# how do i get off stimulant laxatives? help!



## jbskitty (Jul 9, 2003)

does anybody know an effective way to overcome stimulant laxative addiction? i've been taking corectol in ever-increasing dosages for about 12 years (due to non-information), and i can't seem to find anything else that helps with my constipation...i get so frustrated that i just go back to what i know will give me relief (correctol). i know it's very bad for me...i started with them when i went into a major clinical depression and was put on all kinds of medications. on top of (then undiagnosed) ibs with C,







the medications constipated me so badly, i was desperate. i've tried senna - cramps. i've tried bulking agents & stool softeners - major gas, bloating & no results. i drink a lot of water & eat a lot of fruits/vegetables. i practice yoga & run. i'm in therapy & have tried bio-feedback with no results. sorry this is so long, any ideas? please, please, any help is good.


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## sugarbaby (Jun 24, 2002)

Have you tried magnesium oxide? Lots of people on this bulletin board have had good success with it. I have taken 500 mg. of magnesium oxide since Feb. at night with at least 8 ounces of water. It has been wonderful. I bought it at a GNC health food store. I had previously used a tea containing senna and I am soooooo grateful to not be using that anymore


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## jbskitty (Jul 9, 2003)

i just started taking chelated magnesium, having read some about it on this site. i am thinking maybe i can slowly decrease the amount of correctol...but i am nervous about just stopping. i'm so glad to hear it worked for you, that's really encouraging. thank you so much for replying to my plea! i hope it works for me too. (i am also taking acidophillus/ digestive enzymes, & think something is helping relieve the bloating and gassy feeling).


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## nomoredrs (Jun 14, 2003)

I really found that the increased Flax Seed I have been taking has really helped ease me off of the lax's. I take 2 tbsp with a big bowl of yogurt every morning and it has really helped - along with acidophilus and other digestives


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## jbskitty (Jul 9, 2003)

how do you take the flax seed? oil or whole? the magnesium & enzymes have helped a lot with the bloating & gas, but have not yet helped at all with the constipation...very frustrating. also, do you know what the flax seed does? is it a lubricant type of thing? what kind of laxs were you taking before?


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## ghitta (Jul 6, 2002)

ok jbskitty, here's a few suggestions, bearing in mind we're all different and what works for one may not for another etc: first of all, start with the right foods that make you poop and start by eating them (meals) at the right time and by "retraining" your body which means, early morning rising, early dinner and early to bed. do NOT rush a morning clock, if you can help it and if you can't, get up at least 2 to 3 hours before leaving the house. begin by understanding that fruits & veg won't help if they're consumed the "wrong" way, example: cooked your leafy greens (except salads) in olive oil, throw in canned artichoke hearts, eat canned cannelli beans, have stewed prunes with non dairy ice cream for dessert. try this: sautee fresh spinach and/or kale in olive oil and garlic, top with canned artichoke hearts and white beans, eat with some good bread, and with this evening meal take 500mg of ester C, one flax oil gelule and 400 mg of magnesium oxide. begin with a lower dose of mag if you want and build up. you may find that a lower dose works fine. if you want some animal protein with all that, fine, just make sure it's organic. in fact, the more organically you eat, the better since i am totally convinced that the #### (steroids, antibiotics, growth hormones and so forth contribute more to our problems than anything else) - get up early in the morning and first thing drink 8 oz of cold water with a morning probiotic (needless to say, buy your supps and probiotics at a good health food store) - then have whatever and how many hot drinks you like to get everything moving. a big mistake people make is eating breakfast right upon awaking. don't! - one can't eliminate and digest at the same time - get your poop in first then eat and take the following supps with your first meal of the day: one iron free multiple, one omega 3 fish oil pill, vite C, mag oxide, one coral calcium, and maybe some CoQ10. any q's can be asked of a salesperson at your health food store. don't forget the power of stewed figs and prunes and prune juice which you make at home by simmering organic prunes in a pot until real soft and taking a glass of the resulting juice in the morning before anything else. also, eat them for dessert at night. here's another trick: remember, you want to "grease the skids" so have olive oil over everything! if you want to wean yourself off laxatives, wait until you have a day off, get yourself some Vite C in powder form, drink juice or water mixed with the powder until you first feel the urge to go. keep sipping that drink and eventually you will clean yourself out. do not get buffered vite C. good luck, g-


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## jbskitty (Jul 9, 2003)

thanks ghitta...i will really try! i do already follow a diet knid of like the one you describe, only regular mealtimes are nearly impossible for me (i work in the film-production industry,& every day is a brand new circus). also, i try to give myself 2 hours in the morning before i have to leave for work, but this means getting up at around 4 a.m., when my body just isn't ready for any "action". mine is a tough nut to crack & my body is soooo stubborn. i'll let you know how it's going...hee, hee. thanks again.


