Not sure if I am doing it right

[teeny5]

Ok so just last night I started with my enema mesalamine things. I am just not sure if I dispensed it right. I "assumed the position" as the directions stated and squeezed, but it seems I could not dispense all of the medication. Are you supposed to dispense everything in the little bottle? If so does anyone know the best way to do this. I will try it again tonight...just want to do it right. I have never used an enema before.

Can anyone help? Also how long does it take to see results? Kinda made me feel weird last night...understandable after squirting liquid up in there I guess and not being use to it.

 

[BWS1982]

The most painful treatment I've ever had, and something that was perhaps more painful than anything from the disease itself was the Colocort enemas prescribed to me for nearly 4 months. Anyways, the enema packaging I had stated that it's standard fair for the enema to not be fully expelled, you don't have to get every little bit out. I'd assume it's about the same for the ones you have...I always had around 25% left.

I did have Canasa suppositories too, which is essentially a suppository version of the enema you have (5ASA), and if you don't like the enema, and a suppository would suffice, look into those if they're practical.

 

[teeny5]

Why was the Colocort so painful for you?

It seems as though I had 25% or less left so I think I must have done it ok.

 

[BWS1982]

Ugh, Kev here hated it too. It's because it's a steroid enema and it's being delivered on such bloody, mangled tissue. Like pouring alcohol on a fresh wound only 50 times worse. Kev's one of the toughest Crohnies I know (if you can say I know him), and he says it's the most painful as well. I think it has to do with how badly ulcerated the rectum is, where it's delivered. It felt like 100 shards of glass.

 

[Agent X20]

The colifoam I used (squirty steroid foam stuff) was OK... I suppose that's because my "mangled tissue" (great expression... I'll remember that one) is round a couple of corners.
Regarding the original post... I think that the act of delivering your medication up the opposite end of your fundament (as opposed to popping pills) is so unnatural when you first do it that it comes with it's own peculiar type of paranoia. If most of it went up I wouldn't worry too much about it, you'll get better with practice (which is not a particularly cheery thought in itself)

 

[teeny5]

Yeah the enemas are not pleasant to do. I have done them now for three nights and I don't feel any better...actually have been having pain. Different than my usual cramping pain, now I have more of a burning or acidic feeling...like I can feel all the ulcers in my intestines. Eating almost feels like shards of glass are going through there, so as you can imagine I am eating very little these days. Even my Ensure shakes have been bothering me.

Could this be due to the enema? My tests this week showed inflammation was down, but I have been feeling like hell...hence being started on the enemas. I hope I feel better soon!

 

[teeny5]

Ok, so I got a tip online to squeeze all the air out before and that helped. Still feel bad today but at least the enema went easier last night.

 

[Isla]

Is there any info on how long it may long it takes to start working? Like some other CD meds they take a certain amount of time to see some kind of result.

 

[teeny5]

I read 3-21 days.

 

[BWS1982]

well since your enemas are mesalamine (like Asacol) I'd think they'd take a little longer than a steroid enema to work, since steroids can act in a couple days. I remember that Asacol was told to me it may take even as long as 3-6 months...but that was oral, perhaps it's a little shorter with enema administration.

 

[teeny5]

3-21 days is what the Rowasa site said that I had looked at (which I guess is just the brand name)...I luckily got the generic so the prescription for a month was only $10. At least I feel like I am getting the hang of it now. The first couple times I just felt like I was totally doing it wrong and had no one to ask except on this site...thank God for technology!

 

[Isla]

6 weeks for oral Asacol

You think you can suffer a few weeks to see if it will help you?

 

[teeny5]

I will try...I think I have just been in the dumps lately. Not really worried about my bosses. They know about my disease and I keep them updated when I am not feeling good. Just makes me feel useless some days...like I can't do anything. I use to be so active and now I can't even walk around for more than a couple of hours without going into pain.

 

[BWS1982]

Well, that's why I stated "as long as", I was fairly invulnerable to it's aid for the first 6 weeks when I started it in the hospital in Sept of 2006, when I was first diagnosed. After the 6 weeks passed (which my medication packet said 3-6 weeks for it), the doc backtracked and said well it can be a couple months in some people. Well, the couple months passed, and it was monotherapy for me, and I wasn't getting worse, but no better, still. Finally he said 3-6 months is about the latest people have gone before response. I found remission after 7 months, and I have no clue if it was asacol, diet, the disease itself, or the stock market....just glad I found remission that one time last year, and want it again.

Sorry to digress a bit. Not sure though, how an enema is supposed to "feel right" if you think about it, it's quite wrong. Good luck.

 

[Agent X20]

I had no pain when I had the colifoam, I used it because I was passing scary amounts of blood. The bleeding stopped within a day or two of using it, so I assume it actually worked

 

[Isla]

I thought golifoam was a steroid?

 

[Agent X20]

It is!