Hi there. I have been taking stool softeners daily since long before being banded. I had a horrible fissure caused by constipation and my doctor recommended them to ease my pain during bowel movements. Stool softeners and laxatives are not the same. Stool softeners are perfectly safe to take daily; they don't cause you to have a bowel movement, it is just easier to have one (softer & smoother). You just have to be sure to get one without a laxative added, it should say so on the bottle. Good luck.