Medicine for years

[SCI-Nurse]

As far as we know, you can take those medications for a long period of time. Most people take gabapentin and anticholenergics for a long time with SCI. If by liquid paraffin you mean mineral oil, it is good that you stopped this. It can interfere with fat soluble vitamin (A, E, D, & K) absorption. The lactulose, taken routinely, is a risk factor for obstructive megacolon, as are all laxatives and stimulants. It would be safer to use stool softeners such as DSS and dietary fiber for your bowels rather than an osmotic laxative over the long term.

(KLD)

[SCI-Nurse]

The biggest risk factors for long term development of obstructive megacolon in people with SCI are the following:

• Routine long term use of strong laxatives (such as lactulose)
• Routine long term use of strong stimulants (such as bisacodyl tablets or senna)
• Doing bowel care less often than 3X weekly

(KLD)

[alan]

I use one senna the night before my bowel program, so 3x a week. Too much?

[Erin1985]

I also take one senna the night before my bowel program. I do the BP every other day. My doctor actually just took me off 2 colase per day and switched me to lactose twice a day. In addition to the lactulose and senna, I also do the magic bullet suppository the morning of my BP to start it. Is this too many laxatives?

[SCI-Nurse]

It would be best to find alternatives to strong stimulants (senna) and osmotic laxatives (lactulose) like this.

(KLD)

[camsevy]

Fresh fruit. Cherries, apricots, melon. Especially cherries. They'll keep you flowing. Dried cherries are good too with water. Bananas help bind instead of loosen, however. Pineapple is a good loosener but is quite acidic unless picked riper.

What you are looking for, of course is the fiber so let me add celery. Lovely, crunchy, juicy, mild, "Nature's Broom". Cucumber is great but doesn't have the dense fiber like celery.

Best of all, though, is fruit. All natural choices and less expensive than medications, etc. Tastier, too!

Oh, another thing: a good natural source of vitamin C, such as "Emergen-C" is an excellent softener because when the body has enough C it sloughs the rest out. You can safely take 10,000 mg in a dose, 30,000/day. When the body is saturated, things loosen up pretty well and get eliminated.

[thehipcrip]

Originally Posted by camsevy

Oh, another thing: a good natural source of vitamin C, such as "Emergen-C" is an excellent softener because when the body has enough C it sloughs the rest out. You can safely take 10,000 mg in a dose, 30,000/day. When the body is saturated, things loosen up pretty well and get eliminated.

Your info about vitamin C dosing is incorrect. The maximum daily dose should not exceed 2000mg. Your body actually only needs 65-90mg a day. [Source: Mayo Clinic.] Taking megadoses of vitamin C supplements may cause:

• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Heartburn
• Abdominal bloating and cramps
• Headache
• Insomnia
• Kidney stones

Any vitamin C that's not used is excreted through your urine.