Howdy folks, I’ve had sluggish bowels for over 6 months, and when I say sluggish, I mean reeeeeaaaaallllly slow - BMs once or twice a week if I’m lucky. Have tried dietary modification (how I loathe prunes, even a bowl of All Bran twice a day didn’t help), Fibrogel, Movecol and other osmotic laxatives don’t have much effect and though I’m loathe to use stimulant laxatives long term, senna and biscodyl were the only supplements that provided any relief. I was finding myself needing 3 or 4 sennakots a day PLUS 2 biscodyl at bedtime. Quite by random, as I was perusing the laxatives available through Amazon, I came across a supplement called cascara sagrada. I’d never heard of it before, read the positive reviews and ordered myself a bottle. It’s been remarkably effective. I usually only have to take one at bedtime to be sure of a BM in the morning. Very gentle, no cramps or urgency. So I thought I’d flag it up, in case any of you are similarly afflicted. Isn’t it nice to have symptoms that are so embarrassing to tell anyone about? My main symptoms are crappy bowels (ho ho), dodgy bladder sphincters and excrutiating central neuropathic pain which I experience on a daily basis and which feels like I’m being impaled by a thick metal spike driven through my right vaginal wall and up into my chest. Delightful, no? 
Chins up soldiers.
Glad you found something that helps. It’s all good fun with this bloody ms isn’t it ?!! Hope it continues to be helpful, and thanks for posting.
Hi Anon Thanks for this. Always open to new treatment for my sluggish bowel. Ordered just now from amazon. Will trial stopping movicol and trial this instead. Thanks again Min xx
Glad you have found something that works for you. My grandma always swore by cascara and syrup of figs. My poor mother had to endure a dose every day and it is her main memory of her childhood. Apparently it came in a brown bottle from the local chemist (I’m talking about the early 40s here!). Has the product you have purchased got syrup of figs in too or is it plain cascara? Seems that some of the old products are still the best.
Thanks for posting, I will give this a go! Like you, I have tried everything going and although I do love prunes, they give me terrible thrush when I eat loads to make me go!!
Thanks
Fizzy xx