Miralax not working

Posted by cvg50 @cvg50, Jul 3, 2021

I’m a 70-yr old male and started developing constipation Omer the past few months. Taking Miralax 1x day for 3 days—spacing it out over a few weeks— usually did the trick, but not this time. Suggestions! Thx

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@cvg50

Thank you, @hopeful33250! And thank you for the suggestion of another discussion group; I'll give it a try.

My doctor has not suggested anything yet, but I am going to ask her. The nerve issue has bearing on straining as well, and the pain radiates, as you can imagine!

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Hi Cvg50 again. I see you mentioned straining. You might want to ask about the Mayo Clinic pelvic floor physical therapy, for both men and women. They work with bio-feedback to achieve synchronized relaxation during the voiding process. It’s very different than straining. With the sciatica issue, it may be an appropriate route. Sorry that I did not know you had sciatica. I am sorry you have to endure that.

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@upartist

Hi Cvg50 again. I see you mentioned straining. You might want to ask about the Mayo Clinic pelvic floor physical therapy, for both men and women. They work with bio-feedback to achieve synchronized relaxation during the voiding process. It’s very different than straining. With the sciatica issue, it may be an appropriate route. Sorry that I did not know you had sciatica. I am sorry you have to endure that.

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Hi, upartist. Thank you for the suggestion. I don't think I'll be making it to MN anytime soon, but I will ask my doctor about it or the P/T outfit associated with our local hospital. Anything that can relieve that pain will be most welcome! Just for the record, it's not sciatica as such (fortunately I don't have the pain radiating down my leg), but a pinched area that includes the sciatic nerve; the pain stretches across the buttocks. In the words of my generation, bummer, dude!

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I think that’s called peramisus syndrome. May not be the correct spelling but I have that. Have you fallen on your sacrum. I rotated my pelvis around the front 13 years ago and L4-L5 lamanectomy which didn’t work at all. Mine seems to be coming from S1-S2. Have you had an apt with a orthopedic. I wish you luck on your search. Take care.

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@mfratt

I think that’s called peramisus syndrome. May not be the correct spelling but I have that. Have you fallen on your sacrum. I rotated my pelvis around the front 13 years ago and L4-L5 lamanectomy which didn’t work at all. Mine seems to be coming from S1-S2. Have you had an apt with a orthopedic. I wish you luck on your search. Take care.

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@mfratt, do you recall who you were trying to respond to? I'm sure they would appreciate your information.

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I was looking up messages and must have been in wrong place. I’ll try and figure it out.

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Update: my constipation finally led me to the ER where an enema took care of things. To note: I do have an appointment with a GI person but not until Aug. 11 (he's one of the best locally). Post-ER I took Miralax for 3 days, then stopped to see if my system would work on its own. Mistake. After 2-3 more days of renewed constipation, I started Miralax again, and on day 2 took it twice, and am about to do so again. I have slowly increased my fiber and water intake to about 50-54 oz./day (to the point where I get up every 1 ½ hours at night to urinate). So far, no results. I know patience is in order, but I am not a patient patient. My PCP is willing to prescribe Linzess or other rx meds, but I've been leary. Additional advice beyond the excellent suggestions above?

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@cvg50 - Welcome to Mayo Connect!
Constipation of varying degrees is common, however most people are not as bad as your recent experience, needing to go to ER.
It’s great that you have an appointment with a good GI doctor.
Don’t stop the Miralax so soon, but continue until your appointment. Miralax helps pull water into the intestines, making it easier to pass a stool.

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@astaingegerdm

@cvg50 - Welcome to Mayo Connect!
Constipation of varying degrees is common, however most people are not as bad as your recent experience, needing to go to ER.
It’s great that you have an appointment with a good GI doctor.
Don’t stop the Miralax so soon, but continue until your appointment. Miralax helps pull water into the intestines, making it easier to pass a stool.

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Isn't it unusual that the Miralax, 72 hours after original dose and doubling the dose in ensuing days, hasn't worked?

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