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I took miralax for years, like 5 years. It worked wonders for me. The more water you drink with it and through out the day, the better. It doesn't really matter morning or night. I found it worked best on an empty tummy, let it settle for 10 minutes or so and than eat breakfast.
My C would get worse when I traveled or just before my period or sometimes no real reason and sometimes I would take an extra dose at bedtime for a few days until things were moving again.
It is ok to take stool softeners with the miralax. Most people notice improvement in bm's within a few days but sometimes it can take a week or so to really get things moving.
Zelnorm is completely different and caused awful cramps for me, not to mention headaches. Zelnorm is much newer and definitely not suggested for long term use. My gi docs told me that miralax was fine to take long term. I never built up a tolerance to it.
I've recently developed some other medical issues and now have D, so the miralax is not needed any longer but if I ever swing the other way again, I will definitely use it again.
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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I'm so confused, hope you guys can help me PLEASE. I went to a GYN/UROGYNECOLOGY/PELVIC SURGEON doc on Tuesday(first time seeing that doc) and he gave me Levbid and the Miralax. I started the Miralax 3 days ago and I'm still waiting for some results. My doc said it might take a week to start helping, I hope it does. But I been in so much pain, cramps and spasms for the last 5 days and I was getting no relieve after my daily BM, so I had do take some MOM last night. I never took the Levbid yet. The URO doc was supposed to treat me for a small bowel prolapse that shows in the defecography test results. Well, he never did mention anything about it and he was only talking about my IBS-C. After a little while, I came out and asked him about the prolapse and he said that he didn't trust those defecography tests. Then he checked inside my vagina with his hand and told me I didn't have small bowel prolapse. I don't know what to think of all this. If defeco test are no good, then why have me do one in the first place. He also told me no take Magnesium supplements anymore b/c it's bad for IBS-C. Told me not take my Yeast B-complex or Ester C(vitamin C) supplements. He said one shouldn't be taking supplements, to just eat healthy. He also told me not drink so much water b/c that could make things worst in my GI system. I'M SO CONFUSED RIGHT NOW...What to do???
My colon surgeon, the one that's supposed to treat my rectal prolapse, was the one that refered me to the URO doc b/c of waht the defeco shows.
I went to my GI doc yesterday and told him the whole story and he gave me different antispasmodic pills, "Symax Duotab", to try. Is this one better for IBS-C than Levbid? or the same? He also gave Zelmrom to try until Miralax start working, hopefully. I didn't take the Z yet b/c I took the MOM. I did take the "Symax", but not sure if they helped b/c I also had the heating pad on for hours. Believe it or not....I saw on of those pills(whole)that I took last night(Symax)in my watery stool this morning. How can this be??? Is there something wrong or is this normal? I took the pills around 7:30pm and I took the MOM at 1:30am. I took 2 pills , one is Immediate release and the other is Sustained release. It says to take it every 12 hours, but I didn't take it today yet. Should I take every 12 hours? or Should I take them as needed for the pain/cramps? My GI told me not to call my Colon surgeon b/c he was going to talk to him first. What is going on here???? REALLY CONFUSED!!!
Is the Miralax supposed to give me watery BM's like the MOM when/if starts working??
If I decide to try the Z, do I have to drink lots of water with it or just a little is ok?
Thank you all for your great replies always and I pray that a lot of you guys continue to help me with my confusion/questions here PLEASE!!! I was doing better for a while, I don't know what happened, but I need the help right now. I was trying to gain weight and after this week I lost a few, NOT GOOD...I'm very concern, I don't look right and don't feel right  I might have to keep taking something to help me go for a while so I'm able to eat MORE and add some fat to my diet. Help, advice, info and support are always needed and so much appreciated !!!!!!!!
God bless you all,
Abi
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The joy of the Lord is my strength !
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I'll try to address a few things. First, I would not take the zelnorm if you are having watery stool, it will probably make the watery stool worse. I had taken both miralax and zelnorm at the same time before when I was very C but if you are having incomplete digestion, as in you can see the pills that didn't dissolve, I wouldn't take the zelnorm and might even cut back on the miralax.
