I'm thinking about trying them. A coworker of mine uses them and she absolutely swears by them, but who knows. I just feel so "stopped up" (sorry, TMI ) lately, and I wonder if doing something like this to sort of clean out my system will make me feel better.

Anyone have any experience with this? I might try it and report back with my results. But I'd love your input.

I've had colon hydrotherapy (colonic irrigation) and it was great. The therapist gave me some all natural laxatives to take for a week beforehand to start the cleansing process.

They contained cayenne, senna & aloe vera amongst other natural things. Some can be very harsh on the system but you can get an aloe vera gel to take that is very gentle and effective.

Lou

A normally functioning body "cleanses" itself. It doesn't require any outside intervention to do so. There is no study or evidence that colon cleansing helps with long-term weight loss or disease prevention in normal bodies. Your body has whole systems devoted to cleansing any toxins you encounter out, including your liver, kidneys, and colon. It doesn't need pills to do so.

If your body is NOT normally functioning, you'd be better served working with a doctor to correct whatever is going on. And everyone (except those with certain medical conditions) would benefit from getting plenty of fiber and water to keep things "moving". Beyond that, though? No benefits have ever been shown.

There's a great article on this at Quackwatch called "Gastrointestinal Quackery"

colon cleansing pills often are high priced fiber pills.

Please sign my name to what Mandalinn said.

No need for "cleansing". If you're stopped up, eat more fiber, try some dried plums (i.e. prunes), go for a brisk walk, drink lots of water.

Anything else is just getting you to spend money on something you don't really need.

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I have what I like to call a "lazy colon." I like to take probiotics called Kyodophillis (not sure about spelling) with my meal twice a day. I also eat a little muffin from Trader Joe's called Zen Fiber Cake. It has TONS of fiber and is only 80 filling calories. I also do better when I eat fish instead of chicken. Another high fiber item is a pear. It can do wonders. For me, even when I eat tons of fiber, I still need help from my trusty Kyodophillis. Good luck!

So I wonder why my friend seems to have had such good results. They must do something, right? I think I'll try them just to see.

I had a colonoscopy in June. you need to be VERY CLEAN for that.

2 bottles of the magnesium in a glass of juice taken 3 hours apart cleaned me out just fine. cost 5 dollars.

i lost 4 pounds my colon was totally empty. doc was very impressed.

i gained the 4 pounds back within 2 days of normal eating.

carinna - it is possible that your friend has a poor diet resulting in constipation and so a laxative/fiber mixture may help her. Eating high fiber foods or taking an inexpensive fiber supplement would have the same result. Colon cleansing pills really are much like diet pills in that they lighten your wallet more than anything.

Almost forgot to note, that depending on the ingredients in the pills, they may be habit forming. IE they may help you 'go' but if you stop taking them, then you won't be able to on your own. That is why I'd suggest researching ingredients of any product you might take.

ah for that 'stopped up' feeling.... I can address that (I had the colonscopy for IBS problems) I take metamucil 1-3 times a day... every day

if once in a while I still feel like i need help Sennakot is what my doctor recommends...

I had a friend who took some of those colon cleanse pills that you see on tv, the one with the guy that talks about his kids poo's. She had so many problems that she had to go to the doctor and apparently the pills were sapping her of all the good nutrients in her body. She ran a fever and had very bad diarrhea. She said she felt horrible for about a week. After hearing her story I opted to NOT take them.

People mean a lot of different things when they talk about laxatives. As a weight loss tool, pure danger.

Fiber supplements and stool softeners are OK. High fiber diet is obviously better, but we're all different.

Where you get into trouble is with stimulant laxatives. The damage the colon if abused. Many "natural" laxatives, like senna, are stimulant. Doesn't make them gentle.

It's like Afrin (nasal decongestant spray). It may be a godsend on the one or two days a season when you need it, but it will screw you up after that.

I have a friend who does a spring and a fall cleanse every year--not to lose weight but she says she feels better. I don't agree with the friend posted about who does the cleanse regularly--our bodies can be very addictive to substances--her body probably needs them at this point.

I am actually doing my first cleanse--more for my lympahtic system than the colon. I will report back...

Of course increasing fiber to at least 35 gm a day, drinking water, and exercise is essential, but as a nurse practitioner let me tell you that use of laxitives can cause you many problems. You might not be able to stop because you loose your natural urge to go. There is now a product OTC called Miralax that is not habit forming and can be stopped at any time, and started as needed. It can take 1-2 days to work, but at least it can be stopped.