TikTok Trend Terrorizing this Tetraplegic

An Uneventful Trip to the Chemist…Or So I Thought

This past week, I took a casual trip to the chemist (pharmacy for my American readers) to replenish my stock of Senokot, a laxative used daily by those who don’t have the muscle control to assist with defecating. I was met with the minor frustration of it not being in stock. By the fourth chemist, my annoyance became panic. Not only was everywhere out of stock, but no one knew when they’d be restocked. After returning home and fruitlessly scouring the internet for delivery from any retailer, I started to Google the problem.  It seemed weird to search “Senokot shortage” but it seemed even weirder that the next words I found going down this rabbit hole were “TikTok trend”.

TikTok & “Budget Ozempic”

Much to my chagrin, apparently in September 2023 news outlets and health professionals noticed that TikTok users were making scientifically unsubstantiated claims that using laxatives was a quick and easy way to lose weight, leading to a global shortage of this OTC medication. I know I’m late to the game, but I stock up for months at a time, so I had no reason to notice until I began running out. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I felt like I was living in some “Mean Girls” alternate universe where Regina George was pulling a prank on gullible teenagers. I was astonished that the #GutTok hashtag racked up over 1.1 billion views. Yes, billion with a “B”! Some users even referred to it as a “budget Ozempic”. Searches for laxatives on Amazon have TRIPLED in the past year. Dow Chemical, a producer of one of the common active ingredients in laxatives, says that this upward trend of usage that started during the pandemic has caused them to build new factories and boost production. 

No Need to Shit Yourself

Health professionals were quick to emphasize that this is NOT a healthy way to lose weight and that it doesn’t actually have long-term effects. Using laxatives in this way is just intentional extreme dehydration.  You’re losing electrolytes, potassium, magnesium and all sorts of nutrients. Prolonged deficiencies can lead to heart problems. It’s not a long-term weight loss solution because you are simply losing water weight, not burning fat or calories. Not to mention, chronic use can permanently damage your ability to have a bowel movement without them.

Terrorizing the Tetraplegic

Back to me, while all these body-image concerned young people have created a vociferous demand, the disabled people like myself who critically depend on this item CANNOT get our hands on it. I’ve turned to begging any friends or family to dig in their medicine cabinets as I am on my last dose as I write this piece. I’m even exploring my options of having international friends ship it to me.  Let me tell you that the Australian Border Force does not have an FAQ on “Can I get OTC poop drugs shipped to me internationally?”.  

I also present the unique challenge that because I am an athlete that must comply with the international anti-doping (WADA) standards, that I cannot have just any brand of this medicine,  only ones that I am certain have no ingredients that are prohibited for elite sport.  This means that even if I can find a knock-off brand or even some of the various other common ones, I cannot use it.  I just have to suffer and hope.

I Beg of You. Please.

This shortage has now been going on for over four months and while some places have said the shortage is being fixed, there’s no signs of remedy anywhere near me (or my partner in Los Angeles for that matter, we’ve checked). Please, I beg of you, before taking part of a TikTok trend and creating a global shortage of a critical medication, look up the hazards to yourself and maybe even consider the people in need that you’re putting at risk.  Please.

Sources

People Rely on Laxatives So Much, There Aren’t Enough to Go Around - WSJ

New TikTok trend aimed at weight loss causing laxative shortage, health experts say - Fox News