How to Wean Off MiraLax

Posted by geekygirl9 @geekygirl9, Jul 17, 2023

I've been on MiraLAX every day for several (5-ish) years and am anxious to get my system functioning naturally again if possible. I tried really hard to wean off of MiraLAX last year and dropped down from 2 caps to 1 and 7/8 caps per day but then had to stop; decreasing any further felt like picking a day to be sick. In the past few weeks, I've attempted to replace MiraLAX with magnesium citrate and the magnesium citrate helps with my motility sometimes but does not soften my stool much. I'm down to 1 and 3/8 caps per day and it seems like I may be stuck there again. Anyone else been there? Is there hope for weaning off?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Digestive Health Support Group.

Profile picture for AloneInTheCatskills @user_ch783e933

gastroenterologist is no help, he says it's fine to take every day. I'm a healthy 75 except for hemorrhoid I got that has put me on a course of misery. Then last December I had a bowel inflammation, nothing major, CT saw it but WBC wasn't elevated. NP in the overworked community hospital ER put me on augmentin, huge mistake. After five pills, two days worth, I developed a systemic yeast infection that required diflucan and destroyed my bowel biome. I literally couldn't poop so gastroenterologist put me on a cap of miralax in the morning. I changed my diet by reducing fiber somewhat, since that's what caused the inflammation. But because of the bowel biome, without miralax I get sliw motility and more difficult to pass stool, something I haven't had more than once or twice a year, and then the hemorrhoid blows up, it's horrible. So I can't stop the miralax.

Gastroenterologist offered zero advice on how to restore bowel biome, zero. What good are these people! I began taking acidophilus 1billion count tiny pearl. It gave me very unusual stool. I stopped it for 2 days and it's going back to normal now. So acidophilus might not be a good idea. During the antibiotic poisoning I tried Florastor, forget it, unbelievable gas and diarrhea. If I reduce the miralax, stool becomes more difficult to pass. Ordinarily, I'd just deal with it but at this point my anus has had it and I'm having a colonoscopy end of October which will turn it into a horrific ordeal. Trying to get it better for that prep. I know this is alot of info but it's all necessary to understand my dilemma.

Should I go to the Nutrition center and seek dietary guidance? I can't eat prunes, have to be cautious with the amount of fiber, eat salad every lunchtime, actually my diet is so repetitive and I don't enjoy eating at all now. I'm afraid to take the advice of a dietician who doesn't know me and how difficult it is to balance the fiber in my diet. The stinking hemorrhoid and concomitant anal issues are ruining my life. If anyone has had a similar problem, I'd like to know how you got off the miralax. I don't like how gassy it makes me at night. Thanks.

Jump to this post

I'm 71. Fiber destroyed my digestion. I went to a Gastro for hemorrhoids, and she did banding (which I found painful) and told me to eat more fiber. She never asked how much fiber I was already eating and I was already eating a lot. I did as instructed, and got onto a bad cycle of more fiber, more hemorrhoids, more bandings. The last time injured me permanently, causing anal stricture, and I was on my own. I did the research and devised my own protocol, which I confirmed with my PCP. Now, I'm on a very low fiber diet. I use Miralax three days, then magnesium three days, back and forth. I miss my fruits and veggies, but anal stricture can be a serious problem necessitating surgery and I want to avoid that. Fiber has become a kind of cure-all mantra on the internet, but too much fiber can cause harm.

In short, if miralax is working for you, don't be afraid of it. Best wishes and good health to all.

REPLY
Profile picture for doodaleedo @doodaleedo

I'm 71. Fiber destroyed my digestion. I went to a Gastro for hemorrhoids, and she did banding (which I found painful) and told me to eat more fiber. She never asked how much fiber I was already eating and I was already eating a lot. I did as instructed, and got onto a bad cycle of more fiber, more hemorrhoids, more bandings. The last time injured me permanently, causing anal stricture, and I was on my own. I did the research and devised my own protocol, which I confirmed with my PCP. Now, I'm on a very low fiber diet. I use Miralax three days, then magnesium three days, back and forth. I miss my fruits and veggies, but anal stricture can be a serious problem necessitating surgery and I want to avoid that. Fiber has become a kind of cure-all mantra on the internet, but too much fiber can cause harm.

In short, if miralax is working for you, don't be afraid of it. Best wishes and good health to all.

Jump to this post

I use MiraLAX everyday! I have to be careful to drink lots of water because the results are always diareaha but at least I have a bowel movement

REPLY
Profile picture for AloneInTheCatskills @user_ch783e933

gastroenterologist is no help, he says it's fine to take every day. I'm a healthy 75 except for hemorrhoid I got that has put me on a course of misery. Then last December I had a bowel inflammation, nothing major, CT saw it but WBC wasn't elevated. NP in the overworked community hospital ER put me on augmentin, huge mistake. After five pills, two days worth, I developed a systemic yeast infection that required diflucan and destroyed my bowel biome. I literally couldn't poop so gastroenterologist put me on a cap of miralax in the morning. I changed my diet by reducing fiber somewhat, since that's what caused the inflammation. But because of the bowel biome, without miralax I get sliw motility and more difficult to pass stool, something I haven't had more than once or twice a year, and then the hemorrhoid blows up, it's horrible. So I can't stop the miralax.

Gastroenterologist offered zero advice on how to restore bowel biome, zero. What good are these people! I began taking acidophilus 1billion count tiny pearl. It gave me very unusual stool. I stopped it for 2 days and it's going back to normal now. So acidophilus might not be a good idea. During the antibiotic poisoning I tried Florastor, forget it, unbelievable gas and diarrhea. If I reduce the miralax, stool becomes more difficult to pass. Ordinarily, I'd just deal with it but at this point my anus has had it and I'm having a colonoscopy end of October which will turn it into a horrific ordeal. Trying to get it better for that prep. I know this is alot of info but it's all necessary to understand my dilemma.

Should I go to the Nutrition center and seek dietary guidance? I can't eat prunes, have to be cautious with the amount of fiber, eat salad every lunchtime, actually my diet is so repetitive and I don't enjoy eating at all now. I'm afraid to take the advice of a dietician who doesn't know me and how difficult it is to balance the fiber in my diet. The stinking hemorrhoid and concomitant anal issues are ruining my life. If anyone has had a similar problem, I'd like to know how you got off the miralax. I don't like how gassy it makes me at night. Thanks.

Jump to this post

Thank you so much! I've eaten lots and lots of fiber too, for about 15 years as my husband was diagnosed with diabetes and wanted to stay off multiple meds for as long as possible. So we did the fiber to keep the sugars nice and on an even keel. It worked for that but for my bowel it has become a problem. I didn't realize certain "good-for-you" foods can cause gut issues in some of us. I appreciate you sharing your protocol as its similar to what works for me, with a couple of tweaks I hadn't thought of 🙂 I feel more confident I am on the right track! Wishing you good health also!

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.