Constipation Treatments
Options to Provide Relief for Chronic Constipation
To treat chronic constipation, your doctor may suggest some lifestyle and dietary modifications as treatments for constipation to help move stool through your intestines more quickly. If lifestyle and dietary changes do not resolve the issue, medications or surgery may be recommended.
Diet and lifestyle changes could include eating more fiber, exercising most days of the week, and not ignoring the urge to have a bowel movement.
Treatments for Constipation: Over-The-Counter Laxatives
Over-the-counter laxatives such as:
- Fiber supplements
- Stimulants
- Osmotics
- Lubricants
- Stool softeners
Treatments for Constipation: Prescription Medications
Prescription medications such as:
Lubiprostone
Lubiprostone is used to relieve stomach pain, bloating, and straining and produce softer and more frequent bowel movements in people who have chronic idiopathic constipation. This medication is used you there is difficulty or infrequent passage of stools that lasts for 3 months or longer and is not caused by a disease or a medication.
Lubiprostone is also used to treat irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C; a condition that causes stomach pain or cramps, bloating, and infrequent or difficult passage of stools) in women who are at least 18 years of age.
Lubiprostone is also used to treat constipation caused by certain opioid (narcotic) pain medications in people with chronic (ongoing), noncancer pain.
Lubiprostone is in a class of medications called laxatives. It works by increasing the amount of fluid that flows into the bowel and allowing the stool to pass more easily.
Linaclotide
Linaclotide isn’t a laxative. It works proactively to manage constipation and overall abdominal symptoms (pain, discomfort, and bloating). It acts locally in the intestine and is thought to work by calming pain-sensing nerves and accelerating bowel movements. When taken daily, relief is typically felt in about 1 week.
Plecanatide
Plecanatide is used to treat chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC) and irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C). It works by increasing the fluid secretion of the bowels, which helps ease the passage of stools and relieve the symptoms of constipation.
This medicine is available only with your doctor’s prescription.
This product is available only in tablet forms.
Before Using Plecanatide
In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make.
Prucalopride
This medication is used to treat chronic constipation. It is used when other medications used to treat constipation (such as laxatives) have not provided relief. Prucalopride works by improving how well your stomach and intestines move food through the bowels during digestion.
PAMORAs
Peripherally acting μ-opioid receptor antagonists (PAMORAs) constitute a class of drugs that reverse opioid-induced constipation (OIC) with similar opioid analgesic effects.
OIC differs from other forms of constipation. OIC is an iatrogenic condition that occurs when an opioid acts on the dense network of μ-opioid receptors in the enteric system. This interaction can affect a variety of functions including gastrointestinal motility, secretion, and other factors that can cause bowel dysfunction.
Biofeedback training may also be an option.
If other treatments fail and the chronic constipation is caused by a blockage, rectocele, or stricture, surgery may be advised. Surgery to remove part of the colon is a possibility, while removal of the entire colon is rare.
The availability of modern technology has opened up a world of convenience and ease, making it possible to treat chronic constipation.
Two Products To Consider
ENEMEEZ® and ENEMEEZ® Plus
The advantages associated with the utilization of ENEMEEZ® and ENEMEEZ® Plus are numerous.
The ENEMEEZ® mini-enema, with its 283mg of docusate sodium, serves as a hyperosmotic laxative that softens the stool by drawing water into the bowels from other areas of the body, thus resulting in a bowel movement.
ENEMEEZ ® Plus are highly sought after for their swift yet reliable outcomes (generally within a span of two to fifteen minutes), the non-irritating composition, and the convenient design of the tip for effortless usage.