I write this to bring attention to a common OTC medication that may be harming young children.
This concern has still not been addressed by the FDA, so at the end, I list some truly effective food remedies that have worked forever for childhood constipation!
MiraLAX: Potentially Dangerous OTC Laxative For Children
When their toddlers and children suffer from constipation, many parents use OTC laxatives like MiraLAX for relief because pediatricians still recommend it.
MiraLAX is often given for extended periods of time, even though the label advises “use no more than 7 days”.
It’s an off-label use in children because it’s not recommended for use to anyone under 17.
“In 2014, the FDA reported 167 adverse side effects in children who had taken MiraLAX, 37 of which included neurological or psychiatric responses.” ~CBS News report
Thousands of parents whose children were prescribed MiraLax (PEG 3350) observed deeply troubling neuropsychiatric problems such as:
- Depression
- Anger
- Anxiety
- Paranoia
- Mood swings
The only ingredient in MiraLAX is PEG 3350 (polyethelene glycol).
One concern about PEG 3350 is that it contains potentially neurotoxic compounds ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol. (source)
Other laxatives containing PEG 3350 are GlycoLax, ClearLax, and GaviLAX.
Side Effects Parents Believe are from MiraLAX
Thousands of families are raising concerns that after taking MiraLAX their children experienced mood and behavioral changes.
This is a warning to be aware of!
Currently there are more than 68,800 families joining forces in a Facebook group called Parents Against Miralax. They are pleading with doctors and parents alike to stop using this powerful laxative in the sensitive small bodies of young children.
Follow this train of thought as pediatric neurologist Dr. David Rosenberg (above video), Chair of Psychiatry at Wayne State Univ. and Children’s Hospital, explains:
“The gut chemistry and the brain chemistry and biology are strikingly similar.” (true)
“Children with digestive issues often also have psychiatric issues, because the neurotransmitters that regulate your gut also regulate your brain!” (true)
“…the underlying causes of severe constipation have robust association with psychiatric and behavioral disturbances.” (true)
“I see an awful lot of children who have neurobehavioral syndromes like OCD, disruptive behavior, tremors and tics, Tourette syndrome, ADHD, autism, and anxiety – and constipation is a common problem in those children.” (true)
That raises the big question.
Are problems parents observe due to the medication MiraLAX or an underlying condition causing constipation?
The FDA never completed the study they started in order to find out!
Until We Know More, Avoid MiraLAX
Why Use MiraLAX When Other Safer Remedies Work Well for Constipation?
2 minutes with Dr. First:
A Dozen Natural Laxative Foods/Tips That WORK to Undo Normal Constipation:
Let’s NOT ditch/forget well-known, safe remedies for a chemical that MAY do untold harm.
If only people knew that drinking 3 glasses of water before 9 am would trigger a bowel movement, they would never buy laxatives again. Drink more water and eat more fiber – an (organic) apple a day keeps the doctor away isn’t just an old wives tale. Here are some more tips:
1. Prune juice works because of high sorbitol and phenolic compounds. From age 1 and up, it can be given to relieve constipation, but limit it to less than a cup/day.
2. Give Dr. Christopher’s (Children’s) Kid-e-Reg Bowel Tonic, as directed.
3. A glass of warm water with lemon juice first thing in the morning on an empty stomach is one of the simplest treatments for constipation in children or adults.
4. Eating celery sticks every day sweeps the gut.
5. Kiwi fruit: Many people eat a kiwi every morning to facilitate bowel function thanks to their fiber and enzyme content.
6. Traditional Medicinal’s Smooth Move tea is gentle overnight relief with no straining.
7. Flaxseed is a famous treatment for constipation. Soak them in water overnight first. On an empty stomach in the morning, have them drink both seeds and water or mix with fruit.
8. Chia seeds work in the same way as flaxseed (soaking releases fiber). Soak a teaspoon in water for 5 minutes, then drink it all down. Chia deep cleans without irritating your intestine.
9. A tablespoon of olive oil (or teaspoon of mineral oil) on an empty stomach is a foolproof treatment for constipation. Children are not usually gagged by olive oil and often respond quickly to this simple habit that you can keep up for a few weeks until the problem is resolved.
10. Fermented foods work to correct both constipation and diarrhea.
11. Vitamin C powdered, buffered sodium ascorbate. A 1/2 teaspoon in small amount of water every hour until the constipation stops.
