When you have gone more than three days without bowel movements or if your bowel movements are difficult to pass, you can call it as constipation. But you don’t have to be worried because magnesium is an excellent source of healing for constipation. Main symptoms that indicate constipation are passing stools that are hard and straining during bowel movements, feeling like you can’t fully empty your bowel and sometimes, not passing at all. Being constipated for week or months will lead you to chronic constipation, and this will cause lots of complications for your health if you neglect to normalize your stools.
How to Treat Constipation
Constipation usually occurs due to slow movement of boluses of food through your digestive system. The causes of constipation are; poor diet, dehydration, medications, a lack of physical exercise, blockages in your colon or rectum, problems with pelvic muscles, certain health conditions as if pregnancy, diabetes, hypothyroidism, hyperparathyroidism and other hormonal deficiencies.
By using magnesium supplement, you can often treat constipation as it acts as an osmotic laxative which can relax your bowels and pull water into your intestine to soften and bulk up the stools. This helps the bowels to pass stools easily. Some people are almost safe with the use of magnesium in appropriate doses, but there are some patients, who should avoid using magnesium due to its side effects. People who should be careful when using magnesium supplements are the ones with kidney diseases, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, people who had a sudden change in their bowel movements that lasts over a week and people who are advised to have a magnesium or sodium-restricted diet. Moreover, magnesium can react with some medication for example; medications for HIV.
Magnesium for Constipation
Magnesium is available as a medicine for constipation and can be taken as an oral solution or a tablet, and sometimes it is combined with calcium. If you are using magnesium for constipation, it is better to have the oral solution because some people use the magnesium tablet as a daily mineral supplement.
It is true that magnesium is an excellent way to manage constipation, but there are some side effects that might occur. The most commonly reported adverse effects are mild diarrhea and stomach discomfort, severe stomach pain, severe diarrhea, dizziness, blood in the stool, fainting, sweating, weakness, an allergic reaction (hives, trouble breathing), nervous system issues (confusion, depression), cardiovascular issues (low blood pressure, irregular heartbeat), metabolic issues (hypocalcemia, hypomagnesemia). If you have any above described side effects, it is better to stop magnesium intake and seek doctor’s advice. But these side effects are rare to see, so the use of magnesium can gain you more advantages for your stomach problems.
After taking magnesium for constipation relief, you must experience the laxative effect to begin within one to four hours, if not, immediately contact your doctor for medications, because constipation can be a consequence of another severe underlying disorder.
It is better to see your doctor for medical advice. They can help you to determine the source of your constipation and recommend alternative treatments. However, occasional constipation is normal, and it can be treated with the help of regular magnesium intake.