Have you been tested for crohns? A lot of crohns people have malabsorption issues. I don't find much of a difference between the anti spasm meds. They help me sometimes minimally but aren't a life saver or anything for me but some people they do help more.
Not sure why on earth they would tell you to drink less water?? It's sometimes easier to digest your food if you drink before or after meals instead of with a meal but otherwise, typically the more water the better.
I don't know anything about the prolapse. Two people here have recently had surgery, Mary in the living room may be able to help. She is one week out from her surgery.
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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Abigail, I've been reading your posts and it seems like you've hit the panic button. And so now you're just taking everything in sight to try and stop the pain, get the system going and just feel better. I know what that feels like and sad to say I've done the same thing in the past and the results were just more confusion. As you said:
I took the MOM. I did take the "Symax", but not sure if they helped b/c I also had the heating pad on for hours.
You have 3 docs working on your problem. It is not unusual for them to have different opinions. Going through that right now myself with my rectal prolapse. My suggestion is to listen to your GI. Ask him to write down what you should take when. How much water to drink. Yes, you can drink too much water. And then follow his advice. Then use the boards for support to help you through this difficult period. But right now keep it simple.
Love, hugs and prayers for you to feel better.
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Levbid and Symax Duotab belong to the same class of drug and have the same generic name hyoscyamine. They are anticholinergic agents used to treat bladder and bowel spasms.
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsDrugs/Hyoscyaminecd.html#us-brand-name-list
http://www.harvardpilgrim.mimrx.com/harvard/pdr_log.asp?product_name=SYMAX+DUOTAB&mscssid=
Zelnorm is likely to act quite quickly. It frequently produces diarrhea the first few times you take it. At least it did for me and others on this message board have reported the same thing. I won't take MOM and Zelnorm at the same time. I would take one or the other. Personally I would give the Zelnorm a try until the Miralax begins to work.
It cannot hurt to drink extra water.
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STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS
The FODMAP Approach to Managing IBS Symptoms
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I have taken zelnorm many times and am c and it did nothing for me except make my stomach make lion noices. I was on the highest dose.I'm not sure of the others but all the meds I have been on to help never work. So frustrating. I'm sorry your struggling too.I have to set up another colonoscpy asap.
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Thank you very much all of you for your help, info, advice, support. I need the help now more that ever before 
Michele, the only time I have watery stool is when I take MOM, otherwise, my stool is loose and messy, but not watery. About the chron's...I had a blood test that came out positive for possible chron's, but then the colonoscopy showed no chron's. What do you think? Back in 1989 I had malabsorption for years and was given B-12 shots. Back then my stool was just like water, but now the stool has a lot of incomplete digested food. Maybe is b/c of the way I eat, I eat lots of flax seeds with my cereal. I DON'T KNOW  I have to ask my GI doc about that.
Do you think is better to keep taking the MOM as needed or to try the zelnrom?
Also, about the Levbid pills, should I take them as needed or every 12 hours as it says? Would they help even if I take it after eating?or Does have to be before always?
I'm still taking the Miralax since Wed., but I no different results yet. Is the Miralax supposed to give me watery stool like MOM?
Thank you sooo much again Michele and all of you...A big hug.
Blessings,
Abi
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The joy of the Lord is my strength !
Edited by Abigail (09/30/06 01:36 PM)
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I want to again thank you all for your replies, it's a daily battle for me and I can't thank you all enough for your help and WORDS.
For all of you who take Miralax daily...Are your BM's like watery D? or normal? I know MOM does that to me. Should I expect the same results with Miralax? I would like to have my daily BM's in the morning before/after breakfast? Should I then take the Miralax at night before bedtime or in the AM when I first wake up? How much should I take to be able to have a good BM every morning? I want to feel complete evacuation after my BM's.
God bless you all!
Love and hugs,
Abi
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The joy of the Lord is my strength !
Edited by Abigail (10/03/06 11:51 AM)
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Abigail:
Given your symptoms (mentioned in your other posting) of blood in your stool (black stool also denotes blood), I strongly urge you to contact your doctor and seek medical advice before you take any other remedies such as Miralax.
Belinda
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