Milk of magnesia is available to buy as either a tablet or a liquid. When using the tablet form, a person usually needs to chew tablet before swallowing. Milk of magnesia is available as a regular strength liquid or a concentrated liquid. People should not give the concentrated liquid to children under the age of People can buy different forms of milk of magnesia from drug stores or online. To take liquid milk of magnesia, a person can mix it with milk or water.
Shake the bottle well before measuring out a dose. The dosage varies depending on why the person is using the medicine. People of all ages should drink a full glass, or 8 ounces, of water with each dose of milk of magnesia. Use the 15 ml dosing cup or spoon provided for accuracy.
It is best to take the medication at bedtime. For the concentrated version of milk of magnesia, the dosage is lower:. There are also chewable tablets for children. Children should drink a full glass of liquid with each dose. The dosage varies depending on age:. People should not take milk of magnesia as a laxative for more than 7 days in a row. Anyone who is still in need of a laxative or has persistent pain in their stomach area should talk to a doctor.
Milk of magnesia usually relieves constipation within 6 hours of taking it. If a person does not have a bowel movement after using milk of magnesia, they should stop using it and talk to a doctor. There may be another cause of constipation that doctors can treat. Along with constipation relief, people can also use some versions of milk of magnesia to relieve heartburn and acid indigestion.
Adults should take 5 — 15 ml at a time with water, and repeat up to 4 times per day as needed. They should not take more than 60 ml in any hour period.
When using milk of magnesia as an antacid, it may also have a laxative effect. Do not use milk of magnesia as an antacid for more than 14 days in a row. Talk to a doctor before using milk of magnesia to treat other digestive issues in children under Milk of magnesia also carries more serious side effects.
People who experience any of the following should stop using the medicine straight away and seek medical attention:. Serious side effects are more likely to occur if a person takes more milk of magnesia than is recommended, or if they take it for an extended period. People who are taking this medicine need to make sure they drink plenty of water to prevent becoming dehydrated.
If anyone experiences diarrhea after taking a dose of milk of magnesia, they should avoid taking it again. If you are taking other medicines, do not take magnesium hydroxide within two hours before or after of your other medicines. Constipation is a common problem. It can mean either going to the toilet less often than usual to empty your bowels, or passing hard or painful stools.
Constipation can be caused by a number of things. Not eating enough fibre or not drinking enough fluid can cause constipation. Some conditions such as pregnancy can cause constipation, as can a lack of exercise or movement such as being ill in bed , and some medicines. Often, increasing the amount of fibre in your diet such as by eating more fruit, vegetables, cereals and wholemeal bread and drinking plenty of water each day can effectively prevent or relieve constipation.
A laxative such as magnesium hydroxide can also be helpful, if used occasionally. Magnesium hydroxide works by drawing fluid into your bowel, which makes your stools softer and easier to pass. It can be bought without a prescription at pharmacies and other retail outlets. To make sure that this is the right treatment for you, ask a pharmacist or doctor for advice before you start taking magnesium hydroxide if:. Occasionally, people who have taken magnesium hydroxide have experienced digestive symptoms such as mild diarrhoea and stomach cramps.
Depending on how much was taken during the uptake, one of two possible outcomes will happen. As an antacid , milk of magnesia is dosed at approximate mg to 1. As a laxative, milk of magnesia is dosed at g, and works in a number of ways.
Not only does this increase in water content soften the feces, it also increases the volume of feces in the intestine intraluminal volume which naturally stimulates intestinal motility.
Although it has been stated in some sources, the hydroxide ions themselves do not play a significant role in the laxative effects of milk of magnesia, as basic solutions i. Care should be taken with the use of milk of magnesia for either of these purposes, as it can easily cause diarrhea. As already stated only a small amount of the magnesium from milk of magnesia is usually absorbed from a person's intestine unless the person is deficient in magnesium.
However, magnesium is mainly excreted by the kidneys so longterm, daily consumption of milk of magnesia by someone suffering from renal failure could lead in theory to hypermagnesemia. As with any other medication, some people may have adverse reactions to milk of magnesia.
These can include include weakness, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
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