12. Magnesium citrate gummies works by increasing the amount of water in your child’s intestinal tract thus softening the stool. It also aids in muscle contraction, thus expelling the stools. According to the NIH, ages 1-3: dose 80 mg (=1 gummy) or ages 4-8: dose 130 mg (=2 gummies). Note: Do not double dose magnesium!
12. An Epsom salts bath, (not a food!), comforts, relaxes and encourages a bowel movement. It’s magnesium salt, and it draws water to the colon which softens the hardest stool.
What are the Root Causes of Chronic Constipation (or Diarrhea)?
Mood, sleep, language, and appetite are regulated by serotonin, 90% of which is made in the gut. When the gut is attacked, we see behavioral problems reminiscent of autism.
Often the gut is chronically damaged by:
• heavy metals from highly toxic vaccine adjuvants
• molds, mycotoxins, and yeasts like my son’s experience
• toxic glyphosate in common foods which alters the gut microbiome and increases intestinal permeability
• Leading baby foods contain alarmingly high levels of damaging heavy metals
• antibiotics annihilate good microbes and create antisocial children
• and many more
We can chelate these offenders and more from organs, the gut, and the brain with Advanced TRS.
TRS is a 2-ingredient product made with ultra-pure nano-zeolites and purified water. It is a simple spray into the mouth. You can find out more about the science here.
Commonly, we see diarrhea and constipation end for good.
TRS also removes MRI contrast Gadolinium and mercury in amalgams effectively and safely.
I’ve decided to make TRS available because of the many wonderful testimonies of friends and our own personal story with advanced Lyme.
So the lesson here is to stay with what we know is safe.
Sadly, we are learning just because a doctor recommends something doesn’t mean it is safe.
Medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the US!!!
Research. Pay attention to your parental instincts. Always apply the rule, “first do no harm”, and we will all save ourselves and our families a lot of grief and heartbreak!
***For the Full Spike Protein Protocol to protect from transmission from the “V” and to help those who took the “V”, go here.
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Lori
I would love to learn more about this please! I have a child that the pediatrician has said to use Miralax at all times and I’ve honestly refused to because I don’t want her on a permanent medication. She was always getting UTI’s which by going to a urologist we found out is because she’s not regular. I have also questioned if she falls on the autistic spectrum because she lacks focus, takes forever to think about what’s she saying and how to say it, very dramatic sometimes, walks on toes and my 5 year old has always acted more mature than she does and she’s 9. She still has the problem though and is a very picky eater.
Jacqueline
Lori, I just emailed you! ~J
Emily
I knew the connection between gut and brain but didn’t think about miralax being an issue. I wonder if it’s safe for breastfeeding moms to take? Please send me more info. Thank you so much!
Megan
SO glad you wrote this article, Jacque! Thanks for taking the time to! Our oldest (now almost a teen) was offered Miralax when he was a young toddler . . . so glad we didn’t fill it!
I’d love to share what has been most helpful to us and what God has taught us with our three kids so far . . . sounds too simple, but the most helpful thing? Staying home and staying in a parasympathetic state! 🙂 I can’t help but wonder if parents and their children are just SO busy now a days that they are in the car for so long or running around doing errands . . . or just too busy at school . . . to go to the bathroom. When our littles were struggling with not going, we would take them to one of the rooms of our home that was completely empty except for a few pieces of furniture . . . don’t worry, all the outlets were plugged up, and everything was safe! We would place them in the room for a few minutes by themselves and about 60% of the time when we came back in a few minutes they’d have had a bowel movement! Children need rest, privacy, safety, just like us, to have a movement! This is one area where I’m so grateful we’re home most of the time homeschooling . . . they can have that freedom to rest and get off the racetrack, so to speak!!
Also, homeopathy has helped us. A child’s constitutional remedy should help with digestion.
Most of all, switching to a primarily plant-based diet. Water-rich, fiber rich fruits like watermelon, oranges, mangos, grapes, etc. move relatively quickly through the gut and sweep its walls as they pass. Starting with water-rich fruit in the morning for breakfast and not combining with anything else was a game changer for us. No more enemas each day!
Jacqueline
Megan, that is an amazing thought! To get off the roller coaster and unwind so our bodies can be in that parasymathetic state! That would revolutionize us all, I think!
I would love to do a post about that, but time is against me with the new grand babies! Maybe you would write it (what you have here) and expand with some science of it.
