About six months ago, my doctor prescribed a new medication for depression. Unfortunately, a common side effect of this medication is constipation. And oh, how constipated I became! A couple of friends recommended Miralax and suggested taking it daily to prevent constipation.
In the beginning, I was already so constipated that the Miralax didn’t have much effect. I think it is designed more to treat mild constipation and to prevent constipation than to relieve severe constipation. I had to resort to stronger medication for relief.
However, I then began using Miralax daily and was pleased to find that I was able to move my bowels with ease most of the time. I can certainly tell a difference if I miss a dose.
Miralax is easy to use. It’s a powder that can be stirred into any liquid. I like to put it in my morning tea, but also use it in protein shakes, soy milk and other drinks. It dissolves easily in both hot and cold liquids.
The label says not to use Miralax longer than two weeks without a doctor’s supervision, so I checked with my primary care physician and my bariatric surgeon, both of whom said daily long-term use would be okay for me. I would not suggest daily use over a long period of time for anyone else, though, without first consulting their doctors. The best treatment may depend in part on the cause of their constipation.
Miralax in the brand name for polyethylene glycol 3350 but it is also available in a generic form. It is available over the counter but is also available by prescription. I have used both the name brand Miralax and the generic and found no difference between the two, as is often the case with generic medications. The only difference is in price; brand name Miralax is costly. Even the generic does not come cheap.
I’ve also used the prescription Miralax and I must say I find it a little different. It works just as well as the over the counter products but while the over the counter products are tasteless, the prescription seems to have a slight sweet taste. I try to put it in sweet liquids, like a protein shake or a latte rather than unsweetened drinks like plain tea because I don’t like the sweet taste and the sweetness is disguised in those sorts of beverages. I plan to stick with the prescription despite the issue of taste, though, because my insurance co-pay is actually lower than the cost of buying even the generic over the counter.
Source:
PubMed Health. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000241/. Polyethylene Glycol 3350.