What's your favorite laxative?

Usually just a bulb enema with warm water.

Mineral oil, I prefer it as an enema but can be taken orally. Down side is you probably will have some leakage. So I use a pad for a few days to help with mishaps. Bisacodyl tablets would be next just because they are so effective. Finally if all else fails glycerine suppositories.

There is a powdered laxative, available in the UK and on-line, called Picolax. It comes in little sachets and is dissolved in water before drinking. It's a mixture of chemicals that react to produce Citrate of Magnesia plus a hefty dose of Sodium Picosulphate, which is similar to the active ingredient in Dulcolax.

It is taken, mixed in a glass of water, and actually doesn't taste too bad IMO. It is followed over the next hour or so by more glasses of water. Within the next half to two hours you will have considerable cramping, followed by a strong, extremely urgent, loose evacuation, followed by several more liquid evacuations over the next few hours. When you feel the urge, sit on the toilet at once, else you'll have a very messy cleanup. This stuff can't be resisted for even a minute.

Picolax is available in the US now by prescription for colonoscopy prep. It is called Prepopik. My doctor prescribed it for my last colonoscopy in November because of a history or incomplete and difficult preps. They have had to give me enemas several times at the endoscopy center before they could do the procedure. He wanted to avoid that this time.

I can attest that Prepopik works and pretty much like Sean described. I had to do a two day prep with the first dose two days before my procedure. Another dose was taken the afternoon before and the final one at 1 AM before a morning colonoscopy. There was no incomplete prep this time! I was fully cleaned out at the end of the second dose. I made the mistake of taking the 1 AM dose and then laying down on the bed to wait for the action to start. Foolishly I drifted off to sleep. I woke up with a sharp cramp and urgency but it was already too late. I made a huge mess before I could navigate the 15 feet to the toilet. That said, I will ask for Prepopik again.

Four 5mg Bisocodyl pills do the job for me. Working time is about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Of course I run in a 3 quart enema about that time to really get the party going, followed by another one a few hours later then 2 more pills. Things do keep going overnight so either a good nappy and plastic pants are a must or very fast legs to the bathroom....

Elaine

None!

Well, I can tell you one thing..... Castoria isn't my favorite. If an enema is considered a laxative then the enema would be... If the enema is not considered to be a laxative, then ducolax pills (3 or 4) will do.

Castoria is most certainly a laxative. It has been around for ages and used to be Senna syrup, flavored to be more palatable for children. The flavor was supposed to be "chocolaty" but IMO no kid would be fooled.

Their slogan used to be "From diaper stage to dancing age".. It was supposed to be given at be given at bedtime for morning results. Senna is usually effective in 6 to 12 hours, and usually just urges one to expel the poo. It does little to soften the poo, so the bathroom trip may be somewhat uncomfortable. If you are into overnight diaper sessions, Senna is an excellent choice.

As a kid, when I was given an enema for not pooing, I was watched during the expulsion. If the enema was considered effective (almost always), I was given a spoonful of Castoria as I sat on the toilet when I'd pretty much finished expelling. I was told "This is to keep you going". The first time I refused the stuff. The enema bag was refilled as I sat and watched. The message was perfectly clear and I took the dose.

Miralax is my favorite. I until recently used it everyday.

Mashie

I have the world’s worse eating habits so Miralax is pretty much a nightly staple for me. And there is always a box of ExLax in the nightstand drawer.

Miralax is my favorite. I until recently used it everyday.

Mashie

I guess as far as amount consumed this would be mine too. Likewise I take it almost every day. Doesn't seem to really "make me go" but it does keep things from getting really hard.

I don’t use laxatives. Enemas or glycerine suppositories are what I rely on.

Colace is a softener instead of a laxative. When I was traveling on business I used to take that to keep from getting constipated. Miralax is a good laxative if I need one, more predictable and gentle. I'd always pack a small bulb enema just in case.

My favorite "maintenance laxative" at home is watermelon ?. I love the taste and it's great for hydration.

Colace is a softener instead of a laxative. When I was traveling on business I used to take that to keep from getting constipated. Miralax is a good laxative if I need one, more predictable and gentle. I'd always pack a small bulb enema just in case.

They gave me colace when I was in for some major surgery. I took one every day for 4 days and managed to get out without A BM by flat out lying since I hate enemas and only like to give them. When I got home that first one was a real bitch. It does soften the stool but it was like trying to pass chewing gum. Whooee.

Never had to use laxatives but do enjoy enemas for pleasure and cleansing!

Constipation has never been an issue for me, but I find as I age that if I take a good amount of table grapes, especially green seedless ones, I'll have a very good runny evacuation shortly thereafter. A check of my rectum afterwards usually results in a clean finger upon removal....

I have started back on Miralax to produce a soft bowel movement between enemas. Giving myself a couple of large enemas every 2-3 days was too harsh on my stomach and started giving me complications. So I'm trying one capful of Miralax once a day in a cup of coffee or juice to produce a soft bowel movement a day. The only problem I have with Miralax is bloating and weight gain. Hopefully, that will go away with time. Maybe I should compare notes with @Mashie ? (On the up side, it works!)

