I stay bloated from gas, and the only way I have a bowel movement is Milk of Magnesium. I can't have a bowel movement on my own. So what do I do? Do I still take the laxative daily or can it hurt me long term?

coffee or mc donalds do it for me

fiber helps you have a bowel movement. Superman, it really does depend on your age. If you are older, you might have to take milk of magnesium daily. (I have never heard of it harming anyone) If you have been on a lot of med's this to can cause you to be stopped up (irregular bowel movement) regardless of age I would talk to your doctor about this. It could be very a serious medical condition.

Stop eating everything...
the Gas will probably disappear.
Reintroduce your food one thing at a time till you find out what is it that gives you gas.
then you can eliminate whatever it is.

Hey Superman, how old are you. If you are a youngin, then it's mostly about your diet. Change eating habits. If you be the real Clark Kent, then you be old and need to focus on dietary concerns and intake of recommended nutrients to aid in the metabolising of your food. Exercise is a key int his as it helps to increase the metabolism to spped up digestion. Too much wheat and fiber can cause a ton of gas, so you could lay of that a lot. If you can't take a crap (have a bowel movement) you need to probably get an enima and have your blood drawn to see what is missing in your diet.

Those symptoms will get you a diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I believe that IBS is a catch-all for a lot of different diseases. In my case, it was food allergies. Once we figured out what I was allergic to and started avoiding it, the IBS disappeared. I only have problems now when I miss a little soya lecithin buried in line 10 of the ingredients of something.

You might try seeing an allergist.