The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Magnesium
Posted by Yolanda (Los Angeles, Ca) on 04/06/2016
★★★★★
Never felt so light and constipation free for as long as I can remember. No doubt magnesium helped. I have literally tried everything else for constipation. 2 tablets of magnesium citrate 200 mg before bedtime is all it takes. And I need to mention it also helped me ease my anxiety and I am sleeping like a baby every night. Now I am always excited to wake up in the morning because my trip in the bathroom is eazy breazy. 😊
A warning though.. Make sure you have no problems in your kidney before you take it. And check with your doctor if you have any other ailments. Thanks Earth Clinic for the chance to share this and be able to help others who are in the same boat as I was!!
Magnesium
Posted by Gina (Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada) on 12/27/2008
★★★★★
I have suffered from constipation all my life. I do everything you are supposed to do to have healthy bowel movements...I am a vegetarian,mostly raw, and so consume fibre, fibre, fibre, I drink at least a gallon of pure water every day, I run, walk, do yoga, I give myself time to go, do abdominal massages....everything. A few years ago, despite all this, I did not have a bowel movement for 27 days. The pain was horrible. Everyone asks me why I let it go so long. I was trying all the usuual remedies and giving each of them a day or two to work, fully expecting them to. I tried cascara, prune juice, aloe vera, senna, all in large doses, I tried an enema...and got zero results, except for more and more pain. On the 27th day, crying and throwing up, unable to eat or drink, I visited the emergency room. My bowel was obstructed. Unwilling to undergo surgery, I went home, crying, and checked the internet, paid 30 bucks for a poorly written four page "e-book", and am eternally grateful that I did! It said to take magnesium oxide. Simple. It would cure constipation forever with daily dosage. I started that night with a massive dose...three 300mg capsules every two hours all night long. In the morning, I moved a tiny, dry piece, but was grateful even for that....the blockage was moving. The next day, I passed seven huge easy movements...each one a foot long. I will never never again go a day without magnesium oxide. I take 400-600 mg/day before bed and have not missed a day since.
Anyone who has ever not had a movement for more than a few days will attest to how awful it is....this cure is so simple. Magnesium oxide has the most dramatic laxitive effect, much more so than citrate.
Magnesium
Posted by Carriec (Southern Utah, Usa) on 03/17/2013
★★★★★
I am one that has had constipation problems since I was a child. A couple years ago I found Magnesium did wonders, and since the product 'C--m' came out in the powdered form I just purchased the magnesium as Magnesium Citrate POWDER. It's less than $10 bucks and you can easily stir the amount you need in water. I drink it before bedtime. I sleep like a baby thru the nite, and, like clockwork, have a bowel movement in the morning. For someone who has struggled with this condition since age 4 (which means 4 decades now) I feel like I have found the miracle cure and I'm finally "normal". For those that don't like the sour taste of citrate, I mix some Stevia in it. I sure wish my mother would have known of the simplicity of Magnesium Citrate Powder when I was a child. It's so simple and easy for a child to take. You could easily mix it with orange juice or the like. I just hope this information helps you mothers out there. Like many other posts have stated, we seem to be a magnesium deficient people right now.
Magnesium
Posted by Dly1972 (Oregon) on 07/14/2018
★★★★★
As far back as I can remember, I have always been someone who only had two-three bowel movements per week. When I was pregnant with my first, I had horrible constipation and nothing seemed to work. I ended up with hemorrhoids. About four or five years ago someone mentioned trying magnesium for regularity. It has worked wonders for me and helped me to have a daily BM. I recently went to my annual physical and asked my doctor who knows I have been taking magnesium for years if it was okay that I have been using it long-term. For some reason they had in my charts that I was using the oxide version. He recommended I try stool softeners or some of the other OTC methods you see commercials for. Well, I have tried three stool softeners a day for the past several days and have only had two BM and now have hemorrhoids again. I have blood work done every year and everything always is great. I am thinking I should just go back to what was working for me.
Anyone else using mag. citrate long-term without any long-term complications? The doctor told me that the dose that is normal for prescribing is 1.7g and I am only taking 400mg every night.
Magnesium
Posted by Maria (Gippsland, Australia) on 09/22/2011
★★★★★
Magnesium is great for constipation, it can also be cheap. Start at a lower dose and gradually increase it till you have loose bowel movements then back the dose down until they are not loose. You will probably need to go back and forth to find the dose that is right for you. For some reason some of us have greater needs for magnesium and I have found most people I know who deal with long term constipation issues (often from childhood) have a much greater need for it. Magnesium chloride made into magnesium oil is great, but I and many others have used with success epsom salts. Used because of its availability and price. We started with 1/4 teaspoon first thing in the morning and also in the evening and generally taking it up to 1 teaspoon then lowering it. Have a chaser of water with lemon juice to follow for the taste. Currently I'm using magnesium citrate as I was able to get it for a good price at the time.
