Loosing hope for my bowels

[stephen212]

Here's my recipe- no gluten or dairy. (Except whey isolate) Lots of fruit, rice, vegetables, probiotics, Green Vibrance, Digest Gold. No stool softener of any kind. Magic bullet only in the morning along with a cup of coffee made with almond milk or green tea. I also take 25 mg of 4ap each morning because I swear it helps me "push.' Also it is important to make sure your feet are high enough in shower chair or feet are firmly planted on something to bear down. Good luck. PS, I do a bowel program every day.

I once did an everyday program. Takes a lot of time.

[newbee]

Just an update. The home made irrigations system worked fine after a learning curve. We ordered the peristeen and he is figuring it out. Having trouble with the balloon. They say to inflate it too much. The balloon bursts. So much less air used. He has gone from 3 to 5 bowel accidents a week to 1 a month for the last 3 months. Very excited!!!!!

[stephen212]

I recently bought some enema supplies to use in place of the Peristeen. I like the Peristeen, but the components are not particularly well made. I've had 2 water reservoir bags: the first started leaking (slightly) almost right away and the second developed a "blister" and ruptured. The catheters are very expensive; they can be re-used but only so many times before the balloon bursts. The connectors don't connect very sercurely; the threading strips quickly.

I bought a 2-quart, closed top enema bag (constructed like a garden variety urinary leg bag), a rubber "Higginson" pump, and tubing which connects to a 30" long silicone colon tube (obviously you don't need to insert the entire length of the tubing). For me, this accomplishes pretty much the same thing as the Peristeen but for much less money and with components that will last a very long time.

The goal for me is to get water into my colon without it all leaking out before it triggers a peristaltic response. The colon tube is 32 fr. which is wide enough to keep most of the water in, especially when inserted about 20" or so. I fill my bowel with the entire 2 quarts, wait a minute or two and then do digital stim to dilate my bowel. The enema kit is not as sophisticated as the Peristeen but it accomplishes the identical result. Same concept, slightly different delivery system. Water enters the bowel and the body (and you) takes over from there.

[t8burst]

I bought a 2-quart, closed top enema bag (constructed like a garden variety urinary leg bag), a rubber "Higginson" pump, and tubing which connects to a 30" long silicone colon tube (obviously you don't need to insert the entire length of the tubing). For me, this accomplishes pretty much the same thing as the Peristeen but for much less money and with components that will last a very long time.

Wow, googling " rubber Higginson pump" yielded some.. interesting results. Man there are some weird people out there. On the other hand its good to know that I can get enema supplies and that Latex Twin Hoods with Integrated Breathing Tunnel I have been looking for.

[ZEN12many]

Jason
Our SCI injuries are not the same (T12 for me) but I sometimes have the same problem of incomplete BM. It seems most comes out in 5 minutes and the little left takes 55 minutes.

I use KY Jelly as lubricant BUT when nothing else seems to be happening and I know it should be happening, I switch to Preparation H ointment as a lubricant. It seems to help encourage the rest to come out. It is medicine that is supposed to shrink hemmoroids; maybe it shrinks other things and relaxes the anal passages or something. It is not magic but it does seem to help me.

[jody]

thats interesting. I wonder if it would help with the sandpaper up the butt feeling?

[SCI-Nurse]

Preparation H does have a n anesthetic in it, so it might help with that feeling. So might lidocaine jelly. It would anesthetize the area.
CKF