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## earthgarden (Jun 3, 2003)

Regular meals actually has worked for me. Eating on the go is really bad for me! You must try to eat your meal slowly, chew the food! You must also try to eat a balanced diet and not grab that sarnie and bag of crisps, later reach for the biscuit tin and some noodles: burger on way home: beans on toast late at night. Eating sensibly and at the right time is what keeps me sane.... and keeps the IBS away.Good luck


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## Aubs (Jun 20, 2003)

First I would think that you may have to slowly ease yourself off of them. I'm not a doctor so I'm not sure the best way for you to do this. I take citrucel and that has helped me emensely (sp). Maybe the soluable fiber products would help you.Aubs


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## jbskitty (Jul 9, 2003)

hi everybody, thanks for all the suggestions...but nothing seems to be working. i can take enough mag oxide to kill a football team & nothing happens. the citrucel & similar products just make me bloated to an unbearable level. i am at my wits end & back to taking just what i have always taken. i think the stress of the whole situation is making me sicker. i'm so sorry and sad, feeling helpless. why won't my body function at all properly?


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## Maxsmart (Jul 3, 2003)

Hi Jbskitty,I think that someone has already talked about digestive enzymes, but I find that they work for me, so thought I would continue to sing their praises!!They take a while to work though - or the product I have been trying does. Usually with in 3 - 4 weeks you should have noticed an improvement - but that is taking between 1 and 2 capsules before each meal. I then found that I could reduce down to 1 - 2 capsules a day.The thing with digestive enzymes is, as I have been told, that they are designed to treat the cause of the digestive problem - not the symptom as such, but by addressing the problem you relieve the symptom - if you can follow that logic!The product I have found, - comes from New Zealand, - my home country, and I purchased over the web. It is called Zylax. I am probably not meant to mention the URL - but if you are interested just put .com after Zylax and you should find it.It is based on Kiwifruit, which as lots of people know is an excellent meat tenderiser, and does have laxative effects, and it is completely natural - it contains no drug element at all!!I have been trying this product for the last 4 months, and have had great relief and am able to have easy BM's which are pain free.This product may not be for everyone - but its an option to consider.I really do hope that you can find an answer soon!Good LuckMax


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## earthgarden (Jun 3, 2003)

I am sorry you are feeling so awful! I have felt like my digestive system wasn't functioning and it was terribly distressing for me. I mean, what do you tell people? Outwardly there is no sign of yr condition! This posting may help:-I know that when I eat less over the course of the day, the next day I am much much better! I only eat 2 meals a day now and I am fine if I stick to this. The more I put in, the less I go and the less I put in, the more I go or I can't go! And, yes, I have been known to miss a day or two of eating because I feel simply too full of food - like it hasn't gone down or digested - distressingly, like I am full from my throat to my ass! (scuse me). On these days, I would drink watery soup and fruit juice until I was 'clear'. Anyway, It depends on how active you are as a person as to how high your particular calory intake should be so it is wise to consult a doctor if you plan to go on a diet. Lots of us are simply eating too much for our needs, hence the rise in obesity in the western world. I was only a few pounds over weight, nothing like obese.Ideally, you should be eating 3 meals a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner but these meals should not be huge! They should also be balanced nutritionally and not swimming in grease!I have stopped snacking, or grazing as someone else so nicely put it and by sticking to regular meal times and eating quite lightly my symptoms went! My theory is that my digestive system, being quite sensitive, was constantly working because of my snacking! If it's only forced to work on one meal at a time, surely this would help to control the IBS. It took about a week or so because my stomach would rumble in protest and I felt really hungry and empty! The gas also increased for a time as if it was continuing to digest food that wasn't there! I felt like I had trained my stomach to constantly work! My theory anyway. To curb this, I used fennel seeds and over the counter indigestion remedies.I can now have the occasional blow out meal but I make sure they are only occasional. I can even have a few glasses of wine with this meal too now, which I couldn't touch before because it made the gas way too severe.Occasionally, I lapse. Oh do I suffer! So it isn't long before I get back on track again. I turn to peppermint oil capsules to relax the bowels (stops the spasm and releases the gas) and lots of coffee to get me going in the morning! I will resort to a hemmeroid supposity in the anal passage to help smooth the way too. But by sticking to my diet, I don't have any of the symptoms of IBS-C breakthru D! But I have to stick to it and avoid snacking or grazing like the plague!My typical day is:-Meal 1 : Poached egg on toastMeal 2 : Steamed cod, few potatoes, mixed vegetables or salad.If this isn't enough for your particular needs, you could have a breakfast and also add a piece of fruit to each meal or a yoghurt. I also drink watery soup if I feel hungry. If you want to snack, try a juice or water. Often we eat when in fact we are thirsty!My suggestion is to write down everything you eat. And I mean everything! Yes, even that little fishfinger you finished from the kid's dinner! And that little peice of choccy hiding in the fridge! And those 2 biscuits you had with your tea. You may be surprised at how much you are eating or simply how often! Keep recording everything on a daily basis for approx 1-2 weeks. Write down what you ate and the time you ate it.I mentally put all the items I had eaten over the course of the day onto a large platter and thought, goodness that's way too much for me!If you are unable to see the problem, take your diet diary and show your doctor/GP. He/she may be able to see the problem and suggest and alternative eating plan more suitable for your needs.I hope I haven't sounded too condescending. If I have, this wasn't my intention. I would simply like to share my story in the hope it may help someone else, but I would add that what works for one person may not work for someone else. I would also add that a sensible eating plan never hurt anyone and if you think yours could do with improving, then do so if you would like. Of course, there are those that will protest they are not over indulging when in fact they are and therefore, they may have other problems too that also need sorting. We are all different.Good luck everyone and my wishes and intentions are honourable. I don't want anyone to sink into eating disorders but it's just possible that you already have one anyway.


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