Frequently Asked Questions
Do colonics hurt?
Colonics aren’t painful but they can be uncomfortable. There are times during a colonic where you may experience diarrhea like cramping sensations. Most people will experience cramps pass coinciding with a waste release. When your colonic is done and you allow your body to finish releasing all the water and waste inside of you, the awareness of active peristalsis will stop and you should be able to get on with your day comfortably. We suggest sitting on the LIBBE for several minutes (3-5) following your session to allow the body time to finish emptying. If you do this, your colon will not releasee anymore waste or water when you leave our office.
How often should I get a colonic?
This depends on your bowel movement schedule, whether or not you're on a cleanse, or whether you're coming in to address a specific health issue. If you're new to colonics, starting with a series of 3 or 4 sessions within the first two weeks of starting will yield best results. Combining these treatments with a cleanse or a liquid diet is also beneficial. We welcome your phone calls so that we can address your specific goals by giving you the best information pertinent to your unique constitution.
Will a colonic flush out all my good gut bacteria?
No. Colonics rid the colon of waste. When waste stagnates in the colon, sugars ferment and feed overgrowths of bad bacteria like yeast, mold, and fungus, which inhibit colon function and crowd out good bacteria. Studies have been done on the affect of colon hydro therapy on gut microbiota and the findings confirm that completing a series of colonics increases beneficial bacteria strains: http://www.i-act.org/Resources/InTech-The_influence_of_colonic_irrigation_on_human_intestinal_microbiota.pdf
Due to a growing awareness of the gut microbiome and it's importance in everything from immune function to metabolism, gut bacteria testing has become very popular and useful to many doctors and their patients. We refer to forward thinking Functional Medicine MDs as well as naturopaths in San Francisco who can help you obtain testing should you want it.
Are colonics dangerous?
No. Colonics and enemas are categorized as an extremely low risk service by insurance providers. There are certain conditions that would make someone ineligible for our services and we go over this in detail to make sure that we stay within our scope of practice (conditions such as renal failure, Ulcerative Colitis, Diverticulitis, heart failure, etc.).
Can a colonic perforate the bowel?
No. No one has ever made this claim against a colon hydrotherapist and proven that the introduction of warm filtered water caused perforation to their tissues. This is a common inquiry we get usually based on two things: internet myth & doctors and healthcare providers who are ignorant about colonics. With the system we use, there is no part of our equipment that goes beyond the rectum. Furthermore, our equipment is FDA registered that can be found in some hospitals. If someone tells you that colonics are dangerous, chances are that person has no idea how colonics work, what their purpose is, or they have a bias. Colonoscopies are infinitely more dangerous than colonics and DO perforate the bowel at much higher frequencies than most people realize.
Can getting a colonic cause an electrolyte imbalance?
Colonics are a hydrating therapy where you will absorb water (great news for dehydrated people). You may lose some electrolytes during your colonic but no more than you would during a workout. Our water is not stripped of minerals and drinking a small glass of electrolyte water following your session (which we provide each of our clients) more than takes care of replenishing electrolytes. Many confuse detoxification symptoms for electrolyte imbalance. Neither are a reason to avoid the benefits colon hydro therapy has to offer.
Can I exercise afterwards?
Yes. Know your body. When you cleanse, some people will experience more energy while others may experience detox symptoms; some of us can hop off the LIBBE and hop on a spin bike. If it’s your first colonic, don’t plan anything too strenuous afterwards, see how you feel, and go from there.
Are colonics addictive?
No. Colonics tone and hydrate and have been used to retrain the bowel to have regular healthy bowel movements. Colonics are very helpful to people with compromised transit time as they help to flush stagnant waste that would otherwise be auto intoxicating. Though rare, some people depend on colonics and home enemas to help them have regular bowel evacuation. These people often have diagnosed conditions, take medication that inhibits regular evacuation (some cancer drugs do this), or are wheelchair or bed bound, causing their transit time to dramatically slow down. In these cases, the use of regular colonics or enemas isn't seen as "addictive", they're seen as a tool so that some people do not struggle with constipation for weeks at a time. There are people who use colonics in place of practicing a healthy lifestyle (drinking enough water, eating healthy food, moving their bodies), but these people would be constipated regardless if they received regular colon hydro therapy; in other words, colonics aren't causing their constipation - they're failing to address why they're constipated in the first place. Many of our clients fly on a regular basis and become constipated despite their best efforts. For people with chronic constipation, many would prefer to have regular colonics versus take prescription medication with side effects or face the uncomfortable bloated feeling of retaining excess waste in their body. We're not here to judge; we're here to help.
Is this a self-service colonic?
No. There is no such thing as a self service colonic. With open systems, you get to push, whereas closed systems require a therapist to push on your abdomen (which not everyone finds comfortable during a session of colon hydro therapy). The LIBBE system is an automatic system that does not require a therapist to open a valve to allow you to have releases. You are allowed to push (which feels more natural because that's how we have bowel movements normally), which means the therapist will not need to push on your body to help you evacuate waste (not a necessary step to experience colon hydro therapy). You will still have a therapist prepare the treatment room for you, clean up after you, and answer all of your pertinent questions, in addition to walking you through the process thoroughly before starting your session.
Can I have a colonic while I’m on my period?
Yes. Please take your cycle into consideration as we do not cancel appointments due to starting your period. Many of our clients say that receiving a session of colon hydro therapy while on their cycle helps with feeling bloated, cramps, and moodiness.
Should I have a colonic before, during, or after my juice cleanse?
In order for any cleanse to be effective, the body needs to eliminate daily. On our 14 Day Cleanse, we have our clients complete 6 colonics. On our 5 Day Liver & Gallbladder Cleanse, we have our clients complete 3 colonics. Whether you come every day of a juice cleanse or only once, it's important to help your body with daily elimination while cleansing. We have safe & gentle products to assist you with this if you need help.
Why do I skip a bowel movement following a colonic?
Most of our clients skip the next 24-48 hours of bowel movement. This DOES NOT mean the colonic made you constipated. When we empty the contents of the large intestine, you will experience a truer understanding of your own transit time (the time it takes your body to move food through your digestive tract from consumption to evacuation). Pay attention to the foods you eat following a colonic, how your digestion feels, and try to track your bowel movement schedule. This information will be helpful to your therapist, who can help you make sense of how your body is processing the foods you eat. If you want to avoid a delayed transit time following a colonic, you can take magnesium, add aloe to your smoothie, take probiotics, and other supplements to encourage the next bowel movement in a more timely fashion.
Still have questions?
Call us for a free consultation: (415) 565-9278
We want you to achieve your health goals, and everybody’s journey is different. That’s why we are happy to speak with you about the services you’ll be receiving, safety, cleanliness, cleanse programs, digestive struggles, etc. Don’t hesitate to call! You’ll be speaking to one of our colon hydro therapists who cares very much for helping people and seeing them to the other side of digestive wellness, healthy weight, and overall vibrancy.