Laxatives such as pills, suppositories, and more are among the most purchased medications. No wonder, every third person has problems with regular bowel movements. However, it is not safe to use pills and other laxatives. Check how laxatives work and whether it is worth taking them when you have constipation.
Laxativesare used when natural constipation treatments do not help. However, non-laxatives cannot be used for quite a long time, because the body gets used to them easily, the intestines become very lazy and you need to take more and more medications.
Laxatives - indications and contraindications
People who struggle with constipation only temporarily can reach for laxatives. Emptying the intestine is also necessary before some diagnostic procedures.
Laxatives should be taken once. Long-term use of this type of preparation may have serious side effects.
People should not use laxatives:
- people who struggle with chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (e.g. irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel diseases)
- acute abdominal diseases (appendicitis, acute intestinal inflammation)
- people who may have bowel obstruction
- pregnant and lactating women
- people who are simultaneously taking cardiac glycosides, anti-arrhythmic drugs, drugs containing licorice root, diuretics or steroids (may increase the risk of electrolyte imbalance)
Laxatives - types and effects
- swelling agents - their task is to increase the volume of fecal masses. These are mainly powdered products that contain dietary fiber (especially its three fractions - pectin, cellulose and vegetable gums). This can be wheat fiber, plantain seed hulls, flaxseed or bran. When consuming them, remember to drink plenty of water. Only in her presence will they begin to swell. Otherwise, they will start to use the water stored in the body and lead to its dehydration.
Side effects of laxatives may include abdominal cramps and pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, blood in the stools, discomfort around the anus.
- fecal softeners, e.g.glycerin suppositories
- coating agents - they cover the surface of the intestine to provide a glide on bowel movements, e.g. castor oil and paraffin. However, these types of measures can cause inflammation and malabsorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K)
- osmotic agents - contribute to the penetration of water into the intestinal lumen, and further to soften the fecal masses, they include lactulose and macrogols
- colon stimulants - these are the most powerful laxatives because they contain the so-called anthraquinone compounds that stimulate the ganglia located in the large intestine. They include, among others senna, buckthorn and bisacodyl. They work quickly, but are also quickly addictive. Often the consequence of taking agents that irritate the mucosa with oxyanthraquinone glycosides is diarrhea, often with abdominal pain. They lead to hyperemia of the organs in the small pelvis, which intensifies uterine contractions in women (they are forbidden for pregnant women and during menstruation). Most of them can cause allergic reactions, inflammation of the colon . In addition, they can lead to water and electrolyte disturbances in the body. Overuse can lead to irreversible changes, including the loss of contractility of the digestive tract.