ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Okay, I'm frustrated after reading through this website. Here's why.
After perusing the website for awhile, reading all the testimonials and looking at all the gory pictures, I asked the $64,000 question........What exactly is the product that you're taking in order to produce the colon cleanse results? Yes, it's a three step daily process - in the morning you pop the parasite pills and take the fiber, in the afternoon you pop toxin removal pills, and in the evening you drink something called "Kleri Tea," which contains 12 herbs that make you go, go, go, and then go some more. But what exactly is "Colonix"? What is this special fiber? What are those 12 herbs?
Answer...
And I nearly screamed, like, DAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! when I saw it....
Psyllium husk (dirt cheap, can be purchased by itself at any health food store)
and........
Senna.
That's what made me go DAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Senna is a laxitive, and it has been known to do liver damage when taken long term.
http://www.liverdisease.com/harmfulherbs_hepatitis.html
http://www.itmonline.org/arts/laxatives.htm
http://www.theannals.com/cgi/content/abstract/39/7/1353
http://www.drugdigest.org/DD/DVH/HerbsT … na,00.html
From Colonix website, the list of ingredients in Kleri Tea: Senna Leaf, Chamomile Flower, Fennel Seed, Peppermint Leaf, Rose Hip Fruit, Cinnamon Bark, Buckthorn Bark, Ginger Root, Milk Thistle Seed, Passion Fruit, Uva Ursi Leaf, and Natural Lemon Flavor.
http://www.drnatura.com/product_pic/kleritea_pic.html
Two out of the twelve ingredients actually pertain to laxatives - Buckthorn, (related to Cascara Sagrada) and then the Senna, with Senna being the #1 ingredient in the bunch. It's interesting that they include milk thistle, a known liver cleanser and regenerator, in light of the destructive effects of Senna on the liver. It's like they know what Senna does, so threw the milk thistle in there....but isn't that dishonest not to include a big warning about the dangers of Senna? I mean, if the danger is enough that you have to include a counter-balancing herb, then maybe they should talk about it. But that's another thing these products don't do....address what these herbs are, and what their negative side effects, if any, may be.
I posted my own experiences here at NR awhile back with taking the ReNew Life colon cleanse back in January of 2003, and after being on this product for a month, it created "Lazy Bowel Syndrome." Something these products don't talk about. They don't mention the long term side effects of being on "herbal stimulants." They glorify them but they're nothing more than nature's version of ExLax. They artificially stimulate your bowels to poop poop poop and then poop some more...but what happens when you go off these pills?
Your bowels will be like, "ummm....you want me to do what? Move? I forgot how. What do I do again?"
After I went off the ReNew Life 30 day program my intestines just sat there and did nada. After a week of that, and a belly that now looked 3 months preggers, I had to go out and buy more ReNew Life herbal pills.
Eventually they stopped working, and I proceeded to work my way through various herbal stimulants until landing on..........Senna. Senna was the magic herb, so much so that I never developed immunity to it. I wasn't taking it every day, only like every three days or so, but after awhile I began developing problems.
When I'd take the Senna I'd get a bizarre fever/chills feeling, and was experiencing intermittent, very painful cramping in my sides. The painful cramping coupled with the fever/chills was not a pleasant feeling, at all. Tom became concerned due to an intuitive nudging and hopped online, suspecting that Senna may not be such a good thing after all. He's the one that discovered the big liver damage warnings about Senna, and how long term, it can wreck your liver.
Now, here's the part where it gets "woo-woo," so, bear with me. ;)
This was in May of 2004. I'd been on Senna now for 16 months. Well, I experienced what I guess was a "MILABS" abduction on May 20th of that month, (my abductions were usually on schedule, the 1st - 3rd of the month, and the the 20th - 23rd) and I retained a memory of something that was said to me during that abduction even in my waking state. Within two days of that May 20th abduction I had a memory surge of a guy saying, in a kind of eye rolling sarcastic way, "You have no idea what you're doing to your insides. In a few years, you'll be dead." I don't think they ever NOT sound sarcastic, but, I digress. ;)
It was a very matter-of-fact, real warning, so much so that my brain held on to this one sliver even in my waking life. The memory surged up once, then immediately sunk below the surface again. Then it emerged the next day again....my brain really wanted me to remember this.....and now I remembered that I'd had this memory before but had forgotten it! I fought to retain it, and so this time it stuck.
