"GI Shower"

We advise our patients with constipation to drink 500 to 750 mL of water with freshly squeezed lemon juice on arising in the morning. This "GI shower" activates the colon's high-amplitude propagated contractions and mass peristalsis at a time when such contractions also tend to occur physiologically. In addition, the water load promotes migrating motor complex movements in the small intestine and rehydrates the body after the overnight fast. Most patients find this ritual effectively relieves their constipation.