# Milk of Magnesia



## janetmtt (May 28, 2007)

What is the minimum dose of MOM you need to take to make you have a bowel movement. I know it says if you don't take enough it sort of only treats heartburn and indigestion but how much would you need to make you "go"? Also are there any side effects? And does MOM make you bloat like some laxatives do or does it take the bloat away?


----------



## Cigarello (Jun 17, 2000)

There will be directions on the bottle that will tell you how much to use for constipation; i used 3-4 tablespoons when i used it; i don't use it anymore, after using it for 10 years every single night; it made me weak and dizzy; however, it is effective. Any time you use strong laxatives you can have side effects like gas and bloating; I now use magnesium citrate pills; they don't work quite as well, but I don't feel sick taking it in this form.


----------



## Yukie (Feb 13, 2009)

I take 1 to 2 teaspoon. But usually 1 is enough for me to have a BM within a couple of hours or less.


----------



## janetmtt (May 28, 2007)

CigarelloDid you get the dizziness and weakness a lot with MOM? How are you finding the mag citrate tablets - any side effects - how many do you take?


----------



## Cigarello (Jun 17, 2000)

Yes I did get the dizziness (vertigo) and weakness with MOM; over the years it just made me weaker and weaker and i finally stopped taking it; i thought maybe i could try and live without laxatives; well, frankly my bowels are shot; i can't go at all without magnesium. From being in this wonderful IBS community I discovered magnesium oxide/citrate pills; i started out with 600 mg but in order to go fully i take 1400 mg. i know it sounds like a lot and it is; i doesn't make me dizzy and it doesn't make me weak. I just wish i had discovered these pills many many years ago when this thing started. You need to drink lots of water to make sure it works. I drink 40 0z of water every single day; i never take less, water. sometimes I take more. Certainly I would take the less amount possible of Magnesium for comfort. The other thing is your kidneys haVe to functioning well in order to take magnesium; I have kidney function studies done every year to make sure my kidneys are ok. I would recommend the pills over taking MOM any day.


----------



## janetmtt (May 28, 2007)

Thanks for the info Cigarello


----------



## Yukie (Feb 13, 2009)

Ohhhh ! So that's why I was feeling numb and dizzy. Like if I took sleeping pills.


----------



## janetmtt (May 28, 2007)

I had a break from senokot and since going back on it I feel quite tired - it does go though after a few days - pity they didn't work though!


----------



## Yukie (Feb 13, 2009)

Senokot does not work at all for me. And they give me a lot of cramps. That's why my doctor suggested MOM. On the bottle they so to use it before you go to bed. But I take it whenever I feel like it. I guess this recommendation is made because of the dizziness.


----------



## ABNormal (May 24, 2006)

Janet, I found the posts about dizziness very interesting. I have never had that feeling with MOM. I've been using MOM for a couple years now, but I don't use it all the time. I have to change things constantly because my body gets used to them. I must say that MOM doesn't work as well as it used to. I take 2-3 TBsp at night.


----------



## janetmtt (May 28, 2007)

Hi AbnormalSo are you saying you didn't experience dizziness when you took it? I'm like that with senokot - have to keep stop taking it and then going back to it but I am finding that senokot now seems to be making bloating worse.So what else do you take apart from MOM? I'm sick to death of my bowels at the moment!


----------



## ABNormal (May 24, 2006)

You and I have posted to each other before and not sure you remember, but I've had IBS-C for 36 years. I've been through the gamut of products. Right now I take enulose (prescription) that doesn't work every day, so I mix it up with MOM some days and Mirulax some days. I occasionally take Magnesium Citrate (powder form) that I mix in my juice in the morning. I have a couple good weeks and then a couple horrible weeks--have to do enemas to keep from blowing up!







Senokot and all other bowel cleansers do nothing for me. My colon is just too used to those things.


----------



## janetmtt (May 28, 2007)

That's right - think you tried FruitEze - I'm going to have to go back on it - senokot just doesn't seem to be doing anything for me at the moment and I'm so bloated it's disgusting and is depressing me no end. Yet I was away a couple of weeks ago, took one senokot every night and was great the next day - normal bowel movement, no bloating - nothing - come home and it all kicked off again!Senokot I think makes the bloating worse as it does seem to draw the water into the bowel - I've just bought some flax oil today and I'm going to try that and also some prune juice - will give that a go too.I keep meaning to try probiotics and see what they do. So you're still having problems - 36 years is a life sentence to have this problem. Never heard of enulose though.I've not tried MOM but as I have a problem with magnesium I'm a bit concerned to try it. Years ago I used to use Agoral which was very good but was taken off the market due them saying it could cause cancers.Well I've noticed you can still get this in the USA and I'm that desperate at the moment I'm thinking of sending for some!


