Posted 8/29/2016 6:18 PM (GMT -5)
Hello! Never thought I'd be a proponent of enemas, but... they work!
A little backstory, I was diagnosed at 21 with UC-pattern like crohns and used 800mg Asacol HD 3x daily, used steroids once to get out of the inital flare, and just kept trying naturopathic remedies and changing my diet to keep myself well. Typically, I've had a flare up once every year since 2011. Actually, 2012 was just a mess in general.
Anyway, it wasn't until late 2015 I think? That I tried Rowasa enemas. I really liked my doctor because he was willing to hear my concerns out and advise on different things, treating me like a real person instead of rushing me out of the office.
Many people will attest to never trying enemas, it's already gross enough having this disease, why should we have to tamper with that bottom area on a nightly basis with this faux syringe looking toy?
Well, I'm 26, male, with a social life, I live with roommates in New York City, and I've never had to lay down on the bathroom floor for half an hour while using an enema like the instructions suggest, so I want to share.
The Rowasa enemas are 4grams (4000mg) per tube. There is about 10 per bag, and one prescription equals to four giant boxes that I order the pharmacy to conceal in plastic bag after bag after bag like a dead body. I've had two different insurances recently and the price remains low $1-5 dollars, unlike oral 5asa drugs (Asacol) which are rougly $850 without insurance.
Concealing these boxes is tough. I find a dark place in my closet and typically use 1/2 tube every other night when I'm having normal bowel movements. When I notice things go awry, I use one whole tube nightly for 4 days.
The instructions will tell you a whole lot of things, but quite literally, I sort of bend to the side and just insert a portion of the tube into my rectum. I either store the rest for another night or wrap the enema tube up in toilet paper and just throw it in the trash. I try to do this before going to bed, otherwise within half an hour before going to bed and making sure I'm holding it in as best I can.
What's incredible to me, is that within a matter of days, my not-so-formed bowels are formed and smooth again. I finally feel like I have control over any potential red flags and flare ups. I think the enemas save me. Ask anyone who's been around a while on the forums, I'm not typically selling up prescription drugs, as I've been more an advocate for integrative and holistic medicine, but with my pride aside, I'm so happy to share this and I hope others can benefit if they are not understanding how enemas work, are afraid of them or don't believe in them for their particular UC/crohns cases.
I'm someone who can finally have an active sex life, not worry about stomach aches, what I have to eat (other than abiding by my dairy-free/gluten-free regimen), and can travel with peace of mind knowing I can store these enemas anywhere in my bag and a TSA agent won't bring me up for questioning.
Had I known how easy enemas are to use and how effective they are at treating the disease in the lower part of your body that medicine absolutely cannot reach, I would have settled for this so much earlier on to avoid flare ups! Hope this helps.