Does taking laxitives regularly harm my digestive system?
831176
yes...yes it does...\nbowel movements will become dependent upon them..\nsoon colon/intestines will dry out---just like a snake skin...\nand then you will have  severe problems..\n\ntake in fiber--and water....or life will be miserable later...
285921
Actually it could also be from the food being hyperosmotic (or having more solute concentration) than the cells in your stomach.  Some laxatives work this way, because they cause water to be drawn out of your tissues and into the salt solution.
525042
anything is bad on your liver if you take it everyday. you can actually get scerosis of the liver from taking alot of medications over a period of time. my friends mom died from it.\n.
989818
Interestingly, laxatives are a subset of derivatives.  "LAX" refers to the game of lacrosse.  If one takes the derivative of scoring in a Lacrosse match with respect to time, that is called taking the "laxative" of the match.
722427
I would take a stool softener and drink lots of water, not a laxative. You need something which will work through your entire digestive system from the stomach down. A suppository and enema only work from the butt up (and they don't work themselves up through the entire intestinal track). It will take a couple of days before the stool softener works, but it is the least harsh method for your problem. Good luck !
1131798
does this have anything to do with your other question about laxatives?\n\nSeriously, you seem to have a fascination with toilet issues.
1131949
Not as a rule.  Try an over the counter stool softener with a laxative.  (Ducosate sodium).  Easy to swallow and works well.  This can be taken up to 3 x a day.  Increasing water intake and exercise (esp walking)  helps.
964336
Mag Citrate can give you diarrhea, also if you eat enough ex-lax, that should do the trick too.
976968
In opposition to above, You DO NOT stop taking medications that can cause constipation.  What about the other reason, That is just nonsense.  Now to take care of your constipation. Drink lots of water and eat foods that are high in fiber or use a fiber substitute like Benefiber or Metamucil. Since you have taken a laxative, you may want to try taking a laxative that includes a stimulant like Ducolax or Sennakot.  These will help stimulate your colon to push it out.  Also, i'm sure you have probably been straining to defecate since you have been stopped up for a week.  You may want to try using a glycerin suppository as well as these ohter things to help lubricate your sphincter when your poo is on its way out.  This way you will lessen the chance of causing hemorrhoids and it wont hurt so bad.  Good luck, And drink lots of water :-)
1029814
I have had to give this to my son once....it started to work within an hour.....but lasted pretty much the whole next day. He had to miss school.....it's kind of like a whole body flush!!\n\nAfter you are all cleared out, try adding a little more fiber to the diet.....it should help keep you away from laxatives in the future.
150586
Laxatives are bad and simply cover up the bigger issue, why are you constipated in the first place?  \n\nThere are different ways that laxatives work.  \n\nOne way is preventing your large intestine from absorbing water, resulting in more lubrication in the large intestine, causing you to pass feces.  This is bad because it dehydrates you.  \n\nAnother way they work is by irritating your large intestine so much that it causes peristalsis, muscular contractions of the intestinal walls, which causes you to pass feces.  This is bad because it works by irritating your large intestine.\n\nGetting back to the big picture, eat more veggies and fruits, drink water, cut back on processed foods and too much protein and you won't need laxatives.\n\nSome people also use laxatives to lose weight.  Healthy eating and exercise is the better way to go.  \n\nOver time, regular usage of laxatives will stress your digestive system as well as your liver and kidneys, which could lead to more serious issues.  Read the potential side effects and warnings that come with the package and you'll see how bad laxatives can be.
216315
It is EXTREMELY unhealthy to try to loose weight with the use of laxatives. What happens is the laxatives put the digestive system in overdrive and the food gets pushed through the system before the system can digest it. So you end up malnourished because your body doesn't have time to get the vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates or proteins out of the food you eat and definitely doesn't have time to store any of it as fat. Since your body thinks it is starving, because of the lack of nutrients, it has to start breaking down the reserves it has stored. It will break down fat first to use for energy and when the fat runs out the body will start breaking down muscle. On top of the body basically "eating" itself in order to maintain, the digestive system gets so used to the laxatives that when you stop taking them the digestive system won't work. You end up constipated and even impacted because the bowels can no longer move on their own. It's a horrible thing to do to your body.
