senna and cathartic colon
#255457 - 03/30/06 06:20 PM
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mamallama
Reged: 03/30/06
Posts: 10
Loc: New York
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hi everyone. i was just reading about the senna and the ensuing cathartic colon. i, unfortunately have this phenomenon. does anyone know of a cure, an answer- when the worst has happened, the dependency is there, the damage etc. is done. what then can be done to heal, to undo- to live again?
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just bumping this up in case any one has any thoughts for how to get off these things and heal my cathartic colon.
thanks in advance.
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Here's an old newsletter that addresses this concern. You can find the information at the end of the newsletter...under number Frustrations with Constipation #1. Constipation
specifically, she says "If you've been regularly using laxatives, or artificially increasing colon motility through other means (enemas, colon cleanses, harsh stimulant herbs such as senna, cascara, aloe) the odds are pretty good that your bowel is dependent on them. If you suddenly stop using them, bowel motility might shut down and your constipation will seriously worsen. This would be the case even if you didn't add a SFS at the same time.
It is definitely possible to transition from a laxative or other unnatural methods of alleviating constipation to a soluble fiber supplement. But, you can't simply switch from one to the other in a single day and expect equivalent results. What you can do is keep taking your usual dose of laxatives while you begin your SFS and start to gradually increase your SFS dose. When you've been able to reach a fairly high daily dose (say, 2-3 tablespoons of the Acacia) you can start to gradually decrease your laxative.
Keep increasing the SFS and continue decreasing your laxative, taking each step slowly and carefully. This is not likely to be a fast process, but the slower and steadier you go the more likely it is to have a highly successful result. I've heard from numerous people who transitioned off of laxatives, senna, enemas, and even prescription constipation drugs and onto a soluble fiber supplement, with terrific results. But it took anywhere from one to six months, depending on how long their bowels had been dependent on the laxatives. Good things can be well worth the wait, and this is one of those situations where patience is truly a virtue. IBS is a lifelong problem for most people, so giving yourself a few months to make a tremendous improvement is not really taking too much time in the grand scheme of things".
good luck. This is really hard, isn't it. 
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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thank you very much for your time!
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