I’m really quite a sceptical woman. I like to evaluate things scientifically and to base my decisions upon genuine evidence, that is certainly lacking in respect of the claims made for ‘colon cleansing’ products. I don’t believe toxins actually build up in the small intestine or that food decomposes there as some suppliers claim. It is irrational to believe that these products have any noticeable effect on prevalence of colorectal cancer – what we can say is that they are often used by people who make health enhancing changes to their lifestyles at about the same time they begin colon cleansing courses. I’m not a clinician, but I do have a career where clinical evidence has to be taken very seriously and I am not aware of any credible clinical trials of these products. That said, I am aware that literally thousands of other people swear they have had life-changing results from these cleansers. I would not have given the matter a second thought had I not found myself in need of help.
I was 38 years old and really feeling in the prime of life. loved living in Scotland, had a pretty decent job in healthcare (albeit non clinical). Better still, I was spending a lot of my free time doing the things I loved, for example gym, traditional Scottish dancing, birdwatching and diving with a colleague from the hospital. Diving had made me very health and fitness conscious and, whilst I was no marathon runner, I was acceptably fit. I’d gotten to the point where I could swim for miles or go on really long hill walks without getting out of breath. It was also delightful to be noticed more by my male (and occasionally female) colleagues. Being a divorcee and ‘in the market’ that really mattered to me.
My bowel habit, however had been causing me a bit of discomfort and concern with irregularity and constipation. bloating had also reared its ugly head. As luck would have it, it always seemed to come on when I had a diving trip planned or had arranged to go out dancing. I found myself feeling uncharacteristically grouchy and lethargic.
I got talking with my dive buddy as he’d noticed that my mental state was deteriorating – we were close, but I still felt a bit embarrassed letting on what I was experiencing. Surprisingly he too had had digestive system related problems and claimed to have had successful results from bowel cleansing. It was against my better judgment, but he was really enthusiastic that I gave the product a go. Anyway I gave the product; called Bowtrol Colon Cleanser, a try out. I was pretty dispirited as nothing happened for at least three or maybe four days, but he kept urging me to follow through with the course. I had to get over having these kinds of chats with a man, but we’d grown very close through the diving. On about the fifth day things got ‘interesting’. I’m so glad I wasn’t at work! I was really suprised by the ‘results’. It would be pretty distasteful to describe what came out, but it was highly unsavoury and there was A LOT of it.
A few days later I had a completely, utterly, blissfully normal bowel habit. The bloating had also gone, never to make a reappearance. I can’t offer any theories as to why the bloating stopped, but I find it hard to believe it was a mere coincidence. also dropped about five pounds at around the same time, again with no other explanation. Did I feel a huge surge in energy? Well, no, but it was really great not to feel bloated and constipated at really inconvenient times. The parasite issue is a bit more credible now that I’ve read about clinical trials with probiotic yoghurt with the aim of displacing lethal C. difficile bacteria. I’m not saying there aren’t other products out there that might not be as good and I would urge anyone experiencing any change in bowel habit to see their doctor as soon as possible. What I can say is that I honestly feel I got my money’s worth out of the product and now feel I am living a better life because of it.
Constance J. Thorrington is a hospital administrator in Scotland’s Central Belt. You can read her friend’s detailed review of Bowtrol here. His account is a more graphic account of his experiences with Bowtrol Colon Cleanser.