If your feces contains undigested food you need digestive enzymes. As these can be expensive you could first try ginger, taken as tablets or powdered ginger in hot water (ginger tea) with each meal. For some people the ginger works, after 3 - 6 months use, better than the enzymes. Also make sure you drink enough water and eat plenty of veg for fibre.
Magnesium
Posted by Teena (Melbourne, Australia) on 07/16/2018 233 posts
Dly1972, actually there are concerns that the way some mag citrate is manufactured creates msg. I have used mag malate with success in the past, the malate is what is in Apple cider vinegar, now though I use food grade Epsom salts, as the body needs sulphur too. Magnesium is vital for every microscopic cell in your body. And can stop a heart attack. Best to you.
Magnesium
Posted by Mia (Crossville, Tennessee) on 06/28/2009
★★★★★
I have been suffering from chronic constipation for as long as i can remember. i have taken every kind of laxative and stool softener out on the market. i have used enema's and suppositories just to help it along. i have been doing this for years until i came across this web site. so i went to my local ___store and got some magnesium oxide in 400 mg tablets. i took 1 of a morning on a empty stomach with a large glass of water and 1 of a evening before going to bed. the next day i had a very small bowl movement so i up the dosage to 2 tablets of a morning and 2 of an evening and have had a bowl movement every morning. i have been taking it for 2 weeks now and haven't felt this great in a long time. that weighted down feeling is gone and i have more energy.
Magnesium
Posted by Bg43214 (Columbus, Oh, Usa) on 04/25/2011
★★★★★
I tried the ACV 'solution' for constipation and had very bad luck with it........
Now I use magnesium capsules, 500 mg. , and take one each day after suppertime...... I did not have really bad constipation, but thought I could do better in that 'department', so to speak!!
I took one capsule for 10 days in a row and got incredible results..... now I will try taking one every other day for 10 days to see what happens with that 'dosage'.......
I'm one of those 'every 2 - 3 days' kinda guys; imagine my utter amazement when, within 3 days, I was 'going' every day for 6 days in a row!!! And without any diarrhea-type misery!! I never in my life did that.......... but now I'm going to experiment with the every other day and see how that works out.....
Believe me, if you've tried everything with no luck, try magnesium capsules!!!!!!
They are far better than forcing down Apple Cider Vinegar with water everyday!! YUK!!
so grab yourself some magnesium capsules and away you'll go!!!!!!!!!!!
Magnesium
Posted by Joan (Elkton, VA) on 01/23/2007
★★★★★
After viewing reader comments on your web site, I tried magnesium oxide to relieve IBS with constipation. My doctor had prescribed Zelnorm twice a day, and I had used it for three years. It worked quite well, but I was having to live my life around scheduling my medication and meals so the Zelnorm would be effective. If I didn't allow one hour after taking it before I ate a meal, the constipation along with bloating and nausea would return. I just couldn't see living the rest of my life like that. Not to mention the expense of taking a one-of-a-kind drug. Then while researching IBS with constipation, I noticed your web site. I began taking 250 mg magnesium oxide on an empty stomach first thing when I awaken each morning. By the time I'm ready for breakfast, it has had its desired effect. Thanks so much! I am so appreciative of the help I found.
Magnesium
Posted by Sophie (United Kingdom) on 11/23/2023
★★★★★
I've been taking magnesium, both magnesium citrate and magnesium chloride (liquid version) for years. It's been great for ending constipation and insomnia.
Magnesium
Posted by Empressvee (Philadelphia, PA) on 08/23/2014
★★★★★
Amazed and thrilled at how quickly magnesium cured my chronic constipation! Started with 1000 mgs at night, found that was a bit much, dropped to 500, taken every night, have easy bm at least once a day, usually twice.
Magnesium
Posted by John (Boise, Id) on 07/31/2012
★★★★★
Thanks for the info. For me it takes 1/2 TBSP in a large glass of water before going to bed and another dose upon arising. Sometimes I have a second dose in the morning. It works easy and very cheap.
Magnesium
Posted by KT (Irvine, California, USA) on 04/12/2009
★★★★★
This page has changed my life & constipation of 36 years!!!!!!!!!! It got so severe last year that I had to quit work to find the holy grail that would defeat my DNA, heredity, bad karma, stinginess (which leads to constipation) .. you name it. Needless to say constipation runs in my family. I had tried pills, herbs, various home remedies to no avail specially since last year. Coconut oil worked like a miracle too, but what really got my colon going is Calcium-Magnesium (citrate) in liquid form and some patience. It took 2 weeks to kick in but boy, I have been regular like clockwork in the morning, defeating all odds!! Moreover I have started eating foods & meats that gave me constipation earlier and it is really working wonders. I just take a tblspoon after dinner in lukewarm water. Sometimes, the solution is simple to life's biggest problems, we just need to find the solution. Magnesium really helps draw water to the colon, thereby easing the waste-elimination. Of course eat healthy and drink lots of water. And be patient with the remedies you try before they work.
