Cort enema questions

I've been using cort enemas for almost 2 weeks now, and my retention varies every day.

Some nights I can keep it in for 6-8 hours. Other nights, only 2. On the nights I can't hold it in as long, I do another enema during the day or half a bottle.

Are there some tips? Is it because I'm still a bit inflamed? I do empty my bowels before I use it, and lay on my left side for a while, then roll over on my back about an hour later. It's harder to retain at night and I think it's because I'm anxious. I don't take any Xanax, but should i take a Tylenol pm or something to relax me and allow me to sleep?

I know 2 hours is better than none, but I know i feel so much better knowing all of it is absorbed over night, and it would stop the bleeding faster (although it is very very minimal right now).

Also I'm currently on 60mg of pred plus the cort enemas. Tomorrow, we're supposed to taper to 40mg. I thinking of asking the doc if I can do the cort enema twice a day. I'm scare I'll get worse by lessening the oral pred but I also don't want to stay at 60mg. I know the enemas are safer and work better.

Hi Turtle - it sounds to me as if you are still a big inflamed and that's why it's so hard to hold it in.

I get on my left side in bed, shake the bottle and squeeze the little bit of air out of it, then administer. I'm usually asleep pretty soon after that... occasionally I'll feel it in there and be awake for more than 30 minutes, in which case I roll onto my back.

Are you able to to 5-ASAs at all? Sometimes a Canasa in the morning (after the morning "cluster" of bms) will help the very bottom for me so that the enema will be more comfortable at night.

Your retention will get better as your inflammation lessens and I think 2 hours is plenty but of course, ask you doctor what he/she thinks!

How long have you been on the 60mg? I'm asking because I'm thinking you might fare better going 60 to 50 and then 50 to 40 instead of making such a drastic drop. As you taper you probably will have a blip for a few days. Be prepared for that and try not to panic or immediately jump back up. Give it a week each time you taper before you get too worried and bump back up. My other big piece of advice is to wait until you feel stable again before you drop down each time. My drops ranged from 10-5 days depending on how I felt. I think it's better to listen to your body than to just drop down because it's been X number of days. Once you get down to 30mg, I'd recommend dropping down by 5mg increments. I didn't do well trying to go 30 to 20. But again, listen to YOUR body!

If you need something to sleep, try benadryl. It's the SAME ingredient that makes you drowsy in Tylenol PM and your liver doesn't need to be processing Tylenol unless you need it for pain. I took lots of different things to sleep while on Pred and the most effective thing for sleep was just getting off the pred. Lunesta worked ok but even then I was not sleeping well.

I wish you all the best and hope your taper goes smoothly!

:o) Jen

Turtle

I’ve been using the cort enema for a week now for the first time (I have one more week left) morning and night. I do not like them but I've noticed an improvement which I am thankful for. My stomach cramps really bad almost immediately once I use the enema. I’ve been able to hold them well at night but the morning only stays in for about an hour before I need to have a bm. I’d rather be on oral steroids (luckily I do not have the bad side effects as other do) but my doctor thought it was best to use this. I think I’ll ask for a suppository next time as I didn’t like the enema. I lie in my left side with my leg bent and then lie on my stomach for at least 30 minutes then roll over to my back so I can sleep. I found it best to do it right before I’m starting to feel drowsy. Good luck!