Is colonic irrigation bad for you?

[Mistlewoeandwhine]

I had an emergency appointment at our GP's last week due to terrible stomach pain and indigestion. It has been on/off since Dec. You can only see a nurse practioner at our GP for an emergency appointment otherwise it is often a 2-3 week wait and I was in terrible pain.

Anyway, she gave me opremazole which is fine and already working and said I have stress gastritis. She told me to get a colonic done. I am quite tempted but there are some negative things online and I don't want to die. Has anyone had this and was it effective?

I had one but to lose weight before my wedding not for health reasons

I survived but I think there are risks and no proven health benefits. Quite surprised a GP would recommend it actually.

All the NHS people seem a bit woo these days. When I was pregnant nd in pain my midwife kept insisting I have acupuncture. We live in a strrange world these days.

I do suffer a lot with constiipation and thrush so I think it might be quite good.

I had a few colonics done when I was single and could afford it. I'll be honest, it was a weird experience but I felt great afterwards.

Sorry for the typos - my keyboard is doing some weird lagging thing.

It sounds tempting. I like the thought of being thoroughly cleaned out.

Medical acupuncture is actually pretty good and NHS physios administer it

Well, presumably you would be less constipated immediately afterwards, as your colon would be empty, but there is no evidence that your bowel function would improve. Seems a bizarre recommendation, especially for gastritis. I would wait for a GP appointment!

Yes, ive got ibs. I did alot of research and choose someone who was registered with professional body. Checked everything was single use. Asked alot of questions as there is a risk of rupture. She asked alot of medical questions and had years of experience. Very strange experience (not uncomfortable) but had amazing effect on my ibs and was the turning point to how good it is now. I remember the days and weeks afterwards felt amazing as felt so clean.

There is no positive evidence for colonic irrigation. There is plenty of evidence it can cause harm. It can lead to mechanical damage, electrolyte imbalance and loss of good bacterial populations.

There's also very good solid evidence that acupuncture is no more effective than placebo.

It drives me nuts that the NHS allows woo like acupuncture and homeopathy. Do you know why they can? Think about it - they can't use treatments that can harm (they'd never be allowed to use untested drugs, for example.) but they can promote harmless but useless things.

I have a friend who went on a detox week which cost her a small fortune and involved being fed lots of weird herbs, juices and vitamin potions and being given daily stomach massages and colonics. After a couple of days, she was feeling odd. After a couple more days, she was feeling terrible. The staff at the health farm told her it was all the toxins leaving her body.

A few days later, she was rushed to a&e with a perforated gut and infection from the guy contents leaking into her body.
The doctor that ended up repairing it said it was a pretty common repair job for them, and if it was up to him, he would ban them.

Having had acupuncture on a muscle spasm and visibly watched the muscle relax - which made the physio surprised - I'd disagree with it being woo.

Acupressure is also a very good tool for muscle spasms.

I suspect they are. You're supposed to have colonies of bacteria in your gut. The current thinking is that gut bacteria is far more important than was previously understood.

Sticking a hose up there and washing those important colonies of gut bacteria out strikes me as a very bad idea.

There's a reason one of the most effective treatments of ghastly hospital stomach bugs is transferring other people's shit into you... It brings back the natural bacteria

Thanks for that, Ada!

(how the hell do they do it? Big icing bag? Eugh!)

P.S. last time I had D&V, I popped a nice, sanitary-seeming probiotic, and the "popping" wasn't up my backside, either! Complete resumption of one-way traffic!

I think it's for the superbugs like cdiff and Mrsa they do it. Don't know how, don't want to know!

They probably do it the same way how the created the good bacteria probiotics drinks, it all started with taking poo from someone obviously its all taken to lab

There was a foodie program how it was made ages ago, put me right off drinking them everyday

I think they give you a sedative, or even knock you out, use a solid piece, then push it up as far as it can go. (eternally grateful that my cdif responded to anti-biotics, pro and pre biotics, because, yes, I was given the leaflets to read about cures for it )

Where do they get the shit from though? Do they just send a volunteer to the toilet with a sieve, and say 'catch it in that'? Are there people who sign up to be donors?

Perhaps more helpfully for you op: After c-dif I found that I had awful heartburn/stomach pain etc for several months. I was prescribed ranitidine for it, and gradually it dies down. I think that if you've had something upset your stomach, it can take a while to get the balance right again. Be careful what you eat/drink, and have pro biotic stuff for a while.

I think it's supposed to be poo from someone related to you and/or in the same household so they have similar diet and environment etc and therefore the right kind of bacteria for you.

There was a woman on the BBC who did a DIY cure with her husband's offerings. I think there was a blender involved.

I wouldn't do a CI for all the reasons already mentioned.

I'm such a fan of colonic. Really makes you feel better and healthier. Go for it

I would immedaitely leave a GP practice that recommended colonic irrigation.

There are NO health benefits. There are only risks.

Read this, OP

Oh God, Robot, I'm even more grateful that the cdif got sorted quickly! Somehow a 'clinical' poo that has been stored in a sterile hospital environment doesn't seem as bad as DH's. tbh, I think the helpful leaflet basically scared the crap out of me, and took the cdif with it.

have you thought about eating shirataki noodles? the following is taken from a website. I would consult your doctor before eating
Shirataki Noodles May Prevent Colon Cancer

In Japan, many people believe that shirataki noodles act like a broom inside the body by cleansing it of toxins.

Rightfully, this belief has been scientifically proven to be true.

Here’s how the noodles do it.

When eaten, the body cannot completely digest shirataki noodles.

Thus, the noodles simply pass through the digestive system, stimulating the muscles in the intestines, cleaning the digestive tract, and promoting stool softness as they push through.

By doing these things, shirataki noodles collectively act as a powerful natural laxative.

While they travel, shirataki noodles also create healthful short-chain fatty acids inside the body, stabilizing blood glucose levels, lowering bad cholesterol levels, boosting immunity, cleaning the colon, aiding mineral absorption, and creating healthy bacteria in the colon.

This series of action makes shirataki noodles a must-have in colon-friendly diets.