Need Answers PLEASE !!!!!!!!!
#284118 - 09/27/06 07:02 AM
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Abigail
Reged: 03/12/05
Posts: 202
Loc: Orlando,FL
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I took Miralax this morning for the first time. The bottle says to take it with an 8oz of water, but I took with LOTS of water, LOTS more...Is the Miralax still going to work for me if I keep taking with LOTS of water??? or Is that going to change the outcome??? Please, I want/need it to work, I want to know if I'm doing ok by taking with LOTS of more water than just the 8oz. When should I expect the Miralax to start working? I would like to hear about all of you that take Miralax and your experiences PLEASE!!! I never taken anything prescription meds before today. I want to make things better not worst.
I was also given Levbid yesterday but for the first time, but I didn't take it yet. I need help with the pain, cramps and IE, but don't want C to get worst. My question is: Can I prevent/avoid the C side effect from Levbid if I take it together with Miralax???
How is Zelnrom different from Miralax??? Which one is better for long term?
Please reply as soon as possible, I really NEED the HELP, more than I can say. PLEASE, I REALLY NEED ANSWERS ASAP !!! ADVICE, HELP, SUPPORT AND ENCOURIGING WORDS ALWAYS APPRECIATED.
Thank you so much ALWAYS!!!
Blessings,
Abi
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The joy of the Lord is my strength !
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bump!
#284165 - 09/27/06 10:59 AM
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atomic rose
Reged: 06/01/04
Posts: 7013
Loc: Maine (IBS-A stable since July '05!)
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I wish I could help, but I've never taken any of that stuff, so I really can't... so I'm replying to bump it, in hopes of other people seeing it. Good luck!
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I am new to message boards but have been reading your posts. I have been newly diagnoised with IBS-C. In answer to your question about Miralax, I take a cap full in 8 oz of water every night for C. I have a BM evry morning now. I drink lots of water all day long. I have been following Heather's Diet for a Month & a half now. I have some "good" days & "bad" days as far as the pain. Everyday is different. I hope to get off the Miralax in the future, but for now, I will stay on it. - I will post more later because I want to thank Sandi for her response to the SF VS ISF, but I will go more into that later. - Snookie
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Snookie, IBS-C
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I don't think it matters how much liquid you put it in as long as it is at least 8 oz. of water. I take it with my tea each night and that is probably 12 oz. They say to try it for at least a month, so it could take up to that long to have the full effect.
It is my understanding that Miralax is totally different than Zelnorm.
And yes, the Miralax should help if there is a c effect with the other medicine you were prescribed.
Hope this helps! Good luck!
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Thank you guys for your replies and bump!!! I notice that you guys take Miralax always at night time, before bed, but my doc said to take it first thing in the morning. Which on is better, night or morning and why??? Is it ok to keep taking Miralax plus a stool softener like Colace daily? Hope to hear more from more of you guys that can share your experiences with Miralax and Levbid as well....THANK YOU FROM MY HEART!!!
Blessings,
Abi
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The joy of the Lord is my strength !
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Re: bump!
#284199 - 09/27/06 02:14 PM
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Abigail
Reged: 03/12/05
Posts: 202
Loc: Orlando,FL
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Casey, thank you for the bump, you are so sweet and kind 
A big thank you hug and blessings always,
Abi
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The joy of the Lord is my strength !
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Abigail,
I've taken both, and neither medication is supposed to be used for the long term. I recently started taking Miralax and my doctor had me taking it 2x a day. Miralax took about five days for me to have a BM and it really changed the constency. It's supposed to be a gentle laxative. I also drank it with plenty of water so that shouldn't be a problem for you.
Miralax is absolutely different than Zelnorm. I've had better results with Zelnorm, but still not GOOD results. With Zelnorm, you at least have some normal BM. With Miralax, I feel like I've never had a complete evacuation.
Whatever you take, I would recommend you limit how long you take these medications. Miralax will definately make your system lazy.
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i thought you were doing well with the increased IF, nuts and seeds and flax etc, but i guess you are having some bad times with taking all these meds and such.
Good luck with them, i hope they work the way you need them too.
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I'm a little out of my element here (I'm a D), but my understanding is that Zelnorm is an actual drug that somehow works "behind the scenes" to change your bowel function, while Miralax is an osmotic laxative. That is, Miralax draws water into your bowel to soften your stool. Given this, the more the merrier as far as water is concerned when taking Miralax.
Levbid is an anti-spasmodic. If your constipation and pain are being caused by your colon spasming, this should help. Because it relaxes the smooth muscles, though, I've seen some C's say it makes them more constipated. I assume this is because they also have problems with their colon's muscle function. Unfortunately, I don't think there's any way for you to know for yourself without trying it. I would think that what you want is enough to stop the spasming but not so much you slow the colon function.
Peppermint is a natural anti-spasmodic. If you don't have reflux, you might try that. As a hot tea it's wonderfully soothing and, unlike anti-spasmodics, it doesn't have side-effects.
