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How To Break Habit Of Dependence On Suppositories?
I am trying to break the 1 year addiction my bowels have to suppositories by switching to a stool softener. Prior to the addiction to suppositories, I had bouts of IBS with diarrhea. The diarrhea would kick in at the most inopportune times such as in the car on my way to work. I had several embarassing potty accidents while on my way to work in the morning. So, to prevent that from happening, I began using a suppository on a daily basis so that I would have the bowel movement before getting into the car to go to work. Thus, the addiction to those suppositories! I have had colonoscopies every five years, religiously, since March 2000. Is it ok switch to stool softeners? If it is OK, how often can they be used? If not, suggestions? I eat lots of veggies but cannot handle prunes or prune juice.
Fri, 14 Oct 2016
Hello,
I understand your concern. Unreliable bowel habits can be very frustrating. Wanting to break the suppository dipendence is a reasonable choice. On the other hand, dependance on stool softeners is not a good alternative either, since long term use can make your bowels "forget" how to do their job properly.
Increasing fiber in your diet or taking fiber tablets/capsules twice per day is a more reasonable long term solution.
Also, in order to time your bowel habits before starting your day, I recommend drinking two full glasses of water on empty stomach and then lying down in bed for half an hour. That should get your bowels moving and ready to go.
All the best
I understand your concern. Unreliable bowel habits can be very frustrating. Wanting to break the suppository dipendence is a reasonable choice. On the other hand, dependance on stool softeners is not a good alternative either, since long term use can make your bowels "forget" how to do their job properly.
Increasing fiber in your diet or taking fiber tablets/capsules twice per day is a more reasonable long term solution.
Also, in order to time your bowel habits before starting your day, I recommend drinking two full glasses of water on empty stomach and then lying down in bed for half an hour. That should get your bowels moving and ready to go.
All the best
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