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Are Colonics Safe? What Should I Look Out For?
Reviewed by our qualified colonic hydrotherapists — naturopaths and allied health practitioners, including ATMS, ANTA and MAA members
Colonic hydrotherapy is, for most healthy adults, a safe and gentle procedure when performed by a properly trained practitioner using appropriate equipment. But like any health-adjacent service, safety depends heavily on who’s providing it and how — so it’s worth understanding both the genuine risks and the questions worth asking before you book anywhere.
Genuine contraindications
Colonic hydrotherapy isn’t appropriate for everyone. It’s contraindicated — meaning it shouldn’t be performed — for people with active inflammatory bowel disease, severe haemorrhoids, recent bowel surgery, heart disease, kidney disease, unexplained abdominal pain, or active diverticulitis. This is exactly why every session here starts with a proper health history and screening, not a quick form and straight onto the table.
What a genuinely safe session looks like
- A closed system, with a trained practitioner present and controlling pressure and flow throughout — see our article on closed vs open systems for why this matters.
- A real health screening before treatment, asking about medical history, medications and any conditions that might make treatment unsuitable.
- Qualified practitioners — not just a short colonic-specific certificate, but a background in naturopathy, nursing, midwifery or another allied health field, giving practitioners the clinical grounding to recognise when something needs a different approach entirely.
- Gentle, controlled pressure throughout, adjusted to your comfort rather than a fixed intensity applied to everyone.
Common, mild side effects
Some mild cramping, bloating, or continued bowel activity for 24–48 hours afterward is common and expected, generally settling with hydration and light, easy-to-digest food. This isn’t a sign something’s gone wrong.
What to be cautious of
Be wary of any clinic that pressures you into buying additional treatments based on what they claim to see during your session, promises unrealistic or dramatic results, or skips a proper health screening before treating you. We deal with this directly in our article on parasite claims and scare tactics in the industry.
Questions worth asking any clinic
Is the system open or closed? Does a qualified practitioner control and adjust the treatment for the whole session, or are you left to self-administer? What’s their actual training background? Do they screen for contraindications before treating you? These are reasonable questions anywhere you go, not just here.
Have a question before booking? Get in touch — we’re happy to talk it through.
Frequently asked questions
What are the side effects of colonic irrigation?
The common ones are mild and short-lived: cramping during the release phase, bloating or gurgling for a few hours, tiredness after a first session, and temporary changes to bowel habits. Uncommon but serious risks include dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, bowel irritation and, very rarely, perforation — which is why screening and a regulated closed system matter.
Who should not have colonic irrigation?
It isn't appropriate during pregnancy, with severe haemorrhoids, rectal bleeding or recent bowel surgery, during an active Crohn's or ulcerative colitis flare, with diverticulitis, uncontrolled hypertension or heart disease, kidney disease or electrolyte imbalance, severe anaemia, active cancer treatment, or with unexplained abdominal pain. Disclose your full medical history at screening even if a condition seems unrelated to digestion.
What questions should I ask a colonic clinic before booking?
Ask what qualifications the practitioner holds beyond colonic certification; whether the system is open or closed; whether a practitioner stays in the room throughout; whether tubing is single-use; what health screening happens before a first session; and how they decide how often you should come back. Reluctance to answer any of these plainly is itself the answer.
When should I see a doctor instead of booking a colonic?
Any new or unexplained change in bowel habit should be assessed by a GP first, as should rectal bleeding, unintended weight loss, persistent abdominal pain or a family history of bowel cancer. A colonic is not a diagnostic procedure and should never delay investigation of symptoms that need a diagnosis.
Ready to book your appointment?
No referral needed. Book online 24/7, or call reception.
Still weighing it up?