When you have constipation, you should first try dietary conditioning, lifestyle conditioning and emotional conditioning: eat more vegetables and fruits, drink more water, live a regular life, don’t stay up late, and keep your mood relaxed. If the constipation is relieved by these regimens, then there is no need for medication. If you do these basic conditioning very seriously, there is still constipation, it is necessary to medication.
I. The severity of constipation is divided into 3 levels
1.If the constipation is less than half a year
The stool is not very dry and hard, through life conditioning, diet conditioning or mood conditioning can soon return to normal, this is mild constipation.
2.If the constipation has been more than ten years
The stool is very difficult, need to use a lot of medication, but the effect is still not very good, seriously affect life and emotions, this is severe constipation.
3.Moderate constipation is between mild and severe constipation
People with constipation should simply judge their severity according to the above criteria. Constipation of different severity can be treated with medication, or medication to assist, but different degrees of constipation, medication program is not exactly the same.
Second, what are the common drugs used to treat constipation?
1.Volumetric laxatives (bulking drugs)
common are Ou Che Qian, polycarbophil calcium, wheat bran, Che Qian senna granules, etc..
2, osmotic laxative
common are polyethylene glycol, lactulose and salt laxatives (magnesium sulfate).
3.Stimulating laxative
Common ones are rhubarb, senna, aloe vera capsules, and open-loop.
4.Prokinetic drugs
common drugs such as prilucapride.
5.Probiotic drugs
Such as bifidobacterium triptans tablets / capsules.
Third, mild constipation: volumetric laxatives
For people with mild constipation, volumetric laxatives are recommended, commonly known as oxytetracycline, polycarbophil calcium, wheat bran and psyllium granules. Volumetric laxatives are rich in cellulose or cellulose derivatives, which swell with water and form mucus clusters, causing the stool to swell and soften. On the one hand, the swollen stool will promote intestinal peristalsis, and on the other hand, the softened stool will be easier to pass.
It is better to take volumetric laxatives on an empty stomach, and it is important to drink more water while taking them. Because the function of volumetric laxatives is to absorb water from the intestine, making the stool larger and softer. If you do not drink enough water, the stool will not absorb enough water, and the stool will still be hard and difficult to pass.
If volumetric laxatives are taken in excess, they can cause bloating or mild nausea, which can be relieved by adjusting the dosage, and can also be used in combination with probiotics to relieve the discomfort brought about by volumetric laxatives.
Fourth, moderate constipation: osmotic laxatives
Constipation for several years, life conditioning also did not help, eat a lot of vegetables and fruits are not good, you can use osmotic laxative, common polyethylene glycol, lactulose and salt laxatives (magnesium sulfate). After entering the colon, osmotic laxatives make the water in the intestine less likely to be absorbed by the intestinal wall, thus retaining intestinal water, lubricating the intestine, softening the stool, stimulating intestinal peristalsis, and promoting bowel movements.
This kind of laxative is better to eat on an empty stomach, also pay attention to hydration, in order to give full play to the effectiveness of the drug. Generally, osmotic laxatives are effective in 2~3 days, and some patients can defecate even after 2 hours if they take a large amount, so the effectiveness time varies from person to person and from drug to drug.
Osmotic laxatives can produce diarrhea when taken in large amounts, and can cause electrolyte disorders, and should be taken with caution by the elderly and those with reduced kidney function. After taking lactulose, if there is no obvious feeling of bloating, you can continue to take the drug and the bloating feeling will be relieved slowly; if you take too much and have obvious bloating feeling, you can reduce the dose a little and it will be relieved after 3~5 days usually.
For this kind of osmotic laxative, young people can take it for a period of time and stop taking it when their constipation gets better, so they don’t need to take it for life. However, for senior patients with severe constipation (colonic constipation), if the body can not withstand surgery, or other treatments do not work, you need to take the medication intermittently for life.
V. Severe constipation: combination of multiple drugs
If you have been constipated for many years, have a weak constitution, have a bowel movement only once in 10 days or so, and have difficulty in defecating, and eat lactulose, it may be due to the reduced tension of the colon and the relaxation of intestinal smooth muscle, which simply means that the colon is not powerful enough to push the food residue in the colon, thus causing constipation.
In addition to osmotic laxatives, these patients can also use intestinal motility drugs to help bowel movement. Like the common medicine to promote bowel movement, Prilucapride can be taken before and after meals, and the effect is usually seen in 1 to 3 days with the medicine. The most common side effects of this drug are nausea, vomiting, and even headache, but they are generally mild and do not require discontinuation. If severe diarrhea occurs, the dosage can be reduced, for example, the original take one tablet can be reduced to half a tablet.
We would like to remind you that the above recommended medications should not be purchased and taken on your own, and that you should take the medications according to the guidelines of your clinical doctor.