# The Laxative Myth? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 29, 2005, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-laxative-myth/287339 "2005-01-29T23:45:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![inkleberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@inkleberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkleberry)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-laxative-myth/287339/21 "2005-01-30T08:10:04Z")
Ex-lax does indeed make a fast-acting chocolate flavored chewy. My (now deceased) elderly uncle with alzheimer’s once ate an entire box, mistaking them for regular chocolates. The results were, um, intense. He indeed spent hours pooing. This isn’t what killed him, however. Most fast-acting laxatives are off the market now, as a few years ago they were linked with cancer. Now there is senna, which is slower. Still, a good dose will work in short order. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-laxative-myth/287339/22 "2005-01-30T14:27:38Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Heh. “I’m groundhoggin’ it here, Dad!” ITYM prairie doggin’ it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-laxative-myth/287339/23 "2005-01-30T18:03:54Z")
> [@Mr2001](#): > > ITYM prairie doggin’ it. 😉 Yeah, dammit…I live too close to Punxsutawney and it’s too close to Groundhog Day for me to properly attribute any other type of chunky, burrow-dwelling rodent… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-laxative-myth/287339.md?page=1)