laxitives issue
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laxitives issue
| Tue, 05-16-2006 - 1:04pm |
please help me.
i am addicted to laxitives. i cannot stop takin it.
i have been doin for more than a year. i think it makes my stomach look flatter. now i cannot go to the bathroomw without it. i tried fiber pills it didnt work,
i am addicted to laxitives. i cannot stop takin it.
i have been doin for more than a year. i think it makes my stomach look flatter. now i cannot go to the bathroomw without it. i tried fiber pills it didnt work,

Im am sorry to hear you are having problems. It is so easy to become addicted to laxatives. You do seem to feel thinner at the moment but really the delayed end result is you retain more water and your stomach goes back to original size. Studies have shown that laxative abuse can interfere with absorption of vitamins, can cause colon and liver disease and so many metabolic problems. Other alternatives to laxatives are to
increase fluid intake 6-10 glasses of water a day, increase dietery fiber,vegetables, oats, fruits,and psyllium(can be found with the vitamins at the pharmacy)and exercise regularly. I have been through the same thing and eating a bran cereal in the morning and taking a dose of pysllium every two days really heped me. It will take awhile to get back to being regular bacause your body is used to a stimulant and now you would be doing it natural. Alot safer! Just be patient. Good luck and I hope this will help you. Take Care
Can
Yuanita
Have you spoken to your doctor about this? I'm sure he/she can recommend a nutritionist to help you increase fiber.
Abuse of laxatives can indicate an eating disorder - and if that's the case then you really need to seek help from someone who specializes in EDs (there is a message board here at iVillage)
Depending on your age & the quantity of laxatives taken over the past year your body should be able to adjust and eventually have normal bowel movements.
I'm speaking as someone who has battled EDs off and on over the past 25 yrs and they really can do a number on your digestive system years down the road.
One of the things that motivated me to quit the laxatives was finding out that abuse of laxatives over time may cause fecal incontinence (to be blunt - leaking liquid poop) - which should be enough to scare most people in to therapy.
Wishing you all the best,
Jo