# I just took some magnesium citrate......hope it works!



## spazzy (Mar 29, 2010)

Hi....

I've posted several times on the site the past few days related to having some painful, sore bloating with gas and constipation.

Today is the 4th day without relief, and the soreness in the left lower abdomen is the worst, but my entire abdominal area is just uncomfortable and tight-feeling. Everything feels backed up, and that's really unusual for me. I have had IBS-D for years and years, and so I am most familiar with an overabundance of chronic and daily diarrhea.

But this is so uncomfortable. I really have a great deal of empathy for those of you who have IBS-D. Being constipated is extremely uncomfortable. My lower abdomen even feels sore when I move, turn over in bed, walk across the room, bend over. I've tried massaging it, I've tried lying on my stomach to put pressure on it, I've tried drinking lots of water, I've tried drinking 6 cups of coffee yesterday (I know that's waaaayyy too much coffee for an IBS-D sufferer like me to be drinking..........but I was desperate for relief.)...........but absolutely nothing seems to be moving the gas or stool along.

Usually, every time I drink coffee, it gives me diarrhea. I've been dealing with that issue for years and years, so I was sure drinking 6 cups of coffee would "start the ball rolling," so to speak. I was expecting my normal spasms and then a rush to the restroom.

I really don't know how long it should take the mag citrate to work. I drank only 3/4 of the bottle and I drank 16 ounces of water afterwards. I don't know.......maybe I'll have to repeat the mag citrate later if this doesn't work.

Do any of you who have used magnesium citrate have any helpful hints on how to use it? Or what to do? Or what to avoid doing?

I didn't know which type of laxative to try, so I did a lot of reading here on the site last night. I think magnesium citrate sounds like a good choice because you don't get such bad cramping.

Thanks for any help or suggestions.


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## spazzy (Mar 29, 2010)

It's now been around 5 hours since I took the magnesium citrate.

I just don't feel all that great. I feel very tired, wiped out. Guess it's from the whole ordeal. I don't know.

I haven't passed any significant amounts of gas.....only about 4 small amounts throughout the day. I have been to the restroom about 8 times, but no significant passage of stool. The first time, I did pass a small amount of normal-looking stool. But it wasn't much. Then, after that, each time I felt the urge to go to the bathroom, it was more like water gushing out quickly, without any significant amount of stool. The water was brownish-yellow.

Anyway, I am thinking that the effects are gone now. I never really had any cramping. Not very much, really. I was glad about that.

But I expected more, I guess.

I still feel sore and bloated, but maybe it just takes time for the bloating and soreness to go away.

Should magnesium citrate have produced more than this? I have no idea. I'm not used to taking any type of laxative, so I don't know what I should expect.

I'm feeling sort of down......tired and depressed. A bit surprised (and sad) that I didn't have better results. I think I expected to feel a lot better.

Please, can anyone offer me some support? I'm getting a bit worried now about what's going on in my body. This soreness and bloating is just all so new to me.


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## spazzy (Mar 29, 2010)

I don't think anyone feels like responding, and I see that my thread has gotten over 30 views. I guess no one who's read it has had any experience with taking magnesium citrate. I just wish I knew what to expect. What is normal? Should a person have had a good bowel movement in 6 hours after taking it? Should I be adding something else? Such as an enema? Or a stool softener? Or something like Dulcolax?

I am trying to get some information about other people's experience while taking it because I am in pain and I am so uncomfortable.

I'll keep trying to read more threads. I've been trying to find threads re what others do for constipation.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

hi spazzy. sorry the mag cit hasn't worked yet and you're feeling so miserable. i do hope it kicks in soon and bring you some relief.

i used to take mag cit several years ago, i have slow transit constipation and pelvic floor dysfunction. i used it when i got too backed up and constipated and needed a clean out. i would drink the whole bottle and lots of water--at least 2 glasses. at first it would work in about three hours--then it started taking longer to work--four to six hours. then it quit working altogether and i started taking it with three or four dulcolax tablets--a stimulant laxative--that helped kick it out! and yes, mag cit always made me feel horribly boated, gassy and very very ill until it finally started working. not fun.

if you have a lot of hard backed up stool in there, that might be why it's taking so long to work.it might be trying to soften up that backed up stool...you might want to try a stimulant laxative--senna or dulcolax-- to provide that extra push if it doesn't work soon. good luck!


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## spazzy (Mar 29, 2010)

Oh, Annie, thank you so very much for responding!!

