Im suffering from IBS-C-D and also a lactose intolerant, should I take lactulose as laxative or not?

I honestly am not sure I am understanding your question. I do take lactulose or enulose (same thing) which is pretty thick. It actually draws anything that is in the intestines down and literally out. My doctor told me that this medication isn't absorbed in the intestines because it acts that fast. I have a problem with sugar but I got a tell you that this medicine didn't bother me at all. I had been hospitalized and diagnosed with addrenal insufficiency or addison's disease. Ugly illness but I was also impacted from not being able to eat anything but drink liquid nutrients for about 8 months. I had a visit from a doctor (G.I. doc who saw my name on the list) who saw how sick I was, already but also impacted and nobody handling the chronic constipation thing while I was there... he ordered the lactulose for me and I thought I was going to gag when I had it for the first time. I got it twice a day for 3 days and that is how long it took to work because I was that bloated. I think hospitals can kill you if they don't treat the "whole" person instead of the one thing they did find and treated that. I had more wrong with me then... blah. After I was totally "empty", I thought I was going to die because I was soooo sore rectally from going and going and going once it started. Then they stopped giving it to me and put me on a soft diet. Oh man, just thinking about it gives me the Willy's.

Lactulose is not like a med you need to take daily or on a regular basis to keep having a regular bowel movement. The idea is to get the person cleaned out ONCE and then try various dietary changes to help get the person regular on their own. I got to the point where I could have a b.m. at least once a day. So I didn't have to keep taking it on a consist basis. That was a blessing...

But are you having problems with diarrhea or constipation??? If you are having diarrhea then do NOT take this product. If you are dealing with constipation then this product works really well. You do not need to take it every day to prevent constipation. You can take it for constipation lasting longer than 3 days. That is what my doctor told me. He said if I had a bowel movement at least 1 time a day to not take the lactulose. Anything up to 3 days then it is time to take 1 dose so not to get like I was before. Following those directions have worked quite well for me for the past 11 years.

Follow your doctor's directions... this is a prescription, oral medication. I am just sharing how I took it and the reason for it. Talk with your doctor PLEASE if you are not understanding how to use this product. You could also ask the pharmacy to explain it, too.

I wish you well and hope I have helped in some small way.

Blessings and gentle hugs,
Mary

Why are you taking lactulose if you have diarrhea? Lactulose can be a strong laxative causing diarrhea and weight loss. It is a sugar, but is not lactose. If you don't tolerate sugar you may have a disacchridase deficeincy and can only tolerate monosaccharides, they are glucose and dextrose, honey is a good sweetner if you have that condition. At any rate if you tolerate no sugar, you have to read labels, because almost everything you eat has some form of sugar in it, even bread. My son had this condition when he was a little boy, 35 yrs ago, then I knew what brands he could eat, but they've changed everything so much since then.