There is now a shortage of drugs that promote bowel movements—namely laxatives—in the United States. (photo by , [+]
Well, it’s quite a movement in many ways. Apparently, the US is now short of drugs to promote bowel movements — namely laxatives, as reported by Rachel Wolfe wall street journal, And one reason laxatives are being taken off the market more quickly recently may be this new “budget Ozempic” weight loss trend on TikTok. TikTokers are promoting the use of laxatives like Miralax, X-Lax, and Glycolax as a cheaper way to lose weight than the prescription drug Ozempic, which contains semaglutide. But while laxatives may seem like things beyond your understanding, ultimately, they are not a good solution for weight loss.
If you search the hashtag #GutTok on TikTok, you’ll find out what people are saying about laxatives on videos that have received over 1.1 billion views overall. Many of these videos make claims about taking Polyethylene Glycol 3350 – which is the generic name for MiraLAX – on a regular basis, even if you’re already, you know, regular. It includes various videos that suggest you should mix MiraLax powder with a variety of food such as a so-called “Miralax Mango Miracle” smoothie. Yes, you probably won’t see the word Miralax on the menu of any Michelin star restaurants any time soon.
How does Polyethylene Glycol 3350 work? You’ve probably heard the phrase “learn by osmosis.” Well, Polyethylene Glycol 3350 is all about eliminating more bowel movements by osmosis. It comes under the category of osmotic laxatives. As a concentrated substance, it creates an osmotic gradient across the middle so that water remains in your intestines with the stool rather than being absorbed through your intestinal walls. As a result, stools become soft and frequent.
As you can imagine, using such a laxative can definitely help you lose some weight immediately. However, this weight loss has virtually stopped. That means it is almost completely equal to the weight of water. And this is not the same as reducing body fat. By drinking adequate amount of water, you can regain your lost weight immediately. It’s kind of like taking off all your clothes and yelling, “Look, I’ve lost weight!”
Thus, rather than helping you actually lose weight, Polyethylene Glycol 3350 helps to dehydrate you when you do not consume enough fluids to offset this loss. And being dehydrated is not a good thing. You don’t want to say, “I can fit into my dress now. So everything is good except headache, thirst, fatigue, dry skin, dizziness and the feeling that I am going to pass out.”
Additionally, because the fluids you are losing through the buttocks may contain different levels of electrolytes, long-term use of laxatives can also lower the levels of electrolytes such as chloride, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and phosphate in the body. Could go wrong. Messing with these levels can lead to some serious problems like abnormal heart rhythm, muscle problems, seizures, confusion, and coma.
Additionally, there is a potential risk of becoming dependent on laxatives. Using laxatives can make you feel thinner, even though your body is not actually losing any actual fat weight. It can also provide a satisfying flush-it-all-out feeling, like farting, telling everyone around you how much you hate them, cleaning out your closet, or all three at the same time. to work. So, it can be said that you can finally connect with such feelings.
Of course, there are some compelling reasons for the legitimate use of laxatives. If you really suffer from constipation and can’t alleviate the condition by changing your diet, drinking more water or doing more physical activity, then yes, a laxative can help you. However, it’s a good idea to check with your doctor before using laxatives for any reason, especially if it’s been for a long time.
The bottom line is that you won’t be able to sustainably lose weight in a healthy way just by moving things around your lower back every now and then. Really losing weight requires time, effort, and real diet, physical activity, and other lifestyle changes. There are no real shortcuts. Now, some may believe that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists like Ozempic could serve as such a short cut. After all, such drugs can cause weight loss quite rapidly. The problem is that the weight may come back soon after you stop taking the medications. Furthermore, it remains to be seen what may happen in the long term when using Ozempic and other GLP-1 receptor agonists for weight loss.
All this doesn’t stop people from using the word “Ozempic” to label anything that they claim can cause weight loss. Examples include the claim that supplement berberine is “nature’s Ozempic,” as I previously covered for Forbes, and, of course, this whole “budget Ozempic” thing. Finally, you’ve got fact “ozempic” from fiction. And you have to determine which claims are legitimate and which claims are known to you.