I did go to Walgreen:s tonight and bought some Dulcolax and also a Fleet mineral enema. The pharmacist said I should wait until tomorrow to use either of them due to her concern about my electrolytes getting out of balance. I am now feeling gurgling in my intestines, and that's new. For 4 days it is almost as if my bowels just shut down on me! I have never experienced that. So I will try the Dulcolax tomorrow. I wonder if I should do the enema, too. I thought the painful diarrhea I've had for years was bad, but this is miserable, too. It's all I've been able to focus on the past 4 days. Thank you sharing your own experiences with me. You just don't know how relieved I feel now!! I will post again tomorrow. Thank you, Annie!


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

Hi Spazzy--hope the mag cit has started working by now and that you're feeling much better!

yes the pharmacist is right--you do want to be careful that your electrolytes don't get depleted once the magnesium citrate starts working especially if it gives you lots of diarrhea. be sure and stay hydrated-- drink plenty of water while the D is going on--and also drink something that helps replace electrolytes like gatorade or pedialyte. broth or soup and v-8 juice helps too with sodium and potassium, just to name a few.

you are so right--being all backed up and constipated is miserable-- terribly painful and debilitating. good luck!


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## spazzy (Mar 29, 2010)

Thanks, Annie!

Well, there have been no more effects from the magnesium citrate since yesterday. Just a tiny bit of gurgling noise occasionally in my intestines. So I suppose it's time to take the Dulcolax.

I did still have a good appetite yesterday, so I ate very healthily. I also watched a YouTube video showing how to massage your colon. I massaged it several times.

I bought Gatorade last night and drank some. Also, I know that eating bananas will help replace potassium.

My lower abdomen just feels bigger than usual. Of course, i have considered the possibility that something more serious is going on......like ovarian or stomach cancer......or blockage. Sigh.....guess it's human nature to start thinking the worst.

Anyway, I do find it comforting to come here and write about my dilemma. It helps.

Thank you, again, Annie. Hope you have a lovely day!


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## spazzy (Mar 29, 2010)

Okay, here's an update. About 20 minutes ago, I used a Fleet's mineral enema (gosh, I haven't had an enema in years and years). But there's been no significant urge to go to the bathroom.

I walked up and down stairs, I jogged in place, I laid halfway off of the bed with my head hanging down so that the enema would be able to work its way up the colon and over to the right side, and I did colon massage. But nothing really significant is going on. It's possible, of course, that all of the trips to the restroom yesterday after the magnesium citrate sort of cleared some things out.

I remember that the last enema I had, which was years ago, affected me pretty quickly, but it wasn't the mineral type of enema. Does that make a difference? I remember that it worked so quickly that I couldn't hold it in very long. But today, I finally went to the restroom because I could feel the mineral oil just leaking back out, and basically when I did go to the restroom, all that did come out was just a lot of mineral oil with a tiny bit of liquid-y stool. Not much at all.

I don't have any other symptoms which would suggest an impaction or anything, but maybe it's possible to have an impaction without developing the nausea, vomiting, loss of appetitie, and significant pain(?) I just don't know.

Yesterday I ate well, so I am thinking that I should feel an urge to go to the restroom today or tomorrow. If I don't, I think I'll visit the ER or something.

I don't feel ill or anything. And the soreness I was experiencing in my lower abdomen is still there; it's not quite as bad as it was the past few days.

This is all just so odd. I again drank coffee this morning, and that usually sends me almost running to the bathroom within about 15 minutes! Well, not since Sunday. I only feel the slightest bit of gurgling in my intestines occasionally, but no movement. I wonder if peristalsis can just shut down. Hmmmm......the whole thing is bafflling to me.

I so want to take some Dulcolax. I've never taken it before, but I did buy some last night. Should I take some today? Is it okay to take it after yesterday's magnesium citrate and today's mineral oil enema?

Sigh........this is definitely an unpleasant (and slightly scary) experience. Thanks to anyone who has support or advice to give!!.........