I vowed that I HAD to stop taking this Senna, that day. That was it. Cold turkey, no more. I WILL find another way. I didn't doubt it was doing something bad, the guy had said...the development over time of fever/chills and volatile cramping indicated something was definitely amiss.
Now, simultaneously in the middle of all this I had mad, MAD urges........to eat shredded wheat cereal.
I went out and bought several boxes of this stuff and started stuffing myself absolutely silly, like, 3 bowls a day, every day, and had no idea why. (hmm....post hypnotic suggestion maybe? "Just go eat some flippin' shredded wheat girl, what the hell....") I kept thinking, OMG, I'm TOTALLY going to be clogged up now! Holy cow! But I couldn't help myself and just kept pigging out on the shredded wheat.
And lo and behold.....I started going. On my own. Without Senna. Or any herbal laxative. For the first time in 16 months. And it kept going, and all was okay again. So, the shredded wheat thing was a good idea...whoever planted it in there in my subconscious. ;) I didn't just rely on shredded wheat though, I did a complete diet overhaul, incorporating black beans, brown rice, apples, tons of water and so on, along with the whole grain cereal and it did the trick.
So yeah, I just want to pass on this warning that Senna is apparently a bad thing to be taking the way this product is having you take it. These colon cleanses don't get into the long term effects of using these products, and it's completely irresponsible.
After reading all the glowing testimonials on the Colonix website I'm left with one very important question..............what happens when you stop taking the product? How well do the intestines work on their own now? What about peristalis? I'd be curious to hear how the after results work out, if there are indeed any problems and issues, or if everything works 100% fine.
Also, what has been done to the liver and other organs in the process?
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My conclusion is that if somebody wants to clean themselves out, then there are ways to do it that don't involve over priced products like this.
- For parasites - take cayenne pepper, liquid or capsules. I once read a quote from the actor Billy Bob Thornton who said his doctor was amazed at his lack of parasites. Most people have them, he apparently didn't. He said it must be the dropperful of cayenne liquid he takes everyday. He's totally addicted to the stuff (in a good way ;) ) and it apparently works wonders. May not be the end-all be-all cure all, but it certainly helps, apparently! Green hull black walnut is also supposed to be effective.
http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/he … epper.html
- For fiber - You can buy the same psyllium husk powder Colonix uses at any health food store, and for cheap. Shredded wheat, raisin brain, black beans and brown rice, apples/pears (for the pectin) etc. and other forms of whole grain fibers should also be incorporated as regular, every day staples in the diet. Some people are allergic to wheat, so substitute what works best for the individual.
- Pro-biotics - of course. Colonix includes pro-biotics, but you can get them on your own at any health food store.
Also enzyme supplements should be included in the works.
- And of course, lots of good water, as Colonix also tells you to do. You have to anyway when you're on psyllium, because of the nature of the fiber.
The problem is, these form of "do it yourself" cleanses versus the pre-packaged dealies loaded with 50 billion herbs and supplements and teas and pills and powders may not achieve the same dramatic results..............but it also won't kill your liver and do who knows what else. It's a trade off.
However, some people seem to have such a severe situation going on that they may need the initial boost of stimulant herbs to clear up the blocked passages, and I totally understand that. My only warning is for people who don't realize the dangers of using Colonix every day for months at a time when it contains Senna, a known liver damager, and who also don't realize the possibility of developing "lazy bowel syndrome." When you look at the testimonials of the people in question on that website, many have a double chin...you can tell just by the face shot alone that these are tubby people who were toting around bellies with 10 - 40 pounds of built up gunk, crap and worms, the same people who stuff themselves silly every day with anything within grabbing distance and who've never heard of "fiber," "probiotics," or "enzymes." So yeah, these people probably need the severe de-clogging that strong herbal stimulants can provide. I just don't think these people should be on it for that long.
Anyway, my 2 cents. Although I think this post is long enough to be worth 10. :D
"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "Holy shit ... what a ride!" - Anonymous
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"I get by with a little help from my (higher density) friends."
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) and it apparently works wonders. May not be the end-all be-all cure all, but it certainly helps, apparently! Green hull black walnut is also supposed to be effective.
