I'm 86 and had been dreading "poo time" for months because of hard-to-pass stools. My doctor suggested I take Restoralax every day. I started with the dose on the bottle and found it just a bit too "effective." My doctor had no problem with me taking less than the recommended dose (17g). I've found that 12g daily works like a charm. As I said, Restoralax has turned a dreaded event into a non-issue for me. BTW, the warning on the package to use it only for a limited time without your health provider's knowledge is NOT because you can't. It's there to urge you to consult with a professional to ensure that Restoralax is not MASKING an underlying condition that is causing your BM issues.