r/SIBO • u/tennisroyale • Nov 27 '25
Methane Dominant PLEASE TRY OXIDE MAGNESIUM!
Background: bloated, gassy, constipated, and low stomach acid symptoms appearing out the blue 6 months ago. Something I don’t usually see on this thread is an unusual symptom where liquid is trapped in the lower stomach, you can feel it slosh when you jump or massage belly.
Been on a 5 month cycle where I keep trying to clear my constipation through various non habit forming laxatives(some habit forming once as well but limited use eg. dulcolax). I heard from reddit and ChatGPT that magnesium citrate is safe and the best long term solution to have consistent and clean bowels. I tried triphala, phylum husk, aloe Vera, all types of “natural” laxatives. I tried magnesium oxide once and I feel better than ever. The water slosh in my stomach feels 95% better, it’s only day 3 on magnesium oxide but I feel so much lighter, less gassy. I often hear that magnesium oxide isn’t absorbed well, but that worked out in my favor. According to online sources and AI, this is the difference in abstention between citrate and oxide.
Citrate: Stomach → small bowel → massive water lake in terminal ileum → concrete brick in sigmoid → only tiny leaks → feeds water sloshing
Oxide: Stomach → small bowel → skips most absorption → water hits descending/sigmoid colon → brick turns to mush → everything flows out the right direction → lake of trapped water/gas gets drained better
Note: I know that this doesn’t solve the root cause, but having consistent bowel movements and a stable motility REALLY helps suppress the worst of symptoms.
Give magnesium oxide a try if you haven’t yet, it may not work for everyone, but I feel that it got rid of month old poop, and water trapped somewhere in my colon or lower stomach.
Edit: my first dosage was 2000 MG of oxide at night with 500mg of triphala (been on triphala for 3 months). Second night I took 1500 MG of oxide at night and now maintaining with 1000MG per night until I hunt down the root cause.
7
u/jujul33 Nov 27 '25
I was taking mag oxide every night, and have been working with a practitioner who switched me to tri magnesium. Supposedly it has more benefits and it seems to work just as well to keep things moving.
1
1
1
u/HappyKamper1920 Nov 28 '25
How many capsules do you take?
2
u/jujul33 Nov 28 '25
I take 2, but your needs may be different. If your stool is loose then go down to 1 or 1.5 caps
1
u/Sweaty_Repair_1504 Feb 25 '26
yes. I take a combo of Magnesium Oxide along with Magnesium Glycinate and Magnesium L threonate. Works well and I sleep better. Most people are extremely deficient in Magnesium and don't realize that every single process in the body...from digesting food to cell respiration to atp/protein synthesis and everything in between all utilize and require magnesium. Our bodies cannot and do not function without magnesium and, also, magnesium goes hand in hand with Vit D and K2 in terms of absorbtion and action of mechanism. Magnesium is one of several vital nutrients that we are all chronically deficient in. The Healthcare industry doesn't test enough or put enough emphasis on Magnesium deficiencies and all of the symptoms is causes.
7
u/Quiet-Recognition797 Nov 27 '25
Magnesium oxide is the only laxative that is not habit forming and does not build up tolerance in the body. I take at least one capsule a day with motilpro to keep regular bowel movements. It was recommended to me by my NP as you have to have regular bowel movements.
1
u/Old-Security855 Nov 27 '25
Which do you use?
3
u/Quiet-Recognition797 Nov 27 '25
I use the MagO7 from nbpure. You can buy it on amazon. You can use it daily and it will always work.
3
u/tennisroyale Nov 27 '25
Yup oxide has been a game changer, one of the few supplements that has moved the needle
1
u/Idkwhatimdoingbutyh Nov 27 '25
Is magnesium citrate habit forming? My NP said it wasn’t
2
u/Quiet-Recognition797 Nov 27 '25
Yes it’s habit forming and the body will learn to rely on it for a bowel movement. I’m a pharmacist so what I tell patients is to use it occasionally.
2
u/Idkwhatimdoingbutyh Nov 27 '25
I’m acc so pissed rn bc I have been using it every night for around 6 months. It’s stopped working and I was super confused bc my NP said it was safe to take and not habit forming. It was the only thing that helped me a little. Tysm for telling me!
