Tell me about colonic irrigation - anyone had it? Would it be good for this?

[Colonicq]

I have a really healthy diet and lifestyle. But, I think because of hormone changes (peri) I can have periods of being painfully constipated. I eat dates and chia seeds and loads of fruit and veg and drink a LOT of water and exercise all that stuff, but it still happens.

I’m wondering if I should book a colonic to “clear it out” and start from scratch?!?

Anyone who has had one have any advice?

I would never have colonic irrigation. Zero medical evidence it is helpful and it would wash out all your intestinal flora (the good bacteria) too.

Oh dear that’s not what I want to happen!!!

Any ideas what I can do instead? It’s awful - I hate living this way. Sometimes feel like I’m a slave to getting to have good bowel movements, and that can disappear without me doing anything wrong.

I often wonder if there’s something “up”, but I have no other symptoms other than sporadic constipation.

Oooh, I had a few like 15-20 years ago.

Basically: pile of old rope.

However: it will get the poop out! Not painful at all - bit weird at points when you're super full of the water and your bowel starts to cramp (so it feels like you desperately need to poop, but there's someone RIGHT THERE with you.

Long term, I don't think it helps. I agree with PP that it probably flushes all the good stuff out too.

I had one last week. Chronically constipated. All it did was release gas. I did a small 💩 after but nothing changed. She advised me to take colon cleansers which i have been - have made a difference. Oxycleanse from amazon and colon cleansers from Holland and Barratt. Dont think id bother again.

Why don't you look into diet instead. You might have ibs with constipation. (It doesn't always lead to diarrhoea). You could try an exclusion diet to try and eliminate the offending food group. Or try a low FODMAP diet (there's loads online if you Google it).
For more immediate relief, go with old-fashioned senna tablets and/or fybogel sachets.

I would avoid senna - it is habit forming so you'll always need to increase and increase the dose

I had one about 15 years ago - never again!

It made me feel all shivery afterwards and the nurse (off duty sideline) told me that nothing "old" has come out so I probably had quite a healthy gut anyway

I would suggest trying to help your gut biome
Try adding more Kefir and/or Kimchi into your meals

I always need to go after a coffee and whenever I set off on a run (there is a public loo on my normal route phew!)

I eat dried prunes when i get constipated - seems to do the trick. I also have activia every am to get good bacteria in as well. Im ok most of the time like this.

Princess Di was a famous fan.

OP, try drinking orange juice or have a curry now and then. Anything to help clear you out.

I've always struggled with IBS type symptoms so tried a colonic irrigation treatment several times. I was really disappointed. It didn't help at all. I've stopped eating bread and have prunes everyday and that's helped...

I was told for 25 years I had IBS then discovered I have diverticula disease. Doctor who diagnosed told me never to have colonic irrigation.
I found cutting out gluten and eating only protein, fruit and steamed vegetables for 6-12 months helped hugely. You can also buy digestive enzymes ( vegan ones are available if you don’t fancy the animal based ones)

And kefir — best thing ever invented. Asda do a large bottle for about £1.50, made in Poland. It’s delicious.

Rhubarb and apricots work for me.
Marks do rhubarb in tins.

I agree avoid it! Look at kefir, kiwis and if you are stuck glycerin suppositories.

I had it about 15 years ago. I was ill for a few weeks after. Never again.

And it's harsh. I take magnesium citrate.

Kefir tastes so disgusting though. Any way to make it more palatable?

A good strong coffee does the trick as well as regular prebiotic like biokult.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004SH1PAU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&th=1&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

I had it once and I didn't feel any benefits although I wasn't constipated. My suggestions for constipation are:

1. Prunes or prune juice for a good movement
2. Starting day with quarter lemon squeezed into a couple inches of water - for maintenance
3. Aloe vera juice for ongoing smooth movements - tastes horrible but worked for me

And maybe give up gluten and dairy for a while. That helped me. I still occasionally get mildly constipated but that's because I have to take iron daily but then the lemon water or prunes sort me out.

@Discsareshit pour some kefir into a smoothie. Or stir some honey into it and drink it. You could purée some fruit ( frozen berries maybe) and mix into kefir.

The biotiful one isn’t that grim. Plus they do flavoured ones too now.

Thanks. (Honey is the only realistic one of those). I don't have a thing for pureeing and I don't buy or make smoothies.

Cut out carbs for 30 days. It’s simple but requires a fair amount of planning. Water and fruit in the day, that should really help

Prune juice. A glass of it before breakfast. Never fails.😃