A 35-year-old member asked:
How long should i give milk of magnesia (magnesium hydroxide) to work?
2 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in

Dr. Heidi Fowleranswered
Psychiatry 27 years experience
Milk of magnesia (magnesium hydroxide): Milk of Magnesia (magnesium hydroxide) usually takes effect (leads to a bowel movement ) in half an hour to six hours – but this is variable.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Dr. Alan Alianswered
Psychiatry 34 years experience
MOM: Within average of 6 hours.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Similar questions
A 48-year-old member asked:
How fast milk of magnesia (magnesium hydroxide) work?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in

Dr. Yash Khannaanswered
Family Medicine 59 years experience
1/2 HOUR TO 6 HOURS: It may work as an antacid within 30 minutes and as a laxative it may take 6 hours to 12 hours.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Dr. Raymond Chow commented
Pharmacology 10 years experience
Check with the dosing on the product label, since generally lower doses are used for acid reduction (1-3 TEAspoons), and higher to move the bowels (1-3 TABLEspoons).
Nov 26, 2013
MA
A 19-year-old female asked:
How long does milk of magnesia (magnesium hydroxide) stay in your system ?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

Dr. Gurmukh Singhanswered
Pathology 51 years experience
Depends: The elimination of this laxative depends on the rate of movement of bowel contents. Under usual circumstances most of it should be out of the GI tract in a couple of days, a week at the most.
Unrelated to your question:
Practice safe sex.
Get HPV vaccine.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Casper, WY
A 22-year-old female asked:
How long does it take for milk of magnesia (magnesium hydroxide) to work? I haven't gone in 4 days...
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in

Dr. Phillip Goebelanswered
Emergency Medicine 18 years experience
A couple of hours: If it has not worked in a couple of hours you should either take another doe or switch to something like miralax (polyethylene glycol) in combination with enemas.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Is milk of magnesia (magnesium hydroxide) habit forming?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

Dr. Yash Khannaanswered
Family Medicine 59 years experience
No it is not: No it is not habit forming but some people tend to use it over long period of time to help move bowels.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
How much time does it take for milk of magnesia (magnesium hydroxide) to work?
1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in

Dr. Heidi Fowleranswered
Psychiatry 27 years experience
Milk of magnesia (magnesium hydroxide): Milk of Magnesia (magnesium hydroxide) usually takes effect (leads to a bowel movement ) in half an hour to six hours – but this is variable.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Jun 29, 2019
People also asked
Connect with a U.S. board-certified doctor by text or video anytime, anywhere.
$44 video appointments with $19/month membership*
*Billed $57 every 3 months. Cancel anytime.
Disclaimer:
Content on HealthTap (including answers) should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and interactions on HealthTap do not create a doctor-patient relationship. Never disregard or delay professional medical advice in person because of anything on HealthTap. Call your doctor or 911 if you think you may have a medical emergency.