Constipation From Medication

I have a lot of trouble with constipation imposed by medication for hypertension. I'm in my 70s. To maintain daily regularity, in addition to a good diet with plenty of fruit, I need to take Senokot. That means difficult clean-up. In order to be sure, I have to use a washcloth and soap and water.

If I have more then one movement a day, my bottom gets sore and requires hemorrhoid cream. Worse than that, if I have a day in the city and am caught requiring a public restroom, even with a small package of baby wipes I keep in my car, I can't get clean enough not to be uncomfortably itchy and unpleasantly aware my shorts have "skid marks." Hence, I gave up on the effort to be "regular" and have resorted to a 2-quart tap water enema every two or three days.

I then shower and, as the feminine hygiene ads promise, I’m confident. I never have hemorrhoids. Plus, I have a stool sample examined once a year and a flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years, both of which are always negative. My conventional doctor would probably have a kitten if I were to tell him how I cope. For reasons I’ll never understand, established medicine eschews the enema as at least unnecessary and at most harmful. I have yet to see a statistic that supports any of that.

Not all, but definitely most women, think enemas are deplorable, nasty and don't even want to talk and use the E-word! Yet, they suffer from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), constipation, etc., etc. I wish we all could be free to talk about and engage in the wonderful world of enemas.

This fall I decided to get back into dance and skating full time. Jazzercise on Monday and Wednesday, ballet on Friday, and figure skating classes on Saturday morning. Being so active, I also decided to raise my level of hygiene. Enemas have been part of my life for many years, and there were times in the past where I went daily with them and decided that this would be an excellent time to go daily again. While it does sometimes takes upwards of an hour out of my evening, I feel it's time well spent as my needs are taken care of for the next 24 hours, the feeling of being empty is exhilarating, and there's no fear of feeling stuffy during class. Plus, it does help keep the weight down, something all dancers (especially those of us who are adults returning to dance or skating) are concerned with.

Anonymous