----------



## janetmtt (May 28, 2007)

Ah see enulose is lactulose. I'd try MOM but I don't fancy the dizziness that some people get.I seem to have "good" spells then "bad" ones and since meno seems to be lurking I've noticed things have got worse the last few months as has the pmt/meno probs! Life - eh - sucks at times.


----------



## ABNormal (May 24, 2006)

I took Enulose for about 14 years and then it just wasn't working as well. Then I went through a whole bunch of other products (natural) that worked for a while and then stopped. So, I'm back on Enulose because my gastro doctor wanted me to try it again.It was menopause that really made me have problems again. My gasto said that some women get better and others get worse (would rather be in the former). I must admit that since last spring, I'm doing a little better. The Fruit-Eze did help for a while, but then not very much and then I noticed that the jar got mold in it. That was gross, so I threw it out.


----------



## janetmtt (May 28, 2007)

Yes I feel at the moment meno is making it worse. I got some flax oil today and will give that a go - must admit I took a tiny bit this afternoon and I had to go soon after - but didn't take a full dose. Not sure when you're supposed to take this though before bed or first thing on a morning. Also got some prune juice - getting desperate again.So how do you find the enulose - does it give you wind, bloating etc.? Do you have good BM's?


----------



## Cigarello (Jun 17, 2000)

Did some research on Agoral; it is some kind of treated mineral oil that is suggested to cause numerous types of cancers; i wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole, even if you could get it from another country.


----------



## janetmtt (May 28, 2007)

CigarelloSo how come the USA is still allowed to sell it - I know it was stopped here in the UK? But how come the can still get it - have they changed the formula do you think and that is why it's still allowed?


----------



## ABNormal (May 24, 2006)

Yes, enulose causes gas, but it's not painful (more embarrassing). It doesn't always work though. My colon is so goofed up.I've ordered the Pancreatin that mariaet mentioned in another post and I'm going to give it a shot. Can't hurt.While talking to the company that makes Pancreatin I found out that they sell a product for insomnia. My husband has horrible insomnia, so I ordered that, too. We'll see...


----------



## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Every country has their own rules about what you can sell and what you can't.Just because one country bans something, or approves something, doesn't mean every other country will.


----------



## janetmtt (May 28, 2007)

ABnormal - keep us informed re the pancreatin. I've been taking some probiotics chewable and have been experiencing like die-off symptoms - Kathleen could that be possible and what are your thoughts about the Agoral?I will try Solgar Caricol at the weekend which is made from papayas and see what that does.The probiotics though I'll have to stop because I've had chills, muscle and joint pain, heavy chest - weird.


----------



## ABNormal (May 24, 2006)

Janet, I just received the Pancreatin yesterday and took it this morning--so far, nothing. I'll keep you posted.One good thing, while talking with the rep for NaturesMost, I found out that they have a sleep aid. My husband has insomnia. Well, he slept pretty well last night, so I'm hopeful about that. He has tried so many things and just like us, it wears off.


----------



## janetmtt (May 28, 2007)

Abnormal Do keep us posted on how you do - I think sometimes you do need to take things for a few days and get that "build up" in your system for it to work.Bit like me with the probiotics (childrens chewable actually) I started taking quarter, then half, then a full one and I kept saying well these are doing nothing for the constipation like everyone said they would (and I was still taking one senokot too) but Monday night after I took it I had to get out of bed at 10.30 pm to go to the loo (felt dreadful mind) then next morning as soon as I got up I had to go then twice after breakfast - wish I could be like that every day without having to resort to something. So I think I needed to get a few in the system first. Would like to retry them again and see if I have a similar "chilled pain" reaction and also without the senokot.I still feel though that I had less bloating when I took Yakult but I think Yakult makes me more constipated - unless I need to take it every day for around 14 days like Actimel.Good luck - I'll let you know how I do with the Caricol (have you checked that out made by Solgar) - about time we got these bowels sorted out once and for all but I'm thinking I'm always going to have a problem.Did it take long for the goods to arrive from the USA - anyone in the UK sell anything similar?But do let me know how you find it and don't lose heart - give it a few days.Jan


----------

