The FDA just put PEG laxatives on a postmarketing watch for negative side effects:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread105698.html

Miralax has been OTC about 2 yrs now.

I hate to bring it up, but posters here should know this.

Also, I don't recommend senna for everyday use. It has been implicated in colon cancer.

Magnesium supplements like mag oxide will provide some gentle action. Phillips makes an oral tablet now:
http://phillipsrelief.com/caplets.html

The magnesium in this has been shown to not be well absorbed into the blood stream, by studies. 4% has been reported.
So the RDA listed is pretty meaningless for this product in reality. Saline cathartics like magnesium don't as a rule need a stool softener.

Thank you Mrs. D!!! Phillips makes an oral magnesium!? Hated taste of drinking it, will keep Phillip's oral Tabs in house for "in case". You always have good info.!!!

Thanks for the info. Looks like we could be not only constipated but also nutty with the wrong med.

gmi

I've been searching this.... looking for more info.
This is what I found:

http://www.danasview.net/miralax.htm

This concerns children, but some of the mechanism may pertain to adults.

I ran across one person on an IBS forum who claims it gave them a seizure.

So there must be something to it...or the FDA wouldn't have included it in the list to watch. I could not find a listing for it on Patientsville.com which typically is a very good resource for post marketing reactions to drugs.

Just a question - did any of your doctors give you ideas of foods that you can eat to help with this problem? One of the emergency room doctor's recommended peaches and spinach salad while avoiding cheese and apples. My DD still has a small spinach salad every day and thankfully it is still helping. I buy a bag of baby spinach, triple washed, so it's the easiest thing in the world to give her with dinner each night. Just wish this suggestion was given to me 4 years ago, it would have saved her a lot of pain! Maybe you can ask your doctors for food recommendations that would help in addition to the medications? Being an adult, we need more than just foods to help us but maybe the food might help a little. Now if we could just find out what food we can eat to cure our MS - something with chocolate would be good!

Washing spinach is the main reason I don't eat it fresh. I will look for the triple washed stuff now.

Thanks for the pointer.

gmi

I have noticed that since starting it, I feel like I have a UTI coming on. I am scheduled to go pee in a cup, and be tested if they can fit me in today.

I too asked the GI guy if it says 2 weeks, why would I keep taking it? He suggested that its perfectly safe to keep taking.

Good Gravy! if its not one thing, its another. now we have to cure the side effects from the meds we take to treat the diseases. round and round we go. Should I be worried about taking this long term? I would prefer to not take anything!

There are some other alternatives too.

I recall once a young boy who had a kidney transplant who couldn't take regular laxatives for some reason. His grandmother gave him a tablespoonful of extra virgin olive oil... and it worked!
She claimed it never fails!

Another thing is sorbitol. This sweetener is found in dietetic candies. You have to read the labels. But it is also in chewing gum and over use of that will loosen people up. My son had that reaction on 1/2 roll of PEZ sugar free. And it was even on an episode of House once! I had a reaction to Cherry Cordial kisses by Hershey...they now have sorbitol in them. So that would be one way to get your chocolate and also your laxative! heheheheheh.

mrsD - will keep those ideas in mind!

went pee in the cup at the MD office. NO infection, so...its gotta be the miralax causing spasm of the bladder.

dont ya just love it.