Editing Enema (section)

==== Dangerous ====

===== Bleach enemas =====

[[Chlorine dioxide#Pseudomedicine|Chlorine dioxide]] enemas have been fraudulently marketed as a medical treatment, primarily for [[autism]]. This has resulted, for example, in a six-year-old boy needing to have his colon removed and a colostomy bag fitted,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/secret-facebook-group-reveals-how-10944477 |title=Secret Facebook group reveals how parents use bleach enemas on autistic children in bid to 'cure' disability |author=Sophie Norri |author2=Lucy Clarke-Billings |date=2017-08-08 |work=[[Daily Mirror]] |publisher=[[Reach plc]] |access-date=2019-03-24 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://metro.co.uk/2017/08/07/mother-investigated-for-giving-son-bleach-enema-to-cure-his-autism-6834610/ |title=Mother 'investigated for giving son bleach enema to "cure" his autism' |author=Toby Meyjes |date=2017-08-07 |work=[[Metro (British newspaper)]] |publisher=[[DMG Media]] |access-date=2019-03-24 }}</ref> complaints to the FDA reporting life-threatening reactions,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://abc7news.com/news/group-of-socal-parents-secretly-try-to-cure-kids-with-autism-using-bleach/1578833/ |title=Group of SoCal parents secretly try to cure kids with autism using bleach |author=Lisa Bartley |date=2016-10-29 |work=ABC 7 News |publisher=[[American Broadcasting Company]] |access-date=2019-03-24 }}</ref> and even death.<ref>{{cite web |title=The fake cures for autism that can prove deadly |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jul/13/fake-cures-autism-prove-deadly |author=Frances Ryan |date=2016-07-13 |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=2019-03-24 }}</ref>

Proponents falsely claim that administering enemas to autistic children results in the expulsion of parasitic worms ("[[rope worms]]"), which are fragments of damaged intestinal [[epithelium]] that are misinterpreted as being human pathogens.<ref>{{cite web |title=The truth about chlorine dioxide and other miracle cures for autism |url=https://www.health24.com/Natural/Therapies/the-truth-about-chlorine-dioxide-and-other-miracle-cures-for-autism-20151111 |date=2015-11-11 |work=Health24 |access-date=2019-03-24 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.autism.com/statement_mms |title=Warning Against Chlorine Dioxide Use |author=Sidney Baker |author2=Ali Carine |author3=Suruchi Chandra |author4=Kelly M. Barnhill |author5=John Green |author6=Maya Shetreat-Klein |author7=Vicki Kobliner |author8=Dana Laake |author9=Elizabeth Mumper |author10=Nancy O'Hara |author11=William Parker |date=2015-07-12 |work=Autism is Treatable |publisher=[[Autism Research Institute]] |access-date=2019-03-24 |archive-date=30 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330220822/https://www.autism.com/statement_mms |url-status=dead }}</ref> Oral and rectal use of the solution has also been promoted as a cure for [[HIV]], [[malaria]], [[viral hepatitis]], [[influenza]], [[common cold]]s, [[acne]], [[cancer]], [[Parkinson's disease|Parkinson's]], and much more.

Chlorine dioxide is a potent and toxic bleach<ref>{{cite web |title=PubChem Database. Chlorine dioxide, CID=24870 |url=https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/chlorine_dioxide#section=Human-Toxicity-Excerpts |work=[[PubChem]] |publisher=[[National Center for Biotechnology Information]] |access-date=2019-03-24 }}</ref> that is relabeled for "medicinal purposes" to a variety of brand names including, but not limited, to MMS, [[Miracle Mineral Supplement]], and CD protocol.<ref>{{cite web|date=12 March 2015|website=vice.com |url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/kwxq3w/pararchiveents-are-giving-their-children-bleach-enemas-to-cure-them-of-autism-311|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190324230611/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/kwxq3w/pararchiveents-are-giving-their-children-bleach-enemas-to-cure-them-of-autism-311|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 March 2019|title=The Parents Who Give Their Children Bleach Enemas to 'Cure' Them of Autism |access-date=2019-03-24}}</ref> For oral use, the doses recommended on the labeling can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and potentially life-threatening dehydration.<ref>{{cite web|title=FDA Warns Consumers of Serious Harm from Drinking Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS)|date=3 February 2011|publisher=U.S. Food and Drug Administration |url=https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm220747.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203232945/https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm220747.htm|archive-date=3 February 2011|access-date=2019-03-24|url-status=dead}}</ref>

