Milk and Molasses Enema

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Sep 11, 2005

Doesn't the molasses also have an osmotic effect and pull fluid into the bowel (similar to what a Fleets does)? I've seen Lactulose ordered for patients in nursing homes as a laxative. Seems taking molasses orally would have the same effect except that it would be pretty hard on the digestion because of the high sugar content.

Ifs_Wintery · Sep 11, 2005

Monica RN,BSN said:
Wondered if warm milk and molasses mixed and drank instead of given anally could be just as effective???

I would think not, this would help the patient go to sleep though ? Tryptophan and sugar are the magic combination sometimes!

The milk and molasses probably work because the sugars in the milk and molasses cannot be or are not easily absorbed by your colon (but they would be easily absorbed by your small intestines if you drank the mixture). The milk might also provide a barrier (as someone mentioned before) keeping the sugar in the molasses from being absorbed by the colon. It then works as an osmotic type laxative. The same as lactulose and sorbitol. I believe these can be taken orally because the sugar in these products can not be absorbed by your body, so it makes it past the small intestines intact where it can go to work on the lower regions.

I've given lactulose enemas to many hepatic encephalopathy patients and let me tell you WHOA! First, I learned to pad the whole bed from head to toe and then I learned to pad all around the bed on the floor also!

General E. Speaking, RN, RN · Sep 12, 2005

suebird3 said:
Not exactly something I would consider while doing the enema. I am sure it beats the "3 H" enema, anyday.

talk about "old school" THAT brings back memories for me!

Triple H Enema: High Hot and Helluvalot

VeryPlainJane · Sep 12, 2005

nrskarenrn said:
Milk and molasses works as mild stimulant to stimulate bowel peristalsis, evacuate stool and is easy on the bowel lining.
See prior post on subject:
https://allnurses.com/slimeball-enema-urgent-t65477/?page=2&tab=comments#comment-608463
For those patients whose hard stool is just beyond the reach of your glove,and you don't have a sse bag or rectal tube available. Attach a 18 fr or larger foley to end of a fleets enema bottle, lubricate well with water soluble gel, insert tube with rotating motion up past stool as high as it will reach. administer enema up high, try to keep the patient side-lying for 15 min, expect great results.
Brown Cow = M+M = Milk and Molasses Enema
Warm 8oz milk in pan on stove or microwave 1 min. mix in 8 oz molasses. Allow mixture to cool to room temp (test on inside of forearm).
Once cooled, add to enema bag and your ready to go.
Swear too that Brer Rabbit superior to Grandma's molasses and has higher blackstrap molasses content.

Wouldn't a coffee enema work just as well but less messy?

Straydandelion · Sep 12, 2005

VeryPlainJane said:
Wouldn't a Coffee Enema work just as well but less messy?

Makes you wonder doesn't it, have given it also and it does work! Appears also to be less uncomfortable then the typical SSE. Wonder if a coffee enema would keep the patient from sleeping!!

BrittanyRN · Sep 12, 2005

I wonder if the M&M emena is making a come-back I've only been a nurse for a year and have given 2, also know of a few others that have been given?? But if this is the case they better start stocking us with molasses it's tough to find at 2am when dietary is closed :)

sammybabie · Sep 12, 2005

Ifs_Wintery said:
I've given lactulose enemas to many hepatic encephalopathy patients and let me tell you WHOA! First, I learned to pad the whole bed from head to toe and then I learned to pad all around the bed on the floor also!

Try giving warm olive oil as an enema !!!!

Gill

FloridaJudy · Feb 6, 2009

This brings back memories: God, I hated those things! I used to work with a doctor who would order them late at night. The kitchen was closed, so I'd have to round up someone with a key to get the milk (obviously, we should have stored the milk on the unit, but by night shift it was usually gone). Then you had to heat the milk and molasses - this was in the days before microwaves were readily available, so we had to do it on the stove. Unless you watched it like a hawk, it would either boil over and make an unholy mess, or take f-o-r-e-v-e-r to get warm. I usually turned the stove on and off several times, since fifteen uninterrupted minutes for watching a pan was a rarity. Then you had to wait for it to cool down...

Frankly it wasn't worth the effort. I never noticed that it was anymore effective than the pre-packaged enemas. I suspected that doctor just wanted to know how much extra crap a nurse would put up with before she handed in her resignation.

CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN · Feb 6, 2009

General E. Speaking, RN said:
talk about "old school" THAT brings back memories for me!
Triple H Enema: High Hot and Helluvalot

LOL...I haven't heard that in a while either. M and M enemas...they do work...Yep...pad around the bed too!

blueheaven · Feb 7, 2009

I think the molasses kinda acts like lactulose in the bowel and pulls fluid into the bowel to soften the stool. I can't find my old fundamentals book to check this out

kellykelly · Feb 8, 2009

Interesting, I've never heard of this. You really do learn something new every day. I don't even know where I'd get molasses unless the pharmacy keeps some in stock for just such an order? Sounds like it would have to be a day shift kind of thing.

pggrn · Nov 19, 2009

This seems like a somewhat dated discussion, but I thought I would throw my 2-cents worth in anyway. I will preface this by saying I have never given or received one of these enemas, but I have heard they are very effective. My understanding is the mechanism as to why they are so effective evolves around the osmotic pressure effect of the solution combined with the solution itself, which is very high in sugar. The bacteria in the bowel feed rapidly on the sugars thus creating a lot of gas and bowel extension creating a somewhat explosive result.