Magnesium Oxide for constipation
Start with 250mg, go up to 500 if needed. Mine is 400 and it helps, I think. I also do generic benefiber and eat veggies several times a day.
66 yrs young, 4'11" hw 220, goal 120 met at 12 months, cw 129 learning Maintainance
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I take one dose of Mirilax a day and 500 mg magnesium oxide, which is what vitalady suggested to me. It seems to work pretty well. I take my magnesium mid-afternoon because I have a couple other meds to take then but not too many, so it seemed like a good place to add something.
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
I bought the GNC brand. It says it is magnesium oxide and magnesium gluconate. Will this be okay? I think I may also need a stool softener. Everything was going fine and then within the last week or two I have been having more and more trouble. Should I call my surgeon for a script or just buy a stool softener OTC? Which do you all prefer?
Tammy 
Luck 'o the Irish
HW399/SW362/CW219/GW130
*37 lbs were lost pre-op
I had chronic constipation for 11 years. I tried: more fiber, less fiber, soluble fiber, insoluble fiber, no fiber, both fibers, stool softeners, Smooth Moves & Correctol teas and Metamucil wafers, together, apart, more water, less water, cut out anything bu****er (and protein), senna, cascara sagrada, everything one could possibly try until I was basically dependent on enemas for 3 yrs.
Miralax helped the stool be passable. It was rx and finally became generic, so went from $80 for 3 months to $20 for 3 months. Now it is OTC, but is about $8 for 5-6 servings. If you can get the rx, it is much cheaper, safe, daily, for life, according to my GI doc.
The stool softeners are store brand equal to Colace, not PERI-colace.
Word was that magnesium citrate was such a great thing. This is pills, not the green bottle, so I tried it and nothing happened, and so I kept increasing it. What DID happen is that my foot and leg cramps ceased. So, I kept doing that and tried magnesium oxide. This is small, cheap, found anywhere, like drug stores. And finally, it worked. Mine are 500 mg and I take 2.
My final formula:
1 serving MiraLax (rx) *
4 stool softeners at night
1 mag ox with lunch, 1 with dinner
In the morning, hot beverage first thing on empty gut
This has worked for several years yrs now.
* MiraLax was rx only until the end of 2007, and is now generic by rx. The original name brand is available at drug stores at about $20 for a large bottle. You might want to try one first, taken daily, at about the same time. If it solves the problem, then ask your doc for rx. It is NOT a laxative. It is safe, daily, taken for life, per 4 doctors I've asked. It was a pediatrician who introduced me to it. My rx plan allows me to have 6 of those big bottles every 3 months for $20. Check with your doc and your insurance to see if it's beneficial to buy it by rx. BTW, my doc writes for 2 servings per day, because they might SAY there are 30 servings per bottle, but somebody can't count. Me or them? I use only one, but if I spill or get too much, I still have enough to last til next refill.
Michelle
RNY, distal, 10/5/94
P.S. My year + long absence has NOTHING to do with my WLS, or my type of WLS. See my profile.
I tweaked your formula a bit, but it has been a lifesaver for me ever since:
In the morning, hot tea with 4 tsp. Benefiber first thing on empty gut
1/2 serving MiraLax at night
2 stool softeners at night
1 mag ox with afternoon calcium, 1 with night vitamins
In the AM, about 5-15 mins. after my hot tea, I go like clockwork :) Thanks Michelle!
In the morning, hot tea with 4 tsp. Benefiber first thing on empty gut
1/2 serving MiraLax at night
2 stool softeners at night
1 mag ox with afternoon calcium, 1 with night vitamins
In the AM, about 5-15 mins. after my hot tea, I go like clockwork :) Thanks Michelle!
"Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a singing bird will come" 
I started taking Magnesium Oxide 3 weeks ago off the advice from people here. I take 2 pills every evening, not sure the dosage off hand as I am at work right now. Within 3 days it started working. I go every single morning and I no longer have hard stool issues. That was a huge problem before I always felt like I had to go but couldn't get it to come out. Sorry for the TMI. All I do is take these Magnesium Oxide pills for the constipation and they work amazing!!!!!!!!! Try them without a stool softener first you might be surprised.
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