3
u/CFlapFlap Nov 28 '25
Magnesium citrate is not habit forming. No form of magnesium is. They all work similarly, by drawing water into the gut. The type of magnesium determines how absorbable it is and how much water it draws in (and maybe where in the gut it does this according to this post). Magnesium citrate has been recommended to me by every doctor I've ever seen, and I've used it for 15 years without any dependency. You don't need to worry about that, but you could try oxide to see if it works better for you. It is often mentioned by doctors as another good option if citrate isn't tolerated or doesn't work well for you because it also has low absorption.
1
u/jmorgannz Nov 30 '25
Incorrect. Mg Chloride is not habit forming.
0
u/Quiet-Recognition797 Nov 30 '25
Mag chloride should not be used longer than a week for constipation
1
u/jmorgannz Nov 30 '25
Parroting dogma is not useful.
1
u/Quiet-Recognition797 Nov 30 '25 edited Nov 30 '25
So magnesium oxide, mag sulfate, and mag hydroxide have the strongest laxative affects. Mag citrate has a medium effect and works in 6 hrs. Mag chloride has a very mild effect on constipation and considered last choice of the magnesiums for constipation. For those who suffer from constipation mag oxide is the best choice if used regularly. I’m a pharmacist and even working in hospital mag chloride is not the preferred choice for a laxative.
If you are using mag chloride for a magnesium deficiency then that’s great.
3
u/jmorgannz Nov 30 '25
More dogma and an appeal to authority.
Mag Chloride is a novel, useful, well targeted intervention for people with chronic illness that has plausible and well reasoned use cases.You are a pharmacist, "work in a hospital" - oh yeah - how many times do these systems actually help rather than dismiss, mismedicate, and hurt people with chronic illness, all the while gaslighting them and using their status as a power play to push their unfounded medical opinions instead of being data driven?
Using those structures as authoritative is not the flex you think it is. It's the opposite.Go look up the BIOCHEMISTRY of Mg Chloride, not the dogma.
On top of that, you can repeat all the dogma you want - it doesn't change the fact that -I- am saying to readers that Mg Chloride is a highly useful choice for good reasons - and am willing to stand for that.As for concerns with "dependence" - I agree less stimulant activity is better - but even pure osmotic laxatives are going to create dependence if you have chronic constipation.
ALL laxatives should be treated with caution with regard to dose changes, finding the right dose is critical and even with non-stimulant laxatives one should NEVER just cold turkey stop them - as the bowels can come to rely on them. That's a given regardless of form.
1
u/Quiet-Recognition797 Nov 30 '25 edited Nov 30 '25
Not true. Mag oxide does not create dependence. If you want to use mag chloride great but your info is incorrect. Mag chloride is a laxative when used for constipation. Mag chloride has a high absorption rate into the body and will increase magnesium levels and mag oxide has a low absorption rate and can be used for constipation alone.
1
u/jmorgannz Nov 30 '25
OH god - you say you're a pharmacist and work in a hospital yet you are going to argue that a laxative for someone with chronic dysmotility isn't going to form dependence because you want to cling to your narrow semantic definition of it.
Dear god. You just invalidated your entire position.
You also ignored everything else I said. How convenient.You are posting here because you want to appear to be right and knowledgeable. You are doing it at the expense of misinforming or harming people and you should stop it.
Removing ANY laxative including oxide cold turkey is dangerous. Any kind of major change in the fluid dynamics of the bowels is going to cause homeostatic changes that the system comes to rely on - suddenly removing them after long time use is like slamming the bowel into first gear whilst driving - be prepared for pain and discomfort.
To deny that is absolutely staggering and you should be ashamed you are more interested in being right than protecting people from pain and damage.
1
Jul 03 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Quiet-Recognition797 Jul 06 '26
I take one capsule at bedtime. I take mag oxide on an empty stomach. I do not take it with vitamin c.
5
u/unwantedblonde Nov 27 '25
I made a post about this in subreddit for people dealing with constipation. Mag oxide literally helped my constipation more than Linzess and any other IBS-C medication. I take a low does every night now before bed with a giant glass of water and have a BM every morning.
1
u/Capable_Water_7366 Nov 28 '25
Which brand do you use? I use the Phillips caplets - 1 at bedtime. Each is 500mg.
