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Enema tips: dealing with flatulence after application

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 9/25/2013 3:22 PM (GMT 0)
I've been using the Rowasa enemas for roughly 1.5 years, and I recently discovered something that makes them easier to retain. One of the biggest issues I've had is I'd take the enema and then shortly thereafter I'd have gas in my tract (I really don't know whether it was from the initial insertion of the enema, or just bubbles of gas dislodged by the fluid). Gas plus liquid causes discomfort, urgency, and inevitably I'd expel part or all of the enema making it a messy experience. Simple problems needs simple solutions. So now when I feel the gas coming, I just ball up some toilet paper and press it against my butt hole. Who-la the gas can still escape via a fart around/through the tp ball. The liquid stays in because it can't get past what is essentially a dam made of tp. Makes it much easier to retain nearly all of the enema, during that sketchy 20 minute phase while you are waiting for the liquid to soak in/be absorbed. Thought I'd pass this tip along, just in case there are others having issues with this.

Not sure if anybody else has any tips, beyond the usual: warm enema up to body temperature, squeeze the air out, and other sorta business.
Posted 9/25/2013 3:31 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks...I do have this problem sometimes despite following other tips. I get a little anxious before the enema mostly because I'm afraid of not being able to retain it...so I end up going to bed later and trying to make sure I don't feel gassy or anything like that before bed, but it doesn't always help. I get so worried about not being able to retain it that I lay down for a few minutes to see how I feel before administering, and I end up falling asleep and not doing the enema at all, which sucks.

I've also been taking a gas-x an hour or two before bed, and I THINK it helps, but who knows. I'll try your tip, thanks!
Posted 9/25/2013 3:45 PM (GMT 0)
I have this problem too but I have been practicing kagel exercise for sphincter muscles for a while to address this problem. The way I do it is, I administer enema by lying sidewise and once the enema is administered, I try to slide on stomach, still trying to maintain sidewise pose. Really hard to explain. What that does is, the suspension goes at the 'bottom' of the retention area and the air bubbles up. I can literally feel this.

Once you are sure of all air at the top, a chirpy whistle and you feel like, what a relief :)

IMO, warming up enema is NOT a good option. If the enema is cold, you can feel the position of enema and that helps to determine your position while lying down. Since I do not like sleeping on my side and prefer on my back, as soon I feel that enema has reached the target, I change the position. Sometimes the enema warms up because of body temperature and then the technique does not work.
Posted 9/25/2013 4:37 PM (GMT 0)
Uchater, you describe my problem perfectly. The waiting game to see if I can handle the enema almost always causes me to not use it that night. I have just started using half a bottle just to get some in. It's a lot easier to tolerate, and at least I don't feel like I missed it completely.
Posted 9/25/2013 4:45 PM (GMT 0)
The last issue which I haven't found a solution to, is when I think I am 100% empty before taking the enema. However, shortly after taking the enema I discover there was still one little bit of poop in there that I just couldn't force out. So, now I essentially have a bit of poop sailing/floating around in the enema solution inside me, and boy the heck is that uncomfortable. I don't think even superman has the tenacity and willpower to hold that in haha. So I end up expelling all or part of the enema. Luckily the gas issue is much, much more frequent then the little bit of sailing poop issue. Dang enemas are messy,
Posted 9/25/2013 4:56 PM (GMT 0)
headstand -air (gluteous fartamous) goes out, poop and such stays in - when the stuff starts running out your nose, you're been upside down too long !
Posted 9/25/2013 5:09 PM (GMT 0)
Ipoop, that's funny and I have been there so many times.
Posted 9/25/2013 5:10 PM (GMT 0)
Haha you're a riot soystud. I've tried headstands and it does help some for getting the air out while keeping other stuff in (it was the method I used before the discovery of the new and improved ball of tp method). The big issue with headstands is that enema fluid can and does shoot straight up making one heck of a mess! Think squirt gun or fountain: you end up getting that fluid all over one's self, clothing, and/or the floor or wall. Also when returning from headstand to a normal at rest position it can cause a lot of discomfort with the enema solution sloshing around inside which can cause an urgent need for evacuation. Better to stay still on one's side for 20 minutes with some balled up tp at the ready, rather than be all acrobatic.
Posted 9/25/2013 5:16 PM (GMT 0)
This is why I like the cortifoam over all the other rectal meds....good tip though, just glad I don't have to worry about it.
Posted 9/25/2013 5:18 PM (GMT 0)
I haven't been able to retain them in at least a week. it's almost as if I am taking a fleet. In it goes... and within 5 minutes... massive fail.
Posted 9/25/2013 5:37 PM (GMT 0)
Pb4 I agree, the cortifoam is much easier to work with, though I'm not sure it gets high enough for me. I have been on cortifoam for about 2 months; how much longer can I stay on it?
Posted 9/25/2013 6:36 PM (GMT 0)
I think it gets up higher because of the way the foam expands....I waited too long once in the past to treat my proctitis and had to stay on cortifoam for a year before I started to taper it (so technically longer than a full year). For me, it's the only rectal med that works...the only reason I had to stay on it so long was because I let my proctitis go way too long before treating it, so that was my bad. In general, the sooner I nip it in the bud, the quicker it works and for me it does work fairly quickly.
Posted 9/25/2013 6:47 PM (GMT 0)
I find that if I can get past the first 15 minutes or so (just to be safe), if I'm lying on my left side, I can usually get the gas to squeak out without letting out any of the liquid.
Posted 9/25/2013 6:49 PM (GMT 0)
Pb4, you helped me to realize that I may be expecting too much with getting out of this flare I'm in. I have let this go on for about a year without being aggressive enough. Two months may just not be enough time to get things under control. I know I'm getting off topic too much so I will save it for another thread.
Posted 9/25/2013 6:49 PM (GMT 0)
If I'm feeling gassy, I just don't lie on my left side, because I'm much more likely to feel uncomfortable and/or fart. Maybe the enema doesn't work quite as well, but it's better than expelling it, and not have it work at all, or having a mess to clean up in my undies.
Posted 9/25/2013 7:21 PM (GMT 0)
I haven't had any issues with this, YET! Does this problem, gas, retention and mess come on or was it always like this for you personally?

