magnesium for constipation
I was recently put on a daily iron pill by my doctor and as a result has left me majorly constipated and miserable. I called the doctor to complain of the constipation and she told me to go to Walgreens and get a magnesium chloride supplement to take. She said I could take these on a daily basis because any extra is excreted in urine. She said to take 2 pills in the morning between breakfast and lunch and then 2 more at bedtime on an empty stomach both times with a full glass of water. Let me just say these things work! I just had to come on here and share it with you all. The pills are called Slow-Mag and costs about 14 dollars but well worth it! I think I can just take the 2 at bedtime because they are making me go a little too good!
Candy
Candy
Living Life!
describe the iron, how much,, which one, how taken.
then this is my formula for the constipation that plagued me my entire life, iron or not. Tender Iron doesn't constipate me at all, so nothing changed when I took it out or added it back in.
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.
then this is my formula for the constipation that plagued me my entire life, iron or not. Tender Iron doesn't constipate me at all, so nothing changed when I took it out or added it back in.
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.
(deactivated member)
on 11/6/10 8:10 am
on 11/6/10 8:10 am
I have been taking a lot of tender iron because of low iron. I am scheduled for repair of a prolapse uterus. I wanted to get the iron up so as not to have problem with labs for surgery. I was also taking laxatives because of constipation from the iron. Well I went for pre-op and my potassium is low (probably because of laxatives.) I did not tell hospital about laxatives. They gave me potassium to take. Surgery is scheduled for Tues, hopefully all goes well if I have more labs before surgery. lol
Ruby
rny
3/12/2005
Ruby
rny
3/12/2005
Ruby...VERY VERY VERY important you tell your Doctor IMMEDIATELY! Potassium and Magnesium are tied DIRECTLY to constipation and diarrhea! You stop taking the laxatives and keep taking the potassium and you will have a DISASTER on your hands...same if you keep taking the Potassium and keep taking the laxatives! You can cause a SERIOUS DANGEROUS imbalance in your body! These chemicals DIRECTLY affect your hearts ability to function! Magnesium relaxes the heart and can cause bradycardia and irregular beats...Potassium can make your heart irritable and go too fast! It is important these chemicals are correctly maintained!!! Please note that I am a CARDIAC nurse! I want you to be safe! Pls dont keep info from your Doctor or nurses! They cant help you if you dont help them!
Rene'
Rene'
Just saw your post! Sorry a BSN Nurse here! careful with the Milk of Mag (MOM)! It is dependent forming...thus you may find yourself HAVING to use it at some point to go at all! Better to consult your Doctor, increase H2O intake if your health allows plus make sure you are excersizing! MOM can mess with the chemicals in your body, can mess up your heart (too much Magnesium can affect your heart), too much diarrhea (if it occurs) can do the exact same thing. Dulcolax can also cause dependency! I see it all the time! Make sure your doctor is ok with your intake and wouldnt prefer you using fibercon or miralax instead (gentler)! Just wanted you to know so that you dont end up a laxative junkie! Happy poopin! lol
Rene
Rene
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