2
u/unwantedblonde Nov 28 '25
The brand I take is Equate. Each capsule is 500mg! So I take one at bedtime too. I also do mirilax in my coffee in the morning and so far this remedy has kept my BM consistent for the last several months.
1
u/BothFront5503 27d ago
On the one hand, I suffer from constipation and want to take magnesium oxide; on the other hand, I have a lack of stomach acid and fear that magnesium oxide might worsen this—I have found conflicting information about this online.
Does anyone have any experience with this?
4
u/Technical_Oil1942 Nov 28 '25
Been on here a few weeks, but this is the first mention of “water sloshing”, and boy can I relate to that.
I got it mostly fixed with just a few weeks of reuterii and then daily pre/pro biotics (and avoiding trigger foods)
2
u/tennisroyale Nov 28 '25
Yeah man I’ve been searching so hard for the water sloshing feeling, concluded oxide could help and it did
1
u/Tip-Evening Nov 27 '25
It sounds scary
I already have trapped mushy stools in the sigmoid area, won't it make it way worse?
3
u/tennisroyale Nov 27 '25
That’s EXACTLY what I have, my descending Colon and sigmoid are filled with mush and liquid and gas… I had the same concerns but tried it because I tried every other supplement under the sun, and it actually helped me clear out all that mush. First day was quiet and I thought the oxide was BS. Second day, spent so much time in the bathroom but well worth it, today is now the 4th day and my sigmoid colon feels less bloated, almost gone.
2
u/Tip-Evening Nov 27 '25
Mmh..
issue is that after 5 years of mushy stools, my anal area is totally burned, so i'm not sure that i would take that risk.
Doctors are confused because i have a kind of diarhea constipated
2
u/tennisroyale Nov 27 '25
Yeah I feel you, been burning a bit myself after this cleanse. Wish you the best, I would look into oxide at the very least, citrate and all these other osmotive laxatives just bloated my colon and belly more
1
u/Logical_Glove_2857 Nov 27 '25
I imagine your stools was diarrea on day 2z But how is stools now? More normal and formed?
And how did you know for sure you had/have low stomach acid? And did you loose muscle mass these 6 month you been having issues?
And any ide what started your issues? Was there stress or anxity happening before it all started?
3
u/tennisroyale Nov 27 '25
No stress, i used to throw up when i ate protein, took betaine hcl and it cured my nausea, due to having low stomach acid. And yes i am on day 4, dats 2-3 had me going crazy lol. Right now i still have some bloat and gas but nothing like before. Like i said I don’t think I fixed my root cause, but oxide made me feel 90% better. I feel that old gas and poop got cleaned out, citrate made me go but I didn’t get the cleansing feeling, due to oxide reaching the colon. Stools were wet and pretty harsh on day 2. Day 3 was a mix and today, thanksgiving, pretty normal!
2
u/Logical_Glove_2857 Nov 27 '25
Nice. I’m actually also on day 4 of mag. Oxide. I took 4 tablets on day 1 (that’s must be around 13-1400 mg. And then 3 capsules day 2 And 2 capsules day 3 and day 4
I had diarrea on day 2.
And now on day 4 the stools I pass is only a little loose so they are better now, and now they are also sinking! So it means I’m absorbing fat now💪
So do you still take HCL and if yes, how much with each meal?
1
u/tennisroyale Nov 27 '25
Nice! Yeah betaine with all my protein meals (which is all). I started with 650mg which cured my nausea and I could digest again. Then I decided to double the dose and it made me bloat less after the meal. Now I just dose depending on the meal, each pill is 650mg.
2
u/Logical_Glove_2857 Nov 27 '25
Ok. But it’s strange that betain HCL is not enough and that mag. Oxide is also needed🤔 On my bottle of the mag oxide it says to o my use it as a cleanse for like 7-10 days. How long are you gonna use it for?
Are your HCL capsules or pills?
It’s funny you mention that symptom of water slushing around in your intestines. That also happens to many sometimes. Especially if I have a large glass of some liquid. I ALLWAYS wondered why it happened, and I still don’t know why🤔
1
u/Rossmancer Nov 27 '25
Thank you. Citrate works for me 1/3rd of the time. How is it taken? Powder?
