Let's not be "Lax" about this...
Ok so this is kind of embarassing, but im finding it so hard to keep to myself any longer, I really need some support/advice here. I'm 17 and have struggled with anorexia/exercise anorexia for about a year and am in recovery. Well...I am quite ashamed to admit this but I started taking laxatives about a year ago. At first it was ok with my mom and even encouraged because i was having a hard time having a bowel movement. Well, soon enough the amount i was taking just wasnt enough to work so i started upping the "dosage" until i got some results. I have flucuated with periods of a week or so of not taking them and during those times i find myself miserable. When im not taking about about double the reccomended amount of these pills I only go "naturally" about once a week, im bloated and miserable. Getting relief by taking these pills just feels like such a relief but i know its so terriable with potential failure of the colon all together. I eat such a high fiber diet and still have troubles going without them. I guess at this point im scared to tell anyone about my situation because of what i might have to go through, but im really stuck on how to get rid of this addiction/necessity. Anybody thats gone through this? What are the other side effects of laxative abuse and please understand IM NOT TAKING THEM TO LOSE WEIGHT..i just needs some relief...
Original Post by set24:
Have you ever tried Miralax? It is a natural laxative and not a bowel stimulant so your bowels shouldn't become reliant on it. You should not need to keep increasing the dose to get the same effect. It is available in most U.S. drug stores and is over the counter.
I may be misunderstanding what you mean by "natural laxative" here, because Miralax (polyethylene glycol) is a highly chemical compound. It works by drawing extra water into your stools, thereby softening them and making them easier to pass, which I suppose could be construed as "natural," but I don't personally think (JMO) that consuming a chemical substance on a regular basis in order to be able to produce a natural bodily function is "natural." Ok, Viagra users please don't smack me. I'm talking about making poopie, not making whoopie here. Sorry, I know, realllly bad . . . 
And, if taking this is the only way you can go with any predictability, then, yes, you will become reliant on it if you don't address the root of the problem and just keep putting a Band-Aid on it with drugs. If there is an underlying medical condition, Miralax (or any other laxative) will not fix it. If your problem is dietary, and you do not modify your diet, then taking any product for laxative effect will not fix your problem. It will only allow you to continue taking the medicine so that you can have a BM. Sorry, I understand this is a problem for some people, I used to be one of them, and I don't mean to sound like the "poop police," but advising people to use laxatives on a regular basis as a magic pill to have a BM (not you in particular, set24, because I see others doing it, and I note that you didn't recommend that anyone take it all the time forever and ever) just isn't responsible or helpful. It can cause harm and damage, in more ways than one. For some people, of course, occasional laxative use is probably ok, as a last resort. Anyone can have occasional issues, such as an extra hectic week and neglected diet or while traveling. For some people, their problem, whether they realize it or not, probably needs medical attention. For some people, particularly on this site, even initially occasional laxative use can lead to seriously dangerous complications later.
tngarden: If your stool softener doesn't specifically say it also contains a laxative, then it probably doesn't. Check the ingred. list. Most of them contain docusate or docusate sodium. If it says anything other than that as an active ingred., either post it, and I will try to help, or do a Google, and you should turn up whether it is a stool softener or a laxative medication. Note, also, the "senna" that was mentioned is a naturally occuring plant/herb, but it does act as a bowel stimulant, so "natural" also cannot always be trusted to mean safe or ideal for everyone.
there was a period of time that i took laxatives as well. once i decided to stop, it took a loong time for my body to become "regular" again, being able to go without the assistance of laxatives. i basically ate high fiber foods and drank lots of water..LOTS of water. without the water, fiber can have the exact opposite effect and block you up even further. exercise also helps. being dependent on laxatives basically makes your bowel muscles (?) weak and they lose the ability to push things through.
i still get constipated once in a while, and if i go more than a few days i start to feel bloated and huge. as a last resort, i use milk of magnesia. for me, it really just helps get things moving..and you dont ever get the cramps or the urgency to go like you get with laxatives. even with milk of magnesia, make sure you drink plenty of water because even with that, too little water will cause constipation as well.
i agree with everyone else..eat lots of fiber, fruit and get the body moving! good luck!
LAXATIVES cause damage ...Damage can occur almost immediately. This article is a "MUST READ"
100 doses of a laxative, over a month's time, is 3 times a day! The damage would be catastrophic. overuse of laxatives can cause fecal incontinance, or the inability to hold it until you can get to the toilet. The sphincter muscles are weakened.
It is not normal to have to take a laxative to produce a normal bodily function. Please consult a nutritionist/doctor/therapist to help you get off of these or to figure out your issue so that you are not taking laxatives.
Sara
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