What do you do to prevent or help constipation?

My doc gave me permission to take 1/2 cap-full of Miralax every day.  It works, but I'm afraid of becoming to dependent on it.  

I take 2 Colace every night thanks to suggestions from others on here (thank you, vets!) and it works wonders. When I still have issues, the occasional dose of Milk of Magnesia helps, but thanks to the Colace I've gone from needing the MoM 3-4 times a week to maybe once a month. The mint flavored kind is a lot less disgusting than the regular, and I like that it can be taken all at once instead of needing to mix it in something else like Miralax. Miralax worked for me well pre-op, but I can't drink fast enough now to get it down without noticing how slimy it makes whatever I'm drinking.

My surgeon recommends that one week after surgery we begin one capful of Miralax daily for the 1st six months.  It works great for me...no taste, odor, or texture either.  I sit back and enjoy a cup of hot tea laced with Miralax once a day.

Lots of water, no fear of fats (coconut oil is my pal), and metamucil if I think things are backing up. 

Hi kaniky,

Do not rely on Miralax as it could bring no good for you because of the side effects it may bring. Go for water and fruit juices. If still bothering you then have this Digestic by Mimonis which is my best reliever of constipation. It is much better compared to Miralax. It is also purely organic so nothing to worry. My family is now highly reliable on this supplement.

It's always good to have a full arsenal of tools available to use (stool softeners, bulking agents, laxatives (when needed), suppositories (when desperate), lubricators, etc).  I've found that I've had to adjust and fine tune and tweak what I use depending on the cir****tances. Nothing's worse than being cranky and constipated!

But if my diet remains fairly regular (ha! pun intended) (and by that I mean, lots of veggies, healthy oils, good grains and sufficient hydration AND I don't rely too heavily on cheese as my protein source) I use nothing other than the two stool softeners I take daily.  And I think I probably wouldn't even need them if I didn't supplement with the extra iron I do to combat the iron deficiency anemia I'm wrangling with. 

You'll find a routine that will work for you through trial and error, and once you do...know what it is and stick with it.  A Happy Moving Bowel makes a Happy Person....

I think your answer is right on.  Have the harsher laxatives (MOM, etc) on hand in an emergency, but rely on the more mellow additives, fibers, bulking agents and stool softeners for regular use. 

I use benefiber in my yogurt.

Wow for a few months after surgery it was so bad.  I took miralax but ended up loving the gummy fiber and took a double dose for a while. Then when I was off the protein powder and doing real food it cleared up. It might have been just a healing thing but I don't think so.  If you take vitamins with iron that is probably the culprit.  For me, it was all about the gummy fiber and it was like a desert. 

I take a child's dosage of Miralax daily. After a bad bout of constipation twice, I decided a daily dose of this stuff was worth it.

Also, get a Squatty Potty!  I got one, and seriously, the thing has changed my pooping life forever!

Also, watch the commercial on YouTube, it's hilarious!