Thanks To A Fast-Growing Group Of Experts And Parents Who Are Speaking Up And Shedding Light On The Possible Dangers Of Children Under 16 Using MiraLax (Or any off-brand version of it).
Here are 3 Eye-Opening Reasons Children 16 And Under Should NOT Take The So-Called “Healthy” Laxative.
Being a parent of a child who regularly struggles with constipation is exhausting.
Even more so for the child going through it.
No parent wants to see their child wincing in pain from having their stomach tied up in knots and painfully bloated.
Or curled up in a ball trying to find a position that gives them a little relief.
Not to mention, the sleepless nights, mood swings and painful trips to the bathroom for the child.
Normally, parents will reach for different types of food, juices, and at-home remedies in search of something to ease the pain.
When nothing seems to work,
The natural step to take is to schedule an appointment with a doctor where the child typically gets prescribed a drug called “Miralax” (polyethylene glycol 3350) – or an off-brand version of it.
Although it may give the child quick relief from their pain and constipation…
I’m not sure parents would be as excited about that relief if they knew what else Miralax might be doing to their child.
Especially considering the fact that there’s a much safer and longer-lasting alternative (more on that in just a minute).
Now, just to be clear.
THIS IS NOT AN ATTACK ON DOCTORS.
They’re doing the very best they can with the tools and information they have.
The simple fact is,
The majority of them are not fully aware of what I’m about to share with you…YET.
If they did, I’m doubtful they would prescribe it to their 16 and under patients.
Here’s why…
3 Reasons children 16 and under should NOT take MiraLax (or any off-brand version of the drug)…
Reason #1: Potentially Negative (And Permanent) Side Effects That Damage Speech And Behavior – As Well As Spikes In Anxiety And Depression.
There’s been a growing number of parents coming forward with disturbing reports of their children experiencing a variety of neuropsychiatric issues after taking MiraLax (and similar off-brand versions of the drug)
In fact,
According to Pharmacist.com
“The FDA has now stepped in and involved themselves in the matter after filing reports of their own; showing 167 different cases of children experiencing adverse effects after taking the drug.”
Thanks to those reports surfacing, the FDA has awarded The Children’s Hospital Of Philadelphia $325,000.00 to conduct an official study to get to the bottom of it.
But it wasn’t just the reports that moved the FDA to take action.
It was the pressure being applied by thousands of parents complaining about the issue.
Parents like Jeanie Ward,
Who, according to Parents.com and CBS Action News, “gave her 3-and-a-half-year-old daughter Nicole [MiraLax] on the advice of a doctor, and within 10 days, Nicole’s personality had changed drastically.”
Jeanie described the side-effects as “Near psychiatric events with paranoia, mood swings, aggression, rage…It was horrifying to see my daughter change like that and to not completely go back to normal.”
She’s not the only parent who has come forward with reports of similar symptoms.
There’s several more.
And they seem to be growing in number.
I don’t know about you?
But those are NOT symptoms I’m willing to trade for constipation relief.
Reason #2 – Miralax And Antifreeze Are Like 1st Cousins
The active ingredient (PEG 3350) in MiraLax, and it’s off-brand counterparts, contains the same toxic compound (ethylene glycol) found in Antifreeze.
And just to be clear,
“Active Ingredient” means it’s the main ingredient that makes the drug work.
In other words, if you remove PEG 3350 and Ethylene Glycol from MiraLax, it’s no longer “MiraLax”, it’s just fluid sitting in a bottle.
So, this isn’t a case of people grasping at straws to link a meaningless trace amount of a toxic ingredient to a drug.
It’s much more direct and impactful than that.
Reason #3 – MiraLax Doesn’t Even Recommend It.
As if the reports on the spikes in anxiety, depression, and behavioral issues weren’t enough to make you think twice about giving your child MiraLax.
Or the fact MiraLax and Antifreeze are 1st cousins…
What about this?
MiraLax doesn’t even recommend it.
