The Girl in White Tiger Field page 24

[Mud Flinger]

Personally, I would not take the Miralax - unless in the most dire situation. Ethylene glycol is very toxic - see antifreeze for cars for info. While this is a specific polyethylene glycol, which has the ability to draw water into the bowel, it is a chemical and therefore, not something I would want in my body if given the choice. If it breaks down much at all in the body, you could potentially have some toxic stuff. I also noted when I googled polyethylene glycol 3350, that they say only to take it for 2 weeks, so you need to find another solution anyway.

Magnesium Citrate effects people to different degrees. Personally, I can not take the daily reccomended dosage at night without getting a loose stool, which is why I changed to the glycinate form. You may find that splitting the dose through the day to be more effective or taking it all at once at night. Magnesium also has a calming effect for some (Nature Calm is a type of mag. supp.). Your doctor may poo poo all of this, but if you print out some info on all of this and highlight the points you want to make, you will be better able to discuss all of this and will be taken more seriously. State your concerns quickly and concisely and then ask his opinion to your solutions. As you know, the doc will only spend so much time with you before ending the visit.

Some people have also used vit. C to induce bowel movement. Check out Nameless Wonder's journal as she has mentioned it or do a search for more info. I am no expert here by any means, just trying to add some possibly helpfull info. You are the only one who can figure out what is best for you. Good luck with you doctor visit Friday!

[Byakko]

Personally, I would not take the Miralax - unless in the most dire situation. Ethylene glycol is very toxic - see antifreeze for cars for info. While this is a specific polyethylene glycol, which has the ability to draw water into the bowel, it is a chemical and therefore, not something I would want in my body if given the choice. If it breaks down much at all in the body, you could potentially have some toxic stuff. I also noted when I googled polyethylene glycol 3350, that they say only to take it for 2 weeks, so you need to find another solution anyway.

Magnesium Citrate effects people to different degrees. Personally, I can not take the daily reccomended dosage at night without getting a loose stool, which is why I changed to the glycinate form. You may find that splitting the dose through the day to be more effective or taking it all at once at night. Magnesium also has a calming effect for some (Nature Calm is a type of mag. supp.). Your doctor may poo poo all of this, but if you print out some info on all of this and highlight the points you want to make, you will be better able to discuss all of this and will be taken more seriously. State your concerns quickly and concisely and then ask his opinion to your solutions. As you know, the doc will only spend so much time with you before ending the visit.

Some people have also used vit. C to induce bowel movement. Check out Nameless Wonder's journal as she has mentioned it or do a search for more info. I am no expert here by any means, just trying to add some possibly helpfull info. You are the only one who can figure out what is best for you. Good luck with you doctor visit Friday!

Geez. :S I usually do better with looking things up. I mean I knew it wasn't natural but I didn't know it was so toxic. Well I only bought the 7 once-daily dose bottle so I've finished that and I made no effort to buy another. I could see this being used in an extreme case (super extreme) but if I knew if there was something less toxic that did the same thing I'd take it! Ugh. These doctors. All they're interested in is pushing gross name brands on people. (Didn't know Aligned was owned by P&G).

I'd love to be able to come armed, as I had before. But you don't know these doctors. They're the type to get you in, check on your progress, tell you want to do and leave so quickly it makes your head spin. I had the feeling he doesn't like me being too knowledgeable even though he said the opposite. Called me a doctor and laughed. I was already pissed about the HepC incident. But there's got to be a less caustic way to go about this. I've never taken magnesium before. Still I will fight to be heard, get it out of the gate quickly. I'm a fast talker when I need to be.

Thanks for the information. I realize you're not a doctor (though at this rate the doctor is doing some damage too.) I suppose I'd rather go a natural route than the other. People are so darn casual with taking chemicals. I mean the most I take (well okay to be fair food is chemically made these days) but in terms of healing myself I just take ibuprofen maybe once a month. You'd think a doctor would at least know if a vitamin/supplement would do the same as something like polyethylene glycol...

Anyway thanks again.

[Mud Flinger]

I'm sure the doc will tell you that there is nothing toxic about Miralax - he may even take the stuff on occasion. You are right about people being so casual about taking chemicals though. Most don't realize that they all must be filtered by the liver if they get into the blood stream which is why we need to be so careful with Tylenol and Ibuprofen. I used to take lots of the stuff before I realized what it was doing to my body and even after I knew better, it was tough as I just wanted to feel better (I used to be in constant pain - body/ muscle/joint aches before I changed my diet). The docs would tell me it was not diet related and hand me more narcotics. Just do your best to learn all that you can and avoid what you know causes you problems - it's all any of us can do.

[Byakko]

I'm sure the doc will tell you that there is nothing toxic about Miralax - he may even take the stuff on occasion. You are right about people being so casual about taking chemicals though. Most don't realize that they all must be filtered by the liver if they get into the blood stream which is why we need to be so careful with Tylenol and Ibuprofen. I used to take lots of the stuff before I realized what it was doing to my body and even after I knew better, it was tough as I just wanted to feel better (I used to be in constant pain - body/ muscle/joint aches before I changed my diet). The docs would tell me it was not diet related and hand me more narcotics. Just do your best to learn all that you can and avoid what you know causes you problems - it's all any of us can do.

