Laxative Dependency, among other things
#139785 - 01/18/05 06:59 PM
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e_mcmaster
Reged: 01/16/05
Posts: 520
Loc: Norman, Oklahoma
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Hi all!
I did a search, but didn't find anything on laxative dependency. My thought has always been that I'd rather have to take laxatives for the rest of my life then never be able to have a bm, ever. My question is: Do laxatives eventually stop working if taken for long periods of time?
I currently take Phillip's Laxative Dietary Supplement which is basically just 500 mg of Magnesium. I also take Citrucel tablets. I've taken Miralax, and still have a bottle, but I like the Phillip's better. My other question is: is the laxative dietary supplement considered a laxative, thus, can I get dependent on it, and is that necessarily a bad thing?
Thanks!
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Elizabeth
all those years it wasn't IBS - it was celiac!
send me an email: liz@dopple.net
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Hi
Don't know the definitive answer to your question. But a GI surgeon said that if I keep taking magnesium citrate (I take it once a week; otherwise, I don't go to the bathroom at all), my colon will be shot, the mag citrate will stop working, and I'll need a colectomy (removal of my colon).
Another doc--affiliated with the same hospital--dismissed this dire prediction. (??)
So I'm wondering, just as you are. We're truly between a rock and a hard place.
--Salsagal
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Laxatives are very bad for us. The more you take, the more dependant you are and also the more damage it does to your colon. Eventually you will need to take more and more just to go. Stool softeners are okay, but any stimulant or over the counter laxatives are bad news.
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Most of the otc laxatives are "stimulant" laxatives, they contain harsh chemicals that stimulate your colon to go. Yes, most people will build up a tolerance to them very quickly and will have to take more and more and they will eventually stop working all together.
Miralax is different. It is an osmotic laxative, it doesn't contain the harsh chemicals, it works by pulling water into your colon, kinda like stool softners do. Your colon can still become dependant on miralax, especially with prolonged use but it is much better for you because it does not contain the harsh chemicals and miralax is not absorbed or store in the body. Read the current thread titled miralax.
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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Welcome to the board!! What a pretty picture of you!
The soluble fiber supplements like Metamucil and Citrucel are NOT true laxatives even though they are sold that way. That's why they work for both IBS-C and D. They're more like a food than a medicine and are perfectly safe for long-term use. Heather does a good job of explaining it. I'll go find the link.
Here it is: Soluble Fiber Supplements (NOT Laxatives)
Hope this helps!
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Laura
Keep it simple!
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