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Renee (Bergen Co, NJ) on 01/08/2026: 
I have tried all forms of Mg over the years. I have the most success with high-dose Magnesium oxide. I used to shun oxide because it did nothing for me, but then I found that it is very effective if taken at the correct dose. For me, that is 800 to as much as 1200mg/day. I customize the dose by buying 200mg capsules. I take one with breakfast and 3 with dinner. If I notice slight constipation, I'll increase the dose until I'm going easily again. I'll also have a little Calm drink mix at night occasionally, as needed. Mg oxide effectively pulls fluid into the intestines and is harder to overdose on because it's not systemically absorbed very well.
Sophie (United Kingdom) on 11/23/2023:
Nat (Brooklyn NY) on 08/18/2022: 
Magnesium and other stimulant supplements (such as senna leaf) may help tremendously in the beginning. But over time, more and more is required, and then they stop working.
Magnesium Citrate (and other magnesium forms) if taken in larger dosages should only be used short-term or from time to time.
Dly1972 (Oregon) on 07/14/2018:
Anyone else using mag. citrate long-term without any long-term complications? The doctor told me that the dose that is normal for prescribing is 1.7g and I am only taking 400mg every night.
Yolanda (Los Angeles, Ca) on 04/06/2016:
Never felt so light and constipation free for as long as I can remember. No doubt magnesium helped. I have literally tried everything else for constipation. 2 tablets of magnesium citrate 200 mg before bedtime is all it takes. And I need to mention it also helped me ease my anxiety and I am sleeping like a baby every night. Now I am always excited to wake up in the morning because my trip in the bathroom is eazy breazy. ðŸ˜Å
A warning though.. Make sure you have no problems in your kidney before you take it. And check with your doctor if you have any other ailments. Thanks Earth Clinic for the chance to share this and be able to help others who are in the same boat as I was!!
Empressvee (Philadelphia, PA) on 08/23/2014:
Carriec (Southern Utah, Usa) on 03/17/2013:
I am one that has had constipation problems since I was a child. A couple years ago I found Magnesium did wonders, and since the product 'C--m' came out in the powdered form I just purchased the magnesium as Magnesium Citrate POWDER. It's less than $10 bucks and you can easily stir the amount you need in water. I drink it before bedtime. I sleep like a baby thru the nite, and, like clockwork, have a bowel movement in the morning. For someone who has struggled with this condition since age 4 (which means 4 decades now) I feel like I have found the miracle cure and I'm finally "normal". For those that don't like the sour taste of citrate, I mix some Stevia in it. I sure wish my mother would have known of the simplicity of Magnesium Citrate Powder when I was a child. It's so simple and easy for a child to take. You could easily mix it with orange juice or the like. I just hope this information helps you mothers out there. Like many other posts have stated, we seem to be a magnesium deficient people right now. Anon (Anon) on 10/03/2012:
John (Boise, Id) on 07/31/2012:
Dimple (Sandpoint, Idaho, Usa) on 01/02/2012:
Maria (Gippsland, Australia) on 09/22/2011:
Magnesium is great for constipation, it can also be cheap. Start at a lower dose and gradually increase it till you have loose bowel movements then back the dose down until they are not loose. You will probably need to go back and forth to find the dose that is right for you. For some reason some of us have greater needs for magnesium and I have found most people I know who deal with long term constipation issues (often from childhood) have a much greater need for it. Magnesium chloride made into magnesium oil is great, but I and many others have used with success epsom salts. Used because of its availability and price. We started with 1/4 teaspoon first thing in the morning and also in the evening and generally taking it up to 1 teaspoon then lowering it. Have a chaser of water with lemon juice to follow for the taste. Currently I'm using magnesium citrate as I was able to get it for a good price at the time.
If your feces contains undigested food you need digestive enzymes. As these can be expensive you could first try ginger, taken as tablets or powdered ginger in hot water (ginger tea) with each meal. For some people the ginger works, after 3 - 6 months use, better than the enzymes. Also make sure you drink enough water and eat plenty of veg for fibre.
Joylie (Solana Beach, Ca) on 08/18/2011:
Warren (Costa Mesa, Ca) on 07/31/2011:
Redclary (Oklahoma City, Ok) on 06/28/2011:
Bg43214 (Columbus, Oh, Usa) on 04/25/2011:
Now I use magnesium capsules, 500 mg. , and take one each day after suppertime...... I did not have really bad constipation, but thought I could do better in that 'department', so to speak!!
I took one capsule for 10 days in a row and got incredible results..... now I will try taking one every other day for 10 days to see what happens with that 'dosage'.......
I'm one of those 'every 2 - 3 days' kinda guys; imagine my utter amazement when, within 3 days, I was 'going' every day for 6 days in a row!!! And without any diarrhea-type misery!! I never in my life did that.......... but now I'm going to experiment with the every other day and see how that works out.....
Believe me, if you've tried everything with no luck, try magnesium capsules!!!!!!
They are far better than forcing down Apple Cider Vinegar with water everyday!! YUK!!
so grab yourself some magnesium capsules and away you'll go!!!!!!!!!!!
