BEWARE MIRALAX (propylene glycol) : it may cause CKD

[Starcatty]

Miralax which is used for constipation, has been used daily by some people who have drug-induced constipation. It caused me to have urinary frequency and urgency which went away as soon as I stopped it.

There are also lawsuits against Bayer saying that Miralax caused CKD. The side effects say that it should not be taken by people with CKD unless prescribed by a doctor. But most doctors do not know about the issues and prescribe it anyway.

After I took it in the evening, I would have huge sweats as if my body was rejecting something. That went away after I stopped taking it.

Please do not take this. I use lactulose instead.

[RoadRunner44]

Thanks for that very important information. I will keep a record of it in case I forget it in the future.

[Jamok]

Thanks for this information!

[Uytk]

Thanks for the info. For constipation, prior to CKD, I used to eat a hearty bowl of high fibre cereal eg AllBran (not sure if you have it where you are) with semi skimmed (medium fat) milk in the morning . And a warm glass of milk in the night. Plus some bike based adkomen exercises. After CKD I just do the exercises. These help me.

[nascar4433]

After reading your post, I Googled about Miralax and yes, there appears a mega-firm's lawsuit about Miralax, however reading over a dozen articles, it appears to be safe to use with up to Stage 3 CKD. Recommended are "osmotic laxatives" like Miralax, Lax-a-Day, Restoralax. Other options include stimulants like Senacot & Dulcolax, which have more severe outcomes than stool softeners. I'm going to ask my nephro next month. I'm sorry you've had negative side-effects from using Miralax and glad you're doing better with another option, however I would caution when stating this product shouldn't be taken, as we're not medical professionals and what works and may be authorized by some people's doctors may not work for someone else's particular body and situation. Good luck with your health. (And yes, I've used Miralax or a generic version for years as advised by my PCP for pain med-induced constipation, however I will verify with my nephro...thanks for highlighting the potential problem for some patients).

[orangecity41 NKF Ambassador in reply to nascar4433]

I agree nascar that we should ask our Doctor oh what should take. My gastro Doctor recommends I use gentle powder, when needed

[Starcatty in reply to nascar4433]

To Nascar: The report states that most doctors do not know about this connection. Anyway, it certainly affected me. Thanks for the info. People with under stage 3 should not use it, according to your report, so that is important to know. I agree that we are not medical professionals, but we do a lot of research and I see you do it and your info about stage 3 is invaluable. Thanks.

[HSV21]

That is interesting, however my nephrologist and PCP said to take it and ordered a huge bottle for me. My PCP said to take it daily, however I did not see that it had very good results for me. I try to drink lots of water and when needed take Dulcolax and a stool softener. So many of my meds can cause constipation that I don't get too concerned about. I have noticed eating popcorn on more of a regular basis the constipation has not been so bad. I am sorry you had such a reaction to it.

[qigonger]

And if you are lactose intolerant, lactulose would not be a good option.

[Starcatty in reply to qigonger]

I agree, and I have read that if you take lacteeze or other enzymes for lactose-intolerance, it's ok. I guess if you are desperate enough you will find a way to take it.

[GoodHealthIsAJourney]

I've been using psyllium husk powder with great results. I *think* that's the main ingredient in Miralax (without all the extra additives). I'll have to check that out and make sure it's not the pure psyllium that's the problem! Thanks for the heads up!

[GoodHealthIsAJourney in reply to GoodHealthIsAJourney]

Whew - I knew psyllium husk was a main ingredient in one of these types of products, but it's not Miralax. It's Metamucil, but without the added sugar (sucrose is the first ingredient of Metamucil). My husband and I take it daily, and we're as regular as the morning sunrise! Glad you found something that works for you that's safer than Miralax!

[Starcatty]

Yes Metamucil is far better than Miralax if it works.....lucky for you it does!

[TaffyTwoshoes27]

Actually, it is "polyethylene glycol", just 4 letters from ethylene glycol -- which is antifreeze.I have been telling GI doctors for years that I refuse to take Miralax. I'm just too afraid that it is going to be recalled someday. I worked for attorneys in medical malpractice and product liability fields and I can tell you, it sometimes is 20 years before they connect the issues with the source and the medication or product, like Miralax. They gave it to me in the hospital recently when I had my kidney transplant, and they sent me home with a bottle of it. I still do not intend to take it.

[Starcatty in reply to TaffyTwoshoes27]

I really appreciate your posting. Sorry for the misspelling. I read somewhere that most batches of Miralax also have small amounts of antifreeze because it is not a clean product. Do you have any suggestions as to what product someone with CKD should take for constipation?

[TaffyTwoshoes27 in reply to Starcatty]

I was on a prescription medication called Trulance. It was so expensive that I applied to the company for their Patient Assistance Program and got it from them for free.I had tried so many things. Natural fruits, psyllium husks, Metamucil, etc. Nothing was working anymore and a GI doctor gave me samples of Trulance. I had tried Linzess, but it seemed to just give me a lot diarrhea.

Trulance emptied me out and then stopped. Linzess kept everything I ate turn loose!

Walking is supposed to help. Since my transplant, I take a generic “stool softener” like Colace, try to walk for about 1/2 hr and then I start going.

[Ladybug12 in reply to TaffyTwoshoes27]

I believe lot of GI doctors use polyethylene glycol as part of the prep for Colonoscopy (to clean out the colon).I've taken it several times with no change in GFR. It did cause some fluid retention for a few days (but that was a higher concentrated solutionl.

[Starcatty in reply to Ladybug12]

Yes it is used for colonoscopy, and that that is a one-time use. When you have to use it every day, it's different. I'm glad it didn't affect your GFR.

[Ladybug12 in reply to Starcatty]

Actually , I do use it everyday. GFR stable. My understanding is that all it does is pull fluid into GI track. Very little of it absorbed. A problem occurs when fluid intake isn't adequate and the body gets dehydrated, which is harmful to kidneys.Again, just my understanding.

[CKDnomore3953]

I have been in CKD stage 3a since 2008. I have been having colonoscopies every 3-5 years since 2002 due to colon polyps. I do not have a nephrologist since my HMO will not refer a patient to a nephrologist until stage 4 CKD. I have been concerned about the affect of the laxatives used before a colonoscopy but have always been told by my PCP and the gastroenterologist that PEG 3350 (Miralax) is the safest pre colonoscopy laxative for people with kidney disease - even though it says right on the warning label that it should not be used by people with kidney disease. Two days before my last colonoscopy in 2019 I had a renal blood panel test done and it showed my eGFR at 50. Then two days after my colonoscopy I had another blood test done which showed my eGFR at 47. On the blood tests done between 2019 and 2021 my eGFR has fluctuated between 47 and 53. So it looks as though the Miralax did not have a long term detrimental affect on my eGFR level. But I don’t use laxatives at any time other than before a colonoscopy. I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables - and prunes work for me if an extra boost is needed to relieve occasional constipation. We all have different reactions to medications and your experience may be different than mine. We have to be our own health advocates and gather information from our health team and from this forum and from other reliable sources like the NKF and PubMed. Thanks to everyone on Healthunlocked for the information and support provided here.

[Starcatty]

I'm glad it didn't affect you. I guess using it on a daily basis makes the difference.

[Tuolumne]

I used Miralax a few times (since I read that it was okay for CKD patients) but quit after I noticed the warning on the bottle. (I'm paranoid!) My labs a few weeks later were fine (improved a little from the previous labs months before).

I've never really had serious constipation, but I notice now that when I eat really healthy, whole foods (like whole grains, veggies, and cook my own dishes using these whole foods) that I have nooooooo problems in this area. But if I go a couple of days where I eat more "treats" of processed food, bread, fast food snacks, etc., things noticeably slow down. I have to return to my diet of whole foods for a few days before things get back to normal.

In my opinion, we should be eating these types of foods the majority of the time. I'm 99% plant-based now and usually prepare my own dishes because I want to know exactly what's in everything. I think it really makes a major difference.