Daily Enema Therapy for LARS

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annieliz
Posts: 56
Joined: Fri Jul 26, 2019 5:13 pm

Re: Daily Enema Therapy for LARS

Postby annieliz » Tue Sep 03, 2019 12:33 pm

Hi Tina,
Just my 2 cents. The other week, I was having a constipation issue that was ultimately resolved with some Miralax and senna per my on-call doc at MSK. In a subsequent phone call, we went over steps I should take if constipation happens again, and I asked about enemas. The doctor said - no enemas during chemo. They don't want to take the risk of allowing any bacteria to enter via that route because it could cause an infection. If you decide it's something that you feel you should try, I would suggest checking with your doctor first.
Hope you get relief soon!
annieliz
66 Female
7/15/19 Colonoscopy
7/26/19 DX: Rectal Adenocarcinoma
CEA 8/8/19-1.9, 12/6/19-2.3, 2/28/20-1.7, 11/27 - 1.9, 2/10/21 - 1.5
8/16/19 - 11/23/19 FOLFOX - 8 rounds
10/9 flex sig ~30% shrinkage 11/27/19-a bit more shrinkage
Neulasta 9/29/19, 10/27/19, 11/24/19
25 days Xeloda and radiation 12/17/2019 - 1/22/20
Robotic LAR 4/14/20 - clear margins - 0/15 nodes
Temp ileostomy - Reversal 7/15 - minor LARS
10/19/20 - clear colonoscopy
2/10/21 - clear CT

ams5796
Posts: 2298
Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2009 10:07 am

Re: Daily Enema Therapy for LARS

Postby ams5796 » Tue Sep 03, 2019 12:42 pm

Absolutely check with your doctor! I should have said this. :oops:
Stage 3C (or 4?) Rectal Cancer 01/07
2/10 lung mets
3/11 VATS
6/11 VATS
7/13 lung met
2/14 SBRT
NED 8/14
5/17 scan and MRI found treated spine met

Jachut
Posts: 1137
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:16 pm
Facebook Username: hutchinson@aanet.com.au

Re: Daily Enema Therapy for LARS

Postby Jachut » Wed Sep 04, 2019 6:58 am

I managed an obstruction problem for about 18 months with enemas. I had progressively worsening radiation damage which lead to obstructed defecation - I need an enema to go a t all, so I was not a typical post ULAR patient at all.

However I found the enema process effective but a major drain on my quality of life - it was messy, inconvenient and to be honest, painful. I ended up opting for a colostomy six years ago now and have never regretted that for a single day. You have nothing to lose trying the enema routine but the alternative is not as awful as people fear. I barely think about it now.

TinaFish
Posts: 178
Joined: Sun Jul 21, 2019 10:11 am

Re: Daily Enema Therapy for LARS

Postby TinaFish » Wed Sep 04, 2019 10:56 pm

annieliz wrote:Hi Tina,
Just my 2 cents. The other week, I was having a constipation issue that was ultimately resolved with some Miralax and senna per my on-call doc at MSK. In a subsequent phone call, we went over steps I should take if constipation happens again, and I asked about enemas. The doctor said - no enemas during chemo. They don't want to take the risk of allowing any bacteria to enter via that route because it could cause an infection. If you decide it's something that you feel you should try, I would suggest checking with your doctor first.
Hope you get relief soon!
annieliz


Good point!! A couple of months ago, I asked my oncologist if it was ok for me to use glycerin suppositories, and she said no! I forgot what her reasoning was. I'm not understanding the bacteria thing, though. I mean, if you want to talk about bacteria, your rectum probably already has more bacteria than any other place. Cause an infection where, in your rectum? How is an infection more likely when you're under chemo treatment? Not trying to challenge you at all; just trying to make sense of all that.
F 45, single mother to son, 7 and daughter, 3
DX: stage 4 Rectal Cancer June 2019
Tumor Location: ? cm above anal verge
Tumor type: Adenocarcinoma
Tumor size: 5 cm
Tumor grade: ?
TNM code: ?
Stage : Stage IV-B
# of cancerous lymph nodes: ?
Mets: Numerous mets to liver, lungs
CEA: 22 in July; 11 as of August 15, 7 as of Sept 20
MSI status: MSS
KRAS/BRAF status: KRAS mutation
surgery: TBD
Ostomy surgery: TBD
Radiation therapy: TBD
Chemotherapy : CAPEOX+Avastin, 6 cycles, with CT scans after 3rd and 6th cycle.

