Natural Calm Magnesium is what I use for 5 years without any issues. Vitamin C can be found in multiple forms, as ascorbic acid which is pure Vitamin C and tastes horrible or sodium ascorbate, potassium ascorbate, etc. I use a buffered form from Thorne or Hydro-C from Ageless Nutrition - both with great success.

Go to the health food store tell them you want magnesium for consitpation

Thanks so much guys that's really useful.

Suemac your just like me eat right but when ever you stop softners stools go hard again it's so frustrating isn't it. Abu I went to the doctor today I'm getting full blood tests testing all my organs he reckons and taking a stool sample he wants to check for any bacterial infection or parasites because of my history I told you about with the mucus and pain

Good to hear this Missy. I wish you all the best and healing.

Thanks Abu I'm hoping this will be the answer to the hard stools and I can heal and fix my gut and get my fissure healed and then get my life back on track, thanks heaps I'll keep you updated :)

Good luck missy and let us know. I am like you but I have an underactive thyroid which could be cause behind my sluggish guts! My gp has not put me on medication because I am not overweight if anything I’m under weight and I am not tired. But I do have other symptoms like feeling the cold so when I next have my routine bloods maybe I will go on medication and maybe it will help my bowels. My husband can’t believe it as he sees what I eat and says how can you have hard stools!!!

I'm on 3 doses of movicol and can have diarrhea and then hard stools mere hours later. I really, really don't get it. I have to keep to a super strict diet even with all the medication. I strongly suspect that when I get Botox, I'll be pooping myself and need to cut back. If my fissure were healed I'm thinking my BM would be fine on smaller doses. I've now accepted veggies are my life and I'll be on a stool softener forever. I'm debating about asking the doctor for Resotrans for IBS C which will make me stay regular. But alas I'm still on the fence.

I've discovered I'm not hypothyroid so there goes that idea. Now my hope is when I get this umbilical hernia fixed up, that solves things. But my intestines aren't impacted by it so who knows.

When's your botox scheduled for okaybum?
That is tricky. I find it I keep to half to one sachet of movicol a day I'm on an even keel with perfect stools. I cannot get off movicol no matter what I eat or drink but I think many of us are in this position?
Yeah the hernia probably won't be affecting your bowels but at least you can have the sorted and out the way! When's your hernia op?

Crs said she'd heal the fissure first, hernia later this year. Right now my pre-op appt is June 4th, and I'll get my surgery date after then.