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

oh dear--sorry you're still having so many problems.

about the possibility of impaction--are you passing any gas at all? or any stool at all --even a tiny amount? if you aren't--neither gas nor stool--then yes you might have an impaction or even an obstruction and yes you definitely want to get rid of it as soon as possible.

i was going to suggest a fleets mineral oil enema or two if you hadn't passed anything yet. they can be very effective at softening things up.. or else a big enema--the one quart size enema--the big red bag--not the fleets.

when i took my sitz marker test a couple years ago i developed an obstruction (hadn't passed a thing in six days--netiher stool nor gas) and the ER doc i saw told me to go home and take two fleet mineral oil enemas followed by the big quart size bag enema. it was messy to say the least but it sure did work.

or you could try the dulcolax. but that will probably take a few hours a least to work, depending on if you've ever taken it before and how much you take etc. i always had to take 3 or 4 dulcolax pills to get mag cit to work and even with all that the dulcolax doesn't kick in for 4 or 5 hours but that's me--i'm a tough case with pfd and slow transit plus i've been taking dulcolax for about 6 years now and my body is a bit used to it. like they say, your mileage may vary.

the ER doc i saw told me enemas were better for an impaction and especially for an obstruction than stimulant laxatives because you need to soften things from the bottom on up--soften it all up and wash it out--rather than use a stimulant....and enemas work quicker.

or you could always call your gastro doc's office for advice--or primary care doc if you don't have a gastro. that's the best idea. see what the doc has to say. or go to the ER. a medical professional's help is always the best.

anyway----good luck!!!! so sorry you're having to go through all this!!!!


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## spazzy (Mar 29, 2010)

annie7 said:


> oh dear--sorry you're still having so many problems.
> 
> about the possibility of impaction--are you passing any gas at all? or any stool at all --even a tiny amount? if you aren't--neither gas nor stool--then yes you might have an impaction or even an obstruction and yes you definitely want to get rid of it as soon as possible.
> 
> ...


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

thanks for your kind words and your empathy









oh yeah--these pesky colons we have! what a pain-in-the-butt (pun intended







) they can be.

so glad to hear you called your gastro's office. they really are the best source of advice. fingers crossed they'll call you back soon!

if you are passing gas and stool --even if it's not much--than it's my understanding that it's not an obstruction but rather an impaction. and yes they sure are no fun but try not to get scared--that never helps--try to relax as best you can. and hopefully your gastro's office will call soon with advice. if not, call them back...

good luck!!!


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## spazzy (Mar 29, 2010)

Oh, my goodness, what a day this has been..........

After the magnesium citrate of yesterday (not very effective) and the mineral oil enema this morning (not very effective), I took a Dulcolax right around noon.

In the meantime, I also called my gastroenterologist and left a detailed voice mail message with his nurse, describing my awful constipation of the past 5 days.

About 10 minutes before she called me back, I had the first glimmer of hope. I went to the restroom and a tiny bit of stool did appear. (Yay!) But not much. But over the next 5 hours, I was back in the bathroom probably a total of 15 times, and I can hardly believe so much stool could be inside of one person! It was unbelievable. I only had minimal cramping from the Dulcolax, but it did work. Hallelujah! (I was ready to go to the ER tomorrow if nothing had happened.)

My gastro doc's nurse suggested that I also try Miralax, 1 scoop at bedtime with water, in order to really get "cleaned out."

She is scheduling me for an appointment with the gastroenterologist because I am long overdue for a colonoscopy. Having had polyps removed, I should have one every 5 years, and it's been 9 years since I had one. I can hardly wait to have it because I'd like to know if something is going on with my colon. This whole near-impaction or obstipation really was a miserable experience, and I hope I never have to deal with anything like it, again.

Now it's around 6:30 in the evening, and I did eat a healthy dinner. But I feel wiped out. Just utterly wiped out. I guess that's understandable, having so much liquid lost and so many trips to the restroom. And my poor intestines feel as if someone yanked 'em out and twisted them into hundreds of knots and stuck them back inside of me. My abdomen feels much softer now, less bloated, but it feels kind of "raw," like it's been through a lot! (And it really has been through the wringer!)

I share all of this because just writing about it makes me feel better.....and feel relieved. And, also, just in case someone else comes along and needs some encouragement because they find themselves in the same situation I was in the past 5 days. I honestly had no idea what to do or how to handle the problem. So a huge thank you to Annie!! Annie, you really helped me through this, and I'm extremely grateful!!

Now, is it normal to feel completely exhausted?