Gah! We have such drama. Soy you kill me!
Posted 9/25/2013 8:03 PM (GMT 0)
DMC2011 I've always had issue with gas and enemas since day #1. Although the frequency of gas does vary. Not always horrible.
Posted 9/25/2013 11:05 PM (GMT 0)
Oh thats good that its not always bad! Good tips here!
Posted 9/26/2013 12:02 AM (GMT 0)
I sure wish I knew how/why it works w/o problems for me so I can share ideas, but I don't.

I can put it in w/o any urgency or gas and hold it 24hrs.

Maybe it's just the condition of my colon?? But I'm still mild/moderate.

I hadn't known it was so difficult for some.
Posted 9/27/2013 12:38 AM (GMT 0)
I actually have a little routine that works for me, since apparently laying on my left side = time to pass gas!

I actually lay down on my side and stay there for a few minutes before doing the enema. Somewhere I won't fall asleep, like the bathroom floor. I almost always pass a little gas, but if not I try different positions, move legs up, down, knees bent, etc to try and encourage it.
Then I do the enema, lay there till things feel stable, mad dash to bed and back on my left side.

This works well for me because if I can get the gas out first I rarely have that cheek clenching, try not to lose it as I run to the toilet reaction and it stays put all night.
Posted 9/27/2013 2:41 PM (GMT 0)
Like IPoOP mentioned, it feels like such a waste when you use the enema, only to realize that you have to go again. This happened to me last night again, but luckily I only used half of the enema and then made a dash to the toilet. It actually was really helpful because it allowed me to clean the rest out and luckily I only used half a bottle in the beginning. The next half was so easy to retain, I barely felt it. I was even able to walk around afterward with no worries. Oh, and someone mentioned using toilet paper to hold in the enema while farting; I hate to say it but that makes a huge mess. Must not have to procedure down just right yet. LOL! After that there was no way I was going to try the standing on my head trick; kept thinking about the fountain.
Posted 9/27/2013 4:00 PM (GMT 0)
I had suggested the balled up tp bit. I am laying on my left side, and if I feel gas coming I put the balled up tp against my butt hole, and press. I then can fart and expel the gas without loosing the enema liquid. You got to press hard enough to stop the liquid from coming out, but not too hard as you do what the air to escape. Best to press harder than you need at first and then release pressure slightly and slowly until the gas is able to escape around the tp.

Yeah the fountain is real. I've had to scrape down the wall of my bathroom to the drywall, put on stain blocker, and repaint (meslamine in the enemas stains terribly). The enema can come out while you are bottom over head, and it come out while you are returning to a normal at rest position (that is the more likely thing to occur) -- it kind of sling shots out as you're returning to normal lol.
Posted 9/27/2013 4:14 PM (GMT 0)
People must think I'm nuts at work. Laughing like crazy over Ipoop having to repair the wall after the butt fountain.
Posted 5/22/2019 1:58 AM (GMT 0)
I know enemas are usually used for UC but I have Crohn's and I just had a colonoscopy and a flare was found, even though I'm not showing symptoms, so I've got to start using enemas for the next few weeks. Does anyone just have any tips in how to handle it and does it hurt or anything like that? I'm just really nervous about it. :\
Posted 5/22/2019 1:58 PM (GMT 0)
Enemas do not hurt at all. It's something that takes practice, as you get a strong urge to evacuate the enema immediately after administration. Ignore that feeling for about 1-minute and it goes away. You then lay on your side for about 20-minutes, there might be a little bit of gurgling or other sounds during it but you'll be fine.

Certainly squeeze the air out of the bottle before administration, as injecting air up there makes it more likely you'll have to evacuate it quickly.
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