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Milk of Magnesia |
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Milk of Magnesia |
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Milk of Magnesia (Magnesia; Magnesium Hydroxide)
Brand Name(s): Phillips' Chewable, Phillips' Concentrated Double Strength, Phillips' Milk of Magnesia
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Milk of magnesia is a saline type laxative. This means that the magnesia acts to pull a salt or saline solution into the intestines from the blood. This excessive fluid then provides a flushing or laxative action within the intestines.
How about side effects? - Adverse reactions can occur with any drug, even over-the-counter medications. Some of these are mild such as a stomach upset, which may be avoided by taking the medication with food. Minor reactions may go away on their own but if they persist, contact the physician. For major reactions, the patient should contact the physician immediately.
Special Concerns: Take milk of magnesia on a schedule that does not interfere with activities or sleep, as it produces watery stools in 3 to 6 hours. Remember that frequent or protracted use can lead to laxative dependence. Do not take milk of magnesia within 2 hours of taking other medications. Before swallowing, chew tablets well to allow the medicine to work more quickly and effectively.
MILK OF MAGNESIA [milk of magnesia] common name for the chemical compound magnesium hydroxide, Mg(OH) 2 . The viscous, white, mildly alkaline mixture that is used medicinally as an antacid and laxative is a suspension of approximately 8% magnesium hydroxide in water.
Author not available, MILK OF MAGNESIA., The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition 2006
Milk of Magnesia or Milk of magnesia, Mg(OH)2 is a saline osmotic (hydrating) laxative. The name derives from the solution's milky white appearance of the magnesium in its composition. When taken internally by mouth as a laxative, the osmotic force of the magnesia solution acts to draw fluids from the body and to retain those already within the lumen of the intestine, serving to distend the bowel thus stimulating nerves within the colon wall inducing peristalsis and resulting in evacuation of colonic contents. It is also used as an antacid though more modern formulations combining the antimotility effects of equal concentrations of aluminum hydroxide to avoid unwanted laxative action have largely replaced this indication.
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When the patient uptakes the milk of magnesia (orally), the solution enters the stomach. 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 500mg to 1.5g in adults and works by simple neutralization, where the hydroxide ions from the Mg(OH)2 combine with the H+ ions in the stomach (H+ ions are what forms acidic solutions) to form water.
As a laxative, milk of magnesia is dosed at 2-5g, and works in a number of ways. Firstly Mg2+ is poorly absorbed from the intestinal tract, so it draws water from the surrounding tissue by osmosis. Not only does this increased water soften the feces, it also increases the volume of feces in the intestine (so called intraluminal volume) which is a natural stimuli of intestinal motility. Furthermore, Mg2+ ions somehow cause the release of CCK which causes intraluminal accumulation of water, electrolytes and 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.e. solutions of hydroxide ions) are not strongly laxative and non-basic Mg2+ solutions, like MgSO4 are equally strong laxatives mole for mole (Tedesco & Di Piro, 1985; Curry, 1983).
The magnesium salts from milk of Magnesia are normally excreted by the kidneys, however, in those with liver damage or people who are otherwise renally insuffient, Mg2+ ions can in the blood accumulate, causing hypermagnesemia.
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