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'm pretty sure the placebo effect didn't cause my muscle to unspasm at the exact same time the needle went into it.

All the will in the world doesn't make my muscle spasms undo no matter how hard people try. Having tried many many different treatments over the years for them and when it was suggested I was at the very jaded 'whatever give it a go we've tried everything else' stage and had had weeks of being prodded and poked up to that point.

I don't do woo and alternative therapies usually make me go but this worked where nothing else had.

Skiptonlass

Sorry, I beg to differ with your entire post. It is all very well to put everyone's else's cure down to placebo effect, but IMHO this is just bad science. As with all medicine you have good and bad acupuncturists, of course. And you have acupuncturists who, being good, think they can cure something and they can't, but when these treatments work on animals who have no reason to be subject to a placebo effect, they cannot be denied. And they do.
Mind you if the placebo effect cures, why doesn't western medicine use it more?

I never thought I would have to defend acupuncture, really. I was quite young when its benefits were universally accepted.

"I'm pretty sure the placebo effect didn't cause my muscle to unspasm at the exact same time the needle went into it."

It was, you know. Or coincidence.

"never thought I would have to defend acupuncture, really. I was quite young when its benefits were universally accepted."

And now it has universally been shown not to work.

The placebo effect works on animals in the same way it works on babies- indirectly through the owner/parent.

From the NHS website:

Western medical acupuncture is the use of acupuncture after a proper medical diagnosis. It is based on scientific evidence that shows the treatment can stimulate nerves under the skin and in muscle tissue.
This results in the body producing pain-relieving substances, such as endorphins. It is likely these substances are responsible for any beneficial effects seen with this form of acupuncture.

Traditional acupuncture is based on the belief that an energy, or "life force", flows through the body in channels called meridians. This life force is known as Qi (pronounced "chee").

Currently, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) only recommends considering acupuncture as a treatment option for chronic lower back pain, chronic tension-type headaches and migraines. NICE makes these recommendations on the basis of scientific evidence.

SkiptonLass. Brilliant post. I agree 100%

Since this is a thread about stomach and bowel issues... this symptom checker might be useful for some www.isitcoeliacdisease.org.uk

Acupuncture, a theatrical placebo.

Skiptonlass and I are basically the same person (I must know you) and she is correct.

Skipton I do agree with nearly everything you say -
But
It works - even if it is just a placebo it works...
So someone who was in pain is no longer, probably taking less pain killing medication (with the expense and possible long term side effects), needing less Dr. time (GP, Consultant, A&E)
So it does have benefit to a patient.
And NICE will have done the sums and they add up in favour of acupuncture
Having said that there is the downside something a bit 'woo' seems to work - which encourages the charlatans -the vegan diet cures for cancer etc.
I also think we need to do more to understand the placebo effect - how it works, how we can trick our brains etc - I think it is absolutely fascinating....

No way would I ever take the risk and get a colonic irrigation done, I think they are dangerous and unnecessary. The only way to clean out your system is to take the Prep for a colonoscopy - that clears the whole system out. Although you go to hell and back while taking the Prep - horrendous stuff. Haven't had to take it myself but family members have for a colonoscopy and they all said that it was the worst part of the whole process.