Laxatives abuse
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Were you 100% clear with your doctor that you've been abusing laxatives to this degree, and why?1
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I don't think that one could survive taking 20 laxatives a day for four years. Everything that you eat would be running through you.
OP, if you really took this many laxatives which ones did you take? Did you tell your doctor about your laxative abuse?
As someone that has suffered from chronic constipation I know that it is not pleasant. However I gave up taking laxatives a long time ago and now deal with it through my diet. I also will use psyllium husk and on very rare extreme occasions I will use a suppository. Laxatives in my opinion are too harsh and while they might solve the problem immediately they leave you with other problems to deal with.
How has taking so many affected your weight? You are or possibly already have stripped your body of elimination by natural means if you have truly taken this many laxatives.
I want to adjust my diet to help my body but don't know what I should be eating and not gain weight? I was taking tablet ducozal0 -
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I don't think that one could survive taking 20 laxatives a day for four years. Everything that you eat would be running through you.
OP, if you really took this many laxatives which ones did you take? Did you tell your doctor about your laxative abuse?
As someone that has suffered from chronic constipation I know that it is not pleasant. However I gave up taking laxatives a long time ago and now deal with it through my diet. I also will use psyllium husk and on very rare extreme occasions I will use a suppository. Laxatives in my opinion are too harsh and while they might solve the problem immediately they leave you with other problems to deal with.
How has taking so many affected your weight? You are or possibly already have stripped your body of elimination by natural means if you have truly taken this many laxatives.
Fiber very often hurts the issue more then helps it. It finally took realizing that digestive enzymes (that contain ox bile in addition to all of the other enzymes) are absolutely key to dealing with this issue successfully (eventually you do not need them anymore) and magnesium as well can help. But the enzymes are an absolute must for actually fixing the "why." You might give it a try.
OP, as one who abused laxatives as part of an eating disorder in the past, you have to deal with this issue correctly. I do know people who have chronically taken laxatives because they were chronically constipated (no ED). If that is why you started taking them, then fix the underlying issue. I posted two good methods of doing so above. If you were taking them as a method of trying to manage your weight, then you need greater help then your GP is going to give you. Get with an ED specialist and get some help that way. While you still have to deal with the rebound effect of the laxatives, you have to deal with the mental reason(s) you were taking them in the first place. Get a better doctor.
It takes awhile to undo the damage from laxative abuse so you should plan on 6 months to a year of guided help (either from a doctor or dietician) for your body to right itself. Enzymes and magnesium will help your body right itself, but they won't fix the mental aspects of abusing them. You need help for that.1 -
Wow that's bad. I'm a former laxative abuser myself (as part of anorexia b/p) and it took a long time to fix the damage and I didn't abuse them nearly as long as you did. Not to scare you but I now have crohn's disease which I link to my former laxative abuse (no Dr has though).0
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Doctors are absolutely terrible when it comes to digestive issues. I've been through every test under the sun and they can't come to any conclusion about my constant chronic constipation. Tried every prescription and nothing works. Only thing that makes me go is a laxative. I don't take them every day though. Psyllium unfortunately did nothing for me. Probiotics did nothing for me. As someone else mentioned, more fiber made it worse. Sorry you're going through that. It's awful.0
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kaykaur6703 wrote: »I don't think that one could survive taking 20 laxatives a day for four years. Everything that you eat would be running through you.
OP, if you really took this many laxatives which ones did you take? Did you tell your doctor about your laxative abuse?
As someone that has suffered from chronic constipation I know that it is not pleasant. However I gave up taking laxatives a long time ago and now deal with it through my diet. I also will use psyllium husk and on very rare extreme occasions I will use a suppository. Laxatives in my opinion are too harsh and while they might solve the problem immediately they leave you with other problems to deal with.
How has taking so many affected your weight? You are or possibly already have stripped your body of elimination by natural means if you have truly taken this many laxatives.
I want to adjust my diet to help my body but don't know what I should be eating and not gain weight? I was taking tablet ducozal
Your weight is and should be the least of your problems. Fix the laxative abuse...get your body back on track...then lose weight in a healthy manner.
Please answer honestly...did you start taking the laxatives to help you lose weight? Until you answer that question honestly to yourself you can't begin to fix the problem.
As far as what you should be eating...there are different routes for different people. Best thing that you can do is to see a doctor and get a referral to a registered dietician and be completely honest with them about what you are doing to yourself.
Here is a place to start reading...
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/laxative-abuse-some-basic-facts2 -
Raw veg fruit is a startronjsteele1 wrote: »I don't think that one could survive taking 20 laxatives a day for four years. Everything that you eat would be running through you.
OP, if you really took this many laxatives which ones did you take? Did you tell your doctor about your laxative abuse?
