Mineral Oil and Olive Oil Enemas for Constipation: Old-School But Effective

By Steve Hodges, M.D.

Originally published: March 2017

Last updated: January 2026

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to reflect Dr. Hodges’ current recommendations and how oil enemas fit within today’s M.O.P. guidance.

Doctors tend to assume newer treatments are better — new medications, new protocols, new theories. But the longer I practice pediatric urology, the more I appreciate how often older, low-tech remedies outperform what’s currently in fashion.

One example is the Modified O’Regan Protocol (M.O.P.), an enema-based treatment pioneered in the 1980s to treat enuresis and encopresis. Dismissed by many physicians as “overly aggressive” or “old-school,” M.O.P. resolves accidents far more effectively than the laxative-only approaches most children are offered today.

READ: Why Miralax Clean-Outs Fail

This article focuses on another classic tool that can be surprisingly effective in stubborn cases of chronic constipation: overnight oil enemas.

This remedy dates at least back to the 19th century. An 1892 medical journal described olive oil enemas as a “safe method of relieving even the most obstinate cases of spasmodic constipation.” I concur.

The idea is simple. In some children, accidents persists because hard, crusty stool remains stuck in the rectum, even after weeks or months of enemas or laxatives. Oil enemas don’t trigger a bowel movement; instead, they soften and lubricate impacted stool, making it much easier to flush out the next day.

Back in medical school, I heard about "oil retention enemas,” as they were called, but I didn't give them much thought until an Icelandic mom posted in our private support group.

Her 7-year-old’s encopresis (chronic poop accidents) had quickly resolved on M.O.P., but the boy's bedwetting persisted. The pediatrician acknowledged the boy needed more robust treatment and called in a nurse to ask "how they did this back in the day." The answer: olive-oil enemas.

The boy's wetting soon diminished, his mom reported. An x-ray showed great improvement.

Intrigued, parents in our support group tried this remedy, and eventually I adopted it in my own practice.

One mom who found success with oil enemas aptly described the challenge of emptying her child's rectum: “Years of poop build-up is hard to clean out. I feel like I am chipping away at a cement block with a garden hose.” That gives you a good idea of why oil enemas help.

Here, I answer a few questions you may have about oil-retention enemas. For instructions on dosing and administering these enemas, refer to the current edition of the M.O.P. Anthology.

Q: Is it safe for a child to have oil-retention enemas in addition to regular enemas?

A: Yes, overnight olive oil or mineral oil enemas can safely be used in conjunction with enemas that stimulate a bowel movement, such as phosphate (Fleet "saline") or liquid glycerin suppositories.

A morning glycerin-water enema (50% glycerin, 50% water) works particularly well after an overnight oil enema. The larger volume does a better job of flushing out the olive oil so it doesn't leak all day.

The only type of enema to avoid with overnight oil is a docusate sodium mini-enema (Enemeez brand). In my experience, Enemeez are too small, anyway, to clear out the oil in the morning.

Q: Does it matter what brand of mineral oil or olive oil you use?

A: No, as long as there are no additives.

Q: How often can you safely give a child an oil-based enema?

A: As often as needed. In many cases two or three consecutive nights of oil will suffice to loosen crusty stool. Some parents have reported benefits from continuing nightly for multiple weeks.

You can purchase Fleet mineral oil enemas or, better yet, save money by making your own olive oil enemas. All you need is a bottle of oil and a syringe.

Inject the oil before before bed (older children can self-administer) and after the child has used the toilet for the last time.

Q: What does a child's stool look like the morning after an overnight oil enema.

A: It varies, but parents often note an increase in “hard chunks.” As one mom put it:

The oil makes the hard poop in her rectum slippery enough that by bearing down, she can push some out. Then we do the Fleet enema, which seems to produce some hard pieces followed by her fresh, soft poop. I think before we started using mineral oil, the fresher, softer poop would just bypass the hard stuff in her rectum.

READ: Getting Your Constipated Child Off the Miralax Merry-Go-Round

Many parents are shocked to discover how difficult it can be to clean out a child's chronically clogged rectum. Different approaches work with different kids. Something new might work for a few weeks and then stop working. That’s OK.

It's important to keep tinkering with the basic elements of M.O.P. until you get your child fully cleaned out. Overnight oil enemas have proven — for over a century — to be a particularly helpful tool in the toolbox.