Laxatives? How did you fight your addiction?

[live.laugh.love]

I'm becoming really dependant on laxatives lately, and I started taking them more often. I'm really trying to get off of them, but it's hard. How did you guys stop?

[InternalDialogue]

Honestly, I wasn't able to stop until after I landed myself in an ER because of an overdose. After that I was in and out of hospitals for months so I didn't really have much of a chance to abuse laxatives at that point. It's been around 4 years since I last took a single laxative and the cravings* still hit me every once in a while, but they've gotten much easier to ignore. It helps that I have a very significant fear of developing colorectal cancer.

All I can really say is to try slowly reducing the amount/frequency of the laxatives you're taking over a period of time until you're completely off of them. You could always try to go cold turkey, but I feel like that has the possibility of backfiring on you if you don't have any support for the emotional and physical stress that would cause. Wish I could give you better advice than that. :/

*Really don't know how else to describe the feeling. Just a really intense craving.

[Ivy45]

I was badly addicted to laxatives; I've had problems going to the toilet for years. When I decided enough was enough I actually persevered with the meds the doctor had prescribed me (Movicol) and gave them a chance to work instead of just being like 'oh they haven't worked in a day, I'll just take laxies'. But yes Movicol has helped me so much, are you in the UK?

[LRT]

I went cold turkey, made the decision to stop and just stopped, not easy and I have had a couple of slip ups.

I now drink 120ml of prune juice a day that keeps me regular

[elzie]

Movicol is amazing!

Try weaning off them, take them one day, miss another then less dose the next day etc...

[live.laugh.love]

I'm not in the UK, and I tried cold turkey. I've had like three "slip-ups." I feel like a failure now though, I just bought some more today after running out.

[Ivy45]

I'm sure there's some sort of similiar medication you could get to help your body get back into its natural cycle. I don't think my body would have went back to normal had I went cold turkey without any help from other meds, I think I would have ended up ill. So I'm not surprised you're slipping up using this method.

[Bathory]

I went cold turkey because that's what I'm like. I threw my laxatives in the bin and never looked back. It was hard to do, but I'm very happy I did it.

[live.laugh.love]

I didn't start taking them again because I couldn't use the bathroom, I took them again so I could feel that pain again. I actually stopped for two weeks, and I began to use the bathroom every day at like a really healthy rate. It just wasn't the same affect as laxatives of course.

[Ivy45]

Oh...well I guess you have 2 options, to go cold turkey or to wean yourself off them it depends which you think will work best for you. You just have to want it enough. Quitting laxatives was one of the best things I ever did though. I would never go back.