I've been on this forum since November and there have been a couple of posts wondering about the dangers of Epsom Salts , but I don't remember any proof that way. There have been more positive posts about Epsom Salts than anything else. Southern Belle takes a small dose of ES every day...it's supposed to be good for many things including ones heart.
As for the sore bum...my theory on this is people who get the sore bum (I don't! yeeeeehaw! un-oh I'd better knock wood - who knows what'll happen next time!) must have small fissures or cracks around the anus...and the ES acts like 'salt in the wound'...ya know? Possible. I've heard people say, Birdie, that they 'lube the tube' - put vaseline in and around the area before they start going...this helps tremendously, I hear!