As someone that has suffered from chronic constipation I know that it is not pleasant. However I gave up taking laxatives a long time ago and now deal with it through my diet. I also will use psyllium husk and on very rare extreme occasions I will use a suppository. Laxatives in my opinion are too harsh and while they might solve the problem immediately they leave you with other problems to deal with.
How has taking so many affected your weight? You are or possibly already have stripped your body of elimination by natural means if you have truly taken this many laxatives.
Fiber very often hurts the issue more then helps it. It finally took realizing that digestive enzymes (that contain ox bile in addition to all of the other enzymes) are absolutely key to dealing with this issue successfully (eventually you do not need them anymore) and magnesium as well can help. But the enzymes are an absolute must for actually fixing the "why." You might give it a try.
OP, as one who abused laxatives as part of an eating disorder in the past, you have to deal with this issue correctly. I do know people who have chronically taken laxatives because they were chronically constipated (no ED). If that is why you started taking them, then fix the underlying issue. I posted two good methods of doing so above. If you were taking them as a method of trying to manage your weight, then you need greater help then your GP is going to give you. Get with an ED specialist and get some help that way. While you still have to deal with the rebound effect of the laxatives, you have to deal with the mental reason(s) you were taking them in the first place. Get a better doctor.
It takes awhile to undo the damage from laxative abuse so you should plan on 6 months to a year of guided help (either from a doctor or dietician) for your body to right itself. Enzymes and magnesium will help your body right itself, but they won't fix the mental aspects of abusing them. You need help for that.0 -
kaykaur6703 wrote: »
Raw veg fruit is a startronjsteele1 wrote: »I don't think that one could survive taking 20 laxatives a day for four years. Everything that you eat would be running through you.
OP, if you really took this many laxatives which ones did you take? Did you tell your doctor about your laxative abuse?
As someone that has suffered from chronic constipation I know that it is not pleasant. However I gave up taking laxatives a long time ago and now deal with it through my diet. I also will use psyllium husk and on very rare extreme occasions I will use a suppository. Laxatives in my opinion are too harsh and while they might solve the problem immediately they leave you with other problems to deal with.
How has taking so many affected your weight? You are or possibly already have stripped your body of elimination by natural means if you have truly taken this many laxatives.
Fiber very often hurts the issue more then helps it. It finally took realizing that digestive enzymes (that contain ox bile in addition to all of the other enzymes) are absolutely key to dealing with this issue successfully (eventually you do not need them anymore) and magnesium as well can help. But the enzymes are an absolute must for actually fixing the "why." You might give it a try.
OP, as one who abused laxatives as part of an eating disorder in the past, you have to deal with this issue correctly. I do know people who have chronically taken laxatives because they were chronically constipated (no ED). If that is why you started taking them, then fix the underlying issue. I posted two good methods of doing so above. If you were taking them as a method of trying to manage your weight, then you need greater help then your GP is going to give you. Get with an ED specialist and get some help that way. While you still have to deal with the rebound effect of the laxatives, you have to deal with the mental reason(s) you were taking them in the first place. Get a better doctor.
It takes awhile to undo the damage from laxative abuse so you should plan on 6 months to a year of guided help (either from a doctor or dietician) for your body to right itself. Enzymes and magnesium will help your body right itself, but they won't fix the mental aspects of abusing them. You need help for that.
The best start would be for you to be completely honest with your doctor so you can begin a treatment plan (for the physical and emotional side of your laxative abuse) immediately.1 -
ladyreva78 wrote: »kaykaur6703 wrote: »ladyreva78 wrote: »kaykaur6703 wrote: »ladyreva78 wrote: »Yes, but did the doctor tell you to take that many over that long a time period?
He gave me month supply but said if no better come back
So you kept going for years instead of going back? When you ran out, what did you do? Went back to the doctor and he gave you a new 1 month supply?
In your original post, you said years! not a month. Or did you mean 4 weeks? In which case you still need to go back to your doctor and talk to him. Permanently taking laxatives for constipation just doesn't work. You need to deal with the underlying issue.
I brought my own laxatives for yrs never went to doctors to get them. 7 days today I've stop taking them but feeling bloated constipated and went to my doctor today for help and he say take laxdio and immediately stop taking what you have been and never take them again, I hope I make sense now
I just...
Did the doctor explain his treatment plan to you? Does he even have a long term treatment plan to help you? Because getting over laxative abuse is not as simple as changing laxatives... You need to retrain your bowl to actually work on its own after years of having an external trigger and I wouldn't try to do that without at least the help of a registered dietician who can help you figure out the necessary food/fiber intake.