948295
Laxitive go to the store and get a bottle of milk of maginsa or something like that. It is a mild laxitive take like 3 or 4 table spoons thats what i use and i am 131lbs so it should be good for you. If your diet is crazy it will be to hard on your digestive system and you will get constapated a mild laxitive is cheap and it will fix the problem. You will go trust me it may take a while though eat more fiber and drink more water keep in mind though if you change your diet to more fiber and still nothing then you  may have a more serious problem and you should make someone take you to the doctor ESPECIALLY IF LAXITIVE DOES NOT WORK I HOPE I HAVE HELPED YOU AND AS LONG AS YOU DO THIS YOU SHOULD BE FINE OR AND \nONE MORE THING I ONCE BOUGHT A WHOLE BAG OF BABY CARROTS THEY HAVE SOME FIBER I ATE THE WHOLE BAG BUT DOING THIS IT TURNED THE STUFF THAT CAME OUT CARROT ORANGE BECAUSE OF THE BETA CARTIEN ANYWAY\n\n\nThe following foods are good sources of fiber: \n\nWhole grains (bran has the highest fiber content); this includes breads and cereals, whole-grain pastas, and brown rice\n\nNuts and seeds\n\nLegumes (such as dried peas, beans, lentils)\n\nFruits\n\nVegetables\n\nA dietary supplement of fiber products such as Citrucel or Metamucil, which are mixed with water and provide about 4 to 6 grams of fiber in each 8-ounce glass\nWhy should I eat more fiber?\nFoods that are high in fiber can help in the treatment of constipation, hemorrhoids, diverticulitis and irritable bowel syndrome. Dietary fiber may also help lower your cholesterol, and reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer.\n\n\nHow can I get more fiber in my diet?\nTry the following ideas to increase the fiber in your diet:\n\nEat at least 4 1/2 cups of fruits and vegetables each day. Fruits and vegetables that are high in fiber include:\n\nApples\nBerries\nFigs Oranges\nPears\nPrunes Broccoli\nBrussels sprouts\nCarrots Cauliflower\nGreen peas\nBeans \n\nReplace white bread with whole-grain breads and cereals. Eat brown rice instead of white rice. Eat more of the following foods:\n\nBran muffins\nBrown rice Oatmeal\nPopcorn Multiple-grain cereals, cooked or dry\n100% Whole-wheat bread \n\nEat bran cereal for breakfast. Check labels on the packages for the amounts of dietary fiber in each brand. Some cereals may have less fiber than you think.\n\nAdd 1/4 cup of wheat bran (miller's bran) to foods such as cooked cereal or applesauce or meat loaf.\n\nEat cooked beans each week\nStart slowly.\nWhen you first add fiber to your diet you may notice bloating, cramping or gas. But you can prevent this by making small changes in your diet over a period of time. Start with one of the changes listed above, then wait several days to a week before making another. If one change doesn't seem to work for you, try a different one.\n\nBe sure to drink more fluids when you increase the amount of fiber you eat. Liquids help your body digest fiber better. Try to drink 8 glasses of no- or low-calorie beverages, such as water, unsweetened tea or diet soda each day.
143511
Are you that constipated? If so then you need to see your MD. If you are using them for weight loss, you face your body becomming dependant on laxatives to induce a BM. In other words, you may find yourself HAVING to take a laxative to go to the bathroom. Again, I would suggest a trip to your MD. Best Wishes :)
843655
You can if you need a laxative.\n\nOral magnesium sulfate, or magnesium oxide, is used as a laxative.
867491
that's not what laxatives are for.  try eating a good healthy diet with lots of fiber... things like beans, whole grains like oats and oat bran, bananas, and other fruits and vegetables.
106612
Laxatives are a potentially dangerous method for weight loss.  They are popular with bulemics, and can result in severe dehydration.\n\nI would encourage you to discourage your friend from doing this.  Perhaps a short-term use of them wouldn't be that dangerous.  But if you've ever seen what happens to someone who takes a laxative like Ex-Lax when they don't need it, you'd want to be cautious.