Taken rectally, these suppositories soften stool and trigger rhythmic contractions of the intestinal muscles. Popular brands of suppositories include:. Among other medications, laxatives can interact with certain heart medications, antibiotics, and bone medications.
This information is often on the label. If laxative use results in diarrhea, your body can become dehydrated. Diarrhea can also lead to electrolyte imbalance. Talk with your doctor before using any laxative. Overuse of laxatives other than bulk formers can result in the intestines losing muscle and nerve response, which can lead to dependency on laxatives to have a bowel movement.
When you have constipation and are using laxatives, make an appointment to see your doctor if you experience unexplained changes in bowel pattern or constipation lasting longer than seven days even with using a laxative.
To help treat constipation and avoid it in the future, consider making these dietary and lifestyle changes:. For the treatment of occasional constipation, you have a choice of a number of safe, effective OTC laxatives.
If you decide to use one, read the label directions carefully and only use it as directed. If you have chronic constipation, see your doctor. They can tailor a plan of medication, diet, and lifestyle changes to help you treat and avoid future problems with bowel movements. Laxatives can help relieve constipation and promote regular bowel movements. Laxatives aren't recommended for babies who haven't been weaned. If your baby is constipated, try giving them extra water in between feeds.
Gently massaging their tummy and moving their legs in a cycling motion may also help. Babies who are eating solid foods may be able to use laxatives, but you should first make sure your baby drinks plenty of water or diluted fruit juice and increase the amount of fibre in their diet. If they're still constipated, your GP may prescribe or recommend a laxative. In older children, osmotic or stimulant laxatives are often recommended alongside dietary changes as the first treatment for constipation.
Read more about treating constipation in children. Home Tests and treatments Medicines and medical aids Types of medicine Laxatives. Laxatives See all parts of this guide Hide guide parts 1. Introduction 2. Introduction Laxatives are a type of medicine that can help you empty your bowels if you're having trouble going to the toilet. Types of laxatives The main laxatives used in the UK are: bulk-forming laxatives — such as ispaghula husk and methylcellulose, which work in the same way as dietary fibre; they increase the bulk of your stools faeces by helping them retain fluid, encouraging your bowels to push the stools out osmotic laxatives — such as lactulose and polyethylene glycol, which soften your stools and make them easier to pass by increasing the amount of water in your bowels stimulant laxatives — such as bisacodyl, senna and sodium picosulfate, which speed up the movement of your bowels by stimulating the nerves that control the muscles lining your digestive tract stool softener laxatives — such as arachis oil and docusate sodium, which increase the fluid content of hard, dry stools, making them easier to pass There are also a number of alternative laxatives that are less commonly used, including bowel cleansing solutions, peripheral opioid-receptor antagonists, linaclotide and prucalopride.
Which laxative should I use? Things to consider Although laxatives are available over-the-counter, they're not suitable for everyone. How to take laxatives How you take laxative medication depends on the form it comes in, they are commonly available as: tablets or capsules you swallow sachets of powder you mix with water and then drink suppositories — a capsule you place inside your back passage rectum , where it will dissolve liquids or gels that you place directly into your back passage Some laxatives are also designed to be taken at certain times of the day, such as first thing in the morning or last thing at night.
How long should laxatives be used for? Side effects Like most medications, laxatives can cause side effects. Reviewed by: Jacob L. Editorial team. Laxative overdose Laxative abuse. Poisonous Ingredient Using too much of these drugs can cause symptoms of a laxative overdose: Bisacodyl Carboxymethylcellulose Cascara sagrada Casanthranol Castor oil Dehydrocholic acid Docusate Glycerin Lactulose Magnesium citrate Magnesium hydroxide Magnesium oxide Magnesium sulfate Malt soup extract Methylcellulose Milk of magnesia Mineral oil Phenolphthalein Poloxamer Polycarbophil Potassium bitartrate and sodium bicarbonate Psyllium Psyllium hydrophilic mucilloid Senna Sennosides Sodium phosphate Other laxative products may also cause an overdose.
Symptoms Nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea are the most common symptoms of a laxative overdose. Home Care Seek medical help right away.
Before Calling Emergency Have this information ready: Person's age, weight, and condition The name of the product ingredients and strength, if known Time it was swallowed The amount swallowed If the medicine was prescribed for the person. Poison Control Your local poison center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline from anywhere in the United States.
What to Expect at the Emergency Room Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible. The person may receive: Activated charcoal Blood and urine tests Breathing support, including oxygen and rarely a tube through the mouth into the lungs and breathing machine ventilator Chest x-ray ECG electrocardiogram, or heart tracing Intravenous fluids IV, or through a vein.
Outlook Prognosis How well a person does depends on the type of laxative swallowed, how much was swallowed, and how much time passed before treatment was received. References Aronson JK. Find a Doctor Request an Appointment. Laxative abuse is the repeated use of laxatives to purge calories or food.
The thinking — though incorrect — is that the laxative will quickly move food through the body and clear out calories before the calories can be absorbed.
Laxatives contain warnings that using the medicine for more than one week can cause serious long-term complications. However, individuals with an eating disorder may disregard these warnings. Many people who abuse laxatives will take more than the suggested dose and continue to increase that dose as the body becomes accustomed to the additional assistance. Others take small amounts, potentially even staying within the recommended dose, but for far longer than is safe.
Laxatives do not actually help people lose weight. Laxatives work on the large intestine. By the time waste reaches that area of the body, the small intestine has already absorbed the calories from the food consumed. Laxatives may, however, cause temporary loss of water, electrolytes, minerals and waste product sitting in the lower intestine. This can make a person feel like they have a flatter stomach or cause the numbers on the scale to read a bit lighter.
But as soon as the individual drinks water, the weight returns. The digestive process starts the moment we put food into our mouths. Chewing breaks down food for easier processing by the body. In the stomach, digestive acids and enzyme further process the food, before emptying into the small intestine.
In the small intestine, digestion continues with the help of enzymes from the pancreas and bile from the liver. From there, waste products move into the large intestine. The rectum, at the lower end of the large intestine, stores stool until it can be pushed out of the anus during a bowel movement.
After taking laxatives for a period of time, the body begins to rely on the help of the laxative in order to move waste through the body. People become both psychologically and physically dependent on laxatives, more quickly than many realize. Constipation: Laxatives are used to treat constipation, but when abused, laxatives can actually cause constipation to worsen. Laxatives work by artificially stimulating, or irritating, the nerves in the large intestine. This stimulation makes the intestinal muscles contract and move the stool out of the body.
But when used for too long or at too high of a quantity, laxatives can damage the nerves. Keeping the colon empty is also risky.
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