laxatives for constipation
Laxatives for Constipation
Medical Author: |John P. Cunha, DO|
Medical Editor: |Jay W. Marks, MD|
- |What is constipation?|
- |What causes constipation?|
- |When should a doctor be consulted for constipation?|
- |What non-drug measures can you take for constipation?|
- |What over-the-counter preparations can be used for constipation?|
- |Bulk-Forming Laxatives|
- |Stool Softeners (emollient laxatives)|
- |Lubricant Laxatives|
- |Stimulant Laxatives|
- |Saline Laxatives|
- |Enemas and Suppositories|
- |Laxatives for Constipation At A Glance|
What is constipation?
|Constipation| is a condition that is characterized by infrequent bowel movements that are painful or difficult, or stools that are hard in consistency. Infrequent bowel movements alone are not a reliable indicator of constipation because bowel frequency can vary between three times a day to once a week among normal individuals. Therefore, hard stools that are difficult to pass or infrequent stools accompanied by |abdominal pain|, |back pain|, and |abdominal bloating| define important constipation.
What are the causes of constipation?
There are many causes of constipation including:
- Diets low in |fiber|. Fiber is vegetable material that is resistant to digestion. It promotes soft stools by adding bulk to the stool and causing water to be retained in stool.
- Side effects of medications such as narcotic pain killers, |antidepressants|, iron supplements, |calcium channel blockers| (a class of medications for |high blood pressure|), and certain types of antacids.
- Narrowing or blockage of the large intestine (colon) due to |colon cancer| or advanced |diverticulosis|.
- Ineffective contraction or spasm of the colon's muscles due to | irritable bowel syndrome| or other diseases of the colon's muscles.
- Hormonal (endocrine) disturbances such as an |under-active thyroid gland| and | diabetes| mellitus with nerve damage.
- |Parkinson's disease|, |multiple sclerosis|, and other neurologic conditions.
Examples of common medications that can cause constipation:
- Narcotic pain medications: |codeine| (Tylenol #3), | oxycodone| (Percocet), and |guaifenesin/hydromorphone| (Dilaudid) and others
- Antidepressants: |amitriptyline| (Elavil), |fluoxetine| (Prozac), and | imipramine| (Tofranil)
- Anticonvulsants: |phenytoin| (Dilantin) and |carbamazepine| (Tegretol)
- Iron supplements
- Calcium channel blockers [for example, |diltiazem| (Cardizem) and | nifedipine| (Procardia)]
- Antacids [for example, |aluminum hydroxide| (Amphojel) and |aluminum carbonate| (Basaljel)]