It only gives instructions on dosages and how to use it for people 17 or older.
But what about the 16 and under crowd?
That’s a pretty wide range of ages there, no?
Here’s their official opinion, “Ask A Doctor”.
Which, to some, might sound like, “I don’t want to be held liable, but I want to sell as many bottles as I can.”
When you consider the fact that the drug was created specifically for constipation – and the majority of people who suffer from constipation are kids…it’s easy to see why people might feel that way.
Now,
Clearly not everyone is going to come to the same conclusion.
But many do.
And I don’t think you need to be wearing a tin-hat to at least see it as a little strange that the professionals who created the drug, don’t have an opinion on the appropriateness of it with such a wide range of ages.
What If We Have All Been Looking At Constipation Relief The Wrong Way?
Listen,
There’s a lot to unpack with MiraLax, and enough questions and concerns to make any parent feel unsure about the safest way to handle their child’s constipation.
And I’ll let the FDA and The Children’s Hospital Of Philadelphia have the final say on the dangers of it.
But here’s what I do know about the safest and most effective way to treat constipation.
PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING IN THE FIRST PLACE.
It’s important to note that MiraLax is NOT a solution to the problem, it’s just a bandaid for the symptoms.
In other words,
The sleepless nights, stomach cramps and severe pain is NOT the problem.
Neither is being constipated.
The real problem is “the thing” causing constipation.
If you solve that, there’s no need to even worry about Laxatives like MiraLax.
Right?
Think of it like this,
If your kitchen caught on fire and the smoke alarms were blaring…
Would you dump water on the alarm?
Or on the fire?
Sure, the sound of the alarm is loud and obnoxious, but it’s NOT the problem.
It’s just alerting you to the real problem…which is the fire.
The same is true with your child and constipation.
Somewhere there’s a fire.
Which is almost always related to their gut and inflammation.
The constipation is just the alarm.
And when you rely on MiraLax to quiet the ear-piercing noise of the alarm, you end up ignoring the real problem…and the fire spreads.
“Ok, I get it…so what can I do for my child’s Constipation?”
Here’s the bottom line.
If you want to provide relief from constipation.
You need to restore the healthy balance of Intestinal Flora in the gut.
Intestinal Flora is essentially healthy bacteria in your gut that break down and helps digest the food we eat.
If someone is suffering from chronic constipation, it’s almost certainly due to an UNHEALTHY balance of Intestinal Flora – which is why they’re struggling to break the food down.
The problem is, Intestinal Flora is constantly under attack and being weakened by all the different toxins and pathogens found inside of what we eat and drink on a daily basis.
So,
Here’s how to restore a healthy balance of Intestinal Flora in your gut and get long-term relief from constipation.
1- Heal and repair the gut from the damage already done.
2- Strengthen the gut-lining to prevent toxins and pathogens from ever weakening the gut again (think of this like the digestive system’s armor).
3- Reintroduce beneficial bacteria to the gut so it can start breaking food down faster and more efficiently.
Here are the 4 essential supplements that can help you do it:
1 – Probiotics
2 – Prebiotics
3 – Gut Lining Support
4 – Digestive Enzymes
I suppose you could buy all 4 supplements separately?
Or you could
Take All-Star Nutrition’s BIO-HEAL
It contains a potent blend of all 4 supplements in one serving.
You can try a bottle HERE
Listen,
Whatever dietary changes you want to make.
Or supplements you choose to Try.
I encourage you to get started ASAP and see how it works for your child.
There’s no need to deal with the pain and discomfort of constipation any longer.
And you don’t have to rely on a dangerous “band-aid” like MiraLax to provide true relief for your child.
Best of luck,
Marty.
Resources Used In Creating This Article:
https://www.squattypotty.com/blog/restoring-intestinal-flora-leads-to-a-healthy-gut-and-happy-poop/
https://www.pharmacist.com/article/parents-say-otc-medicine-sickening-kids