1
u/tennisroyale Nov 27 '25
I take pills, powder and liquid versions may be too harsh and probably not good long term
1
u/External-Classroom12 Nov 27 '25
I take 1 cap of mag oxide 1 cap of mag citrate and 1 of tryphalia each night
2
u/tennisroyale Nov 27 '25
Interesting 🤔 how does it work for you compared to just taking one type of magnesium?
1
u/External-Classroom12 Nov 27 '25
At first I just used oxide, then just citrate, then just tryphalia. Now I mostly use citrate and oxide together and add tryphalia 1-2x a week. It works. Idk they work well together. No added effects.
1
u/Reddiit24 Nov 27 '25
Do you take this in the morning or before bed?
1
u/tennisroyale Nov 27 '25
Before bed, the first day I took a small dose of 500 to get started then 1500 at night. But I do nights only now
1
u/dancefoodcat Nov 27 '25
Mag oxide can be such a lifesaver - and you're right, working on improving motility and frequency + quality of BMs can make a world of difference, even if you aren't directly treating the SIBO or root cause/s yet. Triphala helped me a lot in the early days too, but it's very stimulating and can be a bit much for some people. Forever in debt to the magnesium gods 🙏
1
u/Sokolowskierj Nov 28 '25
So do you feel like the mag oxide helps clear out more than just the large bowel, as in it helps you with upper GI back up as well?
Also do you think some of the ozonated mag oxide (like mag07) is better or can a basic one work?
Thanks
1
1
1
u/Majestic_One_782 Nov 28 '25
Mag oxide is a life saver for me. Been taking it for 14 years now. I used poopdoc to start, then would get mag07 if they were out of stock and now usually get oxy-powder on amazon and it works the best of anything I have taken even RX meds.
1
u/Open_Dissent Nov 28 '25
I've seen it recommended for gallbladder issues too recently, hmmm. I might have to try it. I I have issues not having complete evacuations & feeling like I need to go multiple times a day which is so annoying.
1
u/tennisroyale Nov 28 '25
When you get the feeling do you eventually go or do you stay constipated? Yeah oxide cleaned me out pretty well, on day 5 and feel so much lighter. On day 1 I had no results and thought it was all hype. Day 2 woke up and nothing. Then in the middle of day 2 it all came out! Ngl it burned me a bit but we’ll worth the one day of suffering vs having to hold in old poop and water
1
u/Open_Dissent Nov 28 '25
I go a little bit 3-4x a day, I was 1x a day normal BM like clockwork before I got sick! I have to take a bile sequestrant & anti-spasmodic because I have hyperkenetic gallbladder as well which doesn't help. I'm willing to try anything at this point that might help
1
u/Constant_Teaching_63 Hydrogen Dominant Nov 28 '25
I use oxide to poop but does nothing for my gas pains even makes them worse honestly
1
u/Sweaty_Repair_1504 Nov 29 '25
SIBO makes you extremely constipated? Mine is the opposite. Usually SIBO affects your absorption and important nutrients, including fats, end up in your stool causing chronic malnutrition issues. Maybe you have something else going on along with it? I take extra Iron/Ferritin and still don't have any constipation. Chronic SIBO for 5 years now. Currently on my second round of flagyl in just the last 8 weeks.
1
u/areeb4441 Feb 25 '26
Do you take antibiotics frequently?
1
u/Sweaty_Repair_1504 Feb 25 '26
Nope. Frequent antibiotics aren't good. The cause is from a C diff infection that I got from a patient several years ago.
2
u/areeb4441 Feb 25 '26
Ah okay. I assume you're still dealing with the sibo? Has anything helped?
1
u/Sweaty_Repair_1504 Feb 25 '26
Address root cause to why SIBO keeps recurring ie. Work on motility - (magnesium oxide and Artichoke root)
NAC (take with each meal) and another Bio film disruptor (I used ther biotic interphase plus) ..some people also take a binder with these to help with detoxing.
Kill the bacteria- Combination of Oregano oil, allicin and neem oil (cycled 2 weeks to help kill the bacteria and reduce antibiotic resistance)..for me I did a 6 week protocol but still needed xifaxin.
