# How much Milk of Magnesia is too much?



## SueL4

I finally found something that works for me (only the liquid form) when everything else has stopped. I'd take it every day if I could. Can you let me know your experiences with taking it, how often you let yourself use it, any negative effect on your magnesium blood level? Thank you!

Sue


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## SueL4

A post-script - my doctors say 1000 mg a day would be fine with them but the dose for the liquid MOM that works is 2000 so I've been doing that every other day.


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## TheOutlookChild

I take 4 tbsps every single night. It is the ONLY thing that works.


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## annie7

i also take 4 tbsps --the full capful--every night and have done so for the past seven years. this is with my gastro's and my primary doc's approval.

however safety does depend on your own personal health situation. from what i've read and heard, you want to be sure your kidney function isn't impaired in any way. age can also be a factor. also milk of mag can have an adverse effect on certain medications. and i'm sure there are other health considerations as well which might be why your docs are telling you not to take more than 1000 mg?

i am 61, kidneys working fine and yes i do get my mag levels checked periodically--never had any problems..

but i definitely would not advise you to go against what your docs say, since in no way am i a medical expert...just being cautious and careful here..


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## SueL4

Thank you so much for the responses!

I'm 59 and have my kidney and magnesium levels checked every 3 months. As with most people this age, kidney function is always an issue and that's the main reason for the 1,000 mg per day recommendation. But that doesn't even begin to "move" me. Actually, because of my slow transit time, even every day MOM use doesn't work but every other day has been great. I've tried ex-lax, regular senokot, dulcolax and now even Fleet enemas have stopped working. A colonoscopy prep two weeks ago failed. Seeing the doctor next week and will make sure there's no other reason I'm not thinking of to be able to do the 2,000 mg per day.

Thanks for the feedback.

Sue


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## annie7

have you tried combining milk of mag along with a stimulant like dulcolax or senna? that's what i do---and my gastro approves this. he tells me to "take what i need to go". i have found that taking both an osmotic (in this case, milk of mag) and a stimulant (dulcolax, etc) together works better than taking either of them alone.

and yes, enemas quit working for me as well. if it's the big quart size enema, i can't get all the water out. fleets are too small; don't go up high enough. and i couldn't get all my colonoscopy prep out either --it was the two day miralax/dulcolax prep.

good luck with your doctor appointment next week. wishing you all the best.


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## Dianaearnshaw

Ask to have yout B vitamin levels checked if you are taking MOM frequently. B12 is the one most likely to be affected.


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## SueL4

Thanks Annie and Diana,

MOM plus senna or dulcolax - what a great idea and definitely worth a try. My 4 tablespoon dose of MOM has slowly creeped up to an extra tablespoon (who am I kidding- even 2 extra tablespoons during a bad week) and I think adding a stimulant into the mix might eliminate the need for the extra mag. Had my B12 checked 3 months ago but will have the doctor repeat it.

I had tried a golytely prep last year and it didn't work. This time, with a new doctor, the prep was MOM two nights before, 4 ex-lax taken the day before, then 3 hours later, 4 more. Nothing because I had eaten lightly for a few days. Then an 8 ounce bottle of magnesium citrate. That started things off but not enough to be considered successful and colonoscopy had to be canceled. I did the clear diet the day before too, plus all the water. I feel the clear liquid day worked against me as I needed something to push the MOM and exlax through.

But the really interesting thing was during my conversation with the dr. the next day, I mentioned that the magnesium citrate only worked enough to kind of get me to go, kind of working like a regular daily laxative and her response was, "Well, whatever it takes.", like your gastro, Annie. I think people take a lot more of this than they're willing to acknowledge. Mag. citrate pills never helped me - it seems to be the saline solution that help.

Thanks again.

Sue


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## annie7

Sue--that's rough--all that colonoscopy prep and it didn't work. when i went in for my colonoscopy i was still full of prep sloshing around inside so they suctioned me out to get rid of it before starting. thank goodness for anesthesia!

i was on a clear liquid diet for two days before the procedure and yes i agree with you. i too had the feeling that the liquid diet worked against me. i kept thinking solid food might stimulate peristalsis and get things moving.

no, the mag cit pills don't work on me either. or mag cit by itself. have to add the dulcolax. exlax/senna doesn't work anymore either.

my gastro actually told me i could take even more milk of mag daily if it helped. he told me some of his patients do--keeping their levels monitored of course. i tried that--up to a half a cap more per day---but it didn't help and just made me feel more bloated and sick and sloshy--full of fluid. and he told me to try taking miralax along with the milk of mag but i had same lack of results with all that.

have you ever been tested for pelvic floor dysfunction? both my old gastro and the new gastro i'm seeing says my tests show evidence of that and explained how tight pelvic floor muscles can keep laxatives or meds like linzess, etc from working properly because the tight anal sphincter and tight pelvic floor keep stool inside instead of letting it out...if insurance covers it i will be going to biofeedback/ physical therapy for all this.

good luck! hope the milk mag/dulcolax or senna combo helps you! no one should have to go through all this misery...i try to stay positive about it all but it's a challenge--lol...

take care..


