Side effects of stool softeners may include stomach pain, nausea and diarrhea. Contact your doctor if the medicine doesn't help relieve your constipation within one week.
Stool softeners you can buy over-the-counter are effective for most people. While they are only intended for short-term relief of constipation, using a daily stool softener long-term probably is not harmful. However, there are other ways to help relieve constipation that are often successful.
Do not take stool softeners for more than 1 week unless your doctor directs you to. If sudden changes in bowel habits last longer than 2 weeks or if your stools are still hard after you have taken this medicine for 1 week, call your doctor.
Stool softeners like docusate (Colace) work by reducing the hardness of stools, which should make them easier to pass. Problem is, they won't do much if you're already constipated, since they take three of four days to kick in, he adds. But they can help treat chronic constipation.
Stool softeners work naturally with the body and are better tolerated with fewer side effects. Stronger laxatives such as stimulant laxatives are more appropriate for more severe symptoms.
In general, bulk-forming laxatives, also referred to as fiber supplements, are the gentlest on your body and safest to use long term. Metamucil and Citrucel fall into this category.
MOVICOL® has a natural mode of action that works gently, in harmony with your body. acts locally in the colon to relieve constipation: The water retained by MOVICOL® softens the stool and bulks it up slightly. As the stool gently expands, it naturally triggers colonic activity and a bowel movement.
Insoluble fiber is the most beneficial for softening stools. It does not dissolve in water and helps food pass more quickly from the stomach to the intestines. Wholewheat flour, nuts, beans, and vegetables, such as cauliflower, green beans, and potatoes all contain insoluble fiber.
Once Metamucil enters the body, it forms a gel-like substance in the stomach. It then travels to your intestines and acts as a source of soluble fiber. This helps your stool to absorb and retain more water. This makes your stool larger and softer, making it easier to go.
Identify Your Symptoms First
If you are suffering from symptoms such as abdominal bloating, rectal pain, and a frequency of fewer than three bowel movements per week, you may be a candidate for a stronger laxative.
Take docusate and senna with a full glass of water. It may be best to take this medicine at night or at bedtime. Docusate and senna should cause you to have a bowel movement within 6 to 12 hours. Do not take docusate and senna for longer than 7 days in a row, unless your doctor tells you to.
Over-the-counter stool softeners are effective for some people. However, in controlled clinical trials, there is no evidence that they improve symptoms. While they only are intended for short-term relief of constipation, using a daily stool softener long-term probably is not harmful.
Stimulant laxatives such as senna and bisacodyl trigger contractions in the bowels that push the stool along. But if you take stimulant laxatives too often, you could become dependent on them to have a bowel movement at all—possibly because the bowel has stopped functioning normally.
Magnesium oxide is an osmotic laxative, and its key effect is a softening of hard stools; therefore, it is important to first ask the patient about the hardness of stools and the frequency of bowel movement.
The following drinks can help relieve constipation: prune juice, lemon juice, apple juice, kefir, coffee, green tea, water or aloe vera juice.
Do not take Movicol if your doctor has told you that you have: an obstruction in your intestine (gut) a perforated gut wall. severe inflammatory bowel disease, like ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, or toxic megacolon.
MOVICOL® works in harmony with the body's own processes to facilitate regular bowel movement. In studies of up to 2 years duration, MOVICOL® has been shown to be generally well tolerated. As with all laxatives, prolonged use is not usually recommended, except under the guidance of a healthcare professional.
Your child may have stomach ache, feel sick (nausea) or be sick (vomit) or may feel bloated. They may also get diarrhoea. These effects are more likely if they have several sachets of Movicol in one day to treat severe constipation. These side-effects can also be related to the constipation.
Hard, dry stools are the result of the colon absorbing too much water. Normally, as food moves through the colon (also known as the large intestine) the colon absorbs water while forming stool (waste products).
“Bananas, when fully ripe, contain soluble fiber and thus can help treat constipation,” Lee says. “However, unripe, or green, bananas have high levels of resistant starch, which can be very binding and cause constipation.” Because of this, unripe bananas can be used to treat diarrhea, she notes.
Try yogurt with probiotics, live bacteria that's good for your digestive system. It may help relieve constipation.