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

thanks--you're more than welcome!







glad it all came out (again, pun intended) ok!

oh yes it sure is normal to be completely exhausted--especially after all you've been through--all that stress, plus being so backed up for so long and now all the diarrhea. and of course, stay hydrated, drink water, fluids and be sure to keep your electrolytes up --drink gatorade or pedialyte and/or eat banana etc--high potassium foods.

that's good you ate a healthy dinner. hopefully now you can get some rest and will sleep well.

that's great your gastro office called and scheduled you for an appointment and colonoscopy.

got to go for now--shutting down my computer....hope you have a good night. take care.


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## spazzy (Mar 29, 2010)

Thanks so much, Annie! I'd love to hear about your own personal story sometime. If it's here at the site, I hope you'll direct me there. I am curious about your slow transit time, your experiences with diet, the sitz marker test, etc.

Have a great evening, my friend!


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

Hi Spazzy.. hope you're still doing well and have recovered from all of that...what a bad experience. hope you never ever have to go through all that again.

a sort of synopsis of my bowel problems and tests, surgery etc is in my profile. to get to my profile you click on my name "annie7" in the upper left hand corner here or click on the cat photo









i also have a lot of links about constipation, dealing with it etc, probiotics, pelvic floor dysfunction etc etc there as well.

take care. hope you have a good weekend.


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## spazzy (Mar 29, 2010)

Thanks, Annie. I'll definitely be checking out your profile.

I am so glad that experience is over, but I still feel sore in my lower left abdomen. Seems it's in one particular spot. But I am not going to the bathroom okay. I will mention to my gastroenterologist the soreness. I am assuming when I have my colonoscopy that he'll be able to see if there is anything significant going on....at least I hope so.

Thank you for helping me through a very tough week. I don't know what I would have done without your support. I really don't.

Hope you have a lovely weekend.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

so sorry you still have soreness and are not going to the bathroom ok...that's good you'll be seeing your gastro and getting a colonoscopy. wishing you all the best!.


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## spazzy (Mar 29, 2010)

Hello, Annie....

I did look at your profile, and you have been through a lot with your abdominal issues, haven't you? I really do feel for you!

If you don't mind my asking, how was your rectocele diagnosed? Was it captured on x-ray? Or did your doctor see it with the colonoscope? As for your pelvic floor problem how was that diagnosed? And how did you know it might be a potential problem for you? Did you do some research? Or was it something your doctor mentioned?

And, how are you now? After having these problems diagnosed, and after getting treatment along with the therapy, are you pain-free now?

It's so hard dealing with chronic bowel issues. I've been dealing with bowel problems for years and years. But I didn't even get a diagnosis until about 10 years ago when I saw my first gastroenterologist.

Thank you for being so open and helpful and willing to share, Annie. I am so very grateful to you!


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

hi Spazzy---thanks for your empathy and kind words!

my rectocele and pelvic floor dysfunction were first dx'd with a defogram (defecatory proctogram). you can google that name for more info on the test itself--it's complicated for me to explain but it's a very good test to have. it dx's outlet problems. i'm very glad i had it.

i also had an anorectal manometry (two actually--a year apart) to further dx my pfd --it showed that in addition to pfd i also have rectal hyposensitivity and megarectum (the fun never ends --lol) . that is also a very good test to have.

my colonsocopy showed a long and twisted colon. the colonoscopy cannot dx pfd.

oh no--def not pain free. i'm on laxatives nightly. sometimes they work and then i have a good or moderately good day--other days they don't work so well and it's a bad day.....like all of us, i treasure and make the most of the good days...









yes it hard, dealing with all this. i've had problems since age 10. in the early 70's i got a "spastic colon" dx (what they used to call ibs-c) .finally got a good gastro (a couple of them actually) in 2011. had my tests and am now dx'd with pfd and slow transit, megarectum and the rectal hyposensitivity.... it's a long road---lol---but we're strong and we keep fighting, don't we !


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## spazzy (Mar 29, 2010)

Thank you, Annie, for answering all of my questions. (Re-reading my post just a second ago, I feel as if I bombarded you!........LOL.........sorry!.......







)

Yes, I know what you mean about treasuring the good days. They're certainly precious to us, aren't they? And, yes, I definitely remember when it was referred to as "spastic colon." You've been dealing with your issues since childhood, so I can imagine how hard that must have been for you.

I'll look up information about the defogram and rectoanal manometry. I'd never heard of those tests before, but I can see how important they are.

Well, I'm at least glad you have a wonderful gastro doc. That's just so important. I have a good one, too.

Best of luck to you, Annie. You really are dealing with a lot, but you sound very proactive. Again, thank you for being so helpful to me........


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