Re: Enemas

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Hi CharlotteI've been giving my son (now 11) regular enemas since he was 5. I usually make it with boiled filtered water and organic chamomile tea and use a Higginsons enema syringe (available for about £10 on eBay). I tried the gravity fed bag type first, but found more pressure was needed in the early days when my son was badly constipated. The Higginsons syringe works well, but isn't very durable - the valves tend to wear out, and the rubber starts to perish, so you have to replace it quite regularly (depending on how frequently you do them). But they're relatively cheap, so it's not a major issue.I give my son enemas every 2-4 weeks, depending on how well his bowels are moving. He needs them less frequently now as motility has improved a lot. I don't give daily laxatives - I used to, but didn't feel they worked for my son, as he seemed to become dependent on them and I had to keep increasing the dose. So instead I now give him a short clearout with every enema - high dose laxatives - Movicol, Oxypowder and senna - for about 36 hours, with lots of gut bug killers too (I don't give these regularly either, just during a clearout). This isn't what Dr NCM recommends, just what I've worked out for my son, and it seems to suit him. When I was doing the enemas the way Dr NCM recommends, with no laxatives, I found my son wouldn't open his bowels for a couple of days after the enema, and just got loaded again. Using a short sharp dose of laxatives immediately after the enema stops this happening. The laxatives also help clear any loading further up the bowel, as the enema water only reaches the rectum and maybe a small portion of the sigmoid colon.This regime has really helped my son, and his bowels are so much better now. The amazing part of it is his complete acceptance of the whole procedure. This wasn't always so - when he was 5, it was a battle, and I remember thinking, when he's older I won't be able to do this, because he'll be so much bigger and stronger, but it's a walk in the park now - infinitely easier than a haircut!! I think after a while he came to realise that it was helping him and made him feel better. It does take some time to reach this point, so in the meantime, it will help if you make your child very comfortable during the enema - a warm room, something soft to lie on, warm water, music, books or DVDs or whatever he likes.I think enemas have been key to a big improvement in my son's gut issues, so it's definitely worth trying. Not for the squeamish or faint-hearted, but it's amazing what you and your child can get used to if you persevere!Good luck!Joanne>> Has anybody done enemas as recommended by Dr NCM? We are about to start GAPs Intro and want to be prepared. Can you recommend a particular type of kit? Any tips? I'm dreading this and feel quite nervous about performing an enema on myself or anyone else (the whole family are doing GAPs). Hoping it wont be necessary....> Charlotte>