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...

I'm sorry, I have no advice to offer, just sympathy (empathy?) because I find myself in the exact same situation.
I quit lax cold turkey a few days ago after taking 20 and losing complete control over my bowels. Thank goodness that nasty effect disappeared after a few days, and I am now back to my old constipated self.
I feel miserable and bloated, but I am determined to never ever take lax again as it is a wolf in sheep's clothing, and no relief is worth ending up in diapers by the time I'm 20.

I'm looking forward to see if anyone has advice for us, until then, all I can tell you is I'm sorry and I hope this gets better.

You need to go and see your doctor quite soon.  Reliance on laxatives isn't healthy and a 'lazy bowel' isn't a good thing to have as it can affect the way your body absorbs nutrients and disturbs the whole balance of the gut. Talk to your doctor who will be able to help you with the twin problems of constipation and laxatives. 

BTW.... fibre alone doesn't help constipation.  You need to consume a certain volume/bulk of food as well.  Eat very small amounts that are high in fibre and there isn't enough for your gut to process.   An empty stomach also produces a lot of gas. The best foods also have a high fluid content e.g. fruits and vegetables.  In particular you should try eating 2 kiwifruit a day.  They are an excellent naturally laxative.  In addition always consume plenty of fluids (2 litres a day)... preferably at room temperature.

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.

You should really see a doctor.  Firstly, you could be poisoning your body with extra laxatives.  Secondly, a lazy bowel is no laughing matter.  If you can't go without a laxative, it's long past time to ask your doctor for help.

... any advice that doesn't involve doctors?

You don't like doctors?

While I cannot advocate not seeing a doctor in this case, there are some things you can do to help alleviate this problem.  First, I would ween yourself off of the laxatives.  There are many natural laxatives you can try.  Fresh papaya(eaten by itself) is a good one.  Eat lots daily.  It should help.  If it's really bad, you can try the saltwater flush from the Master Cleanse.  It works, but only do it on a day that you have several hours (I would do at least three) to spend in the bathroom(do it on an empty stomach).  Try to avoid any foods that may make constipation worse(cheese is a big offender here). 

Lastly, you need to do something to help stimulate your bowels.  Go for a walk.  Take time to relax.  Try to think good things about your abdomen.  It may sound strange, but how you think and feel about yourself can make a big difference in how things work. 

If it keeps up, I would recommend seeing a doctor.  Being severely constipated for a relatively long period of time will depress your immune system and can trap toxins in your body.  Just be careful.  Doctors can be awkward to see, but they can be great at helping to fix problems.

Good luck.

Original Post by gi-jane:

You don't like doctors?

 Hate is a more appropriate term. "Am terrified of" also works nicely. Haha =]

Sorrrryyyy to the OP for kinda hijacking your thread!

Isn't that something to work on resolving?  Go along with a friend for support maybe?  Find a nice, kind doctor rather than the stern authoritarian sort?   If you never see a doctor when you've got minor illnesses then one day you'll be wheeled into ER on a trolley and it'll be too late for them to do anything to help.  Chronic constipation is a big factor in colon and bowel cancers... nasty when it takes a hold and much scarier, I'd have thought, than a qualified medic.

If you just can't go to the doctor now, first just stop, stop taking any lax medication.  I've struggled with bulemia using laxatives for 12 years.  I've gone years with no setbacks then you go back.  The emotional feelings you get afterwards are something you need to figure out. 

Your body will "rebel" after not taking them, it's not nice and take a year or more for your body to recover.  Your body has become dependent on them like a crutch.  You can do some real damage to your body.  You colon tissues can become so weak that they can actually tear.  You do so much harm to your electrolytes that it can hurt your heart, kidneys etc.  You are young, if you stop, your body can begin to heal.  You will have to go through some constipation, but to help, increase your water intake, bulk such as fruits and vegetables, and natural fiber in your diet (high fiber bread and snack bars) do not take fiber supliments as that is still trying the same way to "lose" whatever you are trying to lose be it food, weight, and/or emotions.

Take it one step at a time and deal with each thing as it happens.  Do not beat yourself up for bad choices, just make better ones next time.

Thank you all for the many helpful replies..and to ofmiceandmoxie, its so nice to know that i am not the only young female that has been abusing them for so long! I really hope we can turn this around, but i know its going to be hard emotionally and physically. Its hard for anyone to understand the fear of seeing a doctor and him telling you that you're going to have to go through some serious form of surgery or something to correct the problem along with the embarrassment of admitting to taking them. I guess im struggling as it is overcoming this eating disorder, and now this is just another hill to climb.

I have tried miralax and it took quite some time for it to produce anything...Im also quite the health freak (obviously) so eating plenty of fruits and veggies with lots of water is pretty standard for me. As well is eating lots of fiber. I'm really not sure why its so hard for me to go then, which is why i got addicted to laxatives to begin with. Hmmm, maybe theres something bigger going on here? Hopefully i can overcome this before it ruins my bowels permanently!

Okay, this is definitely TMI, but, I just went, non-laxative induced, for the first time in maybe 8 months.

I am really really really really excited!
Hahaha I'm very sorry, but I'm just so happy. I'm on my way!

I know that applying a heating pad to your adomen can be elpful.

If you have difficulty stopping the laxatives, you really need to seek professional help. I have a friend who OD'ed on laxtives and ended up hooked up to machines in the ER.

apple juice, ripe grapes, really squishy ripe pear

My body is chronically messed up from starving and laxatives. Sometimes I wish that garbage wasn't so easy to get. Congrats on the first poopie! ...and many more!

;)

I've recently found that lemon and ginger tea is really great at "keeping me regular." Also getting into a routine has really helped me, like after a natural bowel movement try to go again at the same time the next day, then your body just kind of gets used to it.

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.

This is what my doctor recommended to me. I was not in the same situation as you two, but it did help me start going again. Hopefully. It tastes like oily water, but just chug it and it's not so bad.

However, you really ought to see a doctor. I know it can be scary, but it's way less scary than getting a blockage or worse. Go see a doctor. For real.

Edit: my doctor also advised exercise, lots of water, and metamucil daily. 

I have this exact same problem!  I don't know what to do either. 

 

I have been trying drinking something called Organic Smooth Move Senna herbal stimulant laxative tea - has anyone tried it or heard anything about it?  I don't want to drink it if it will wreck my body. 

Also, are stool softeners considered a laxative?  I've been trying those lately.  It doesn't say laxative anywhere on the bottle, just stool softener. 

Senna is a stimulant laxative, it's the same stuff that's in Exlax, so if you want to get off of stimulant laxatives you should probably stay away from that.

I don't know about stool softeners, but I do know that I kinda OD'ed on them once and I lost complete control over my bowels.

Honestly, laxatives and anything have freaked me out so much that I have vowed never to use them ever ever again, no matter how constipated I am. This includes Miralax. I'm gonna try to "get going" naturally. I hope it works!

I used to be quite addicted to laxatives as well.

Slowly, I weaned myself off of them for about half a year but began to slip up again.  I began taking them about once a week again but quickly decided that I needed to stop before it got out of hand again.  I still have slip ups every now and then but not much more than a "normal" person would take if they experience some constipation.  I'm still not completely regular, but I go at least once about every two days.

Best of luck to both of you and congratulations on what you have accomplished so far :]