Re: help!

Hi ShaiHulud, first of all I agree with Zoebess to tell your mom and your doctor about the enemas you have been taking. There is nothing at all to be embarrassed about taking an enema! Blood in your stool is not at all normal, and you should see a doctor immediately.

Secondly, it's difficult to get too much salt with an enema. The reason is that the solution becomes saturated. What that means is a given amount of water can only dissolve a certain amount of salt. Once that point has been reached, the solution is saturated, and any additional salt added precipitates out and settles to the bottom of the container. The only way this could enter your colon is if the solid salt precipitate was swept into your colon as the bag emptied.

The proper amount of salt to add to the enema is one teaspoon for each pint of water, or 4 teaspoons for a full bag. Where did you read that too much salt in an enema could result in death? I've never heard of a case where this has happened?

During the past school year I have given several colonics to a young woman who is a freshman in college here who has had problems with constipation since leaving home to for college. She told me she had been taking enemas at home for several years during high school, and bought an enema bag here, but living in the dorm with a roommate and shared bathroom facilities made it difficult. She always pays in cash rather than writing a check, because she says she doesn't want her mom to know she is having colonics.

I've tried to convince her that there is no reason not to share this with her mother, and that she isn't the first student that I've given enemas and colonics. Constipation is not at all a rare occurrence with college students, given the stress many experience during their first time living away from home, long hours studying (and partying!), exams etc.

In fact, 3 years ago I had the mother of an entering freshman with a long history of bowel irregularity bring her daughter in during orientation and arranged with the doctor to have her given an enema whenever she felt she needed one. During her first 2 years I gave her gave her enemas on more than a dozen occasions, often before and during midterm and final exams when she seemed to have the most difficulty. We billed her mother directly. This past year she moved into an apartment and has her own bedroom and private bath and is able to manage the enemas by herself now.

So don't be ashamed to tell mom. I gave myself enemas during high school too, but never kept it from my mom who was a huge believer in the benefits of enemas, even when you weren't constipated.

Best wishes, Valerie