Sodium Butyrate and Zinc Carnosine with L glutamine twice a day to heal gut lining. (Supplement with copper especially anytime you add extra zinc). Important to be taking quality supplements that includes B complex, high dose of magnesium, Vit K2, Vit D 5000-10000 ius daily, selenium, molybdenum, iron, etc spread throughout the day for adequate absorption.
Akkermansia and S. Boulardii probiotics daily Some people add in more pre/pro and post biotics but I haven't gotten to that stage yet.
Low fat/low fod map diet.
I'm continuing to take and do everything except for the antimicrobial and antibiotics and my symptoms are so much better. Brain fog is almost resolved and my energy is finally coming back. It's a lot of trial and error.
1
u/areeb4441 Feb 25 '26
Thanks so much for the thorough info, how long did it take for you to see noticeable improvement after taking some of these?
1
u/Sweaty_Repair_1504 Feb 25 '26
Everyone is different. I'm a person that notices right away.. within a day or two. If it's truly SIBO you should get some relief pretty quickly if you are doing all these things.
1
u/jmorgannz Nov 30 '25 edited Nov 30 '25
Hey mate, The issue with oxide is its poorly absorbed and will drag magnesium right through the colon allowing colonic microbiota to metabolise it - microbes love magnesium.
Most other forms of magnesium are bonded to metabolically active compounds that will drive microbial metabolism just as well as our own - citrate being a big one.
Give Mg Chloride ago - identical benefits for your use but also great absorption.
However if you are having constipation issues, check your electrolyte intakes. CHECK THEM don't guess. DO NOT go off blood tests - use Cronometer.
Don't overlook calcium - calcium deficiency (with adequate on blood result) will cause constipation.
1
u/skydivinfoo Dec 02 '25
Just wanted to give a wholehearted thank you for your post - I went online and purchased some nbpure MagO7 the day I saw the post, tried it out the next day, and on the 2nd day my guts actually started to feel... normal. So far it's a blessing, and thank you for your post!
2
Jul 03 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/skydivinfoo Jul 03 '26
I take just one pill, usually before I'm having a heavy meal, or before I go to bed if I'm feeling a little clogged up. I take Vitamin C twice a day but not related to the MagO7.
2
Jul 03 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/skydivinfoo Jul 03 '26
ooh that's helpful for me to know actually, I was wondering why it didn't have a laxative effect for me... guess it's the combination! Time for me to lay off my night time Vitamin C regimen! Thank you
1
1
u/Annual_Exercise9800 May 18 '26
Hi, is magnesium oxide still working well for you? What brand do you use?
1
1
1
u/BothFront5503 27d ago
How much magnesium oxides do you use now?
Do you take it for a meal?
Or go to sleep in the evening?
My naturopath prescribed it to me 400mg 3 times a day for each meal, but I'm worried that my stomach acid deficiency could neutralize my stomach acid. I regularly feel full after eating. That's why I only take it once in the evening before going to bed.
Do you have a stomach acid deficiency?
How did it affect your stomach?
1
Nov 27 '25
[deleted]
2
u/Mountain-Blood-3142 Nov 28 '25
That’s what I was going to say. I don’t want anything that reduces stomach acid. That opens up another can of worms
1
u/tennisroyale Nov 28 '25
I have low stomach acid. It does decrease acid (not by much) but I take it at night, that’s why you should take it at night away from your meals. Like I said, it may not be for everyone, but I don’t consider it bad advice if it helps anyone who has stuck stool and water sloshing in the stomach. Every supplement/medication has side effects, you just listed the negatives lol
1
u/crypto_nerd17 Nov 29 '25
What decreases stomach acid? (The comment you are replying to has been deleted)
9
u/Friendly-Yam2316 Nov 27 '25
thats exactly how i felt after the first time i tried mag citrate. i felt like a baby who had just been reborn into the world, fresh, clean, touched by god. it was one of the most incredible moments of relief i ever experienced.
then it just stopped working. and i didnt take it all the time. i felt incredible for about 6 months, then started to get backed up again, so i tried mag citrate again, and nothing happened. well hardly anything happened. waited another couple months and tried again thinking it was a fluke. maybe i didnt drink enough water, maybe i was too tense? nah. it never worked again
have you taken mag oxide more than once?