Treatment and Drugs For Constipation

If a person suffering from constipation has been taking purgatives, these should be stopped gradually. The system will probably return to normal by taking enough soups, vegetables, and fruits. However, a worrying type individual may need to take mild laxatives as a temporary measure. Remember, disregarding the call for a motion is the worst you can do to you constipation. The diet should be made up of high roughage foods containing a lot of wholegrain cereals; leafy vegetables like spinach, raw carrots, cucumbers, salads, prunes, figs, papaya water melon, and other fresh fruits. Your intestines will soon gain the normal tone. If all these measures fail, you are a candidate for mild purgatives or laxatives. Never take a strong purgative. They are needed only under exceptional circumstances and should be used under the care of a doctor.

Mild Purgatives

Mild purgatives or laxatives are those which promote defecation, causing minimum adverse effects. Drugs included in this group are bulk producing drugs and stool softners.

Bulk Producing Drugs

Isapgol (Sat isabgol), Agar-agar (Agarol), Methyl Cellulose, Psyllium (Isovac)

These have high proportion of non-absorbable material called fiber. These drugs absorb water to increase the bulk in the intestines and make the stools soft. The onset of their action il slow, about 12 to 24 hours. They are the safest purgatives for the treatment of chronic constipation. An added advantage of these agents is the reduced absorption of dietary cholesterol leading to low LDL-cholesterol levels. Of the three, isapgol is most commonly use.

A number of proprietory preparations containing these very materials are available in the market. These are Cremaffin F.S., Fibril, Fybogel, Igol, Isogel, Isoyac, Nature Care, Naturolax, Softoyac. These are useful in irritable bowel syndrome also.

Dosage: Isapgol is given preferably with warm milk in a dose of 4 to 5 g once or twice a da) Agar-agar is given in a dose of 4 to 16 g, and methyl cellulose 1 to 6 g in divided doses.

Adverse Effects and Precautions: Those agents which are derived from vegetable sources ar devoid of toxic effects. Occasionally flatulence may occur, but this can be relieved by increasing the fluid intake. The chronic use of isapgol may decrease plasma cholesterol by interfering with the absorption of bile acids but it does not cause any harm and may, in

fact, do good to an obese patient. Always take plenty of fluids along with these drugs to obtain maximum benefit and t, avoid the possibility of intestinal obstruction which has been reported to occur in rare cases.

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