Maybe ask your doctor to refer you to a specialist for eating disorders (laxative abuse is often linked with EDs because it's seen as a quick and easy way to eliminate calories - which it doesn't). And before you get upset, I'm not saying you have an ED, I'm saying you might find the specialized knowledge needed to help you there. Usually, treatment for laxative abuse will include a psychologist, a dietician and a doctor.
So please, either see another doctor or at the very least ask your current one to refer you to a registered dietician. I don't see how simply switching from one laxative (OTC I suspect) to another one (not recommended for use of more than 2 weeks) will solve your problem long term.
She clearly only told the doctor that she was constipated and bloated, not that she was addicted to laxatives.
You should go back to the doctor and tell them the truth,that you need help getting over this addiction.1 -
i don't have any advice that hasn't already been offered in this thread- obviously you need competent medical advice and supervision to kick this.
Just wanted to say you're not alone in this. I've been abusing laxatives for about a year now and am currently trying, with the help of a therapist, to cut back from taking 30-50 a day. It's really hard, not gonna lie.
Best of luck to you in your recovery!
Good luck to you aswell, but did u have weigh gain did u change diet? Any info is welcome0 -
Am I the only person who does't think this is real?
Because realistically if you were taking 20 laxatives every day for four years, wouldn't you just be hunched over in bed or on the toilet all day? How on earth would you function? And what doctor in their right mind would prescribe MORE laxatives...???
But if this is real, then listen to the people above. Becoming dependent on laxatives and laxative abuse is not good. Be honest with yourself and your caregiver. Your intestinal tract will thank you.
I have no idea if this particular post is real or not, but some people who abuse laxatives long term find that they need to take more and more of them to get the same effect. So a dose that would be debilitating and painful to someone else wouldn't be to them. You build up a tolerance, just like you can do with other drugs.
Edit: "Tolerance" doesn't mean this is healthy. This is still seriously dangerous.3 -
kaykaur6703 wrote: »
Yes I was clear but I think he didn't have much clue what to say part from about me being constipated, my body is swollen my faces is, ppl comment on my faces say it looks bigger
are you bulimic as well? facial swelling is common.
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Am I the only person who does't think this is real?
Because realistically if you were taking 20 laxatives every day for four years, wouldn't you just be hunched over in bed or on the toilet all day? How on earth would you function? And what doctor in their right mind would prescribe MORE laxatives...???
But if this is real, then listen to the people above. Becoming dependent on laxatives and laxative abuse is not good. Be honest with yourself and your caregiver. Your intestinal tract will thank you.
Laxative dependency. After a while, 4 doesn't work. Patient takes 6... Then 6 stops working, and so on.
OP most likely stopped them on her own (that was not the right thing to do), immediately got constipated, then went back to the doctor complaining about being constipated (leaving out the dependency issue) to get more pills.
OP needs to go to another doctor now before they end up in the emergency room.3 -
My guess would be that you need a doctor that specializes in this behavior so they are better qualified to treat it.2
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Good lord. Please see a doctor. I don't know if anyone here is qualified to help with this problem.1
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Am I the only person who does't think this is real?
Because realistically if you were taking 20 laxatives every day for four years, wouldn't you just be hunched over in bed or on the toilet all day? How on earth would you function? And what doctor in their right mind would prescribe MORE laxatives...???
But if this is real, then listen to the people above. Becoming dependent on laxatives and laxative abuse is not good. Be honest with yourself and your caregiver. Your intestinal tract will thank you.
I assumed that like most addictions, people would build up a tolerance. I am happy to admit that I don't know for sure though.3 -
cerise_noir wrote: »Am I the only person who does't think this is real?
Because realistically if you were taking 20 laxatives every day for four years, wouldn't you just be hunched over in bed or on the toilet all day? How on earth would you function? And what doctor in their right mind would prescribe MORE laxatives...???
But if this is real, then listen to the people above. Becoming dependent on laxatives and laxative abuse is not good. Be honest with yourself and your caregiver. Your intestinal tract will thank you.
Laxative dependency. After a while, 4 doesn't work. Patient takes 6... Then 6 stops working, and so on.
OP most likely stopped them on her own (that was not the right thing to do), immediately got constipated, then went back to the doctor complaining about being constipated (leaving out the dependency issue) to get more pills.
OP needs to go to another doctor now before they end up in the emergency room.
Super good point that's definitely true. If I took 20 laxatives I think I'd keel over since I'm not currently dependent on them.
It's scary stuff. My niece had to do a program with a psych (eating disorder) to cut down and worked with a dietitian as well. It was a long path, but all is well now as she got help.
OP needs help. NOW.1 -
It never hurts to dig a little deeper on these things. You may gain knowledge that will help you help someone else with a similar problem. Laxative abuse is a real issue.
https://nationaleatingdisorders.org/laxative-abuse-some-basic-facts0
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