Bowel Issues--Benefiber? Magnesium? Colace? What worked best for you LONG TERM?

I've been working towards better prevention of constipation for the last couple of months and think I have found a pattern that works for me FOR NOW.  But, when I told my surgeon's office that I was taking Colace, I was told that I was setting myself up for disaster!  Huh?  How?  I am wondering if they didn't think I meant I was taking a laxative....  I'm not!  I haven't since before my surgery. The surgeon's nurse told me to only use Benefiber....  "It will do the trick!" she claimed.  Well, my family has been quite financially strained this last 6 mos due to my own and my hubby's health issues and I just have not been able to spend the big bucks that the store demands for Benefiber.  Heck, even Walmart's generic product is $10 a pop.  I get 400 generic colace at Sam's Club for less than $6!  And I get a decent sized bottle of magnesium oxide at Walmart for $3.  Those are what I've been using lately.  I take 2 of the 250 mg magnesium oxide in the morning when I take my vitamins.  And I take 4 of the generic colace at bedtime.  I make sure that I get in more than 60 ozs of liquids every day so that my system has the liquids needed in order to actually get any benefit from the colace.  Every once in a while, I'll stir some flax seed meal into hot soup or other food.  And I eat some whole grain something once in a while too.  I've also been getting a bit more fruit into my diet lately.  All of those seem to be helping. What I want to know from all of you *****ad this (Please!!) is what has worked best for you LONG TERM??  Not what you did that alleviated a short term problem with constipation, but rather what have you done to maintain your "smooth moves?"  Prevention is what I'm after, not trying to alleviate constipation once it has already set in...  Did Benefiber work for you?  I have heard many folks say it did nothing for them.  What else have you tried?  How did it work? Any help/suggestions/comments/advice is greatly appreciated by me and others who just haven't asked yet! Hugs, Lea

I'm almost 17 months post op, and have been using the sugar free Metamucil powder every morning since month 6.  I just have an 8oz glass of water with 1 tsp of powder every morning, and no problems since!  And it's good too, kind of like a morning glass of Tang or something! I usually get it at Walmart, the smaller tub is $5.48 and if budget allows, I'll get the big one which is 10 something, it lasts a long time too since I'm only using a teaspoon a day. Good luck to you.

What has worked best for me is smooth move tea. I get the chocolate flavor. I drink it at night and in the morning I go. AMAZING! LOL

I agree with Lisar I use the smooth move tea, I buy it at Wegmans (local grocery store) or GNC.  You drink 1 cup at night and in the morning it works.  I also use Correctol if I really have a problem.

Hi Lea, Ive been using Metamucil wafers and they work pretty well. My surgeons office didnt want me to take colace regularly either, they wanted me to use fiber. It works pretty well although I still have bouts of constipation.  The wafers seem to come with added gas though. :(   Annette

I had my first plastic surgery in January, and I became severely impacted and had to go to the Emergency Room, the Emergency Room Dr. swears by a glass of prune juice every day.  I didn't want to try it (gross!), and "too much sugar.......blah.....blah.....blah....."  I had every excuse not to do it.  My husband talked me into it......I drink 1/4 cup, 4 times a day and it worked for me.  Before my trip to the Emergency Room, I had been taking 3 colace a day.   It may be a coincidence, or the prune juice may work!  It's not too bad, a 1/4 cup at a time and then there's no sugar problem either.  Good luck and I hope you find what works for you!

At 3 months post op I developed a fissure from being constipated.  Worse pain I've ever had!!!!  Since then I eat half a cup of fiber cereal (dry), use Fibersure/Benefiber twice a day and take 3 Colace's (generic brand) every single day.  I make sure to get 25-30 grams of fiber every day.  Since I started my regimen, I've never had a problem with constipation and my fissure is healed.   Hopefully you will find something that will work for you and your budget.  Good luck.

I've been using Benefiber and I'm not convinced it really works.  But the smooth move tea does!  I wish they made sugarfree prune juice!

I don't think using Colace would be a disaster I just don't think it works well. I like the Benefiber in my coffee but I have also started taking Walmart brand vegetable laxatives at night. They have worked wonders. But make sure you take them with a lot of water.

The smooth move tea is a stimulant laxative, so you don't want to take it regularly.  The Colace is a stool softener (docusate sodium ) and my dr told me it was not habit forming and can be taken regularly.  I take a generic softtener twice a day.  I also take 2 Fiberchoice with Calcuim 3 times a day.  It works OK, but I still get bouts of constipation.  I'll try some of the suggestions here to get long term relief. Thanks for posting this question.