# Prune Juice Question



## DonGilbert (Jan 14, 2003)

About 7 months ago for some reason all of a sudden I started having C problems. Bloating was what bothered me the worst. I had barium enema which was normal. I tried everything both over the counter and prescription. Some worked for awhile then it was like my body got used to it and it stopped working.I was in the grocery store 2 days ago and bought some prune juice. For the past two days I have drank 1/4 to 1/2 a glass first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. About 1/2 hour later dark water comes out the other end. (D i guess). I do feel a little better afterwards with the bloating.Is this bad for me If I do this everyday and will it eventually stop working too? Would it be bad to take twice a day?Thanks for any help!P.S. I keep hearing everyone talk about Magnesium. Does this work and is it the same stuff I can buy as a dietary supplement pill in the grocery store?


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## lors5 (Sep 11, 2002)

I was wondering too if prunes were irritating to my colon. I rely on them a lot either stewed prunes or prune juice but I'm not as lucky as you time wise it takes about 4 hours for them to work and there is a lot of bloating and rumbling during that time which is very uncomfortable.The magnesium that I take is a dietary supp. in the grocery store and I believe that is what everyone else takes. Lorrie


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## Karen Savage (Dec 16, 2002)

I was just at the doctor today about my constipation and laxative habit and she said that prunes irritate the inside of your colon just like senna or other harsh laxatives do and it is not a good idea to eat them every day because of what they do to your colon


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## Kacebece3 (Apr 17, 2002)

Hi been using prune juice for 18 months gastro doc says it is ok and safe was addicted to senna prior to this used senna for about12 years now its prune juice and MOM when absolutly needed Ken


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## ghitta (Jul 6, 2002)

hi ..... i am totally bewildered about this negative thread on prunes and prune juice. - i'm not going to second guess an MD but frankly, if i took the advice most MDs (allopathic) have given me over the years, i'd probably be back in the hospital now or worse. i'm always suspicious of allopathic docs being negative about foods: like, only prescripton meds and laxatives are going to work. .....hey, where's the money? anyway, about prunes: i'm sure they could irritate some people; just like certain fibers irritate me bigtime, producing bloat, gas and the opposite effect of what i'm trying to achieve. on the other hand, i've been using prunes (organic, stewed) for years but have slowed down on their consumption since the magnesium supps i'm taking are working so well. prunes are plums, dried, high in sugars and i don't see how five or six plus their juice is going to irritate my colon the way a stimulant lax such as senna, cascara, burdock root or rhubarb will, not to mention other chemical laxatives. there is a whole area of france where prunes/plums are grown, known as Agen, and the locals live on prunes, you can be assured they have no C probs! anyway, one IBS-C's meat is another poison, i guess. it's all trial and error. g-


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## lk (Aug 28, 1999)

I once asked my doctor about it cause I'd had similar results with prune juice. She said prune juice was bad and could be habit forming, but that prunes alone were fine. Basically, it because a glass of prune juice is like eating 100 prunes. But 8 prunes should not be enough to work in the same addictive way as other stimulants. Tired of This, If you think about it, anthing that leaves you with "brown water" coming out is probably overdoing it. Try eatiing a few prunes everyday instead.As for prunes alone being safe Ask your doctor though if your worried. Its alwise wise to check.Linda


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## flux (Dec 13, 1998)

> quote:she said that prunes irritate the inside of your colon just like senna or





> quote:She said prune juice was bad and could be habit forming,





> quote:i'm not going to second guess an MD










It is perfectly reasonable to second guess an MD if they tell something that doesnï¿½t sound right and this is an example of it. Now to be fair, if prunes work as an osmotic laxative then it could dehydrate you. With Miralax, on the other hand, requires you consume water with it and therefore doesnï¿½t have this disadvantage.


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## Julia Rose (Dec 15, 2002)

I think the bottom line here is that IBS-Cers usually differ at least somewhat in what helps/hurts. For me, I did fine with 4 prunes every evening for dessert for a long time. Then it got to be 6 or 8 a night. The juice didn't work consistently, either. I know that for me, even if something seems really, really good for me, if I do it every day, it will eventually not work the same. I have to vary the things that help me every day, but I can "cycle" back to the same ones. The exception to this seems to be the mag supplements.


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## Mojosue (Aug 30, 2002)

eating prunes and drinking juice are using prunes in different waysif you eat the prunes you get the soluable fiber if you drink the juice you dont get the soluable fibre but you get the effects of the sorbitol in the juice which stimulates the colonI found magnesium (magnesium, calcium, and zinc) chelated from holland and barrett seem to work well - dontcha need calcium and magnesium together. Along with a womens PMS supplment - as my IBS C kicks in round ovulation and then eases during the menses... Tshc. hormonesMagnesium helps take water to the stool so its soft and therefore easier to pass, but it also help muscle contraction and nerves so the colon seems ABLE to try and pass it - otherwise my poor guts just grind to a halt and give up..Sue


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## Julia Rose (Dec 15, 2002)

I use magnesium with my calcium because calcium is constipating by itself. I don't know if the calcium helps the magnesium to work. I do take them together, tho. I need the calcium because I'm 56, have had a hysterectomy 15 years ago, and now 9 days ago have stopped taking estrogen after 15 years on it. So I GOT to keep up with that calcium!


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