Lily (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) on 03/01/2011:
Suzief1 (Huntington Beach, Ca) on 06/04/2010:
Mana_olana (Bremerton, Wa) on 04/09/2010:
Mia (Crossville, Tennessee) on 06/28/2009:
KT (Irvine, California, USA) on 04/12/2009:
Jessica (Dartmouth, Canada) on 01/18/2009:
Gina (Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada) on 12/27/2008:
Anyone who has ever not had a movement for more than a few days will attest to how awful it is....this cure is so simple. Magnesium oxide has the most dramatic laxitive effect, much more so than citrate.
Nat (Brooklyn, NY) on 09/10/2008:
On earthclinic there were many testimonials about using magnesium citrate for constipation. Although it is a good thing, many people might find that they need too much magnesium citrate. Taking the magnesium citrate with one half to one cup room temperature water (or hot water) that contains two or three or four teaspoons of erythritol can help one need less magnesium citrate. (Erythritol is a good tasting natural sugar substitute. The NOW Company and Organic Zero both sell erithritol.) Also, and even better, is taking the erythritol and water together with around four to ten Brewers Yeast tablets (Solgars sells Brewers Yeast tablets -- the tablets are much easier to take than the powder) twice a day in addition to the one or more magnesium citrate tablets. The brewers yeast might create some discomfort from gas in the beginning and so one might start off with less of the yeast tablets and increase their number slowly. Taking a sweet hot drink, with some spices in it, shortly after taking the yeast tablets, can often stop the intestinal discomfort. The combination of brewers yeast, magnesium citrate and erythritol in water, all taken at the same time, can often help even stubborn problems with elimination.
One should also eat a diet high in fiber containing foods such as fruits (grapes, papaya, also figs, raisins prunes stewed or soaked with olive oil or soaked overnight in plain water) vegetables (lettuce, escarole, hot sauerkraut, beets) whole grains, bran. One should also eat oily fish (recommended by Maimonides) and have a hot drink after meals.
Nat
P.S. In books on Yoga exercises, there are at times exercise recommendations that can help improve intestinal motility. Has anyone tried these exercises?
fauna (lynnwood, wa) on 12/18/2007:
Nat (Brooklyn, New York) on 11/07/2007:
Your site showed that magnesium citrate (600 Mg) was very helpful for overcoming constipation. It is very good especially when implemented together with some other things. Here is how it seemed to work best. In the morning, one takes three magnesium citrate tablets (one hundred mg in each) with a glass of tap water mixed with a few drops of Ume Plum vinegar (which has salt in it) available from Eden foods. Maybe any vinegar mixed with salt might also work well. The mixture should not be overly salty, just pleasantly salty. Vitamin C - 300 to 1000 - can also be taken together with the magnesium citrate. A short while after that one takes a glass or two of plain cold water from the tap. Let it run for short while. Then a little after that (or even right after that), one takes boiled hot water mixed with one or two tablespoons toasted bran (Kretchmers sells toasted bran), (regular raw bran might also work well), and about the same amount, or a little bit less, toasted wheat germ, adding some more plum vinegar (or maybe any vinegar with salt) to the mixture to make it pleasantly salty. Stir and sip or drink this mixture. One may need a spoon to eat the bran and wheat germ that has settled to the bottom. (At times, a papain tablet and a betaine hydrochloride tablet can be taken with the magnesium citrate, though it may not be necessary. Vitamin C is helpful. It also helps improve the quality of one's sleep and may help a person fall back asleep when awakening in middle of the night.)
After all this, one can eat some fruit, such as papaya, which is excellent for overcoming constipation, or stewed figs, raisins or prunes, stewed or soaked in water and olive oil, and eaten when still hot or at least warm. One can also eat any other fruit or even a regular breakfast.
In general, raw fruits, vegetables and vegetable salads should be an important part of one's daily food. Lettuce (romaine in particular) and escarole are especially helpful. Hot drinks and hot soups are also helpful.
In the late afternoon one takes another three magnesium citrate tablets together with a glass of water mixed with a few more drops of the salty plum vinegar and if one feels the need, another tablespoon or two of bran and wheat germ.
One should also avoid drinking a lot of milk and any hard cheeses or fried foods or other such foods and eat clean simple foods.
There should, with help from Above, be significant improvement.
The suggestion for using bran and wheat germ in a hot drink came from the letters from readers section of a health magazine* from many years ago. It was later written up in a book on natural healing **The person, who suggested it in her letter, said to use it in hot coffee twice a day.
The book also mentions bran, papaya, sunflower seeds, garlic and escarole. (Garlic is recommended in the name of Hippocrates and also in the name of a leading expert in garlic therapy who recommends mixing garlic with (milk?) or yogurt. Garlic is also recommended for relieve of diarrhea.) Escarole is recommended by someone who found miraculous help from the suggestion to cook escarole in water and to drink this escarole water and by another person who ate the escarole raw.
Thank you for letting me share this.
Nat
*Prevention Magazine
**(Miracle Medicine Foods by Rex Adams, published by Warner Books. This book is probably out of print.)
Karan (Calgary, Canada) on 10/14/2007:
Joan (Elkton, VA) on 01/23/2007:
Anonymous (USA) on 08/18/2006:
Donna (Aspen CO) on 01/24/2006:
Tracy (Chalfont, PA) on 03/01/2004:
