My body always takes awhile to adjust to low carbing no matter how much water (2+ Liters a day) or roughage. I try to stick to natural remedies, but don't like taking large doses of magnesium and didn't know about those probiotics. I was getting uncomfortable this past week and used Smooth Move - my body reacts very quickly to Senna.

I will keep in mind about becoming dependent, but this is usually a 4 - 6 week temporary problem. If it continues past mid-March, I will consider other alternatives.

Hi all, like many of you have said my coach recommended Smooth Move. I don't really like the taste so I make it really strong and let it get cold -- then I can just chug it! Only take it when I feel I really need to. I also have heard that if you use laxatives to frequently your colon muscles will lose their ability to do their job.

I have been using "fibre well gummies" from Costco. They have 5 g of fibre 5 grams carbs 10 calories for 2 gummies. Taste like candy. I was using 2 a day and was helping. The last few days I have been on 4 a day and seems better. I have not had a problem since starting them.

Re: lazy bowel syndrome (from the Merck Manuals):

Osmotic agents (Magnesium) pull large amounts of water into the large intestine, making the stool soft and loose. The excess fluid also stretches the walls of the large intestine, stimulating contractions. These laxatives consist of salts or sugars that are poorly absorbed. They may cause fluid retention in people who have kidney disease or heart failure, especially when given in large or frequent doses. In general, osmotic laxatives are reasonably safe even when used regularly. However, osmotic agents that contain magnesium and phosphate are partially absorbed into the bloodstream and can be harmful to older people, people who have kidney failure or kidney disease, and people who take drugs that affect kidney function (such as diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme [ACE] inhibitors, and angiotensin II receptor blockers).

Stimulant laxatives (such as phenolphthalein, bisacodyl, and anthraquinones) contain irritating substances, such as senna and cascara. These substances stimulate the walls of the large intestine, causing them to contract and move the stool. They are useful for preventing constipation in people who are taking drugs that will almost certainly cause constipation, such as opioids. Stimulant laxatives are also often used to empty the large intestine before diagnostic tests are done.

Taken by mouth, stimulant laxatives usually cause a semisolid bowel movement in 6 to 8 hours, but they often cause cramping as well. As suppositories, stimulant laxatives often work in 15 to 60 minutes. Prolonged use of stimulant laxatives can create abnormal deposits of a dark pigment in the lining of the large intestine (a condition called melanosis coli). Other side effects include allergic reactions and loss of electrolytes from the blood. Also, the large intestine can become dependent on stimulant laxatives, leading to lazy bowel syndrome. Therefore, stimulant laxatives should be used only for brief periods.


Something to keep in mind...

Thanks for the facts, Liana!

So where does prune juice fall - osmotic or stimulant?
My DH was bound up from the radioactive injection prior to his PET scan earlier this week - so I gave him the prune juice (1C), Phillips Milk of Magnesia (1 capful), Ginger Ale (2 Tblsp) remedy that I learned of some weeks ago -- after 2 days of misery, the results of this remedy occurred within an hour. He is especially grateful to me....

But now I wonder which category this is.... and he is going to be 83 (20 yrs my senior) in 3 weeks - making him one of the older folks referred to in your posting... I wanna be sure that I'm not doing him harm by giving him this 'folk medicine' remedy...

Oh wow - thanks for the information. I honestly thought senna was pretty safe and natural - doesn't sound like it. I've only used it once and dealt with the last 5 days ...ate some jicama - not sure if that helped, but my issue is gone for now w/o any more smooth move.

Using senna infrequently is very safe. Stimulant laxatives are only bad for your bowels if you take them daily. Even then, we have a lot of patients who take them daily over the long term.

I get chronic constipation (IP doesn't help!) and the Floralax supplement I got from my coach is fantastic. It's just a bunch of dried aloe and prunes. I'm sensitive to them and I just need one every two days, but she said you can take up to 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening.

But in my experience the most gentle reliever of chronic constipation is Miralax which uses tiny pellets to draw water into the gut. It is safe for use daily by adults and children.

The most important thing about constipation that I tell my patients - once you're backed up, it is too late to take Metamucil. Adding fiber to constipation is like adding new logs to a beaver dam. You need to clear the blockage, THEN up your fiber.

Good luck everyone and I'm glad to see a thread about gut health! It's one of those things that's weird to talk about but critical to health, dieting or not.

"Natural chemical compounds similar to oxyphenisatine may be present in prunes,[5] but a recent review of the relevant scientific literature suggests that the laxative effect of prunes is due to other constituents including phenolic compounds (mainly neochlorogenic acids and chlorogenic acids) and sorbitol.[6]" "Prune juice contains a number of different sugars like sucrose, fructose and sorbitol that help in drawing fluid into the intestines, thus helping the passage of waste out of the body. Research has shown that prune juice greatly helps in increasing the volume of fluid that remains in the waste passing through the intestine while also causing contractions that aid bowel movement." So Osmotic, I guess...

You might try to suggest to your DH that he gets enough water. Lots of older people have lost the ability to know when their bodies are thirsty. Also a nice walk around the block as briskly as possible will usually get things moving in the morning, lol. It never fails... I head off to somewhere and get looking around and walking briskly through the mall and then I have to head off to the bathroom while I'm there. If he can't walk much, he can try laying on the bed on his back and doing bicycle movements with his legs even if they are supported by you.

Liana