Hi 0528 -
Yes, Epsom Salts can be a bit taxing to the body in general if used in excess over a period of time.

Re: an alternative - in order to answer that question I would need to know why you are taking them?

If it is in conjunction with the liver/gallbladder flushes as I am guessing, I am a very big advocate of using the ES in this case in the doses recommended by both Hulda Clark and Andreas Moritz and don't see this amount as a problem for most people.

That said, however, if you are very sensitive and/or don't weigh a lot, I think it is wise to cut back on the amount to 1/2-3/4 tsp per dose. That's what I do personally, and still get good results.

The purpose of taking the ES in the case of the liver flushes is two fold. 1) it clears the colon and 2) it dilates the bile ducts so that what is being released can move out of the body easier. For both these reasons, I think it is really important to take the ES when flushing to get the best results and also to make it easier on the body to release.

Any kind of magnesium would help in this same regard to some degree if you have a specific problem with the ES -- but nothing will work as well as the ES that I know of.

Hope that answers your question. Happy New Year! -

Kelly