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How to get off Miralax successfully

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Posted 7/23/2018 8:58 PM (GMT 0)
Hi all,

It's been a while since I posted here... things are going well, had a colonoscopy last Nov/Dec and doc said all looks good, zero inflammation and to continue whatever I have been doing.

The only thing that I tried to change since then was to get off miralax and maybe try stool softeners instead. I tried it, first with one soft gel and then increasing it to 2/3 a day but it didn't help at all. Does anyone have any advice or thoughts on what else might work... I feel like my system has become so dependent on Miralax that it will be hard to ever get off of it. I just think it's easier to travel with pills than a powder... wish they had Miralax in pill form.

Thanks in advance!
Posted 7/24/2018 1:00 AM (GMT 0)
Miralax is a stool softner, it is not a laxative. I have not heard of anyone ever having to wean off of it. My grandson was on it for a long time & when it was time to take him off he did not have any problems.

Take care.
Posted 7/24/2018 5:54 AM (GMT 0)
Miralax softens stool and is a laxative. It's the same ingredient used in the gallon preps. One shouldn't use it constantly.....it's of no benefit to the digestive tract compared to fibre supplements.

q
Posted 7/24/2018 6:16 AM (GMT 0)

quincy said...
Miralax softens stool and is a laxative. It's the same ingredient used in the gallon preps. One shouldn't use it constantly.....it's of no benefit to the digestive tract compared to fibre supplements.

q

Ideally, yeah, constipation should be treated first with dietary changes and increased water intake, along with regular exercise. But unfortunately that's not good enough for everybody. Long term use of laxatives is sometimes necessary. Miralax is probably one of the safer options in that case.
Posted 7/24/2018 4:48 PM (GMT 0)
Maybe it's caused by low simmering rectal inflammation.....try 4g retention enemas as well, plus food changes to get the gut moving better and ignoring the signals of a fussy rectum.

q
Posted 7/24/2018 5:36 PM (GMT 0)
have you tried Metamucil capsules ?
Posted 7/26/2018 2:58 AM (GMT 0)

quincy said...
Maybe it's caused by low simmering rectal inflammation.....try 4g retention enemas as well, plus food changes to get the gut moving better and ignoring the signals of a fussy rectum.

q

Thanks quincy, actually there is no rectal inflammation based on my last colonoscopy ( late last year) and I don't have any proctitis symptoms either. I just find it difficult to keep the stool soft without being on miralax... it's odd since I typically follow a high fiber diet, don't eat much white flour at all.
Posted 7/26/2018 3:02 AM (GMT 0)

beave said...

quincy said...
Miralax softens stool and is a laxative. It's the same ingredient used in the gallon preps. One shouldn't use it constantly.....it's of no benefit to the digestive tract compared to fibre supplements.

q

Ideally, yeah, constipation should be treated first with dietary changes and increased water intake, along with regular exercise. But unfortunately that's not good enough for everybody. Long term use of laxatives is sometimes necessary. Miralax is probably one of the safer options in that case.


I agree, sounds like I fall in that category of folks that need something long term... I feel like I've done what I could lifestyle wise to get off of Miralax but to no avail..
Posted 7/26/2018 3:08 AM (GMT 0)

TroubledTurds said...
have you tried Metamucil capsules ?

Hi, no I haven't tried anything except soft gel stool softeners but they didn't really help. In the past, when I wasn't doing so great I tried Metamucil powder but it felt like it made my symptoms worse. My doc at the time recommended Miralax and told me that its safe etc and it definitely seemed to work much better.

Have you tried these capsules or do you know if they have helped someone?
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