Patients who take laxatives before colonoscopy but do not have a bowel movement may be due to factors such as untimely arrival, constipation, incorrect method of taking medication or insufficient water intake.
1. Time is not up: patients who need to undergo colonoscopy need to take medication to prepare the intestines, commonly used medications include mannitol, polyethylene glycol, etc. These medications usually take effect about 1-2 hours after taking the medication, and if the medication does not take effect, the patient may not have a bowel movement for a while.
2. The existence of constipation: the existence of constipation after taking the drug may also be due to defecation obstacles and not defecation. Generally, for patients who are constipated, it is necessary to start taking laxatives 3 days before the examination in order to achieve the desired effect of bowel cleansing.
3. The method of taking medication and insufficient water intake: different types of laxatives such as polyethylene glycol and mannitol are taken in different ways, and a large amount of water should be consumed when taking laxatives for intestinal preparation. Take polyethylene glycol electrolyte powder as an example, the general electrolyte powder of 68.56g should be taken with at least 1,000ml of water.
Bowel preparation should be carried out under the guidance of a physician, patients taking laxatives before colonoscopy but not defecation may also be caused by other reasons, it is recommended that the patient to the regular hospital gastroenterology and other related departments for consultation.