[Lookin'foraLife]

My new gastro just told me I SHOULD NOT BE TAKING Magnesium Citrate for C (I take 1200mg a day)because it is harsh on the intestinal lining. Instead he prescribed herbal drops called Yobsalax for my chronic C.Well, they sure do the job! Problem is, with these drops, any BM is accompanied by severe abdominal pain, before during and for some time after. I don't know why. With the mag. I didn't have such severe cramping, only a dull pain before a BM.What should I do? I'm tempted to simply revert back to the mag., but now I'm scared after the doctor said it's ruining the intestinal lining. Does that even make sense?

 

[Kathleen M.]

Never heard that with magnesium citrate, but they did take a different osmotic laxative that is used for colonoscopy preps off the market because of issues like that, but it was phosphosoda.Magnesium is a mineral you need every day of your life. I dunno if he just doesn't like the citrate? Does Magnesium Oxide work for you? Or milk of magnesia.Is miralax available where you are?Sounds like what they gave you might be a bit of a stimulatory laxative based on how it acted for you, but the lit I can find online makes it sound like just another osmotic. So I dunno.

 

[Lookin'foraLife]

The lax the doc gave me also seemed to give me a charley horse in my calves! I never get that and only had it when I took those drops. I had such an extreme reaction to it, could it be it's a muscle stimulant?

 

[BQ]

It would help us, maybe, to help you, if you told us what exactly the Dr gave you to take. What are the ingredients? Or what is the name of these drops?

 

[Lookin'foraLife]

I mentioned the name above: Yobsalax, in the form of drops.The ingredients are just ziziphus jujuba.

 

[Lookin'foraLife]

I got this off a web site:Ingredients of Yobsalax NG: Extracts of the Zizyphus Jujuba Mill fruit contain Triterpens (Betulin, and Betulic acids), Jojoboside, alkaloids, Juziphine, Juziphine A and B, and more.How the ingredients of Yobsalax NG work:The activity of the Isoquinal Alkaloids causes inter-lumenary osmotic pressure to rise. As a result, water is drawn into the intestine, thereby reducing the density of the contents while raising the volume of the waste and the quantity of water in the intestinal lumen. The addition of water, reducing the solidity of the waste and raising its volume, increases pressure on the intestinal outlet thus stimulating intestinal activity.The alkaloids from the extracts of the Zizyphus fruit soften the contents of the large intestine and rehabilitate the digestive system by creating a layer of gel at the intestinal outlet allowing for natural, easy expulsion.Strange, it seems to work just like the magnesium citrate does, being an osmotic, yet unexplainable horrible side effects for me.

 

[BQ]

Thanks for the info Lookin. I saw some myself and it said similiar stuff. Perhaps the med is a bit too strong for you?? How many drops per day did he prescribe?? Maybe you can cut the dose down a bit to lessen the cramping? It definitely seems like it is a bit much for you.All the bestBQ

 

[Lookin'foraLife]

The doc didn't say exactly how many drops to take so I went according to directions on the box, but as usual, either I get nothing (with a lower dose) or the opposite extreme when I raise a little.I still feel all sore from it.I think I'm going to just put them away and revert back to good ol' magnesium citrate.

 

[BQ]

Sorry it didn't work too well for ya. But I haven't read anything like mag citrate wrecking intestinal linings.. But see how you do or look into some of the alternatives Kathleen was mentioning like Magnesium Oxide - (Milk of Magnesia) or maybe Miralax.Hope you find something better soon!BQ

 

[Lookin'foraLife]

I don't know why my new gastro said that. Mag oxide I have tried- doesn't work for me.I could try the Miralax, though I don't understand why it would work better than the citrate.

 

[BQ]

Well then I would stick with what you know works for you! And I DO hope you feel better soon!BQ

 

[sirjohn]

The mag citrate in liquid form any way is a lot stronger then miralax or milk of magnesia.They use it for prep, I drank a small bottle yesterday, and it turned all my stools to brown water. And I was in the tolite all night long.I could see how something like that might be tough on the intestines.

 

[Lookin'foraLife]

I've never had mag. in liquid form, only capsules from Solgar.Perhaps it would be possible to have less in liquid form than I do with the capsules.In any case, I haven't been able to find a happy middle ground with any of these supplements, it's alwaystoo much or too little.

 

[sirjohn]

After you open the bottle of mag citrate, it says it's only good for 24 hours. Then you have to chuck it if you don't drink it by then.It's about the only thing I've found that still works for me. But the whole bottle is overkill for sure.Everything else has petered out, or I would need such big doses of it, I'm afraid to take it.

 

[Lookin'foraLife]

And do your doctors say it's "safe"?