I know Zelnorm is a short-term drug (although I think you can go off for a while, then on again), but I've seen posts from C's that Miralax is something you should be able to use for a long time. Because it doesn't force your bowels to do anything they don't want to, but simply sits there and draws in water, the theory is that it has no long-term detrimental effects. I'd do a Search on the Diet Board for Miralax with no time limit and see what people have said in the past - you should get a lot of hits. If I remember correctly, emcmaster in particular posted a fair amount about it.
Part of the role of Soluble Fiber is like that of Miralax - to draw water into the bowel. Laying down a good amount of Soluble Fiber, especially taking an SFS, should also help with the pain and cramping since it should keep your colon gently full making it harder for it to twist on itself. I don't know what "IE" is, so I can't comment on that.
You've probably already seen this, but if not take a look at the June 7 and June 22, 2005, Newsletters for some specific advice on dealing with constipation in the context of the EFI Diet.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best. If you're looking for encouragement, you might keep an eye out AstroChick's posts - or check her old ones. You might also take a look at this old thread, from a C who has done very well using the EFI Diet alone.
HTH. Take care.
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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Miralax works in a completely different manner than Zelnorm. Miralax works in a similar manner to milk of magnesia. It is an osmotic laxative that work by drawing water into the bowel from the surrounding tissue.
Zelnorm works on a biochemical pathway (seritonin) affecting nerves that change the peristaltic action (contractions) of the bowel.
http://www.helpforibs.com/footer/zelnorm.asp#well
Neither one is recommended for long term use.
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STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS
The FODMAP Approach to Managing IBS Symptoms
Evidence-based Dietary Management of Functional GI Symptoms: The FODMAP Approach
FODMAP Chart & Cheatsheet
The Role of Food & Dietary Intervention in IBS
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I took miralax for years, like 5 years. It worked wonders for me. The more water you drink with it and through out the day, the better. It doesn't really matter morning or night. I found it worked best on an empty tummy, let it settle for 10 minutes or so and than eat breakfast.
My C would get worse when I traveled or just before my period or sometimes no real reason and sometimes I would take an extra dose at bedtime for a few days until things were moving again.
It is ok to take stool softeners with the miralax. Most people notice improvement in bm's within a few days but sometimes it can take a week or so to really get things moving.
Zelnorm is completely different and caused awful cramps for me, not to mention headaches. Zelnorm is much newer and definitely not suggested for long term use. My gi docs told me that miralax was fine to take long term. I never built up a tolerance to it.
I've recently developed some other medical issues and now have D, so the miralax is not needed any longer but if I ever swing the other way again, I will definitely use it again.
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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I'm so confused, hope you guys can help me PLEASE. I went to a GYN/UROGYNECOLOGY/PELVIC SURGEON doc on Tuesday(first time seeing that doc) and he gave me Levbid and the Miralax. I started the Miralax 3 days ago and I'm still waiting for some results. My doc said it might take a week to start helping, I hope it does. But I been in so much pain, cramps and spasms for the last 5 days and I was getting no relieve after my daily BM, so I had do take some MOM last night. I never took the Levbid yet. The URO doc was supposed to treat me for a small bowel prolapse that shows in the defecography test results. Well, he never did mention anything about it and he was only talking about my IBS-C. After a little while, I came out and asked him about the prolapse and he said that he didn't trust those defecography tests. Then he checked inside my vagina with his hand and told me I didn't have small bowel prolapse. I don't know what to think of all this. If defeco test are no good, then why have me do one in the first place. He also told me no take Magnesium supplements anymore b/c it's bad for IBS-C. Told me not take my Yeast B-complex or Ester C(vitamin C) supplements. He said one shouldn't be taking supplements, to just eat healthy. He also told me not drink so much water b/c that could make things worst in my GI system. I'M SO CONFUSED RIGHT NOW...What to do???
My colon surgeon, the one that's supposed to treat my rectal prolapse, was the one that refered me to the URO doc b/c of waht the defeco shows.
I went to my GI doc yesterday and told him the whole story and he gave me different antispasmodic pills, "Symax Duotab", to try. Is this one better for IBS-C than Levbid? or the same? He also gave Zelmrom to try until Miralax start working, hopefully. I didn't take the Z yet b/c I took the MOM. I did take the "Symax", but not sure if they helped b/c I also had the heating pad on for hours. Believe it or not....I saw on of those pills(whole)that I took last night(Symax)in my watery stool this morning. How can this be??? Is there something wrong or is this normal? I took the pills around 7:30pm and I took the MOM at 1:30am. I took 2 pills , one is Immediate release and the other is Sustained release. It says to take it every 12 hours, but I didn't take it today yet. Should I take every 12 hours? or Should I take them as needed for the pain/cramps? My GI told me not to call my Colon surgeon b/c he was going to talk to him first. What is going on here???? REALLY CONFUSED!!!
Is the Miralax supposed to give me watery BM's like the MOM when/if starts working??
If I decide to try the Z, do I have to drink lots of water with it or just a little is ok?