Rock_Robster
Posts: 1027
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2018 5:27 am
Location: Brisbane, Australia

Re: Daily Enema Therapy for LARS

Postby Rock_Robster » Thu Sep 05, 2019 12:16 am

TinaFish wrote:
annieliz wrote:Hi Tina,
Just my 2 cents. The other week, I was having a constipation issue that was ultimately resolved with some Miralax and senna per my on-call doc at MSK. In a subsequent phone call, we went over steps I should take if constipation happens again, and I asked about enemas. The doctor said - no enemas during chemo. They don't want to take the risk of allowing any bacteria to enter via that route because it could cause an infection. If you decide it's something that you feel you should try, I would suggest checking with your doctor first.
Hope you get relief soon!
annieliz


Good point!! A couple of months ago, I asked my oncologist if it was ok for me to use glycerin suppositories, and she said no! I forgot what her reasoning was. I'm not understanding the bacteria thing, though. I mean, if you want to talk about bacteria, your rectum probably already has more bacteria than any other place. Cause an infection where, in your rectum? How is an infection more likely when you're under chemo treatment? Not trying to challenge you at all; just trying to make sense of all that.

I wondered about this too. I believe the main concern is that the frequent disturbing of the lower rectum with enema bottles, suppositories, etc. can cause microscopic tears in the very delicate tissue (especially if one has had radiation, etc). Given it’s a high bacteria environment as you say, this could then easily lead to an infection - especially in an immunosuppressed person (eg during chemo).
41M Australia
2018 Dx RC
G2 EMVI LVI, 4 liver mets
pT3N1aM1a Stage IVa MSS NRAS G13R
CEA 14>2>32>16>19>30>140>70
11/18 FOLFOX
3/19 Liver resection
5/19 Pelvic IMRT
7/19 ULAR
8/19 Liver met
8/19 FOLFOX, FOLFOXIRI, FOLFIRI
12/19 Liver resection
NED 2 years
11/21 Liver met, PALN, lung nodules
3/22 PVE, lymphadenectomy, liver SBRT
10/22 PALN SBRT
11/22 Liver mets, peri nodule. Xeloda+Bev
4/23 XELIRI+Bev
9/23 ATRIUM trial
12/23 Modified FOLFIRI+Bev
3/24 VAXINIA (CF33 + hNIS) trial

Conkbern
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2018 5:15 pm

Re: Daily Enema Therapy for LARS

Postby Conkbern » Fri Oct 04, 2019 7:25 am

I have been reading all the enema stories, as I too have LARS. Just started enemy’s because frustration level was getting high dealing with accidents etc
My question is. .... I have much much water leakage while administering enema . A real mess!!
Any helpful hints would be much appreciated!!!’
Thank you
Connie. 2 years since reversal
Almost 3 years NED!

Conkbern
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2018 5:15 pm

Re: Daily Enema Therapy for LARS

Postby Conkbern » Fri Nov 01, 2019 8:00 am

Enemas
Anyone have trouble with water leakage while administering enemas?

Help!!

Basil
Posts: 275
Joined: Thu Mar 16, 2017 12:33 pm

Re: Daily Enema Therapy for LARS

Postby Basil » Fri Nov 01, 2019 6:41 pm

Don’t know if this will work for you but it’s probably worth a try. I work a standard M-F, 8-5 schedule. In the early days after reversal when things were wonky, I’d drink 10-12 ounces of prune juice about 6 p.m. and by 8:30 or so my system was completely flushed out and the next day there would be a whole lot of nothing my going on until I started the cycle again with the prune juice. I did that 2-3 months with great results.
40 y/o male (now 46), kids 11 & 14.
Dx 3/16/17, rectal cancer s3,t3,n1,m0
PROSPCT trial (FOLFOX in lieu of chemorad)
FOLFOX 4/5/17 - 6/26/17
LAR 7/31/17, temp ileo
pathological complete response
Adjuvant chemo cancelled (IDEA Study)
Ileo reversed 9/25/17
NED
1 year scans - clear
2 year scans - clear
3 year scans - clear
4 year scans - clear
5 year scans - clear (considered cured)

Conkbern
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2018 5:15 pm

Re: Daily Enema Therapy for LARS

Postby Conkbern » Fri Nov 01, 2019 11:53 pm

Thank you for that tip! Did you ever try doing enemas?
With prune juice, are you pretty much back to a normal bowel routine? Thank you. Connie


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