Miralax vs benefiber....

Ok, so still fighting the blasted constipation  and I saw Dr. A yesterday. Funny that when I told his nurse that I was having problems and had even tried to add more fat she said very adamantly NO...use miralax or benefiber but do NOT add fats.  LOL  

But I did ask Dr. A as well.  He too said to try Miralax or benefiber.  

My question is, what is the diff and which one works better?  I need some relief...and want something that will work well without screwing with my full system or stomach.  He said something towards that effect with Miralax and as kind of a side, said that Benefiber might also work.  

also, are either one in more of a pill form?  I have a problem with adding things to water, but IF it would work throwing in a spoonfull in my protein coffee or something like that it would be ok too. 

so which one?  anyone with some insight??? Thanks!  

I put a heaping tablespoon of benefiber into my morning coffee and I do not even know it is there!  I have not tried the miralax but I have been doing the benefiber for the last year and it seems to be working well for me.

Red

Laurie, I have been taking MiraLax for over 4 years now and had to even up my dosage by taking it twice a day, not just once. I usually added it in the morning to my coffee and could not taste it at all. In the evening, it depended on what I was drinking, usually adding it to my crystal light drink. It did seem to have an aftertaste when put in plain water. If the stuff is taken regularly, it does work. I haven't had any now for over 3 weeks, but I think I may have to go back on it. If I missed even one dose, no movement for a day or so. I have always been very constipated and needed some good potent stuff without the diarrhea with some stuff.

Pre op I had severe IBS and not the constipating kind, so this is completely new to me.  I HATE the feeling.  Tomorrow is grocery day and I have coupons for the Benefiber.  Guess I'll try that and check the price of the miralax... if benefiber don't work will go for the miralax.  I don't "go" except every 2-4 days and by day three am miserable...I eat whatever I can think of to try to get things "going" which I am sure is why my losses are slowing down considerably since when I was regular I was losing quite nicely.  

Thanks for the input from you both...seems that both will work so as I said, since I have coupons for the benefiber it will be the first one I try (lol cheapy that I am ).  

Just remember with any fiber supplement you need to up your water some to make sure it does not contipate you more.  I was doing too much fiber and not enough water and it was making me more constipated.  Now I am doing just fine.  Good Luck!

Jennifer

I've been taking Benefiber in my water for the past five days and have seen a small improvement.  I don't even notice that I'm taking it, which is nice.  I've never tried Miralax.

I guess it depends what your problem is!

Not enough fiber - use benefiber.  Not enough liquid in the BMs, but eating enough fiber - miralax might be better.

I've never used benefiber because I never have a fiber issue, but as was already said, more fiber but not enough water can make the problem worse and lead to awful gassiness/distention.

I've used miralax, but I'm not really sure how well it works because I have never committed to taking it consistently.  I do know that it's pretty flavorless.

I know miralax is basically a smaller dose of a colon cleansing agent.  It pulls water into the digestive tract to keep the BMs moist.  My GI doc uses a combo of large doses of miralax and dulcolax for colonoscopy prep.  It doesn't taste bad...I don't know if I'd put it in plain water, but it's tasteless in flavored liquids.

they aren't interchangeable. They're different animals. Here's my story:

I had chronic constipation for 11 years. I tried: more fiber, less fiber, soluble fiber, insoluble fiber, no fiber, both fibers, stool softeners, Smooth Moves & Correctol teas and Metamucil wafers, together, apart, more water, less water, cut out anything bu****er (and protein), senna, cascara sagrada, everything one could possibly try until I was basically dependent on enemas for 3 yrs.

Miralax helped the stool be passable. It was rx and finally became generic, so went from $80 for 3 months to $20 for 3 months. Now it is OTC, but is about $8 for 5-6 servings. If you can get the rx, it is much cheaper, safe, daily, for life, according to my GI doc.

The stool softeners are store brand equal to Colace, not PERI-colace.

Word was that magnesium citrate was such a great thing. This is pills, not the green bottle, so I tried it and nothing happened, and so I kept increasing it. What DID happen is that my foot and leg cramps ceased. So, I kept doing that and tried magnesium oxide. This is small, cheap, found anywhere, like drug stores. And finally, it worked. Mine are 500 mg and I take 2.

My final formula:
1 serving MiraLax (rx) *
4 stool softeners at night
1 mag ox with lunch, 1 with dinner

In the morning, hot beverage first thing on empty gut

This has worked for several years yrs now.

* MiraLax was rx only until the end of 2007, and is now generic by rx. The original name brand is available at drug stores at about $20 for a large bottle. You might want to try one first, taken daily, at about the same time. If it solves the problem, then ask your doc for rx. It is NOT a laxative. It is safe, daily, taken for life, per 4 doctors I've asked. It was a pediatrician who introduced me to it. My rx plan allows me to have 6 of those big bottles every 3 months for $20. Check with your doc and your insurance to see if it's beneficial to buy it by rx. BTW, my doc writes for 2 servings per day, because they might SAY there are 30 servings per bottle, but somebody can't count. Me or them? I use only one, but if I spill or get too much, I still have enough to last til next refill.

gee, so I'm not really not sure. 

My bms are soft, so not that.  (sorry if TMI)  I just can't get them going so to speak. 

if it can be got otc then my insurance won't cover them...so it will be otc for me. 

I don't know if it is not enough fiber...or what.  :(  

Vitalady, thanks for the suggestion on the stuff you use too...now to figure out what is going to work for me. 

off to think...looks like it is a trial and error thing.  Will get one now and try to see if it will work and pay day next time (2 weeks) will try the other if this doesn't work and if that doesn't alone, then work both? 

guess it is really trial and error...I'm so scared of going back to what it was pre op ....don't want that either. 

thanks for the help and input all! REALLY appreciate it!  

hmm, maybe fiber would help.

Or maybe your body just needs a little help with getting the signal to go.

Sometimes, I really gotta go and just can't make my body understand that I'm ready, and drinking lots of water first thing on an empty stomach really helps my body get the picture.  I dunno what is it, but eating first thing in the morning calms my stomach and practically shuts off my bowels.  Sometimes if I really need to go, I refuse to eat until I've pooped.  I just keep drinking lots of water.  I usually don't have to wait long.  Maybe an hour or so.

if your stools are already soft and easy to pass, fat really is not likely to help either though.  Sounds more like a motility problem than a texture problem.