No clinical trials have been performed to test the health claims made for chlorine dioxide, which originate from former [[Scientology|Scientologist]] Jim Humble<ref name=ne&ya>{{cite web|url=https://uk.news.yahoo.com/parents-making-children-drink-bleach-160057178.html|title=Parents Are Making Their Children Drink Bleach to 'Cure' Them of Autism|date=22 March 2019|work=Newsweek/Yahoo News}}</ref> in his 2006 [[self-publishing|self-published]] book, ''The Miracle Mineral Solution of the 21st Century''<ref>{{cite book |title=The Miracle Mineral Solution of the 21st Century|publisher=Jim Humble|year=2006|author=Jim Humble}} (self published)</ref> and from anecdotal reports. Humble coined the name MMS. Sellers sometimes describe MMS as a [[water purifier]] to circumvent medical regulations.<ref>{{cite news | first = Erik | last = Jensen | title = Deadly chemical being sold as miracle cure | date = 2010-01-09 | url = http://www.smh.com.au/national/deadly-chemical-being-sold-as-miracle-cure-20100108-lyvl.html | work = The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=2019-03-24}}</ref> The [[International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies]] rejected "in the strongest terms" reports by promoters of MMS that they had used the product to fight malaria.<ref>{{cite press release |publisher= [[International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies]] |date= 15 May 2013 |title= IFRC strongly dissociates from the claim of a 'miracle' solution to defeat malaria |url= http://www.ifrc.org/en/news-and-media/opinions-and-positions/opinion-pieces/2013/ifrc-strongly-dissociates-from-the-claim-of-a-miracle-solution-to-defeat-malaria/ |access-date= 2019-03-24 |archive-date= 24 February 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210224162551/https://www.ifrc.org/en/news-and-media/opinions-and-positions/opinion-pieces/2013/ifrc-strongly-dissociates-from-the-claim-of-a-miracle-solution-to-defeat-malaria/ |url-status= dead }}</ref>

===== Coffee enemas =====
{{Main|Coffee enema}}

Well documented as having no proven benefits and considered by medical authorities as rash and potentially dangerous is an enema of [[coffee]].<ref name=Ernst /><ref name="shils" />