The thing is, even if I did mention the magnesium he probably wouldn't bother to guide me in using it. Like even though I try to stay as informed as I can, I'm not good with adjusting the amount to suit my own needs. I guess I'll have to do even more research. I certainly don't want loose stools anymore than hard ones.

Yeah I'm the same way. My monthly cramps are so bad sometimes I have to take more than one dose of Motrin (I take a bout two Motrin a month if needed but I'm thankful I don't need it more.) In general I hate taking medication. (Kills me to know that chemical drugs are approved by the FDA before natural supplements etc.)

[Byakko]

Well the doctor said what I expected him to say. He wanted to know why I stopped taking Miralax and when I told him he just laughed, which only annoyed me even though I tried to put up a front. Once again he drove home the idea that Miralax is perfectly safe and can be taken as long as you like even though they recommend only 2 weeks. When I asked about alternatives he acted like I was asking him what the weather was like on Mars. In other words he was ZERO help on magnesium. He even said "I can't help you with that". Okay so you can give me this chemical which is related to antifreeze ("perfectly safe") but you can't direct me on how to manage taking a supplement..a natural one? I don't know where to go from here. If this is all he has to offer me I am right back where I started.

Ironically, I'm constipated again. I feel like crying.

[Byakko]

Today (or I guess yesterday now) was my birthday. I'm now 26.

Since I last posted my eating has been pretty terrible, I don't need to go into detail. It's like I don't even try anymore except for maybe breakfast. Little to know vegetables, not a lot of variety and plenty of grains and sugar and probably more sodium than I need hidden in the other foods.

I want to get back on primal/paleo. I know I shouldn't just do it because of the impending new year but since my birthday I want to do productive things everyday. Anything to make myself feel like time isn't going down the drain.

I have one problem. for the past perhaps...2-3 weeks, my hair has been thinning. My hair has been pretty long most of my life and while the texture of the strands are fine, I had many of them, which made my hair appear thicker. However now, my hair has drastically thinned and I don't know why. I don't know if it's diet, lack of nutrients, stress (even when I was eating crappy food my hair was still thick) or something other underlying health issue.

I'm not sure what it could be. I have an appt. with my gyno Monday and the only think me and my family have been able to come up with is to ask for a test to check my thyroid. My mother has Grave's disease, only diagnosed this year and while I hope it isn't that I guess I should get tested. Otherwise I don't feel that much different. I wouldn't be surprised if it was just stress, what with all the fiascos with the doctor regarding my digestive issues (HepC scare, no consultation about the fluoroscopy, no changes in stool etc)

My bowel habits have gone back to normal...normal meaning constipated 2-3 days out of the week (*TMI although I guess the color is a bit different.) I may try to keep taking the Align probiotic and see how it works on a cleaner diet.

Any advice on this stuff would be nice.

[JudyCr]

Hey girl, happy birthday!!! No advice on the hair, but I guess thyroid would need checking. You carry a lot of stress to be so young, I hope you can get that resolved. With your birthday and the new year nearly here, maybe your willpower will be strong enough so that you can get back on track. Read the book again, write everything down, stay organized, you know the drill. Good to see ya!

[Byakko]

Hey girl, happy birthday!!! No advice on the hair, but I guess thyroid would need checking. You carry a lot of stress to be so young, I hope you can get that resolved. With your birthday and the new year nearly here, maybe your willpower will be strong enough so that you can get back on track. Read the book again, write everything down, stay organized, you know the drill. Good to see ya!

Hi Judy

Your right. This time around I want to keep close track of things (at least until I can get to a habitual state and more organized.) My aunt gave me a gift card for Amazon and I ended up using it to buy Practical Paleo. People seemed to rave about it and I do like that there's a good amount of information in it (not just recipes.) I can't say I'll be crazy about the recipes as they look like things I have never really liked or tried but hey! We'll see.

I didn't want to leave my thread but I think that health and worrying about it got to a point where I just threw my hands up and fell off because I was always afraid of having one disease or another. It's still like that now but I'll try to do things to distract myself. I guess I have a hard time dealing with the very idea that at my age I could have a really bad condition (I certainly didn't think I'd have a condition like IBS) I don't want anything else added onto it.

But anyway I'm going to try a lot harder even if it means making myself drink just a bunch of water instead of junk.

[JudyCr]

I like the info in Prac. Paleo, too. She's awesome.
I sure hope you can get some relief and move forward this next year.
Hang in there, sweetie.. Keep your journal; it has helped so many keeping track.

[JudyCr]

Byakko, also ck out the perfect health diet website; I have their latest book and they cover IBS in there.. It's a great read.
Hope you had a good day.