Magnesium, daily, (make sure it does not contain calcium) . . . check out this fact sheet: link

Eating yogurt regularly can also help. As can moderate exercise such as walking.

Leave all artificial sweeteners on the shelves at the grocery store! My gastroenterologist (I deal with Crohn's/colitis) says they are toxic to the digestive system.

MiraLAX is toxic! I have spent some time investigating this as my partner deals with constipation. Spend a little time googling "miralax toxicity" and you will be better informed about this chemical and what it can do to your body. It can affect the central nervous system . . . and believe me, you don't want to add that to whatever is causing you pain right now! On top of which it will strip your gut of good bacteria . . . just what you are trying to re-establish when you eat yogurt and take probiotics!

Link about MiraLAX



My partner takes the recommended daily dose of MagnaSorb. It contains magnesium chloride and magnesium stearate, some of the more bio-available forms of magnesium. She gets it at a natural/health food store. She finds fresh pineapple (great fiber) and dried chunk coconut help too, also high in fiber. If things get really slow or stopped, she will take one bottle of magnesium citrate (about 10 oz.) that you can get in any pharmacy department. You can even use epsom salts solutions, but we have not tried that. The results can be pretty dramatic, and can include some cramping as you empty out. Don't take magnesium citrate solution if you have to go anywhere . . . once it works you need to be near an available restroom!

I hope that helps. I have the opposite problem permanently: I had to have my entire colon and rectum removed 11 years ago . . . and everything I pass is loose. I take daily immodium and have to avoid the high fiber stuff due to other issues.

I take Calcium every day with Vit D as part of my vitamin therapy my family doc has me on. We have a lot of osteoporosis in our family and my doc wanted me on this. So is Magnesium safe to take with this?? Miralax scares me. I don't want any laxatives.

Magnesium oxide is in the Crystal light powders used to flavor water.

Check your labels carefully. Magnesium Oxide is there for anti-caking of the powder. It will cause a laxative action in some people.

Also sorbitol is often hidden in foods that are not advertised to diabetics as lower sugar. You need to read labels for it as well.
Hershey's has it in some of its Kisses! So does Whitmans and Russell Stover in their caramels and nougats.
Sorbitol besides being a humectant (moisture preserving for foods and candy) is a laxative. It has been implicated in causing symptoms of IBS. When I talked to Hershey's about this on the phone, they said they do not have to put "sorbitol" on the label in a conspicuous location, unless it has 50grams or more per serving. That is the FDA rule. 50grams is quite a bit...so sorbitol is just listed in the ingredients...and easy to overlook.

It is really important these days to read food labels carefully.