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Why do they prescribe enemas for diarrhea????

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 5/23/2009 2:15 AM (GMT 0)
Does this make any sense? I got hydrocortisone enemas for the frequent D I've been having lately. She tells me to try to hold it in there as long as I can! Last time I had any sort of enema I wanted to run to the toilet as fast as I could. I realize the medicine itself may help, I'm just questioning the delivery method. Seems she is reluctant to prescribe pred until I see my new GI. This better help.

Oh, and I got 2 new meds to take with it...Cipro and Flagyl. Never tried either one. The paperwork that came with them made them sound scary. Please tell me they aren't that bad.
Posted 5/23/2009 2:54 AM (GMT 0)
Ha! I remember the hydrocortisone enemas! The very first one? I was able to hold that one in for 5 min. EVERY enema after that? Maybe, MAYBE, 30 seconds. I was so inflamed that if anything was in there, my rectum was saying "Out! Out rrriiight NOW!" and I had to obey. There was NO overriding that urge. Period. When I tried to tell my Dr, I wanted to just slap the 'incredulous' look off his face because it was like he didn't believe me. Yeah...I CANNOT hold it in. My body will NOT let me. Lets move on, give me something else because the enemas will NOT work for me.


Now, on a good note...well, a different note, anyway...
I have found another use for those hydrocortisone enemas... I use them to help heal wounds! Of course, you use a fresh enema bottle that has not seen your bottom, and I put a bit on the band-aid pad and slap it on the wound. They heal quickly and with little trouble. I have also used them on a wound my horse got on her leg. Put some of the hydrocortisone enema solution on a non-stick pad placed over her wound and tape/wrap in place. Healed without a scar. I also used some tonight for a cut my husband got on his back from standing up too soon under a piece of equipment at work.
At first, it took some convincing to get him to use it for wounds. Actually, I would not let him see what I was putting on the bandages. When they were healing fast and great, he asked and I finally told him what I was using. After the initial 'knee-jerk gross out reaction' he is now an advocate and *asks* for the solution for his bandaging of wounds.
Heidi
Posted 5/23/2009 3:03 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah, that will be me. Wish my bathroom was bigger cuz I'd just do the enema in there. The directions are really optimistic and suggest even overnight. I think I just wasted my money. Thankfully I only have a weeks worth right now. I talked them into refills on the other weeks.

Now this is my other "I don't get this" thing going on right now....How can I be having diarrhea several times a day when I am not eating solids???? Unless jello counts as solid enough to make a bm.

This is going to be a seriously loooooong 3 day weekend.
Posted 5/23/2009 3:53 AM (GMT 0)
PS...does anyone know why they are using 2 antibiotics together (flagyl and cipro)? Wish I had thought to ask at the appointment.
Posted 5/24/2009 6:30 PM (GMT 0)
One of them (I think Cipro, but can't recall right now) can make diarrhea worse....prescribing them together seems to offset that side effect.  The antibiotics aren't bad at all...i've used them on and off for the past couple of years (up to a year for my longest course).  When I'm at my worst, antibiotics are the one thing that usually seem to make a difference.  Hope this helps.
Posted 5/24/2009 10:55 PM (GMT 0)
Cuz, if you have proctitis (inflammation of the rectom) then using rectal meds are the quickest to heal it, ask for cortifoam it's a steroid based foam (not a liquid) and use it at the best time of day or night that you have the least trips to the can (whenever I've had to be on it I'd take it just before bed with no issues), the foam penetrates the best, some like suppositories but personally I don't think there as effective cuz the foam reaches higher up and covers more area of the rectom.

:)
Posted 5/25/2009 12:17 AM (GMT 0)

78SilvAnniv said...

I have found another use for those hydrocortisone enemas... I use them to help heal wounds!

Interesting innovation! It reminds me - I found a similar innovative use for the antibiotic cephalexin (Keflex). It's sold in capsules, to be taken orally, but I open the capsules and put the powder on open wounds to heal an infection. It works wonders! I've mentioned it to my brother-in-law (who is a doctor) and he thought I was crazy, but finally tried it himself and found it really did work well.

Disclaimer: if the infection runs deep and is spreading elsewhere in the body, you've got to take the cephalexin orally. But if you've got an open wound that is oozing pus, then try my suggested method - you'll be surprised.

regards,
Robert
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