned. The years of crud and junk that is in there is unbelievable. In more sever cases people have lost 10, 15 or more pounds because of the shedding of the scale and plaque build up. Often individuals with tummies which are pooched are only that way because of this build up. Let me say although you can do an enema yourself, they are never as successful as if you have a partner. Partners who help you are closer than a spouse. There is a trust and a bond that has builds between the two of you. With my friend I can tell as he fills by his reactions or I will tell him you are about to have your first cramp because of the amount of solution he has taken. I never make fun, it never smells, in fact once the colon is cleaned, bowel movements will loose their odor, and gas expelled will rarely have an odor. Certain foods may cause some odor, but once passed back to no odor. I hope this has helped. I have developed a whole technique and method to give the enemas. Each session is about 2 to 2 1//2 hours. It will be the best spent time you ever gave yourself. We would buy pills, we will suffer why can’t we just clean out our colon the old fashion way and be a healthier nation. My spelling and puncation are not the best. My only goal is to try and help someone to better health. I would be happy to help anyone. My friend is like many other males, does not want to go to the doctor. I am not a doctor but I am knowledgable so he trust me. I have targeted men but I am available to anyone. I will answer any question that is asked of me. If I don't have an answer I will set a search for the answer. At present I am writing a course of treatment for a young man in NYC who was told that he would have to have colon surgery to remove some of his colon that was damaged by scale and plaque build-up. Folks he found a doctor who offered this treatment. This was some 12 or 13 weeks ago and he is not looking at surgery. He has friend who has offered to be his partner and he could be his partner in this. I am writing out my technique and metod for them in an attemp for them to do this on their own. This young man now eats anything he wants. His IBS was so bad he would wear a diaper out in public incase of an accident. No more does he do this. I know it works. Mama and grandma, and great grandma and papa were not wrong. May God bless us all is my prayer.

I'm 76 years old and have had IBS slowly getting worse for about 10 years. It tends toward constipation with occasional swings in the other direction. It's accompanied by lots of gas, much of which smells very bad.

About a year ago I decided to try enemas when the constipation became troublesome. And although an enema takes a chunk of time out of my day to do, it definitely relieves the constipation. The problem is over within a few minutes. And unlike the things several doctors have recommended such as Linzess, and similar pills or a daily dose of Miralax, the enema gets the job done, it acts when I decide it will and I always feel good afterward, all of which are things I cannot say about any other cure so far.

I use filtered tap water, about 1.5 quarts and try to retain it about 15 to 30 minutes. I do this several times a week when I feel the need.

I have an additional complicating factor you should know about. My prostate is very enlarged and it intrudes on the space my rectum thinks it owns. And when I get a full rectum the pressure against my prostate can be maddening. It literally drives me up the wall.

When I was thinking about doing enemas the whole process seemed much worse than it turned out to be when I finally got up the nerve to try it and I found it fairly easy and reasonably comfortable.

I don't think enemas are in any way a cure for IBS-C. But they are surefire relief from symptoms. The only advice I've ever received from the several doctors I told about what I was doing was, use enough lube so that you don't hurt yourself and don't poke the nozzle in too fast.

If you've had IBS for very long you probably know that it can rule your whole day. I was sometimes afraid to go anywhere because I smelled bad if I passed gas and a lot of the time I was very uncomfortable. The relief I get from the enema has changed all that for the better. There is probably nothing perfect but at least an enema when needed keeps me much more comfortable and allows me to function better.