I have been concerned about the number of board members who use laxatives on a regular basis for the reasons listed in that article. After reading comments of so many on the board I looked for natural alternatives to use i.e. diet.
In order to digest food, and keep our bodies "hydrated" we all should be drinking a minimum of 8 glasses of water per day, along with a balanced diet which includes "fibre foods". I have also read many comments on the board that high fibre is too painful etc & they opt for a "softer diet".
I use chinese herbal therapies and one of the things I do in the shower each morning is to massage my stomach. Starting on the right side above the belly button with one hand placed over the other I rub my tummy from right to left in a circular motion going down to the pubic bone and then back up above my belly button. This circular massage needs to be of a minimum of 100 rotations & really doesn't take as long as it sounds! LOL The chinese believe that heat is very theraputic.....western medicine does too....we all use heat packs or heating pads here on the board.
This massage works in two ways according to my therapist, firstly the heat generated by the friction of my hands rubbing my skin in a constant motion sooths my pain, the massage also encourages a "lazy bowel" to start moving.
I eat a bowel of muslei like cereal every morning & have a minimum of two to three servings of fresh fruit & vegetables per day. I have only needed to use laxatives for short periods when I was heavily medicated immediately after surgery.
If you have been using laxatives for such a long time, it will take time to "re-train" your bowel habits. I would stronly urge you to discuss this problem with your doctor, and perhaps speak to a dietician.
Good luck, cheers, Jo
P.S. Toni, I have also been diagnosed with "IBS" and had to "retrain" my bowel, it does take a little time. For a quick heat fix to pain....rub your hands together vigerously until you can feel the heat in them, then place your hands on your skin where you feel pain. I use this when not at home...it does help :-)
At Thu, 2 Aug 2001, toni welsh wrote:
>
>At Wed, 1 Aug 2001, Helen Dynda wrote:
>>
>> [] LAXATIVE
>>
>> http://my.webmd.com/content/dmk/dmk_article_1458253
>>
>> Laxative is any substance that speeds the emptying of the bowels (intestines). Laxatives are often used in the treatment or prevention of constipation (infrequent bowel movements).
>>
>> Q: What substances are used as laxatives?
>>
>> A: There are three main groups of laxatives, which differ in the way they affect the intestine. The group most commonly used acts by irritating the bowel wall or by direct nerve (neuronal) stimulation, causing a contraction and expulsion of the feces. Senna and cascara are examples of this type and are found in many commercial preparations.
>>
>> A second group of laxatives acts by attracting water from the body into the intestine, increasing the volume of feces. Milk of magnesia, Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate), and Glauber's salts (sodium sulfate) are common examples.
>>
>> The third group, referred to as bulk laxatives, acts as a stimulant to defecation by swelling the contents of the intestine. Bran, vegetable fiber, and general roughage are all bulk laxatives. The diet of many people in Western countries is deficient in these bulk substances; this deficiency may lead to constipation as well as other disorders, such as colorectal cancer.
>>
>> Q: What are the dangers of using laxatives?
>>
>> A: Laxatives should not be taken continually over long periods of time because the bowels may become lazy and fail to function on their own. (This is especially true of laxatives that irritate the bowel wall.) Permanent damage to the colon can occur with laxative abuse. Laxatives may also cause side effects in other parts of the body, including chemical and nutritional disturbances.
>>
>> Q: Should laxatives be used to treat all forms of constipation?
>>
>> A: No. Laxatives should never be used if constipation suddenly occurs or if it is accompanied by abdominal pain or fever. In such a case, there may be an intestinal obstruction or appendicitis, and laxatives are likely to make the condition worse. A physician should be consulted.
>
>Hello!
>I had copied this yesterday, and told my husband it seems that senna is
>the hardest on the bowels, I have been taking it now for over three
>years, and the pain and feeling in the colon is getting ALOT worse. I
>had to take it again this evening, but without it the bowels do not
>move, and the pain is alot worse. I have been taking it every other day
>this week, and I am scared after reading this post on laxatives! It all
>makes alot of sense, and if laxatives cause lazy bowel, what can they do
>for you?
>
>I still get the terrble pain and very hard on the left side after taking
>the senekot, and if the stool does not get past that area on the left
>side , the pressure is VERY VERY hard. I end up yelling for doug when
>this happens, I just wish I could find something to get bowels to moe
>the way they should without these dumb laxatives!!! The constricting and
>hard feeling in the pelvis is very annoying!!
>
>Toni
-- Try this!..........Smile as often as you can at those you love..... and to strangers in the street.
The rewards are many.