Like LisaK, my question is "For what purpose?" If I feel constipated, I usually use an enema. If that is impractical, then a suppository. If I'm wanting atotal cleanout, then castor oil at bedtime, or maybe 4 bisacodyl tablets. I usually diaper up for the castor oil, just in case. Either method has always provided a good BM next morning. (and sometimes during the night) Following that BM, two to four bisacodyl suppositories, depending on how much cramping I want, and drink a bottle of mag citrate immediately after insertion. It usually takes about an hour for these to work, but I wait for the cramping before going. My normal procedure at this stage is to sit on the toilet until my laxatives cramp me into an explosive involuntary BM. Sometimes, get 3-4 BM's before I regain bowel control. When I'm sure it is finished, I start with a 2 qt SSE, followed by 3 qts, then 4, and finally, a 4 qt rinse. Except for some stringy mucous in the released water, it looks just like when it went in. The whole process after sleeping with the laxative overnight takes a full day.

Both Miralax and Colace are considered to e stool softeners, but in my experience they are quite different.

For me, Colace either doesn't work or works too much. The first dose does pretty much nothing, and often the second dose doesn't work either. Then it starts working... far too much and causes several loose poos within a couple of hours. These are sometimes so loose as to cause accidents. If you do eventually get the dose right, the poo tends to be soft, yes, but also very sticky. It doesn't pass out cleanly and evacuations don't feel "complete" Very like pooing peanut butter.

My preference is Miralax. It works pretty quickly, within about 12 hours, so dosage adjustment is easier. It does not cause the sticky poo that Colace does. If you desire a complete clean out, you can take a lot of the stuff. Two to four 8oz glasses every hour until you start to poo is very effective. Given this way, it is commonly used as a colon prep.

My personal preference is Miralax to soften and Senna to encourage pushing. By adjusting the dosage of each, you csan pretty much adjust the dosing to make pooing to your liking.... hard to soft; very mild urge to great urgency.

My favourite was phenolphthalein, though it's not available anymore. It used to be available in a product called FAM-LAX, combined with powdered rhubarb, which seemed to intensify the urgency and was quite explosive and persistent.

... So I'm trying one capful of Miralax once a day in a cup of coffee or juice to produce a soft bowel movement a day. The only problem I have with Miralax is bloating and weight gain. Hopefully, that will go away with time. Maybe I should compare notes with @Mashie ? (On the up side, it works!)

I still get the bloating and gas, but that might be because of the combination of Mirilax and fiber supplements (or it could be because I still have slow bowels even with the Mirilax). Fiber on its own doesn't seem to be as bad, but it works worse than the two mixed. Glad it's working well in you.

...seemed to work a little faster and it stayed in the system longer. Often [phenolphthalein] would start to go to work in 90 minutes, and still be working 6 or 7 hours later. That flat out NEVER happens with bisacodyl!

Gotta say I don't see how "staying in the system longer" is a plus. One of the things I like about enemas when I need something with a kick is that they're in and out in under an hour and I'm moving on with my life.

I don't take a laxative. I take a 4-quart enema almost every day and I have no use for one. I think that my wife will give me another 4-quart enema like she did last night. No reason to think differently.

I have not taken an oral laxative since I was in the hospital at 17, except for a colonoscopy prep. Not fun! If I need help to shit I much prefer an enema or sometimes a suppository. Much faster, and more fun.

My mother used "Lubentyl" for herself and her kids. It's paraffin oil in a jelly form. It's basically indigestible grease, you eat it, it lubricates your bowels. It's very mild.

I don't need laxatives. A good enema is all I ever need.

If I want a good clean out, I take 4 or 5 Dulcolax tablets. That works in about 2-4 hours. If I want to work faster, I take 6 to 8 tablets. About an hour and a half later I get the urge to go.

Sometimes I take 3 tablets, then drink 20 oz of Gatoraide or Poweraid with Clear-lax mixed in. That is usually 4 times the daily dose. Everything comes out. When that happens, then to make sure I am good and clean, an enema with 4 to 6 fills do it. Everything flows out and it is clear as it was when I filled myself up.

When I get a colonoscopy, I do almost the same thing, but start the prep liquid after the drinking of the gatoraide. Then when finished with the prep liquid, I give myself an enema.

In the morning before going to get scoped, I have a couple of enemas to make sure I am cleaned out.

I got some Dulcolax supositories, but have not tried them yet. I thought I might melt them in the water I use for an enema.

I would (and do) slip the suppositories in my rectum first and then run the enema in. If you try to melt them in the enema water it will make it harder to clean up and the grease will tend to float. Yes, fat is a bit less dense than water even when saponified.

Moliere

Thank you so much. That will make life so much easier. Right now the suppositories

are in the freezer, we have had some very warm weather and I was afraid they would melt.

So I will do as you say, put them in me, the fill myself with very warm water.

I will try that tomorrow, best get them out now, it has cooled off a lot here in Northern Michigan.

I would (and do) slip the suppositories in my rectum first and then run the enema in.

I avoid oral laxatives if at all possible. My first choice is an enema every time. I do remember a time when I was in grade school and mom decided I needed an enema. I protested a bit too much that I did not want an enema so mom offered me the choice of Castoria or an enema. I chose the Castoria. The next day during one of the early classes in school it hit me. I almost did not make it to the restroom. That was the last time I chose a laxative over an enema. An enema was far more predictable. At least you know when it is going to happen.

Some time back my G.I. doctor asked if I was troubled by constipation. I told her, no, a small enema takes care of it in minutes. She looked at me and said she would prefer that I take Miralax instead of enemas. Not going to happen.