I'll tell ya what has worked for me....I've had this problem a lot, but then suddently I was going all the time. Like 8 freaking times a DAY. Like, even in the middle of the night, having to change my bedding and all (too graphic, I know, but to give you an idea of how well this worked...too well, but it's finally perfected!).

Anyway, I am on the duragesic fentanyl patch, a high 75 dose, PLUS percocet 3 x's/day, PLUS 2 ferrous phospate tablets a day. All those cause constipation, right? So you can only IMAGINE how backed up I was. i was taking exlax - the chocolate ones - at night. That wasn't even working. So I was taking the dulcolax suppositories, and yes, they were working...but sometimes only after using two of them. And those aren't really "fun" ya know. So my pain doc suggested using the Senna (which is the generic senokot). Two every morning. Sure, they helped a bit...but not well enough. I was still straining, but having a movement ever 3 days. Still tummy aches though, so it wasn't enough.

On a whim, I was talking to my pain doc also about the muscle spasms and the restless legs I was having and neither of us wanted me on "another pill" so he asked if I took magnesium. Yes, I did...one pill every evening. He asked how many mg's that was. Well, I didn't kow...but he said the "average" was 250 mg's per pill...which wasn't enough to stop the restless legs and spasms. So he wanted me to take 1000 mg's. So, that's what I did...AND YOWSA!!!! Did my bowels ever start MOVING! I had absolutely NO IDEA what was wrong with me. I thought I had ecoli, cuz I had eaten spinach quite a bit lately and I thought I had bought a package of that "tainted stuff" ya know. I had NO IDEA I wasn't supposed to start taking 1000 mg's all at once, but "wean myself" onto it. So...that's what happened when you don't wean yourself!

I did that for about 3 weeks. Ended up going to my MD cuz I got my very first hemmorhoids and everything (does that mean I'm a GROWNUP now?). Finally posted cuz I figured I sholdn't be embarassed anymore about "those" issues, and someone read about the magnesium, referenced "whatcha think Milk of MAGnesia is?" and I felt silly...did some googling, and WELLA! Yeah, i figured it out myself. Cut the magnesium OUT for a few days, then went back to 750 mg's and started the senna back up, 2 pills in the am....so that's my maintenance now....2 senna's and 750 mg's of magnesium...and I'm scootin just fine now. Sure, now and again I'll need a dulcolax suppository...but only about once a week/10 days as opposed to a pack a week like before!

That's what worked for ME. Everyone is different...and I learned the hard way. LOL! Sometimes that's how we learn though! There is also a tea (if you like tea) called (crud....PAIN BRAIN POPPING IN!!!!) never mind...I'll edit later when I figure ot the STUPID NAME! It's supposed to be very healing....the natives had a special way of drinking it....comes ina green bag.....spelled different than it sounds....MATE....native....something like that??? GRRRR! Someone else will probably know it before I can figure it out. I think I hve some at work here. I'll go fetch it and post it later.

Anyway, it's said to be "magical" and very healthy for hte brain, heart, eetc when it's drank regularly.

NATIVA MATE!!! that's it! Yerba mate???? Cru....its one of those. Anyway, guess I should drink more cuz my brain could certainly use it, huh? LOL!

So much for my scatterbrained input! I'll go back tot he rsd forum where I belong! LOL!

Hugs
LisaM