Taking laxatives?

It's not a good idea to take laxatives when you're not constipated.  My parents were older when I was born (my mother was 40 and my father was nearly 50).  They both had sedentary lives with little to no exercise, so they were constantly taking laxatives. They thought it would be a good idea to give them to me as well, and so I took laxatives from the time I was a young child until I left home. I never questioned it, because it was just something that was done every night, along with the T. of cod liver oil I consumed daily.  I was always anemic and had serious stomach problems as a child.  My parents never told the pediatrician that they were feeding me laxatives. When I was finally away from it after I left my parents' oversight, my body regulated itself.  My (adult) dr. told me that the laxatives had drained nutrition from my body and had messed up my intestinal tract to the point that it wasn't functioning properly.  It took a couple of years and a lot of bran and fruit to get things normalized. My parents didn't mean any harm--they honestly didn't know any better.  I would recommend that you change your diet if you feel you aren't totally evacuating.  Drink water instead of caffeine drinks (particularly a cup of warm water with lemon juice in it before breakfast), and at least five helpings of fruits/vegetables every day.  Dairy products can mess up digestion as well, so you might consider one of the alternative milks, such as soy, almond, or coconut.  They actually taste pretty good.  Good luck to you.  

Don't ever take any kind of laxative if you're not constipated. There's no reason to do so. If you take a laxative, you won't have to worry about what your stool "looks like", because you'll be too busy running to the toilet to even notice.

Hmmm I would instead try taking fiber to help empty fully usually when you don’t empty it means something is going on with your bowels?? But you said this only started 5 days ago??? No history of IBS? If you overtake laxatives you might not be able to push anymore or hold it for as long. I would instead try fiber and probiotics rather than laxatives

It might be a good idea to clean yourself out with an enema.  Believe it or not, there is information about this on YouTube.  Lots of people do this routinely to keep themselves feeling cleaned out.  It's a messy proposition but believe me, you're going to feel great later that day and the next day - probably for several days. 

Some say to use coffee and other concoctions but warm water works just as well as anything else.

No, it isn't..............

Constipation is a condition in which a person has uncomfortable or infrequent bowel movements.

A person with constipation produces hard stools that may be difficult to pass. The person may also feel as though the rectum has not been completely emptied. Acute constipation begins suddenly and noticeably. Chronic constipation, on the other hand , may begin insidiously and persist for months to years.

Often the cause of acute constipation is nothing more than a recent change in diet or a decrease in physical activity, medications, otc antacids, narcotics, and many tranquilizers and sedatives-- can cause constipation. This can also be caused by serious (occasionally) issues .such as an obstruction of the large intestine, poor blood supply to the large intestine, and nerve or spinal cord injury.

To little physical activity and less fiber in the diet are common causes of chronic constipation.... other causes are under active thyroid gland, ( hypothyroidism), high blood calcium levels, (hypercalcemia),  or Parkinson's disease. A decrease in the contractions in the large intestine ( inactive colon) and discomfort during defecation also lead to chronic constipation.

When a disease is causing this constipation  the disease must be treated first,,,other wise constipation is best prevented and treated with a combination of adequate exercise, a high fiber diet, and maybe occasional use of otc medications.

Vegetables, fruits, and bran are excellent sources of fiber, cereals with fiber.......

NO taking this type laxatives is NOT good for the body......If you feel you must take something to help you with your stool movements try stool softeners,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,such as docusate, these increase the water intake the stool holds(amount)..........Actually theses laxatives are detergents that decrease the surface tension of the stool, allowing water to penetrate the stool more easily and soften it. The increase bulk stimulates the natural contractions of the large intestine and helps the softened stools to move more easily out of the body.

Try miralax once 

no.........................