Sitz baths

I'm looking to create a wiki entry for sitz baths and wanted to get a little insight from those of you who utilize them. Some questions if any of you are willing to answer:

1. Do you use hot or cold water or alternate?

2. Do you add anything to the water?

3. How high on your body do you let the water go?

4. Anything else that you think might be pertinent.

Thanks!

1. I always use warm-hot water but was depending on the purpose of the sitz bath, you don't want the water too hot because it can burn the area (open wound)

2. I add epsom salt. About 1 cup worth for a full tub of water. There are a variety of different kinds and I have tried/really liked the chamomile one but I usually just use the non scented store brand because it comes in a big jug for under 10 dollars and is essentially the same thing. (Minus the smell)

3. As stated above, I fill the tub all the way. I've been told some people only fill it enough to get the bum wet but I don't like taking baths in the first place so when I do I like to fill it up all the way so I can lay back and relax.

4. Extras- it might be important to add how long you stay in the bath? I usually stay in the bath for approx. 20 minutes or until the water starts to get cold. I was doing these baths regularly after my abscess surgery and found a great deal of pain relief/irritation after sitting in the sitz bath for a short period of time.

David said:

I'm looking to create a wiki entry for sitz baths and wanted to get a little insight from those of you who utilize them. Some questions if any of you are willing to answer:

1. Do you use hot or cold water or alternate?

2. Do you add anything to the water?

3. How high on your body do you let the water go?

4. Anything else that you think might be pertinent.

Thanks!

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I use them for hemorrhoids and anal irritation.

1. Warm water more to the hot side.

2.nope

3. Let my butt sit in a sitz bath on the toilet.

4. I don't do sitz baths in the tub just the one you sit on at the toilet.

nogutsnoglory said:

4. I don't do sitz baths in the tub just the one you sit on at the toilet.

Click to expand...

Do you have a link to or name of this contraption?

Thank you

Here you go David.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sitz-Bath--...9FO4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338205635&sr=8-1

I do both baths & sit on one on the toilet. Epsom salts in both. They really do help & I have the water warm to hot.
I'm amazed that apart from reading about them on here I've never been told about this by Gastro Specialists or Specialist nurses. I've now started telling them about it.
Rgds
Grant

I think it's just called a sitz bath basin. They sell them at most pharmacies.

i think i am the same as others:

Warm to very warm almost hot water

Epsom salts, i dont measure cause i am usaully in pain and just add a handful or two

I use the toilet basin kind--bought it at walmart and i know local pharmicies such as Shoppers carry them too

I generally soak for 10-20 min which is until the water cools. When my abscesses were "new" and my seton first got put in, i would soak after every BM as was suggested by my surgeon. Now i dont soak near as often and i probably should. I foudn it greatly hellped with pain and itching and all the discomfort down there......i would soak several times a day, as many as 8-10 times some days......some days i sat in it for up to an hour just adding more hot water as it cooled as it was teh only place i could sit without great pain.

For those who do sitz bath on the toilet how much Epsom salt do you use?

nogutsnoglory said:

For those who do sitz bath on the toilet how much Epsom salt do you use?

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honeslty i dont measure, i just grab a handful.....and it always has seemed to work and help

I don't measure either but last time I put two handfuls and it burned.

1. I like it hot.

2. Sometimes a cup of epsom salts

3. Waist deep

4. Usually I soak for a good 30-45 minutes. Never less than 10 minutes. Sometimes I fall asleep and wake up when the water is cold. Bleh.

Sorry David, a tad off topic but does anyone use a hairdryer to dry the anal area post bath?

Dusty.

DustyKat said:

Sorry David, a tad off topic but does anyone use a hairdryer to dry the anal area post bath?

Dusty.

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Just very light drying with a towel for me and mostly air drying.

When I had an abscess, fistula, and later a seton, I used the bathtub and warm/hot water. I tried to at least cover the area with the water level and added hot water occasionally as it cooled off. To help me relax and pass enough time, I kept a little clock radio nearby. I tried reading, but just got wet books from this. These baths soothed like nothing else I could find. I really looked forward to the comfort.

Here are a few results for "sitz" from the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. While there aren't specific directions included per se, I really found this site to be helpful and authoritative when it came to these kinds of things. You might need to scan a bit, but there's a small mention in each:

http://www.fascrs.org/patients/conditions/anal_abscess_fistula/
http://www.fascrs.org/patients/conditions/hemorrhoids/

Dustykat: When I had my abscess I actually kept it wet down there afterwards actually because I found the warm feeling kept it somewhat numb for the time being

I tried to no avail to explain about Sitz Baths to a Gastro specialist last friday. My Gastro team are by & large excellent with a superb bedside manner. But when I tell them about Sitz Baths they tend to glaze over which is weird. Because when it comes to it, we are the experts as to what works & what doesn't. Its our bodies after all.

Hot water
No additive
Top of the butt cheeks
Soak until it goes cold (have topped it up if I'm loving a splash)
The nurses in the local GI ward I go for surgery actively encourage a good sitz bath.
And the ward bath is very whizz bang amazing!