# My long term laxative abuse and my experience with Experience



## Bewitched (Jul 24, 2002)

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## Cordy (Jul 1, 2002)

Wendi, I did read your story in it's entirety and I want to thank you very much. It is stories like yours that make me know that I'm not going to be able to allow myself to do the laxative daily thing, despite what my thread below says! I feel for you and I am sorry you have gone thru all this. I think it is a crying shame that no doctor ever gave you a huge, STOP, GIRL, type warning! I pray that you are able to figure things out and continue to make them work for you. I also hope that your finances come together . all the best to you, and hugs.cordelia


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## Kacebece3 (Apr 17, 2002)

I'm sure glad you got a handle on things before it was to late. I too became laxitive dependent am now just begining to get things in some sort of order. I totally understand your delima about not being able to live normally and hope the Experience keeps working. I have note heard of Experience before what is it and where do you get it. Ken


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## Bewitched (Jul 24, 2002)

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## overwhelmed (Aug 14, 2002)

Wendi,Thank you for sharing your experiences with us and the dangers of laxatives. I too am struggling with laxative dependency, however am using senna and am unable to get off them. They cause a lot of pain, and no matter how many I use, I never get diarrhea ... infact they hardly work anymore, but a little is better than nothing. None of the osmotic laxative work and fiber is a problem because my colon doesnt appear to have any motility.I have tried the product "Experience", unfortunately it did not work for me, although I know many people have found it very helpful. I tried small doses and built up, however still no luck, even with some laxatives. So now here I am, back on senna which hardly works and hurts so badly and dont know what to do about it. I too know how debilitating and life altering this illness can be and I know I for one have laxatives to thank for that ... it was not the cause of the problem, but using them definately adds "fuel to the fire". I hope people learn by our stories how bad laxatives can be, I just surely hope its not too late for some of us. Luckily some people have found something that has been of some value, perhaps over time even further improvements will be found as it will take time to adjust. It's really tough getting off laxatives, and sometimes I wonder if it can get to a point where it is too late, then where does one go from there?


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## Cigarello (Jun 17, 2000)

Count me in as another laxative abuser who is paying the price. I feel for you Stormy Eyes and it took courage for you to share your story; I have only myself to blame for jumping on the laxative bandwagon when fiber and water probably would have done the job early on. I can only say in my defense, that my mother (may she rest in peace) dragged me to doctors my whole life and got hysterical if I had a hangnail. Unfortunately I tended to carry on the tradition and this resulted in laxative abuse. Stormy, I wish you well.


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## Tiss (Aug 22, 2000)

Stormy, I have used Experience for a couple of years now and have found it very helpful. I make a tea of 1 capsule at night but I also use other stuff, Citrucel, Perdiem (brown can), stool softeners, magnesium, prunes. Altogether it seems to be working well and has for quite awhile. My concern about the Experience is the rhubarb root. I had a colonoscopy done a few months back and my Dr. told me my colon has "melanosis coli" which is a darkening of the colon wall. It's not really harmful however my Dr. told me I must be using something with Senna in it to cause this which I told him I was NOT using senna. So the only thing I can think of that would cause this would be whatever is in Experience. Did you ask your Dr. about Experience? I'm curious if anyone else has taken the bottle to their Dr. and what a Dr.'s opinion would be about Experience, whether it could potentially be harmful or addictive in some way.


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## Rose (Mar 25, 1999)

Tiss,I took the bottle of Experience to my GI doctor 2 years ago when I began using it. He read all the ingredients and told me it was safe to take long term. I also have melanosis coli, which is due to many years of using Perdiem w/senna. I know you use the yellow Perdiem on occasion, so even if you don't use it everyday, maybe even occasional use has caused the melanosis coli in you. You should ask the doctor.


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## overwhelmed (Aug 14, 2002)

Rose,Hope you dont mind me asking, what is melanosis coli, I've not heard of it? Also what diagnostic tests need to be done to determine if one has it?


