As someone living with chronic constipation, you may sometimes feel like your only treatment option is to go, well, in the complete opposite direction. Find out what you can do to ease your symptoms without going in the other direction completely. Laxatives work in many different ways, and their effects vary from person to person.
With several varieties and types of laxatives available for helping with constipation, picking the best one for your body while avoiding those that are too aggressive requires knowledge and awareness. Some types of laxatives are harsher than others and can result in diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and other nasty side effects if you take too much. How they work: Osmotic agents draw water into your bowel from nearby tissues and help retain the water in your stool, making it softer.
Softer stool is easier to pass. Precautions: Taking too much of an osmotic agent can lead to the following side effects:. Osmotic laxatives should be used with caution by older adults and people with kidney problems because of the risk of dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. Additionally, the U. Food and Drug Administration FDA has issued a warning about the risk of kidney damage caused by sodium phosphates. There have been reports of serious injuries and at least 13 deaths associated with taking a dose that is higher than what is stated on the label.
Taking too much can cause dehydration, abnormal levels of electrolytes, kidney damage, and even death. Seek help right away if you have any of these symptoms after taking a laxative containing sodium phosphates. How they work: A stool softener adds water to stool to soften it and make it easier to pass.
Examples : Examples of stool softeners include docusate sodium Colace, Docusate, Surfak. Precautions : Stool softeners may take a couple of days to start working.
They are better at preventing constipation than treating it, but they are generally gentler than other types of laxative. Taking a stool softener for an extended period of time can lead to an electrolyte imbalance. Electrolytes include sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and chloride. They help regulate certain functions in your body.
An imbalance of electrolytes can lead to weakness, confusion, seizures, and irregular heart rhythms. How they work: Stimulant laxatives function by making your intestines contract and moving stool along.
Precautions: Stimulants are the most aggressive type of laxatives. They only take a few hours to start working. Taking too much of a stimulant laxative can lead to:. Taking them for a long period of time can change the tone of your large intestine and cause it to stop functioning correctly. If this happens, your colon may become dependent on laxatives to have a bowel movement.
This can lead to weakening of your bones. How they work: Lubricants work by coating your stool and intestines to prevent water loss. They also lubricate your stool so it moves more easily. They also might affect the way your body absorbs certain medications.
How they work: Rectal stimulants can be given as an enema, which injects fluid injected into your rectum. First-time laxative overdoses are rarely serious. Severe symptoms are most likely in people who abuse laxatives by taking large amounts to lose weight. Fluid and electrolyte imbalances may occur.
Inability to control bowel movements may also develop. Laxatives containing magnesium can cause serious electrolyte and heart rhythm disturbances in people with impaired kidney function. These people may require the extra breathing support noted above.
Aronson JK. In: Aronson JK, ed. Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs. Waltham, MA: Elsevier; Meehan TJ. Approach to the poisoned patient. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap Reviewed by: Jacob L. Editorial team. Laxative overdose Laxative abuse.
Poisonous Ingredient Using too much of these drugs can cause symptoms of a laxative overdose: Bisacodyl Carboxymethylcellulose Cascara sagrada Casanthranol Castor oil Dehydrocholic acid Docusate Glycerin Lactulose Magnesium citrate Magnesium hydroxide Magnesium oxide Magnesium sulfate Malt soup extract Methylcellulose Milk of magnesia Mineral oil Phenolphthalein Poloxamer Polycarbophil Potassium bitartrate and sodium bicarbonate Psyllium Psyllium hydrophilic mucilloid Senna Sennosides Sodium phosphate Other laxative products may also cause an overdose.
Examples of these laxatives include:. You may wonder how certain products compare to MiraLAX. Below are comparisons between MiraLAX and several other treatments. MiraLAX is an osmotic laxative. That means it draws water into the colon, which softens the stool and may naturally stimulate the colon to contract. Metamucil is a psyllium fiber supplement that works as a bulk-forming laxative.
Like osmotic laxatives, Metamucil draws water into the colon and makes the stool softer. But in addition to that, its fiber content bulks up the stool, which naturally stimulates movement of the colon to pass the stool.
MiraLAX is used for short-term treatment of constipation and long-term treatment of chronic constipation. Metamucil is primarily used for preventing constipation. However, it may also be used for short-term treatment of constipation, as well as long-term treatment of chronic constipation. Metamucil is also used to help treat diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome IBS , diverticulosis, and high cholesterol. MiraLAX comes as a powder in bottles and single-serve packets.
You mix the powder with four to eight ounces of liquid and drink it once daily. Metamucil is available as a powder and as a capsule. You mix the powder with 8 ounces of water and drink it one to three times daily. For the capsule, you typically take two to five capsules up to four times daily. However, this side effect may decrease or go away with continued use of either product. Taking Metamucil without adequate liquid can cause choking. Be sure to take Metamucil with at least 8 ounces of liquid.
MiraLAX and Metamucil are both effective for treating constipation, but they have not been compared in clinical studies. Guidelines from the American College of Gastroenterology and American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons recommend increasing dietary fiber or using fiber supplements such as Metamucil as a first-choice option to prevent and treat constipation, including chronic constipation. They also recommend osmotic laxatives such as MiraLAX for treating constipation, including chronic constipation.
