If you are new to irrigation, it can take a while to get into a good routine, so sometimes nothing happens when you put the water in – it may come out clear or the water may not come out at all. Not all people will see lumps of stool in the toilet after an irrigation, often you will pass brown water – the darker brown the water, the more stool is in it.
If you don’t feel that all the water has come out after using irrigation – don’t panic, this can happen sometimes. Your bowel will absorb the extra water, and this will be passed when you empty your bladder.
If you are dehydrated, the irrigation water may be absorbed through your bowel rather than passed back into the toilet along with stool. Make sure you drink the right amounts of fluid every day, as advised by your health care professional.
If you have been taking laxatives you should continue to take these, particularly during the first 3 months of starting irrigation. Your health care professional will advise you when or if to reduce or stop taking your laxatives.
Don’t give up, continue to irrigate as you have been instructed by your healthcare professional.