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Constipation will be very uncomfortable and even painful at instances. Some individuals discover reduction from utilizing magnesium citrate, a complement that may calm down your bowels and supply a laxative impact.
Learn on to be taught extra about utilizing magnesium citrate to deal with constipation.
About constipation
Should you’ve gone greater than 3 days with out a bowel motion or your bowel actions have been tough to cross, it’s possible you’ll be constipated. Different signs of constipation could embrace:
Many individuals expertise constipation once in a while. It’s often not a trigger for concern.
However if you happen to’ve been constipated for weeks or months, you will have continual constipation. Persistent constipation can result in issues if you happen to don’t get therapy for it. These can embrace:
In some instances, continual constipation can also be an indication of a extra critical well being situation. Communicate to your physician if you happen to expertise continual constipation otherwise you discover sudden modifications in your stool or bowel habits.
What causes constipation?
Constipation often occurs when waste strikes by way of your system slowly. Girls and older adults are at an elevated danger for growing constipation.
The attainable causes of constipation embrace:
Inform your physician if you happen to’ve observed modifications in your stools or bowel habits. They might help you establish the reason for your constipation and rule out critical well being situations.
How will you use magnesium citrate to deal with constipation?
You’ll be able to typically deal with occasional constipation with over-the-counter (OTC) medicines or dietary supplements, comparable to magnesium citrate.
This complement is an osmotic laxative, which suggests it relaxes your bowels and pulls water into your intestines. The water helps soften and bulk up your stool, which makes it simpler to cross.
Magnesium citrate is comparatively mild. It shouldn’t trigger urgency or emergency lavatory journeys, except you’re taking an excessive amount of of it. You could find it at many drug shops, and also you don’t want a prescription to buy it.
Your physician might also prescribe magnesium citrate that will help you put together for sure medical procedures, comparable to colonoscopies.
Who can safely use magnesium citrate?
Magnesium citrate is protected for most individuals to make use of in acceptable doses, however some individuals ought to keep away from utilizing it. Communicate along with your physician earlier than taking magnesium citrate, particularly you probably have:
Magnesium citrate might also work together with some medicines. For instance, if you happen to’re taking sure medicines to deal with HIV, magnesium citrate can cease these medication from working correctly.
Ask your physician if magnesium citrate can intrude with any medicines or dietary supplements that you simply’re taking.
What are the uncomfortable side effects of magnesium citrate? – “magnesium as a laxative”
Though magnesium citrate is protected for most individuals, it’s possible you’ll encounter uncomfortable side effects after utilizing it. The commonest uncomfortable side effects are delicate diarrhea and abdomen discomfort. You too can expertise extra critical uncomfortable side effects, comparable to:
Should you expertise any of those uncomfortable side effects, cease taking magnesium citrate and name your physician immediately.
What’s the acceptable type and dosage?
Magnesium citrate is out there as an oral answer or pill, which is typically mixed with calcium.
Should you’re taking magnesium citrate for constipation, it’s finest to make use of the oral answer. Folks have a tendency to make use of the pill as a routine mineral complement to spice up magnesium ranges.
Adults and youngsters over 12 years outdated can take as much as 10 ounces (oz.) of an oral answer of magnesium citrate adopted by a full glass (8 oz.) of water every day.
Youthful kids ages 6 to 11 can sometimes take as much as 5 oz. of magnesium citrate oral answer with 8 oz. of water. Youngsters ages 2 to five shouldn’t take greater than 3 oz.
Communicate along with your physician to be taught if these customary dosages are protected for you or your youngster. Observe the instructions on the bottle.
In case your youngster is 2 to five years outdated, ask their physician about the precise dosage for them. Magnesium citrate isn’t really useful for kids underneath the age of two. In case your child or toddler is constipated, your physician can advocate different therapy choices.
What’s the outlook?
After taking magnesium citrate for constipation reduction, it is best to anticipate the laxative impact to start in 1 to 4 hours.
Contact your physician if you happen to discover uncomfortable side effects or don’t expertise a bowel motion. Your constipation could also be an indication of a extra critical underlying well being situation.