A coffee enema can cause numerous maladies including [[infections]], [[sepsis]] (including [[campylobacter]] sepsis), severe [[Electrolyte disturbance|electrolyte imbalance]], [[colitis]], polymicrobial enteric sepsis, [[proctocolitis]], [[salmonella]], [[brain abscess]], and heart failure,<ref name=colitis /><ref name="acs">{{cite web |publisher = [[American Cancer Society]] |url = http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/ManualHealingandPhysicalTouch/colon-therapy |date = 11 January 2008 |access-date = 13 May 2011 |title = Colon Therapy |archive-date = 24 April 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150424180208/http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/ManualHealingandPhysicalTouch/colon-therapy |url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |vauthors = Margolin KA, Green MR |title = Polymicrobial enteric septicemia from coffee enemas |journal = The Western Journal of Medicine |volume = 140 |issue = 3 |page = 460 |year = 1984 |pmid = 6710988 |pmc = 1021723 }}</ref><ref name=deaths>{{cite journal |vauthors = Eisele JW, Reay DT |title = Deaths related to coffee enemas |journal = JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association |volume = 244 |issue = 14 |pages = 1608–1609 |year = 1980 |pmid = 7420666 |doi = 10.1001/jama.1980.03310140066036 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |vauthors = Keum B, Jeen YT, Park SC, Seo YS, Kim YS, Chun HJ, Um SH, Kim CD, Ryu HS |title = Proctocolitis Caused by Coffee Enemas |journal = The American Journal of Gastroenterology |volume = 105 |issue = 1 |pages = 229–230 |year = 2010 |pmid = 20054322 |doi = 10.1038/ajg.2009.505 |s2cid = 19156781 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher = [[Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center]] |url = http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69283.cfm |title = Livingston-Wheeler Therapy |date = 9 May 2011 |access-date = 13 May 2011 }}</ref><ref>William T. Jarvis, Ph.D., National Council Against Healthcare Fraud, "[http://www.ncahf.org/articles/c-d/caquackery.html Cancer Quackery]". Accessed 11 July 2012.</ref><ref name="pmid6789105">{{cite journal |title = Campylobacter sepsis associated with "nutritional therapy"--California |journal = MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. |volume = 30 |issue = 24 |pages = 294–5 |year = 1981 |pmid = 6789105 |author1 = Centers for Disease Control (CDC) }}</ref><ref name="pmid20054322">{{cite journal |vauthors = Keum B, Jeen YT, Park SC, Seo YS, Kim YS, Chun HJ, Um SH, Kim CD, Ryu HS |title = Proctocolitis caused by coffee enemas |journal = Am. J. Gastroenterol. |volume = 105 |issue = 1 |pages = 229–30 |year = 2010 |pmid = 20054322 |doi = 10.1038/ajg.2009.505 |s2cid = 19156781 }}</ref>{{Excessive citations inline|date=December 2024}} and deaths related to coffee enemas have been documented.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Eisele JW, Reay DT |title=Deaths related to coffee enemas |journal=JAMA |volume=244 |issue=14 |pages=1608–9|date=October 1980 |pmid=7420666 |doi=10.1001/jama.1980.03310140066036}}</ref>

[[Gerson therapy]] includes administering enemas of coffee,<ref>{{cite web |title=The Gerson Institute&nbsp;— Alternative Cancer Treatment |url=http://www.gerson.org/g_therapy/default.asp |archive-date=1 April 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030401121651/http://gerson.org/g_therapy/default.asp}}</ref> as well as of [[castor oil]] and sometimes of [[hydrogen peroxide]] or of [[ozone]].<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Weitzman S |title=Alternative Nutritional Cancer Therapies|journal=International Journal of Cancer|volume=78|pages=69–72|year=1998| issue=S11| doi=10.1002/(SICI)1097-0215(1998)78:11+<69::AID-IJC20>3.0.CO;2-7| pmid=9876483|s2cid=20633344 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

Some proponents of alternative medicine have claimed that coffee enemas have an anti-[[cancer]] effect by "detoxifying" metabolic products of tumors<ref name=colitis>{{cite journal |vauthors = Lee CJ, Song SK, Jeon JH, Sung MK, Cheung DY, Kim JI, Kim JK, Lee YS |title = Coffee enema induced acute colitis |journal = The Korean Journal of Gastroenterology = Taehan Sohwagi Hakhoe Chi |volume = 52 |issue = 4 |pages = 251–254 |year = 2008 |pmid = 19077527 }}</ref> but there is no medical scientific evidence to support this.<ref name="shils">{{cite journal |vauthors = Shils ME, Hermann MG |title = Unproved dietary claims in the treatment of patients with cancer |journal = Bull N Y Acad Med |volume = 58 |issue = 3 |pages = 323–40 |date = April 1982 |pmid = 7052177 |pmc = 1805327 }}</ref><ref name="acs" /><ref>{{cite journal |author = Cassileth B |title = Gerson regimen |journal = Oncology (Williston Park, N.Y.) |volume = 24 |issue = 2 |page = 201 |date = February 2010 |pmid = 20361473 }}</ref>