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## Tupper (Aug 14, 2002)

I too tried about everything in the book. Metamucil helped some but bloated like a whale. Finally was tested by an allergy clinic and found out I was allergic to Psyllium the main ingredient. I started sneezing everytime I mixed it up which is what made me think something was going on.Citracel did not help, tried Senacot for a while but was a little scared of it. Finally tried Colace one night and Pericolace the next. Nothing helped. Even tried enemas and they worked only part of the time.To make a very long story shorter last November my doctor started me on Miralax. It is a white powder that you mix in water and take once a day. Once it is mixed it still looks almost clear and there is no thickening at all. Just turn it up and drink it. It says in the literature to take only for two weeks without the advice of your doctor. My doctor said take it every day. I asked how long I could take it and she said forever. I also saw another doctor in the same practice when she wasn't available and he said the same thing. He also recommended a half bowl of frosted shredded wheat and a half bowl of raisen bran daily. My stomach will not tolerate the bran and I am lactose intolerant. I now eat a bowl of frosted shredded wheat and rice milk every day. So far it is working. I do think I may get a little more gas with the Miralax but to get my bowels to move is worth it. Want to make sure you know I AM NOT RECOMMENDING YOU TAKE








 MIRALAX. Just thought you might want to ask your doctors about it. It is not a laxative like some of them but a product that makes the bowel draw in more water and therefore makes the stool softer so it can pass. Mine had gotten so hard it was really painful to try and pass if I could at all.I wish you all good luck. I still have adominal pain but at least I am going to the john.


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## Tiss (Aug 22, 2000)

Rose, Wow do you think that using perdiem (yellow) once or twice a month could cause the melanosis coli? I had not considered that since it seems like such infrequent use. I don't even use it that often now. Hmmm, maybe I should ask the Dr.


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## Rose (Mar 25, 1999)

Tiss,I don't know if using senna once or twice a month could cause it, but I suppose if you have been doing this for a number of years it is possible. I guess your doctor is the only one who could answer this question. I would be interested in what he says. Overwhelmed, melanosis coli is a blackening of the colon wall, that doctors say is caused by over-use of senna. It is not dangerous, but more of a cosmetic problem. The colon should be pink, not black. The only thing I forgot to ask my doctor is: if I quit using senna altogether will the blackening go away and will the colon return to a normal pink color. I will ask him the next time I see him.


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## giggles05 (Feb 1, 2002)

I too have melanosis coli, I'm relieved to hear I'm not the only one who has it. I thought I was too. I am guessing I got it by being dependent on senna for six months. I am now off the senna and on Experience, which I think is safer.


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## Bewitched (Jul 24, 2002)

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## jo-jo (Aug 19, 2001)

I looked at the Experience yesterday and it was 40.00 for it, wow! So much money for plants. I will probably give it a try somtime soon but could nt' bring myself to fork out the 40.00. I wish I had now because tummy started to hurt yesterday and it's worse today.


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## susanna (Apr 4, 2002)

Hi stormy eyes. Thankyou for sharing your story, it helps to not feel so alone. I started abusing senna v. young and my doctor ended up prescribing Bisacodyl and Docusate and didnt bat an eyelid when i told him i was overdosing every day to get any result. I am terrified of the damage i may have done to myself , despite not being on them for as long as you i nearly killed myself. What frightens me the most is my periods have stopped and i desperately want children. i am scared all this trauma has made me infertile. I get pains and bloating and i eat so little now I am underweight, but i cant help feeling food is my enemy, the more i eat the more i get clogged up. Iam sorry to go off on one their, i have just hit a low. Thankyou for making me feel less alonesusanna


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## Josee (Jan 12, 1999)

Hi - I have used the Experience now for four years and would wholeheartedly recommend spending whatever it costs because it works great. My husband was very constipated and used to take 4 or 5 each night and now is down to only one or two so it does work. You just have to hang in there. I will even take a capsule if I have eaten a heavy meal that seems hard to digest because its enzyme based so it helps to break down what I ate right in my stomach, making it easier to eliminate in the long run. If you want any advice or how to order let me know.Josee


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## thomasw839 (Aug 21, 2002)

Hi all--Bewitched: My GIdoc did the same thing! He tried me first one one laxative (forgot the name), then on Miralax. When I told him there was almost no results, he said, "Well, check back with me next year." I don't think he believed me that they didn't work. Now I'm using Zelnorm along with Miralax and hoping for the best. Will have to wait a couple of days to see if the results are any good.Jo-Jo: I checked out the website for Experience after reading about it here, and I, too, thought it was very expensive. My health care costs are already so high, I just couldn't bring myself to fork out the extra money. But it's good to at least know about it. Can always try it in the future. Who'da thought that the mere act of pooping could be so expensive! I mean, there are just some things you shouldn't have to pay for, don'cha think?


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## NancyG (Sep 1, 2000)

The last colonoscopy I had and I have had many over the years showed that I to have Melanosis Coli and my GI guy said it was from over use of laxatives and I told him that I didn't take laxatives just pure psyllium husk and Perdiem which he perscribed and he said it was from the senna or the dye in the perdiem but he said not to worry about it, it was not harmful.Nancy


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