Guidelines for the Use of Laxatives: Which Laxatives, When?.
- Author:
Jeong Eun SHIN
1
;
Kyoung Sup HONG
;
Kee Wook JUNG
;
Tae Hee LEE
;
Bong Eun LEE
;
Seon Young PARK
;
Sung Noh HONG
;
Seong Eun KIM
;
Kyung Sik PARK
;
Suck Chei CHOI
Author Information
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords: Constipation; Laxatives
- MeSH: Appointments and Schedules; Constipation; Humans; Laxatives*; Life Style; Serotonin
- From:Korean Journal of Medicine 2015;88(1):22-26
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
- Abstract: To manage chronic constipation, dietary and lifestyle modifications should be tried before pharmacological intervention. Although there is no standardized treatment guideline for medical practice, the key considerations in the choice of laxative include the treatment duration, dosing schedule, type of agent, effects and side effects of the agent, and cost. The first-line treatment is a bulking or osmotic laxative. If the patient is still symptomatic, the physician can add or switch to other laxatives. Next, prucalopride, a highly selective 5-hydroxytryptamine 4 (5-HT4) receptor agonist, could be considered. If the constipation is refractory to combination therapy with conventional laxatives and prucalopride, patients should be referred for further evaluation, including physiological testing.