Magnesium
Posted by Dimple (Sandpoint, Idaho, Usa) on 01/02/2012
★★★★★
I have had issues with constipation most of my life. For a long time I used wheat bran, and it worked quite well, but I developed an allergy to wheat. Nothing else worked until, after I found this site, I read about using magnesium. I had some epsom salts, so I dissolved some in water and drank it. It worked well, and I had relief next morning. Now I take Magnesium oxide tablets, 250 mg, one 3 times a day. Problem solved!
Magnesium
Posted by Karan (Calgary, Canada) on 10/14/2007
★★★★★
I was skeptical when I read on this website that magnesium could 'cure' chronic constipation....I am no longer skeptical! It works! I had been struggling for months, tried it last week, and I am happy to report that all is well is my world! I have been taking 750 mg of magnesium at bed time, but I am going to reduce that amount because it is a bit too effective. I am so overjoyed that when I get up in the morning now, I can go! With ease! I also sleep better with use of the magnesium! A lot of bang for your buck!
Magnesium
Posted by Tracy (Chalfont, PA)
★★★★★
I have found that magnesium capsules work best for me. I have suffered for years with constipation and nothing works more gently. Of course dosage varies from person to person depending on your body's need. In fact, it may vary daily depending on your diet. I find that 600 mg daily works best. Just adjust your dosage by your results. If you're having diarrhea, you're taking too much. If you're not going, you're not taking enough! It's as simple as that.
Magnesium
Posted by PayItForward (PNW) on 05/19/2024 59 posts
Supplementing with Magnesium Glycinate has been the best in our family. It's probably the most accessible form for your body. We take 300-500mg 1-2 hrs before bedtime. Magnesium is involved in 300+ essential metabolic reactions in our body, including regularity and better sleep, but many are deficient causing numerous health issues. If you like soaking in the tub you can add Epsom Salts (a magnesium sulfate compound) to your bath to boost your magnesium levels. For us, magnesium (and Lugol's Iodine!) supplementation are must-haves for general good health.
Also for constipation, insoluble fiber helps. Insoluble is usually better for preventing constipation compared to soluble, though both can be helpful. Insoluble fiber stays intact and won't ferment in the gut - But soluble fiber does, which can lead to bloating and gas. (Soluble fiber is digested by bacteria in the large intestine, which end up releasing gas that sometimes causes a lot of gas when following a high fiber diet). This is why very high fiber diets sometimes make IBS symptoms worse (depending on the person). So, because each person reacts to various fiber-containing foods differently, it's important to increase these foods in the diet gradually and also drink plenty of water.
For constipation, insoluble fiber foods like:
- Wheat bran and wheat germ, Oat bran
- Beans, lentils and legumes of all kinds (kidney, black, garbanzo, edamame, split peas, lima, navy, white, etc.)
- Berries including blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc.
- Whole grains, especially barley, quinoa, sorghum, millet, amaranth, oatmeal and rye
- Turnips
- Green peas
- Okra
- Spinach
- Radishes
- Rutabaga
- Coconut (grated flakes or flour)
- Cocoa
- Apples with skin
- Pears with skin
- Flaxseeds
- Avocado (Florida avocados have more than California avocados)
- Sunflower seeds
- Potatoes and sweet potatoes
- Dried apricots, prunes, raisins, dates and figs
- Almonds
- Walnuts
Magnesium
Posted by Suzief1 (Huntington Beach, Ca) on 06/04/2010
★★★★★
magnesium and calcium are excellent to help with constipation... Had problems my entire life and when I hit 50 decided I needed extra calcium and it was recommended to take it with magnesium for obsorbtion... I am now for the the past 6 yrs. regular and sleep like a baby! I take two pills at bedtime with a large glass of water and the results are great in the morning! Good luck... And trust me! This works!
Magnesium
Posted by Anon (Anon) on 10/03/2012
★★★★★
I've tried psyllium, magnesium sulfate, teas, salt water. They all work, but taking a single magnesium pill works faster and seems much gentler. And it doesn't taste bad. Don't recall the dosage. I try to take zinc, potassium, calcium with it to keep the minerals balanced. It seems to work for indigestion, too. Might work for acid reflux, which I don't get.
