Getting Started with Bowel Irrigation

Getting Started with Bowel Irrigation

It is important to get a training session in bowel irrigation with a healthcare professional before getting started at home. Moreover, it is helpful to establish a routine for irrigation. It is usually recommended to irrigate after a meal in the morning or in the evening. Bowel irrigation is not a standalone solution, the recommended diet still needs to be kept as well as drinking enough water. 

How to Succeed with Bowel Irrigation

The factors behind succeeding with bowel irrigation are:

• Motivation
• Realistic expectations
• Allowing time for learning and adapting (the initiation period)

Advice to anyone starting with irrigation is to be prepared and give yourself time to adapt to the new routines. Set a realistic timeframe. It may take up to 12 weeks to find the optimal irrigation routine and have a satisfying outcome. When the initiation period is over and you have found a routine that works for you, it may suffice to irrigate every other day, but this is highly individual.

The body will have to adapt to the treatment. Have patience, and it will be worth it!

Bowel Irrigation Diary

Using a bowel irrigation diary or the Navina Smart app to follow up on treatment and progression is a good way to help you, as well as the healthcare professional to optimize the treatment and find a routine that works.

When using Navina Smart, your irrigations are easily transferred to the Navina Smart app and you can easily rate each treatment. Read more about the Navina Smart app here.