Thank you all for your great replies always and I pray that a lot of you guys continue to help me with my confusion/questions here PLEASE!!! I was doing better for a while, I don't know what happened, but I need the help right now. I was trying to gain weight and after this week I lost a few, NOT GOOD...I'm very concern, I don't look right and don't feel right  I might have to keep taking something to help me go for a while so I'm able to eat MORE and add some fat to my diet. Help, advice, info and support are always needed and so much appreciated !!!!!!!!
God bless you all,
Abi
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The joy of the Lord is my strength !
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I'll try to address a few things. First, I would not take the zelnorm if you are having watery stool, it will probably make the watery stool worse. I had taken both miralax and zelnorm at the same time before when I was very C but if you are having incomplete digestion, as in you can see the pills that didn't dissolve, I wouldn't take the zelnorm and might even cut back on the miralax.
Have you been tested for crohns? A lot of crohns people have malabsorption issues. I don't find much of a difference between the anti spasm meds. They help me sometimes minimally but aren't a life saver or anything for me but some people they do help more.
Not sure why on earth they would tell you to drink less water?? It's sometimes easier to digest your food if you drink before or after meals instead of with a meal but otherwise, typically the more water the better.
I don't know anything about the prolapse. Two people here have recently had surgery, Mary in the living room may be able to help. She is one week out from her surgery.
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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Abigail, I've been reading your posts and it seems like you've hit the panic button. And so now you're just taking everything in sight to try and stop the pain, get the system going and just feel better. I know what that feels like and sad to say I've done the same thing in the past and the results were just more confusion. As you said:
I took the MOM. I did take the "Symax", but not sure if they helped b/c I also had the heating pad on for hours.
You have 3 docs working on your problem. It is not unusual for them to have different opinions. Going through that right now myself with my rectal prolapse. My suggestion is to listen to your GI. Ask him to write down what you should take when. How much water to drink. Yes, you can drink too much water. And then follow his advice. Then use the boards for support to help you through this difficult period. But right now keep it simple.
Love, hugs and prayers for you to feel better.
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Levbid and Symax Duotab belong to the same class of drug and have the same generic name hyoscyamine. They are anticholinergic agents used to treat bladder and bowel spasms.
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsDrugs/Hyoscyaminecd.html#us-brand-name-list
http://www.harvardpilgrim.mimrx.com/harvard/pdr_log.asp?product_name=SYMAX+DUOTAB&mscssid=
Zelnorm is likely to act quite quickly. It frequently produces diarrhea the first few times you take it. At least it did for me and others on this message board have reported the same thing. I won't take MOM and Zelnorm at the same time. I would take one or the other. Personally I would give the Zelnorm a try until the Miralax begins to work.
It cannot hurt to drink extra water.
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STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS
The FODMAP Approach to Managing IBS Symptoms
Evidence-based Dietary Management of Functional GI Symptoms: The FODMAP Approach
FODMAP Chart & Cheatsheet
The Role of Food & Dietary Intervention in IBS
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I have taken zelnorm many times and am c and it did nothing for me except make my stomach make lion noices. I was on the highest dose.I'm not sure of the others but all the meds I have been on to help never work. So frustrating. I'm sorry your struggling too.I have to set up another colonoscpy asap.
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Thank you very much all of you for your help, info, advice, support. I need the help now more that ever before 
Michele, the only time I have watery stool is when I take MOM, otherwise, my stool is loose and messy, but not watery. About the chron's...I had a blood test that came out positive for possible chron's, but then the colonoscopy showed no chron's. What do you think? Back in 1989 I had malabsorption for years and was given B-12 shots. Back then my stool was just like water, but now the stool has a lot of incomplete digested food. Maybe is b/c of the way I eat, I eat lots of flax seeds with my cereal. I DON'T KNOW  I have to ask my GI doc about that.
Do you think is better to keep taking the MOM as needed or to try the zelnrom?
Also, about the Levbid pills, should I take them as needed or every 12 hours as it says? Would they help even if I take it after eating?or Does have to be before always?
I'm still taking the Miralax since Wed., but I no different results yet. Is the Miralax supposed to give me watery stool like MOM?
Thank you sooo much again Michele and all of you...A big hug.
Blessings,
Abi
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The joy of the Lord is my strength !
Edited by Abigail (09/30/06 01:36 PM)
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I want to again thank you all for your replies, it's a daily battle for me and I can't thank you all enough for your help and WORDS.
For all of you who take Miralax daily...Are your BM's like watery D? or normal? I know MOM does that to me. Should I expect the same results with Miralax? I would like to have my daily BM's in the morning before/after breakfast? Should I then take the Miralax at night before bedtime or in the AM when I first wake up? How much should I take to be able to have a good BM every morning? I want to feel complete evacuation after my BM's.
God bless you all!
Love and hugs,
Abi
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The joy of the Lord is my strength !
Edited by Abigail (10/03/06 11:51 AM)
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Abigail:
Given your symptoms (mentioned in your other posting) of blood in your stool (black stool also denotes blood), I strongly urge you to contact your doctor and seek medical advice before you take any other remedies such as Miralax.
Belinda
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