Impurities

In 2008, the FDA tested several lots of MiraLAX and found ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol in all lots tested. In the same article the FDA mentioned that the adverse events associated with MiraLAX were similar to that of ethylene glycol toxicity. 

Fast forward ten (10) years, some of the biggest names in gastrointestinal health release a paper indicating that ethylene glycol levels increased in their subjects after administering MiraLAX. However, their claim is that the ethylene glycol levels do not remain elevated. What the authors failed to mention, ethylene glycol is metabolized within 2 ½ hours in children.  The authors did not measure these metabolites! It’s not the ethylene glycol itself that is toxic, it’s the metabolites that accumulate causing serious health complications. 

Lastly, reviewing a material safety data sheet lists the levels of many impurities found in pharmaceutical grade polyethylene glycol (PEG) 3350, which is the only ingredient in MiraLAX. On page four (4) impurities like formaldehyde, ethylene oxide and 1,4 dioxane are just a few listed. In regard to formaldehyde, in 2020 the United States Pharmacopeia increased the amount of formaldehyde present in PEG 3350 from 15 µg/mL to 30 µg/mL. Over the last two (2) years I have been working with a large non profit and a private lab testing the impurities in PEG 3350 products. Testing should be wrapping up with a paper coming out in 2024, I believe the consumer will be shocked to see the impurities in these products. The amount of formaldehyde and other impurities is grossly understated within these “official” documents.