We could title it, “The Parasympathetic State: Healing the Digestion and Immune Functions”. 😀
Megan
Great idea! I’ll e-mail you! 🙂
Erica Kennedy
Jacqueline, my just 6 month old grandson is scheduled for surgery in early June to connect his intestine with his rectum and to close his colostomy. The surgeon has ordered pedialyte for 24 hours (he is on only breastmilk) and MiraLAX before the surgery. My daughter already plans to use coconut water instead of pedialyte, but we are in a quandry regarding the MiraLAX. Do you have any suggestions for what she might offer to the surgeon as an alternative? Any help will certainly be appreciated. (I only found out about the MiraLAX today!) Sincerely,
Jacqueline
Erica, I would tell the doctor “I would prefer not to use MiraLAX because of the PEG.”
Ask if he would be okay with diluted prune juice. Think along the lines of 1 tsp in a 3 oz bottle of water….
prune juice is mentioned in the naturall suggestions near the end and it is gentle!
I hope that gives you some idea…
Blessings,
Jacque
Erica Kennedy
Thanks, Jacque. I will pass this on to my daughter and see what happens. I had wondered about the potential for “solids” in prune juice and the need to keep the intestine “clean.” However, it may be possible to filter them out? I will let you know. Erica.
Jacqueline
Erica, you might also ask about a tsp of organic lemon juice in a couple ounces of water.. ~Jacque
Erica Kennedy
Will do. Thank you!
Jenifer
Hi, I would like to know more about the detox product please
Jacqueline
I just emailed you, Jenifer!
Jacqueline
For those reading here, if you are concerned with toxins in medications, vaccine adjuvants, pesticides and herbicies (from farming around you or in food or tea you’ve consumed), molds, gadolinium in MRIs, plastics, etc. there is a cost-effective, brilliant, and simple way to bind them and remove them deeply (cellularly as well as in the gut and blood). Or, if you just want to strengthen your immune system, read on!
Here is some basic information:
FAQ on my website: https://inspiredhealthtrs.cosevatrs.com/faq/
reads: AdvancedTRS contains nano-clinoptilolite and water (just 2 ingredients). Clinoptilolite itself has been shown to:
—Bind heavy metals and over 80,000 toxins
—Adjust the balance of vital nutrients like iron & calcium
—Support intestinal microflora and pH
—Promote healthy immune function
Please read Avalyn’s Story: https://deeprootsathome.com/avalyns-story-how-trs-a-safe-heavy-metal-detox-can-help-you-and-your-child/ It is even safe in pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
I do complimentary coaching via email with every order through my link, https://inspiredhealthtrs.cosevatrs.com/ or you can friend me at https://www.facebook.com/jacque.line.357/
Please contact me if you have any questions! I am here to guide.
Blessings, Jacque
Beth
Hi! New subscriber here! Our son (a miracle only child I had with no medical help at age 46 ten years ago when I had surrendered motherhood to the Lord) had constipation and the pediatrician recommended Miralax. We tried to limit it to just once or two doses a week. But he kept needing it. I felt funny about continuing. We finally stopped and tried more veggies and meat and less wheat. A holistic doctor friend saw my son at church a few weeks ago and asked about his quirky behavior. Our son is a very early reader (hyperlexic) with hyperfocus issues, unusual disconnected conversation skills, and hyperactivity, hyper-emotional, and hypersensitivity with tastes. The doc asked, “Did he receive any vaccines?” We said, “Not one.” He said, “Praise God! He would have even more issues. Be sure to get him on a regimen of probiotics and minerals. (ION liquid) and cut back wheat!”
So far, we’ve seen small steps toward emotional control and his joyfulness has returned. But he still has cannonball poops that stop up our plumbing. I’m wondering if increasing the probiotics would be a good idea.
Patricia Sisk
Hello! Can you tell me please if these same recommendations are true for my 94-year-old MIL who struggles with constipation? She lives in a facility so she does not have much control over her diet. Thank you!
Jacqueline
Yes, Patricia, these complications of behavior and psych issues could happene with your MIL or a grandmother, etc.
Miralax is nasty and people most often don’t connect the dots.
Did you see the section on foods and such that work even better?
Linda Fritz
My 3 yr. old grandson was put on Miralax at 12 months for constipation by his pediatrician. He was on it almost 2 yrs . Physically he developed normally and is a very healthy child but has a serious speech delay along with other issues. I’m concerned that the miralax use has created major issues in this child there are no other explanations. I would appreciate a response. Thank you
Jacqueline
Linda, I will email you now. ~J