stimulant laxatives?

[binnie]

I, too, was put on a stimlulant laxative in the hospital.....senna s....two tablets a night. On every spinal cord site I go on , they stress not to use these? I questioned my doctor and he said everybody uses them. I am still always constipated and don't have very large bowel movements, just a few, hard round ones every day. What would be a good alternative? I was thinking of flaxseed oil or citracil. I also use a bisacodyl suppository to start my bowel program every morning. Could I switch to a glycerin suppository?

[paramoto]

Eat papaya. I´m serious. Great mild natural laxative that if you eat routinely may make you more regular with better consistency.

[SCI-Nurse]

Increasing fiber either by increasing the fruits and vegetables in your diet or taking something like citrucel could help get the quality of your stool in better shape. You could try osmotic laxatives like milk of magnesia or sorbitol syrup instead of irritant laxatives to see if they work. Glycerin suppositories don't work very well for most people but if you want something milder than bisacodyl you might try Enemeez or even Magic Bullets (a different form of bisacoodyl) to see if they work for you.

Anything that works is OK, really.

RAB

[Broknwing]

Anything that works is OK, really.

RAB

so then those of us that ARE using senna-s and it's working for us shouldn't worry if it's working for us as long as our dr's are following our care?

[30something]

That would be such a relief as I use Cascara Sagrada every 2+ nights!

[SCI-Nurse]

There is no problem in using senna, it's fairly mild, it's an herbal preparation (They serve senna tea on surgical wards in Great Britain). If you are using it and it's working, go for it. The same with cascara (which is also herbal). Go with whatever works for you.

RAB

[ace]

Hi,
Have you tried eating food made with butter or "lard"?
If I go 3 BM's with little but hard stool, I eat pound cake or I go and eat out at an Italian restaurant that cooks with a lot of butter.
I eat in the early evening and always have results in the morning. With practice you might get to the point of knowing how much to eat, and how much is too much, and when to eat. I take no laxatives at all.
Hint, if you wake up earlier the next morning before your alarm, rush to the bathroom.

[Broknwing]

There is no problem in using senna, it's fairly mild, it's an herbal preparation (They serve senna tea on surgical wards in Great Britain). If you are using it and it's working, go for it. The same with cascara (which is also herbal). Go with whatever works for you.

RAB

Thank you for that clarification....KLD has worried some people recently re:Senna & megacolon...I've got 3 diff dr's that have recommended my current regime so I thought that it was all good...

[van damn]

I eat Poppa John's to get me going.lol-jk:)

[mike bauer]

After 3 years of pain meds and lots of constipation, impactions and feeling like... well, like... SHIT! I now take what ever it takes... who care what it is, Senna, Henna or Benni Fiber.. If it keeps the pipes moving, my Doctor says its the right move... get it Move!!! RIGHT MOVE :) damn, Im a regular comic.

[metronycguy]

the benefiber i am having very good luck with. i take it at least twice a day, afternoon and evening beter than all the other metamusil/citracell type stuff
benefiber is safe , will cause no harm like senna can( i think) i also take 6 to 8 colace a day. i find i can now get buy without oral laxatives , i use a enemmez in am to evacuate. i do find if i have a bad pain day, and my oxycodone use will go up 4x to 5x , my bowels are out of whack for a couple days due to the increased constipating effect of the added oxy.

[joev]

so is it bad for you long term