So of course we all know Docusate Sodium is the official name of good old fashioned stool softeners.

Saw my CRS yesterday -- I have news on that but not now -- and he's concerned, as am I, with the hard tipped bm's I'm still getting. I've been using docusate sodium (generic brand red pills) 1 a day 100 mg, every day for last few weeks and, of course, have found they do, indeed, make the stools softer.

CRS called them useless. Yikes. I just don't see how he can say that, as it seems to be a very proven product and has been helping me.

Anyhow, I'll try to take more MOM or Restoralax (what they call Miralax here in Canada) on a regular basis. Hopefully not a full serving will be needed, but enough to help reach perfectly soft stool. It really sucks to be going through this. I've always had a problem with hard stool and constipation.

I've heard MOM on a regular basis is tough on the gut. I haven't tried Restoralax in over a year, alas, if I recall correctly my outter rectum starts to sort of burn/hurt if I take these sort of laxatives (not stool softener) on a regular basis. The main ingredient in Restoralax, etc is (polyethylene glycol 3350.)

I've done a bit of Google research and apparently stool softener and polyethylene glycol 3350 together isn't going to be too hard on the system. If I couldn't take both frankly I'd probably rather double up on the docusate sodium.

I've been trying, since my Dec 1st operation, to avoid using laxatives on a regular basis -- and I know they are a Godsend to many of you -- but here I am.

Anyhow, onwards and upwards right. Plus, good news, this was my 3 month checkup with CRS and LIS completely healed, plus he did an internal exam. However, the LIS related skin tags turn out to be related to the hemorrhoidectomy. I wasn't expecting that, more later.

PS. I'm wondering if part of my constipation could be due to stomach acid? I have only a bit of knowlege about HCL, here's a link to respected brand Amazon page. The first review by Amazongeek505 brought up some good points.

http://www.amazon.com/Now-Foods-Betaine ... ywords=hcl

PPS. And don't get me started on how badly my ankles are killing me.

Turk's Mom

Hi Turk the cat, I'm glad to hear your LIS is completely healed! I'm 2 days pre-LIS (eek!) so I don't know if my routine will change or not after that (probably not?), but I will say that when I first got my fissure last May, I was just on ducosate sodium, 100mg twice a day. I did notice a positive difference with it, but it also was a little irregular for me. When I started taking Miralax in addition, it really helped me immensely. My retears became much less frequent (though they are still happening on occasion, hence the LIS--I am just too tight down there) on Miralax, and I also have found that it lets me eat a wider range of food. I usually go twice a day, so I decided to try taking 1/2 a dose of Miralax morning and night, and that seems to work well for me. Just thought I'd share my experience in case it helps!

Thanks Tigerbutt (hey, we're a couple of cats!) and best of luck to you.

I don't know why your CRS would say sodium docusate is useless. He could be wrong! We all know that different things work with different people. SD gave me gas, so I had to give it up. I'm sure most people never get gas when they take it. Maybe SD works for you, but not for other people your CRS has worked with?

Anyway, the most important thing is the effect you are noticing. If it softens your stools, it works for you. You do need to cure that dry hard tip though.

I found kondremul mineral oil to be very helpful in that I never had the plug effect when I was taking it. I did get a lot of warnings from others on this site, about not using it long term and not taking it last thing at night because it's important not to inhale it. So I stopped using it. But I would start taking it again if I needed to. I'd make sure to take it in the mornings though.

I'm so glad your LIS is healed. That is great news! Has your pain gone? How are you doing generally?

I had terrible trouble with the hard tip - the only way I could cure it was to use high dose magnesium tablets :) hope that helps

Hi Pained. I am interested in magnesium tablets, having only taken powder thus far. What sort of dose, type of mag were you taking if you recall.

I've been taking Natural Calm magnesium citrate (MC as we call it around my household) since mid December, I've found it quite beneficial and, well, calming. Over a week or so I was using 2 - 3 tsp once daily. I found it to be too effective, so backed off. Funny enough when I saw CRS and mentioned I was taking MC (something I thought he would dissaprove of, for some reason) he thought that was great and encouraged me to continue to use 1 tsp daily. I've usually been taking 1.5 tsp. Hmmm, maybe I'll up the dosage of this and start taking just say, 1 tbsp of MOM daily, which is pretty minor. I realize these are both magnesium products, but with different properties.

I've also been drinking, a few times weekly, a green smoothie in the evening which has great lubricative properties. I use frozen kale, frozen very ripe banana, pear (my secret weapon! pear is amazing for fiber), 1 tbsp flax. Good stuff. I was having a smoothie every morning, but lost interest.

Dr Mercola interesting article on magnesium

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/artic ... efits.aspx

Scientist2516 wrote:
I found kondremul mineral oil to be very helpful in that I never had the plug effect when I was taking it. I did get a lot of warnings from others on this site, about not using it long term and not taking it last thing at night because it's important not to inhale it. So I stopped using it. But I would start taking it again if I needed to. I'd make sure to take it in the mornings though.

Hello Scientist. I love hearing from you.

I really should try some mineral oil. I read one page tonight that said not to take with stool softeners.

Here's a fact sheet I found about Kondremul (btw, that is just the brand name eh? This particular one doesn't have different properties then other mineral oils?) I didn't know mineral oil contained Carrageenan, which was recently in the news for being in many brands of almond milk.

http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/fd ... m?id=26570

The difference with kondremul is that it is not just oil, it is an emulsion of oil and water, so it really mixes well with the stool. Also it has vanilla flavouring which makes it taste nice, and much easier to swallow.
Carageenan is just a thickener - it's an extract from seaweed, and harmless. I get annoyed when I see carrageenan in yoghurt and whipping cream, because I don't like unnecessary adulteration. But in something like mineral oil I don't really care.

But you are right, Kondremul does have a lot of ingredients, and if that bothers you, take straight mineral oil.
I imagine that you aren't supposed to mix it with stool softeners because you get to a point where absorption of nutrients is seriously compromised.

hi Turk :)

I am taking 400mg magnesium tablets (they say high dose on the pack) and I started off with one a day which wasn't enough for me so I now take one with lunch and one with dinner. If perchance I eat something iffy, or feel like I am going to have a bad one, I take an extra one before tea. (this is A LOT of magnesium!)

This particular one that works wonders for me is Wagners brand Magnesium Forte Daily
It has 3 types of magnesium in it - Magnesium Oxide, Phosphate and amino acid chelate which adds up to 400mg of elemental magnesium.

I have done a fair amount of research on overuse and high doses of magnesium and the only real side effect I can find is diahrea. You can have a heart issue if you over dose, but I found nothing anywhere of anyone overdosing.

I presume most of us are aware but will point it out anyway, the magnesium does fight with calcium for absorption so you should take calcium too if you are taking magnesium

Hope that helps x