# Milk Of Magnesia



## chelseaboy (Jun 10, 2012)

Hi,I was diagnosed with IBS-C a few years back; my GI doc recommended taking a daily dose of Milk of Magnesia to combat this; I have followed his instructions and it has worked perfectly! However Milk Of Magnesia no longer appears to be sold in the UK. I went to my GP and he gave me a prescription for Lactulose. I was just wondering if Lactulose works in a similar way to Milk Of Magnesia? What is the best way to take Lactulose, should I take it at bedtime like the MOM? Are there any side effects I should be aware of?I was also wondering if anyone knew why MOM has been withdrawn from the UK? I have asked at a couple of chemists and have been told that it has been withdrawn indefinatley due to licencing issues.Thanks for all your help!!


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## mztopper (Jun 3, 2012)

I do not think Lactulose is the same as MOM. I know Lactulose gave me a ton of gas when I took it. I think MOM is considered a saline type of laxative with no harsh side effects. I think lactulose is more to soften the stool and make it easier to pass. Like Miralax. Not sure about this though. ANd here in the US MOM is still to be found. Hook up with someone here and get it sent to you. The problem with MOM is it can affect your electrolytes if taken every day and you end with diarrhea.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

-re milk of mag and the uk. this link to amazon uk shows they have this particular size and flavor in stock. they do have some other sizes and flavors as well but not all of them. good luck! http://www.amazon.co.uk/Phillips-Milk-Magnesia-Original-769/dp/B000GCI8RY/ref=dp_cp_ob_d_title_2


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## Sean (Feb 8, 1999)

Welcome to the forum Chelseaboy. When I first took Lactulose, I took it at bedtime. But the tummy rumbles, bloating and gas that it caused me interfered with my sleep. My doctor had me switch to taking it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. I would usually get a result by mid-afternoon if it was going to work at all. I agree with Mztopper that lactulose and MOM are chemically different in that MOM is a saline laxative. I do believe that the net result of both is to hold more water in the colon. That said, they affect me very differently. How much lactulose are you supposed to take daily?


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## chelseaboy (Jun 10, 2012)

Hi, Thanks for all the replies! Dr advised to take 15ml twice daily and then adjust accordingly


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## em_t (Jun 8, 2010)

Lactulose definitely isn't the same as Milk of Magnesia! I have a book on IBS called Irritable Bowel Solutions and it actually recommends that doctors do NOT prescribe Lactulose for people with IBS as like the other posters said, it can give you awful wind and bloating. It's a good cure for constipation for people who are occasionally constipated and don't have IBS but not necessarily for those with IBS. A better laxative which you might want to ask about is Movicol - it works by drawing water into the stool but doesn't tend to cause the same problems with bloating as wind, or at least not the same extent. And although Movicol doesn't necessarily taste the best (it's a powder you mix with water or you can disguise the taste with squash etc) it's not as vile as Lactulose, which is disgustingly sweet and tastes like it would rot your teeth!BTW that book on IBS is a really good read, it's by a gastroenterologist called Prof John Hunter which you can buy on Amazon or I've even seen it in my local library!Hope some of that helps!


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## S-Pained (Jun 17, 2012)

I use Milk of magnesia occasionally to help with reflux - a bottle usually lasts me a few months through as it's rare so i hadn't realised it was no longer sold in the UK? Since when did that happen and why? That is crazy - it's good stuff.


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## S-Pained (Jun 17, 2012)

btw Lactulose is just a medical application for an artificial sugar; galactofructose. So nothing like Milk of magnesia.


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## tableandchairs (May 4, 2012)

Lactulose had it's pros and cons for me as well. It sometimes took days to work (and i hate not going for 3 days straight) but it often provided good formed stools. MoM gives me watery ones but it's more reliable. I would continue alternating the two however Lactulose causes terrible bloating and gas for me which was too embarrassing to take to work. Try it the first few days keeping that in mind that it may be bad (so maybe not before a date or a road trip or something!!) I had to take it 1-2 times a day to eventually get an effect. Maybe at supper time or in the evening, a full dose might be a good way to start out. If it doesn't work out for you, I'm sure you could find some way to get your hands on MoM. It's all over the place in the rest of the world and been relied on for over 100 years. Since it's OTC you may want to try the mail or a trip somewhere to stock right up.


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## mrsagrumpy (Jun 22, 2012)

tableandchairs said:


> Lactulose had it's pros and cons for me as well. It sometimes took days to work (and i hate not going for 3 days straight) but it often provided good formed stools. MoM gives me watery ones but it's more reliable. I would continue alternating the two however Lactulose causes terrible bloating and gas for me which was too embarrassing to take to work. Try it the first few days keeping that in mind that it may be bad (so maybe not before a date or a road trip or something!!) I had to take it 1-2 times a day to eventually get an effect. Maybe at supper time or in the evening, a full dose might be a good way to start out. If it doesn't work out for you, I'm sure you could find some way to get your hands on MoM. It's all over the place in the rest of the world and been relied on for over 100 years. Since it's OTC you may want to try the mail or a trip somewhere to stock right up.


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## mrsagrumpy (Jun 22, 2012)

I too found Milk of Magnesia fantastic at relieving occasional constipation problems as it causes no pain and works overnight. I have looked everywhere for it,but it is no longer available anywhere in the uk (including Amazon UK). I am quite desperate to find something similar, as I have tried Senakot and Dulcolax to no effect at all. Lactulose is a glucose syrup that softens, but does not help with the passage through the bowel. I am IBS-A and suffer from bloating and wind when constipated and pain when loose. Without MOM I don't know how to control my symptoms.


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## S-Pained (Jun 17, 2012)

So does anyone know why this is no longer sold in the UK? I can find nothing about this online. I'm starting to worry now as my bottle is nearly run out and it is the best thing I have for occasional heartburn and reflux. It's crazy that something so useful can just be discontinued - is there not even a generic substitute?


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## coolsupernanny (Jun 27, 2012)

chelseaboy said:


> Hi,I was diagnosed with IBS-C a few years back; my GI doc recommended taking a daily dose of Milk of Magnesia to combat this; I have followed his instructions and it has worked perfectly! However Milk Of Magnesia no longer appears to be sold in the UK. I went to my GP and he gave me a prescription for Lactulose. I was just wondering if Lactulose works in a similar way to Milk Of Magnesia? What is the best way to take Lactulose, should I take it at bedtime like the MOM? Are there any side effects I should be aware of?I was also wondering if anyone knew why MOM has been withdrawn from the UK? I have asked at a couple of chemists and have been told that it has been withdrawn indefinatley due to licencing issues.Thanks for all your help!!


Hey, Try going to ebay.com to get the Milk of Magnesia. Have you tried Miralax yet?


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