Is it safe to take a laxative if you possibly don’t need it?

My doctor recommended me to drink some Magnesium Citrate because of some stomach pains I was having and thought it would clear me out. My stomach pains have gone away for the most part but I’d still like to give this a try for some extra help. Is there any harm in doing that once?

If you’re having normal bowel movements, you should probably avoid the magnesium citrate. It’s a very powerful, very effective laxative. I’ve used it before, with spectacular results, but only after an x-ray and a physician’s exam confirmed constipation. There are way too many other conditions that can cause stomach discomfort, and for some of these conditions a laxative can only make it worse.

If you’re constipated, and if your physician has ruled out conditions like appendicitis, intestinal blockage, irritable bowel syndrome (you really don’t want to take laxatives with that one), or gastroenteritis, you should probably follow the physician’s advice and take the laxative. My personal recommendation? Don’t drink the entire bottle.

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