Laxatives abuse

Been taking laxatives 4 yrs 20 a day!! How do I go stopping? I brought psyllium husk to take is this good idea or bad?
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Replies

  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,207 Member
    You need to speak with a professional, both for the psychological reasons for the abuse, and a medical professional for advice from coming off of them.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    you need to see a doctor
  • tiptoethruthetulips
    tiptoethruthetulips Posts: 3,371 Member
    On another thread you have not long ago posted that you were seeing a doctor today, I think you need to also discuss your use of laxatives, don't hold back, make sure you tell the doctor how many you take per day.

  • DietVanillaCoke
    DietVanillaCoke Posts: 259 Member
    As other have said, you need to see a GP. It will be a great start to your journey talking to one honestly about your past and what you should be doing in the future.
  • kaykaur6703
    kaykaur6703 Posts: 52 Member
    Doctor gave me. laxido for conspitian
  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
    Yes, but did the doctor tell you to take that many over that long a time period?
  • 3rdof7sisters
    3rdof7sisters Posts: 486 Member
    Doctor gave me. laxido for conspitian


    Get a second opinion from another doctor. This sounds like a lot of laxatives to me, and for 4 years? Find another doctor to get another opinion.
  • kaykaur6703
    kaykaur6703 Posts: 52 Member
    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
  • kaykaur6703
    kaykaur6703 Posts: 52 Member
    Doctor gave me. laxido for conspitian


    Get a second opinion from another doctor. This sounds like a lot of laxatives to me, and for 4 years? Find another doctor to get another opinion.

    It's a month supply laxdio
  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
    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.
  • kaykaur6703
    kaykaur6703 Posts: 52 Member
    ladyreva78 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
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    ladyreva78 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

    you told a doctor that you'd been abusing laxatives for years and his response was 'have some more laxatives'.... really?!
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    20 a day for 4 years? Don't go to a regular doctor. Go to a liver specialist.
  • 3rdof7sisters
    3rdof7sisters Posts: 486 Member
    Laxative abuse can cause very serious health issues! You need to make your doctor aware of how long you have been taking them. Prescribing laxatives, when you have been taking them for years, is not the solution.
    Did you tell your doctor that prescribed them?
  • Sagehof
    Sagehof Posts: 19 Member
    Can really damage your body. I'd go see s doctor. Not good at all. Your body should work on its own. If you are obsessing over the number on the scale- cut down on bread, pasta & rice. That clogs the colon up. Get with it girl. That's. It good at all. You could really hurt yourself
  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
    edited February 2017
    ladyreva78 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.
  • BABYLILAC
    BABYLILAC Posts: 148 Member
    Can really damage your body. I'd go see s doctor. Not good at all. Your body should work on its own. If you are obsessing over the number on the scale- cut down on bread, pasta & rice. That clogs the colon up. Get with it girl. That's. It good at all. You could really hurt yourself
    really?
    OP your doctor is the best person to help you
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    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.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    Were you 100% clear with your doctor that you've been abusing laxatives to this degree, and why?
  • kaykaur6703
    kaykaur6703 Posts: 52 Member
    Annie_01 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
  • kaykaur6703
    kaykaur6703 Posts: 52 Member
    pinuplove wrote: »
    Were you 100% clear with your doctor that you've been abusing laxatives to this degree, and why?

    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
  • ronjsteele1
    ronjsteele1 Posts: 1,064 Member
    Annie_01 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.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    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).
  • andrea4736
    andrea4736 Posts: 211 Member
    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.
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    Annie_01 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-facts
  • kaykaur6703
    kaykaur6703 Posts: 52 Member
    Annie_01 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.
    Raw veg fruit is a start
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Annie_01 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.
    Raw veg fruit is a start

    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.
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