Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

What is the best way to take the Magnesium Citrate?

OK....have the bottle.  Need to cleanse the bowel tomarrow afternoon.  Reading the bottle doesn't help.  

My questions...
Do I drink it cold or warm?

Sip it or slug it?

And finally.....how long before it kicks in?????

TIA
Cathy
18 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
...hi, while posting my first comment, I tried putting a touch of sugar on my tongue before each gulp and it helped! Hope it does for anyone else who needs to do this. Wow! never knew my stomach could rumble like it is right now!
Good luck everyone and thanks again for the tips.
SSR09
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
....omg!! this is my first colonoscopy and I absolutely hate the drink, first I had 700ozs of miralax powder in water for several hours and now its the day before and I have been trying with grave diffuculty to get this darn mag.cit. down my throat! Not only is it burning my chest, it is painful when it hits the stomach and I swear I will explode vomitus style soon! I hate it ! I hate it! and I hope someone finds a better way to do this soon, at least before the day comes when my children will have to endure this disgusting event. I cannot wait for tomorrow morning to be over, dear lord help me through this . Thank you for all your suggestions, the ice works, and the straw certainly helps but it still is difficult all around.
SSR09
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I was constipated and my doctor referred me to this or ?milk of magnesia?.  I wanted it over quick and asked the pharamist at one of my many local drug stores what is the best.  He pointed me to this clear bottle with what i hoped down deep was sprite inside of it lol.

I just got done drinking the stuff and a warning to all of you.  Do not drink it in one gulp (wow i don't know how you could anyways) if yours has carbonation (i had the pleasant sparkling lemon lime flavor) as i thought i was going to burb but instead threw up some of it (hopefully not to much, ill find out soon).
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
The task is done!  It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be but drinking it cold with a straw helped.

Thanks all!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
You guys are nuts!  I am laughing so hard the tears are just rolling!  I hated the stuff...all of it but listening to you all our experiences would make great material for a standup comedian! Think I will put this in my "favorites" for the time I have to prepare for my upcomming colonoscopy....
Good health to all, and thanks for the suggestions.
Peace.
dian
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Mix it with soda or gatorade.  i liked it best with Coke/
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks for the info.  I think I will ice it and drink it like I do my Diet Coke with a straw.  If it is as awful as I hope it isn't, I will do the quick drink.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I've had both the 10oz magnesium citrate and the gallon jug. The magnesium citrate was much easier. I just downed it. The worse was the next day drinking that sodium phosphate with 7-up...Like someone else said, it is very salty and nasty.

Once I had to pick up a bottle at the pharmacy, was really small, maybe just 1-2 oz. It was coal black, slimy, and thick. Now, that was so nasty stuff.
Helpful - 0
132752 tn?1273342273
I agree with Celine...the magnesium citrate is easier to take than the phospho soda, but they BOTH need to be cold.  *shiver*  not fun stuff, either one. Good luck!
peace,
Anne
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I did not have the small bottle, I had the gallon size :(, but the pharmasist told me that it is easier to drink if you make sure it is very cold.  He told me if I was having trouble drinking it to put it on ice, and drink it as fast as possible.  Tip it up and do not stop until it is gone.  It should kick in fairly quick (about half-one hour).  Make sure you stay close to the potty (can you tell I teach preschool?).  Good luck.  Kasie
Helpful - 0
106886 tn?1281291572
First, great idea on the wipes. If you don't have wipes, at least make sure the toilet paper is super-moistened...I found that very helpful.

Ok, well, first of all, sorry you have to go through all this. For my hysterectomy, I had to take two of the small bottles. My doctor told me to chill it and use a STRAW!!!

I would not have thought of that. But, by using a straw, the liquid was automatically aimed to the back of my throat where there are fewer tastebuds. That info was very helpful.

Take care, Mary
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I had the lemon citrus flavor magnesium citrate, a 10 oz bottle.  It wasn't too bad.  Probably would have been better cold.  I drank it fairly quickly but didn't chug it.  The aftertaste was worse than the drink itself.  I tried to follow it up with lemon-lime Gatorade and actually thought the Gatorade tasted worse!  Yuck, why do people voluntarily drink Gatorade?

I had a 2 day prep, day 1 was clear liquids all day and the magnesium citrate before bed.  I took it at 9:15 and actually slept until 4:30 am before nature called!  The second day I had to stay on clear liquids and take 1 oz of phosphate soda 3 times during the day.  The 1 oz phosphate was MUCH worse than the magnesium, it was almost slimy and salty.  I put it in about 6 oz of Seven-Up, still nearly gagged on it.

But I didn't find the bowel prep nearly as bad as had been predicted.  Maybe I'm lucky, but I never had to RUN to the bathroom, at worst it was maybe every 45 minutes? I even left the house and went to my daughter's dance show, I was there for several hours and no one could tell anything!

BE SURE TO GET THOSE MOIST WIPES INSTEAD OF REGULAR TOILET PAPER, otherwise your tush will feel as sore as your nose after a long day with a bad cold and lots of kleenex!
Helpful - 0
107366 tn?1305680375
COMMUNITY LEADER
One warning about slamming it down.  If you are the least bit nauseated from the cyst (or anything else), chugging the bottle might not be the best option because it is carbonated, and very sour, even the cherry flavor.  I didn't get that warning, so I gulped it down in about three swigs.  Five minutes later, I rivaled a volcano while sitting on my couch, and ruined a cushion and two pillows!  Sorry for that extra-special image!  I ended up having to have an enema when I got to the hospital because I couldn't keep it down (another extra-special image!)  Anyway, it is better if it's ice cold, but at least now I know if I ever have to cleanse again, I'll do something different than magnesium citrate.

Gail :)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
You and me both with the colonoscopy.ugh. I am picking up my prep kit and they told me it would be pills. Sounds more appealing than the liquid at least. lol.

Linda J (p.s. are you nervous for yours? I am. I feel like I have already been thru enough this year. But, I am 50 and it is time for the screening.)
Helpful - 0
108861 tn?1227246048
Hi Cat,
     I had the gallon bottle and don't think I would have been abble to go through it had it had not been chilled and I had not had a lime sucker to chase the vaguely unpleasent taste!  MV
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Maybe the pills are becoming more available? Because I have a colonoscopy scheduled for June and will have pills, called Visicol. I do have to take 4 pills with 8 oz. of water every 15 minutes for one hour and then several hours later do the same thing again.

But there's 3 days of prep for it, with a Low Residue Diet, then the Clear Diet. So it's a Process.....

Oh, and I was given a $30. refund form for it, so maybe see if that's available to help out?

~Suzanne
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I PERSONALLY PUT IT ON ICE AND DRINK IT LIKE A SODA OR LEMON LIME AID...IT DEPENDS ON THE PERSON...IT MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT GIVE YOU THE SQUIRTS LOL...RIGHT AWAY..IT WAS AFTER 2 HRS. BEFORE MINE KICKED IN....ITS REALLY NOT AS BAD AS IT SEEMS...IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE TASTE..THEN DRINK IT FAST AND BE OVER IT...
GOOD LUCK FRIEND~!!!!

:D
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Ovarian Cancer Community

Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Learn how to spot the warning signs of this “silent killer.”
Diet and digestion have more to do with cancer prevention than you may realize
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.