mesalamine retention enemas... some suggestions??

So Im flaring for the first time. Not horrible, but not good.

I was suggested the above retention enemas, and just picked them up. Im looking for advice, tips etc.

Are these difficult to use? Not exactly looking forward to it. Are they hard to retain? Or expel?

Any tips appreciated.

thanks!

They'll become your new best friend! ;-)

REad the instructions for sure. Lie quietly for the half hour after administering them...you will probably have the urge to go, but fight through it by clenching your butt right after administering. It will pass.

Not difficult to use at all...takes me all of 5 seconds.

If you have gas, you'll feel rumbling and sometimes the urge to go if you're very inflamed. Holding it in for at least half an hour is a good start if you can't for the rest of the night.

Some suggest warming them and squeezing out the excess air after it's been shaken.

When squeezing it, try not to move the nozzle around in the rectum. Follow the instructions about insertion.
After you squeeze...not too fast at first. To get the rest out of the bottle, fold the bottom up like you would a paper bag, then fold it over again.

After it's all said and done, I put the cap on the nozzle, wipe my butt with toilet paper or 2 kleenexes together, wrap that around the bottle and discard it (best to have a garbage bag or bathroom garbage container beside the bed) so that you don't get up.

Either read or watch TV to remain on your left side...and occupied.

Try not to overanalyse what's happening in your gut...with the extra weight of liquid in your lower colon/sigmoid...it will naturally want to be expelled. As I mentioned...work through it.

Best friend...well, mine for over 22 years.

q

well, my longest was nightly for 4 months. The shortest would have been 3 weeks to a month.

that's nightly.

It's a commitment...and not to "brag" about the fact...I've used them successfully for over 22 years. I've never been on any other meds except for oral/rectal mesalamine.

It's a choice...many don't want to do it or have an aversion. Understandable....but personally, the other meds scare the crap out of me and I would rather have my colon out if the 5ASA stopped working.

q

You need both.....and it also doesn't mean you didn't have inflammation in the rectum that wasn't treated. Asacol doesn't treat the rectum...and whether it takes a while to treat or not....your UC is FOREVAH!!!

Better to learn how to deal with it now and treat earlier and earlier to help keep the inflammation confined to the lowest possible area....than it would be to ignore it and eventually not be able to treat it at all with the 5aSA oral/rectal and have to cross the line to other treatments.

What are you most afraid of?

Please trust those of us who have had success with it. But...it is an expense, that one can be sure. If you have insurance, do it.

q

I am going to second what Quincy said. These are my best friends and it literally takes one minute to use once you get the hang of it. I think it is mostly a mental hurdle for some people once you get the knack. I personally have to use them regularly, but I know some that only need it when in a flare. Pretty safe, low/no side effects and effective.

It does take some patience however so if things don't clear up in a few days don't lose hope. Look for an improvement trend and than judge. Good luck!
B

My suggestion is don't get discouraged if it's not easy the first couple times you use a retention enema. In the beginning my colon was sooo inflamed that it rejected the enema and made me dash to the toilet. So the next try I used less, about a third of the bottle. After a few times I could put more in until eventually a whole bottle and it stayed put all night!

I agree totally with the suggestion to warm it up first, I stick mine under my arm while reading before bed to warm it to body temperature. Just make sure the top is firmly fastened or oops.

I hate these enemas and avoid as much as I can. I noticed that I don't need them for maintenance (thank God) but as and when I tried them, I used to take a 10mg tablet of Bentyl half an hour before administration and make a quick trip to the restroom to empty out bowel. The follow the tricks mentioned by Quincy.

Second part I hate is, to make a trip to the restroom after 2 hours of administration and then not be able to sleep for rest of the night..

If its helping you, good luck.

Omg i always wanted to make a post about this but always forget and forget to try. I thought about doing even 2 enemas at once then moving my body around so it flows all thru my colon lol. I think I might try it tonight lol.

Wow, that's impressive, tap. I would not be able to do that.