Seeking alternatives to Miralax for colostomy

I'm having problems with Miralax. I think it is dehydrating me too much. Having a kidney transplant, I need to stay hydrated, and it has always been hard for me to do because I just don't like water or anything else in large amounts. My colostomy doctor and I don't have a great relationship, but she is very vague with answers. I assume I'm supposed to take a dose of Miralax before every meal or snack, and I think it is dehydrating me. I try to drink more water or fluids than before the colostomy, but I still end up dehydrated. So I'm wondering if there is something I can use instead of Miralax that is okay for the colostomy. Any and all advice will be appreciated. Thanks

No, Miralax is a longer-acting laxative. I would take one dose in the morning and one at night with whatever other medications you may take, if any, and maybe an afternoon dose if needed/as needed. But not right before every meal or snack; that will certainly dehydrate you. That is wayyyyyyy too much Miralax for anyone with or without an ostomy.

Thanks Maddie, for the quick reply. I thought so too, but in the hospital during recovery from my colostomy, they would bring me a dose with each meal so I just figured that's what I should do. I did forget to mention on my post that I'm also on opiates for chronic pain, so maybe that is why they gave me a dose with every meal. My surgeon is my doctor and she wants me to go off of those meds and blames all my problems on that, but I actually don't take very much of the pain medicine compared to most people. But I have 6 vertebrae fused, pinching 3 nerves in my spine, so I can't just quit taking those meds. I'm miserable every day even while on those meds. Surgery is not an option either. So maybe I need more laxative than most colostomates would. But I do agree with you that that is too much of that kind that uses the moisture from your body. I am going to look into getting another doctor and at least a second opinion. Thank you again for your reply. I still need to find out if there is another type I can use instead of Miralax, that is safe for colostomies. Hope everything is good for you. I have had this for about two years and have learned a lot, so maybe I can help you out with something too.

I am actually on opiates (Methadone 3-5 mg 2x a day, which is literally a baby dose), Flexeril 20 mg 2x a day, and Benadryl 50 mg 3x a day too for my chronic health conditions, and I have been since July 2013 (I was 14 then and now I am 19). I have no function in my colon, and when we did the testing for it, I was taken off laxatives and opiates for five days prior and after, and even with that, it still showed zero function. So we determined it is unlikely that opiates are all to blame for my constipation and slow motility, and if it is, it plays a very small part. Miralax is an osmotic laxative, meaning it pulls water into the intestines rather than it getting absorbed. You may want to try a stimulant laxative like Dulcolax or Senna. The typical dose of those is as follows: 1-2 tablets twice daily. They are stimulants, so they force the bowels to move faster. Since you have a colostomy, you should be fine. I have a very low output ileostomy due to my motility conditions, so I only output 150 mls most days, sometimes as much as 250 ml of a very liquid substance (typically all my undigested formula and water; I have a GJ feeding tube). Besides that problem and skin irritation, things have been fine for the most part. I have only leaked once (and that was very small and it didn't even get on my clothes or bed or anything) in the past 6 weeks, no joke, since I got my correct bags and supplies (I had to use Hollister bags until my special ordered bags from Marlen came in; I use the Marlen Mini-Max, 7 inches long compared to the usual 12 inches, One Piece Drainable Convex Opaque bag with a filter in combo with the Coloplast barrier strips) and found the miracle combination. With the Hollister bags, I was having to change every day, sometimes twice a day because I was leaking all the time and having explosions. But since I had literally nothing else to use until my correct bags came in (I tried samples of the Marlen bag in the hospital as well as Coloplast, but my hospital only buys Hollister; if I had found the Marlen bag, I would have gone with Coloplast, which has really good products).

OMGosh! I'm so sorry that you are experiencing this. We are both in the same boat with this. My kidney transplant was in 1/17, and my ostomy was done in 4/17. In the beginning, my creatinine was .8. Now, in the last 7 months, it's gone up to 1.6. So, I do very much understand your concern. My kidney is getting dehydrated. I've been asked to take Viberzi. However, I don't have a gall bladder. It's been a lot of drama for me with other medications. I don't know if they have mentioned limiting to you. Maybe it could help? Please keep in touch. I'll do the same. Maybe together we can find some answers. The best to you!

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

It didn't type in like I wanted it to. I was trying to ask if they might have tried you on Lomatil? That may help! Good luck!

Good morning, just read your post about not liking water to keep you hydrated. I don't always like it either, but have to drink plenty because of a recent bout of kidney stones and other meds. I encourage you to drink more too. Have you tried the small bottles of "Water Enhancer" they sell in many flavors? I make sure I have about 4-5 different flavors and they are very good. I usually buy Walmart brand, a little cheaper than others, but that would be your own preference. Just a squirt with an 8 oz glass of water. Hope that helps you, good luck.

T.V NM