Lactulose

It's a high powered laxative. I adjusted the dosage downward from what was recommended. TBH what others took is irrelevant to the question of how your bowels will react to this substance. I believe I took half or less of the prescribed dosage because it made me run to the bathroom like my pants were on fire. Maybe your pants don't catch fire so easy. Try it as prescribed and adjust as needed.

Thanks for the reply. Do you take it when you need to or daily? What does Dr Shen recommend? I could hardly see that in the threads.

I’m trying to regulate my bowels more and polyethylene glycol is making it worse and milk of mag doesn’t work and magnesium doesn’t work.

I took it years ago daily and as needed. It was prescribed by my then GI doc Dr. Oikonommou who is actually a protege of Dr. Shen. I don't recall what dosage he gave me, but I remember it was way too much and I dialed it back to like 1/3 of what it was as prescribed. It has a sweet syrupy taste.

Thank you. I just don’t know where to begin with a dosage.

It's a prescription. The doctor decides the dosage and you adjust as needed. This is a medication taken under a doctor's guidance.

Ah, I was just going to get it OTC and try it out.

I wouldn't do that. It also may be weak or diluted crap compared to what I took. You get what you pay for in most cases.

Okay, thank you for the tip. I didn’t even think you could get it by prescription where I live. I’ll call my surgeon about it Monday. 

I have only ever seen or heard of it being prescribed. I am going to go out on a limb and guess whatever is available OTC is diluted crap that is a waste of time and money. Mine came in a bottle that looked like prescription cough syrup with similar consistency. Sweet and syrupy. 

Assuming you are in the US, I have learned in being a part of many US-centric forums over the years there is lots I can get OTC (or not at all) in my country (Canada) comparatively. I am not doubting you, though, if there is a prescription version it is much more potent! 

The prescription stuff is a serious pants on fire laxative. It's not a joke. You need to be careful and fine tune the adjustment of the dosage to your body's response.

Yes I am in Connecticut, USA but I spent time in Canada so I know what you mean. Ask the pharmacist how OTC compares to prescription strength.

I’ll definitely ask my surgeon about it. I have to call him about my poor painful Bleeding anus anyway.

And good idea! I’ll call the pharmacist, too.

sorry for my third message in a row but interestingly I just called the pharmacy and they said it’s the same lactulose whether I have a prescription for it or just buy it.

Well I would talk to a doctor about a starting dosage. From what I read lactulose is only available by prescription in the USA. 

Yes I’ll still talk to my doc about the dosage.

and I read that, too, about the US so I’m surprised, but given our backwards health care approaches maybe I’m not. I have Intestinal dysmotility and Gastroparesis and the drug comparisons of what’s in what country is so weird! We tend to have things a little more freely here.

That's why I am especially recommending you talk to a doctor - so he or she knows that you have those conditions and you aren't treating garden variety normal constipation issues. Also please note that lactulose takes around 48 hours to work and you should know this lest you dangerously swig a couple of power swallows when nothing happens. Think Leo DiCaprio in The Wolf Of Wall Street with his delayed reaction to Qualuudes, and then reacting to that by consuming a bunch more, with predictable (albeit comical) results in that film.