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## SueL4

Hi again Annie,

I may ignorant of the correct terminology but I've been told I have a rectocele and just about everything that can be prolapsed - is. I did the extra-MOM dose early this morning and that worked (fortunately) but next time, I do want to cut back on the MOM and next time will try it combined with either dulcolax or senna. It's a genius combo and I'll run it by the gastro but I keep remembering her words, "Whatever it takes." Miralax did absolutely nothing for me, as well as the mag citrate and/or mag. oxide in pill form. I finally found a brand of MOM that doesn't have sugar and has less sodium - also has some mineral oil in it which I think is what really helps. I remember taking straight mineral oil 30 years ago after giving birth.

Oh, the things we have to do.

I hope you're able to try biofeedback/PT and that you find some relief.

Sue


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## annie7

Thanks, Sue!

so sorry about all the prolapses! that sure makes things complicated, doesn't it.

i have a moderately sized rectocele. i find that keeping stool liquid or fairly loose helps me evacuate past the rectocele.

i put my feet on either a low footstool or a shoebox and have found that helps get things out, too--straightens out the anorectal angle as they say and allows for a more complete evacuation.

glad the extra MOM worked today. and best of luck with the MOM/stimulant regimen.

oh, you're so right--the things we have to do!


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## SueL4

Exactly - the positioning helps. I agree about keeping things very liquid - any pushing at all creates different, unwanted problems.

So glad I found this site.


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## Stephanie33

How many glasses of water do you guys have to drink with milk of magnesia to get results?


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## annie7

i drink 16 oz of water with my 4 TBL of milk of magnesia. the instructions say to drink at least 8 oz of water with each dose so 16 oz may be more than i need to drink with it, but it works for me.

and i make sure to drink about 64 oz of water throughout the day as well.


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## Dreamcatcher32

Yes, you absolutely have to drink water to make sure this works! Btw, B12 is only absorbed if dissolved under the tongue or via shots. Natural Factors has B12 that dissolves under your tongue.

Have you tried liquid magnesium (bluebonnet or Lifetime Vitamins)? Just 1-2 tbs makes it get things 'going' for me. This won't cause 'explosive' diahrrea or anything but it moves things along for me. I usually take it if I haven't gone in a day. (even though sometimes I don't need it)

Also look into things like Oxypowder and Aloe Vera (Inner Fillet). I also find Mangosteen works well.  It's important to keep things 'loose' if your problem is hard stool. If it's not and you can't get things moving with looser stool, then a pelvic floor issue might be at work. Everyone underestimates how severe this can be.


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## Kathleen M.

Most humans do absorb B12 in the intestines (so pills and food do work for most of us), but it does need help so sometimes bypassing the gut is a good thing. If you are missing the intrinsic factor that helps you absorb it (pernicious anemia) then you must get shots (I'm not sure how well the sublinqual even works for that).

I don't know how much of the only B12 you should ever buy is sublingual is marketing vs fact. The vast majority of us get all the B-12 we need from food or pills from the gut.


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## annie7

Kathleen--thanks for that information.









i'd been wondering about all that especially since now i only have half a colon (having had an emergency right hemicolectomy last summer due to a cecal volvulous) and now i'm not sure if all that is affecting how i absorb nutrients and vitamins especially the B vitamins. i do take a good B supplement as well as a good multivitamin. and i try to get as much nutrition as i can from food.


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## Kathleen M.

Most of the supplements and vitamins from food are absorbed in the small intestine. Colon mostly absorbs just water, but there are a few things the bacteria in the gut liberate you may absorb as well. That tends to be pretty minor overall, and even 1/2 a colon probably has more bacteria than you need. What variation the see in that tends to be more of a which bacteria you have, not how much colon you've got.

Now if they had to snag part of the small intestine with the right part of the colon that changes things.


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## annie7

oh thanks so much, Kathleen! that information helps a lot. the surgeon did cut off about 4 inches ( 11cm) from my distal ileum, but that's all..


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