Colace is a stool softener. It helps to draw water into the stool itself to make it softer and easier to pass. Colace is used short-term to prevent and to treat constipation. Colace is commonly used after surgical procedures to help prevent constipation. In some cases, it causes loose stools. Diarrhea is considered a rare side effect. MiraLAX and Colace are both effective for treating constipation.
Dulocolax bisacodyl is a stimulant laxative. It works by irritating the intestines and causing them to contract. It also works by increasing water in the intestines. Both of these actions help cause a bowel movement. Dulcolax is used for short-term treatment of constipation. It should not be used long-term. Dulcolax may also be used in combination with other laxatives including MiraLAX for bowel prep before colonoscopy or other procedures.
Stimulant laxatives, including Dulcolax, are also more likely to cause laxative dependence when used long-term. This can cause severe constipation when the medication is stopped. MiraLAX and Dulcolax are both effective for treating constipation. Dulcolax is considered a second-choice option for short-term treatment of constipation. Another difference is how long these products take to work.
MiraLAX usually takes one to three days to cause a bowel movement. Dulcolax tablets, on the other hand, usually cause a bowel movement within 6 to 12 hours. And Dulcolax suppositories typically do so within 15 minutes to an hour. It works like an osmotic laxative. Milk of magnesia is used for short-term treatment of constipation. Milk of magnesia is the liquid form of magnesium hydroxide. Milk of magnesia products come as liquid suspensions.
Magnesium hydroxide products also come as oral tablets or caplets that are typically taken once daily. Milk of magnesia and other magnesium hydroxide products can cause the same side effects as MiraLAX, as well as:.
If you have kidney problems, you should not use milk of magnesia or other magnesium hydroxide products. These products can cause high magnesium levels in the body, which can cause dangerous side effects such as:.
An analysis of studies comparing MiraLAX and milk of magnesia for constipation in children found conflicting results. Some of these studies show that MiraLAX might be slightly more effective than milk of magnesia.
However, another study in the analysis found that milk of magnesia may be more effective. Guidelines for treating constipation in children recommend MiraLAX as a first choice for short- and long-term treatment of constipation. Milk of magnesia is considered a second-choice option. For adults, guidelines from the American College of Gastroenterology and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons recommend osmotic laxatives such as MiraLAX for treating constipation, including chronic constipation.
Another difference between MiraLAX and milk of magnesia is how long they take to work. Milk of magnesia, on the other hand, usually causes a bowel movement within 30 minutes to 6 hours. Benefiber is a wheat dextrin fiber supplement that works as a bulk-forming laxative. Like osmotic laxatives, Benefiber draws water into the colon and makes the stool softer.
Benefiber is primarily used for preventing constipation. Benefiber comes as a bulk powder and in single-serving packets.
The powder is mixed with 4 to 8 ounces of water or another non-carbonated beverage and taken 1 to 3 times daily. It can also be mixed into soft foods such as yogurt, pudding, or applesauce. People with gluten intolerance may want to avoid using Benefiber.
This is because Benefiber contains wheat dextrin. The manufacturer says that it contains less than 20 ppm of gluten. MiraLAX and Benefiber are both effective for treating constipation. However, no clinical studies have directly compared their effectiveness. Guidelines from the American College of Gastroenterology and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons recommend increasing dietary fiber or using fiber supplements such as Benefiber as a first-choice treatment to prevent and treat constipation, including chronic constipation.
Both MiraLAX and lactulose are osmotic laxatives. They work by drawing water into the colon, which softens the stool and can naturally cause the colon to contract. Lactulose is used for short-term treatment of constipation and long-term treatment of chronic constipation. Lactulose is also used for people with severe liver disease who have a condition called hepatic encephalopathy. Lactulose comes as an oral solution and as a powder that you mix with water and drink.
You take either form once daily. These side effects may be more common with lactulose. Lactulose may also be more likely to cause electrolyte imbalances as a result of diarrhea. Decreasing the dosage of lactulose may reduce these side effects. MiraLAX and lactulose are both effective for treating constipation. Both usually take one to three days to cause a bowel movement. Guidelines from the American College of Gastroenterology and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons recommend osmotic laxatives such as these products for treating constipation, including chronic constipation, in adults.
An analysis of studies in children with constipation found that MiraLAX may be more effective than lactulose for increasing bowel movements. Guidelines for treating constipation in children recommend MiraLAX as a first-choice option for short- and long-term treatment of constipation.
Lactulose is considered a second-choice option. That means they draw water into the colon, which softens the stool and may naturally stimulate the colon to contract. In addition, GoLytely contains the electrolytes potassium and sodium. MiraLAX is an over-the-counter, brand-name product.
GoLytely requires a prescription from your doctor. You mix the powder with four to eight ounces of liquid and drink it once daily when used for constipation. When used for bowel prep, larger doses are taken over a period of two days. GoLytely comes as a powder in a large 4-liter jug.
You need to add water to the jug, and then drink the solution as part of a bowel preparation procedure. Using MiraLAX and GoLytely for bowel prep before colonoscopy or other procedures can cause similar common side effects, such as:. Although uncommon, some serious side effects have happened in people using GoLytely bowel preparation, such as:.
If you have certain health problems, your doctor may do special tests before prescribing GoLytely. Or, they may recommend other products. These health problems include:. Citrucel is a methylcellulose fiber supplement that works as a bulk-forming laxative. Like osmotic laxatives, Citrucel draws water into the colon and makes the stool softer.
Citrucel is primarily used for preventing constipation.
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