This is a really frustrating problem I have been having. I was taking Colace, 1 tab a day, for a week... But I stopped because I didn't want my bowel to become dependent on it. Now, I have been having hard stools daily, an I don't know what to do. I've tried taking in more fiber, drinking more water. Are there any other suggestions?

Also, I have a cold right now. I don't know if that would affect things, but it is probably worth mentioning.

Hi,
I would highly recommend Movicol it has been my life saver & it doesn't make the bowel lazy. It takes water from your body to help you have a tooth paste like bowel movement.

Im with Edel on the Movicol/Miralax, it really works wonders, but my recommendation would be to take as low a dose as possible in the shortest amount of time. According to most "professionals", this stool softener is safe, even for longer periods of time. I dont trust this for one second but thats just my opinion. I do however use it my self as in my case it works so well, with so few sideeffects (so far) that the relief from fissure hell greatly outshines the longterm consequenses which may og may not occur.

Are you getting enough Magnesium? If not then you might want to give that a shot. At least one dose a day with some water. Theres a lot of different types of Mg on the marked. From what I have found on the web, it seems to me that Magnesium citrate is the way to go in this case. Fast absorbation and high bioavailability yet with a noticeable increase of the water percentage in ones stools. I have some on its way so I will give it a go soon. So far Im using Mg (chelated) Glycinate which has a very low effect on stools but otherwise is a really great form of Mg as I was/am taking it for reasons unrelated to my bowel.

Hi esosindra, movicol/ Miralax was a god send for me too. I was able to cure my fissure with that. Movicol/ Miralax is not habit forming and it is not absorbed by the body. What it does is pull enough water into your stool to make it soft. Start with one dose at night and see if it works, if not increase to 2 dose a day until you get a tooth paste consistence. You can take it until you feel good again without any problem. is safe believe me. I am not taking Miralax any more and I didn't have any problem to leave it. Don't forget you have to drink a lot of water ( at least 2 liters a day) and eat plenty of fiber. Don't let your stools to become hard otherwise the fissure will not be able to close. Don't be afraid to take it. You need a stool softener until you fissure is healed. Are you using an ointment for fissures too? ( dialtizem , nitro...)

go to your vitamin store - buy Magnesium Citrate (must be citrate), take 500 to 600 mg a day. It is cheap and it works, no bowel dependency. I threw out my colace and movicol.

Sorry to say it but magnesium citrate is not a mild laxative, and it is habit forming. These are some of the side effects:
".If this product is used too frequently, it may cause loss of normal bowel function and an inability to have a bowel movement without using the product (laxative dependence). If you notice symptoms of overuse, such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, decreased weight, or weakness, contact your doctor promptly.Avoid taking tetracycline/quinolone antibiotics (e.g., doxycycline, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin) within 2 hours before or after this product. Doing so may decrease the effect of the antibiotic.If this product fails to produce a bowel movement, or if you think you may have a serious medical problem, contact your doctor promptly.

Movicol was recommended to me a something that was ok for long term use and it really has made a huge difference to me.

Prune Juice and ..................time. No stool softner for me just the Metamucil and lots of water.

Thank you for the answers, everyone!

I have tried Miralax, and all that really did was make me nauseated for a few hours and didn't make a change in my stool. But, I did realize that after drinking a bottle of Vitamin Water (which has Magnesium in it) I could feel things moving around and then the next day I had a fairly soft stool. Maybe it is Magnesium that I need?

You should try whatever feels right for you. Not every body is the same and what it works for some doesn't work for others. What is important here is that you could get soft BMs. If the magnesium stuff is working for you. I will say use it. Just a word of caution, Miralax is not going to work instantly it will need from 48 to 72 hours (2 to 3 days) to work. You should start with one dose at night see if it works, and if not take one in the morning and one at night.