Laxatives

About

Laxatives are a type of medicine that can treat constipation. They're often used if lifestyle changes, such as increasing the amount of fibre in your diet, drinking plenty of fluid and taking regular exercise, have not helped. Laxatives are available to buy from pharmacies and supermarkets. They're also available on prescription from a doctor. There are 4 main types of laxatives. Bulk-forming laxatives work by increasing the "bulk" or weight of poo, which in turn stimulates your bowel. They take 2 or 3 days to work. Bulk-forming laxatives include: Fybogel (ispaghula husk) methylcellulose Osmotic laxatives draw water from the rest of the body into your bowel to soften poo and make it easier to pass. They take 2 or 3 days to work. They include: lactulose (also called by the brand names Duphalac and Lactugal) macrogol (also called by the brand names Movicol, Laxido, CosmoCol, Molaxole and Molative) polyethylene glycol These stimulate the muscles that line your gut, helping them to move poo along to your back passage. They take 6 to 12 hours to work. They include: bisacodyl (also called by the brand name Dulcolax) senna (also called by the brand name Senokot) sodium picosulfate This type of laxative works by letting water into poo to soften it and make it easier to pass. They include: arachis oil docusate It's difficult to know whether a particular laxative will work better than another. It depends on the person. Unless there's a reason why a type of laxative may be more suitable for you than another: start with a bulk-forming laxative if your poo remains hard, try using an osmotic laxative in addition to, or instead of, a bulk-forming laxative if your poo is soft but is still difficult to pass, try taking a stimulant laxative in addition to a bulk-forming laxative Speak to a GP or pharmacist if you're unsure which laxative to use. Also see a GP if you're still constipated after trying all of the different types of laxative, or you think your child might benefit from ta