Drinking fluid may not hydrate cells and tissues quickly enough to prevent organ damage or death. Laxatives irritate intestinal nerve endings, which in turn stimulate muscle contractions that move the irritant through the gut and out of the body. After a while the nerve endings no longer respond to stimulation. The person must now take greater and greater amounts of laxatives to produce bowel movements. Laxatives and enemas strip away protective mucus that lines the colon, leaving it vulnerable to infection.
Enemas can stretch the colon, which over time becomes a limp sack with no muscle tone.
No longer can it generate the muscle contractions necessary to move fecal matter out of the body. Ask your doctor for help. Don't let shyness or embarrassment stop you. As your doctor advises, either taper off or go cold turkey. Expect to be anxious when time passes with no bowel movement and increasing feelings of fullness, bloat, and discomfort.