The past few weeks I have been trialling a new product. It’s called Renew Inserts. Basically the premise of the product is to give you a solution to anal leakage. It is hoped that the insert will give peace of mind to the user and help one regain a semblance of control over the bowel.
Many inserts look like a tampon but the Renew Insert sets itself apart from other products on the market due to its unique shape and material.
The insert is a sleek white design with a soft touch medical grade silicone which aids in comfort and durability. Each insert comes with a small plastic applicator that fits onto the finger and enables easy insertion into the rectum.
The first circular disc blocks the inner sphincter into the rectum and the second sits on the outside sphincter. This enables the insert to best prevent any leaking. The soft silicone allows for movement with the body and can bend to adapt to each individual person’s anatomy.
Unlike a tampon the insert stays the same size and does not absorb. It is simply a stopper that can be easily removed at the most convenient time. You can leave the insert in day or night until the next bowel motion.
Using the Renew Inserts was certainly a nicer option than any other products I have tried to help with bowel incontinence. It’s clean, easy to use and quick to insert. The amount of time I spend on my bowel care has drastically dropped since I no longer have to change pads and clean myself multiple times a day.
Additionally, I don’t have bulky pads that make me feel like I’m in a nappy. I certainly felt a change in my self esteem. I can imagine other women and men who have partners must find bowel incontinence a big problem when it comes to intimacy and sex. I would imagine these inserts would be helpful in those situations.
I personally do not have feeling in my anal area so I can’t comment myself on the sensation of the insert but after speaking to others who have tried it I think I have a good grasp on what it would feel like.
‘You know it’s there and it’s a strange feeling to begin with’, said one woman, ‘but I got used to it quickly though.’
“I am so glad I can go out of the house and not have to think about leakage or worry that I smell.” said another.
It is natural to have apprehension about whether passing gas would dislodge the insert and cause leaking. Due to my lack of feeling I couldn’t comment on this but it was reported to me that passing gas made no difference. It was just an unusual sensation at first.
I feel I should mention that I have experienced a positive change in my skin integrity in the area around my anus due to the inserts. The daily incontinence had broken down the skin in that area, however, since using the inserts the area has been dry and the excoriated regions have cleared up. This has been a wonderful and unexpected result of using the Renew Inserts.
Many patients with cauda equina syndrome lose anal tone so I would suggest trialling the product for yourself. Most of us can keep the insert inside, although, I had some issues keeping the first insert in, but once I changed to a larger insert it stayed in place.
What I liked most about this product was that it gave me back my dignity. The peace of mind gained by using an insert is so appealing to me.
If you have great success with an insert you could potentially start to think about doing things like swimming again! This little insert can really make a big difference to the quality of your life if you are struggling with the physical and emotional effects of bowel leakage.
My only concern with using the inserts is the environmental factor, but it’s very hard to find an environmentally friendly way of dealing with continence issues, industry wide. We all know how there has been a huge push culturally to move away from single use plastic and silicone because of the effects of landfills and plastics in the oceans etc. Saying that if I was to consider how many pads I use between bowel motions and compare that to using just one small silicone insert, it does seem more logical and ethical to me to use an insert, but that’s your choice to make.
You can request a trial pack from Renew Inserts it comes with three regular inserts and two large. If you find the product helpful you can request the inserts from your GP to put onto your usual prescription.
For all those who have agreed to participate in a study and trial this product too, we will be in touch soon with further details.
So if you are trying this out independently or as part of the study, I wish you all the best of luck. I really hope you have a good experience with them, as I have had.
Until the next time,
Catrina!