[Kai]

I was just wondering if any of you have had experience using colon cleansers? I've known about them for years and a "friend" told me a few years back about all the parasites and other gross stuff she passed when she did a month program of it. My chiropractor from years ago swore by them too.

If any of you have used them do you think they worked? And if so which one did you use?

Thanks for your input.

[goldengirl]

I'm not a proponent of this. Eating a diet low in processed foods, and high in high-fiber foods in unprocessed/low processed forms with sufficient water intake is enough to keep anyone's digestive system healthy. The colon does not "store toxins", etc. as is often claimed with products sold for "cleansing". What the colon DOES do is serve as an absorption/resorption site for fluids and some nutrients that aren't absorbed in higher sections of the gut. Products (even sold as "all nutural" all are designed to alter the rate of fluid absorption and/or increase the motility of the gut. Oh, and they cost $$, usually much more than fruit, veggies, whole grains, and water!

Just my $0.02,
Lee

[Kai]

Thanks for your response, the reason I was asking is because my husband was in surgery last night and for the first time saw for himself what was inside a living persons colon. It was so disgusting that it made me think about things I'd heard about in the past about cleansing the colon as well as other organs.

He had seen some gross stuff in med school but on "the no-longer-living".

Are you sure that our colons don't harbor things which we may be better off getting rid of?

[Gerald Bostock]

Ummm....didn't nature design colons to clean themselves??

[kristy_in_ms]

I think god made everything to serve a purpose..even the colon.
But if you are like me... I am begining to think something must be wrong with mine, Ever since my first child was born I went from going every time I ate to once and at most twice a week. I often feel like I could use a cleanser like you are talking about. I am affraid of laxitives because I once abused them (after my child was born) to help me loose 98 lbs in just 5 mo. time. Big Bad No No NO NO NO!!! I know but I was young, dumb and desperate.

[Kai]

Everyone has their opinions and I too believe that when our bodies were created, they were created amazingly well, but I do know that not all organs or other parts of our bodies work as intended all the time. If they did, fewer of us would have issues with weight gain. Some people's thyroids are sluggish, others metabolisms are very slow while some are very fast (I hate those people - haha). Anyway, I do know that organs fail and sometimes just don't work at optimal levels and we need assistance at times to help them do their jobs properly.

I hope there are some of you out there who have tried or use anually, some of these products. I do know for a fact that a very large percentage of humans have some type of parasite in their bodies. We have good ones and bad ones, I'm just looking to get rid of the bad ones right now. I'm sure the mothers on this forum know about pin worms, hook worms, (not ring worm), fluke worms, etc. We all know about tape worms in our pets.

Any experiences would help, thanks.

[goldengirl]

Kai, actually very FEW humans have parasites. If you're worried about that, have your doc do a stool sample for O & P (Ova & Parasites) & find out for sure. But most of the time, if you have parasites, you also have symptoms. Just ask amyone who has had them!

I'm repeating myself here, but your gut won't function properly without enough fiber and fluids. Give it what it needs (just like most other parts of your body) & it will do it's job for you.

Most of the "cleanse" formulations are a combination of herbal cathartics (bowel stimulants) and high-concentration of fiber (often psylillium, found in Metamucil). Read the label, you'll find that most of them contain senna, cascara, etc. They're laxitives. You lose weight because you aren't abrorbing nutrients, along with water, cause you aren't absorbing it.

Just $0.02 more cents,

Lee

[PedalsFast]

"Colon cleansers" have been reviewed by very reputable organizations, and there is no evidence that you are any "healthier" from using them. At best they are useless and at worse some could cause problems themselves. I'm sure I read something in the past year about them either in Consumer Reports or a similar publication.

I know what the ads say, but those ads read the same as every other ad for every other type of useless product that is designed to part us from our money. Some are "ancient secrets from the Orient" and some are "what your doctor doesn't want you to know."

If you have a parasitic infection, get it treated. But first you need a diagnosis.

[Kai]

Thank you all for replying. It helps to have people to bounce things off of.

Thanks again.

[babygirl28]

I believe that they work. I know that they work. I also believe that if you take them for a long period of time, you will get hooked on them. Your body will not rid the waste without stimulants. I also believe that if you do give your body the fiber and water that you need, you will be regular. most people anyway. I remember my first time I did a colon cleanser, my first bowel movement dropped me 7 pounds. It was of a darker color. I believe that this was stuff that had become toxic in my system over a period of years. Now when I do one, I drop maybe a pound or so. The colors are different, it doesnt look like decayed fecal matter anymore. I have been constipated for two years now, I drink lots of water. I go in spells, when i get off the soda, i drink nothing but water, sometimes a gal a day but no less than half a gallon, then i fall back to soda, and maybe drink 30 ounces a day. I notice no difference when i drink a gallon or 30 ounces, I am still constipated. I have never used a colon cleanser to loose weight, although the idea sounds good! lol. I cant stand the way it makes my stomach rumble before I have to go. I also hate it when my butt feels raw. All in all, cleansers are good and safe when you use them as directed.

[Kai]

Thank you, I'm glad to get a response from someone who has actually used them. Other people mentioned that they're simply laxatives but I've used laxatives, in my college days, and never experienced the kind of void that people claim after using colon cleansers.

Do you mind my asking which kind you used and where you got it?

[AmyTN]

Kai,

I used a product called "colon cleanse" that I bought at a health food store. I used it ONCE, I repeat ONCE. I thought I was going to croak. I spent 12 hours of almost constant waves of abdominal cramps that were horribly painful. I cannot even remember how many times I went to the bathroom.

I will NEVER use that again. I gave the bottle away to a friend that wanted to try it. She had the same experience that I did.

[ALLYSON in Raleigh]

Okay, I bite. All I have to say about colonics is I am an "exit only" woman. I will NOT have tube hooked to a back of warm fluid entered into my "backside" in order to flush all that....well....p**p out of me. My body is an amazing piece of machinery that takes care of that naturally.

Oh, and BTW, I don't "douche" either. Another no no that the body takes care of naturally.

That's my nickel's worth
Allyson

[ALLYSON in Raleigh]

Babygirl,

No disrespect intended, but your post was WAY more information than we needed to know.

[Kai]

I appreciate Babygirls response, not anymore graphic than some others here. I think you missunderstood what product I was referring to. It's not an enema, it's in pill form, powder, fluid or tea.

BTW, I agree with the douche thing, messes things up for me and then I'm using another OTC product,
but others do great and are better off for it.

Too much info? Sorry

Kai