Can colace be taken daily: By the way, doctor: Is it okay to take a stool softener long-term?
Mayo Clinic Q and A: Dealing with chronic constipation
By
Liza Torborg
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Is it safe to take a stool softener daily to prevent constipation? What are the side effects of doing so long-term?
ANSWER: There currently isn’t any research that has examined the specific long-term side effects of taking a stool softener every day. While the risks associated with taking this kind of over-the-counter medication daily are not likely to be significant, it would be a good idea to talk with your health care provider about your symptoms. Although uncommon, an underlying health condition could be part of the problem.
Constipation typically is defined as having fewer than three bowel movements a week or other symptoms (e.g., hard stools, excessive straining, or a sense of incomplete evacuation after defecation). Chronic constipation refers to these symptoms when they last for several weeks or longer.
Constipation is a common problem,
and there are many types of laxatives available to help treat it. Stool
softeners, also called emollients, work by drawing fluids into stools, which is
supposed to make them softer. This may make it easier to have a bowel movement
without straining.
Over-the-counter stool softeners are
effective for some people. However, in controlled clinical trials, there is no
evidence that they improve symptoms. While they only are intended for
short-term relief of constipation, using a daily stool softener long-term
probably is not harmful. But there are other ways to help relieve constipation
that often are successful.
Your diet often is one of the main
drivers behind constipation. For many people, dietary changes can be an
effective way to relieve constipation. One example is adding fiber to your diet,
which may increase the weight of your stool and speed its passage through your
intestines. Good sources of fiber include fresh fruits and green, leafy vegetables,
as well as whole-grain breads and cereals.
That said, do not add a significant
amount of fiber to your diet quickly. A sudden increase in the amount of fiber
you eat can cause bloating and gas, so start slowly.
When constipation is a problem,
limit foods that can make it worse. In particular, try to avoid foods such as pastries, puddings, sugar, candy, cake and
cheese.
Fluid intake can have an effect on
your bowel function, too. A good goal is to drink 8 ounces of fluid six to
eight times a day. Water is the best choice, but other liquids also can help
you get the fluid you need each day.
A lack of physical activity may contribute
to constipation. If you do not exercise regularly, consider adding some type of
physical activity to your daily routine. This can help relieve constipation.
Depending on your medical history and your symptoms, your health care provider may want to evaluate you for an underlying medical condition that could lead to chronic constipation. For example, a blockage in the colon or rectum or impaired relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles may result in constipation.
Nerve and muscle problems can affect the muscles in the colon and rectum, making it difficult for stool to move through the intestines. Conditions such as diabetes and thyroid disorders may change the balance of hormones in your body, and that can result in chronic constipation as well.
If you do not have a medical issue causing constipation, discuss with your health care provider the best way to manage your condition. Depending on your individual circumstances, a daily stool softener or another simple laxative may be an appropriate remedy. Changing your diet and making other lifestyle changes also are likely to have a positive effect. — Dr. Adil E. Bharucha, Gastroenterology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
****************************
Related Articles
- Mayo Clinic discovery is first step toward new bacteria-based constipation treatment published 6/13/18
- Mayo Clinic Q and A: What’s the best way to boost your fiber intake? published 5/15/18
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Constipation concerns and women published 5/16/17
- Women’s Wellness: Why can’t I poop? published 2/8/17
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Colace Oral: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Pictures, Warnings & Dosing
Uses
This medication is used to treat occasional constipation. Some medications and conditions can make constipation more likely. Stool softeners such as docusate are often the first method used for preventing and treating this type of constipation. Docusate is often used when straining to have a bowel movement should be avoided (such as after a heart attack or surgery).Docusate is a stool softener. It works by increasing the amount of water the stool absorbs in the gut, making the stool softer and easier to pass. Relief is usually seen in 1 to 3 days with this medication.
Check the ingredients on the label even if you have used the product before. The manufacturer may have changed the ingredients. Also, products with similar names may contain different ingredients meant for different purposes. Taking the wrong product could harm you.
How to use Colace
If you are taking the over-the-counter product to self-treat, read and follow all directions on the product package before taking this medication. If you have any questions, consult your pharmacist. If your doctor has prescribed this medication, take it as directed.
Take this medication by mouth, usually at bedtime with a full glass (8 ounces or 240 milliliters) of water or juice, or as directed by your doctor. The dosage is based on your medical condition, age, and response to treatment.
If you are using the liquid form of this medication, measure the dose carefully using a special measuring device/spoon. Do not use a household spoon because you may not get the correct dose. If you are using the drops, measure the medication with the dropper provided, or use a dose-measuring spoon or device to make sure you have the correct dose.
Mix the syrup, liquid or drops in 4 to 8 ounces of fruit juice, milk or infant formula to prevent throat irritation and mask a bitter taste.
Use this medication only when needed. Do not use this product for more than 1 week unless directed by your doctor.
Do not increase your dose or take this drug more often or for longer than directed. Your condition will not improve any faster, and your risk of side effects will increase.
If your condition lasts or gets worse, or if you think you may have a serious medical problem, get medical help right away.
Side Effects
Stomach pain, diarrhea, or cramping may occur. Irritated throat (with liquid or syrup forms) may also occur. If any of these effects last or get worse, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.
If your doctor has directed you to use this medication, remember that your doctor has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.
Tell your doctor right away if you have any serious side effects, including: rectal bleeding.
A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, get medical help right away if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.
This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
In the US – Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or at www.fda.gov/medwatch.
In Canada – Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.
Precautions
Before taking docusate, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems.
Talk to your pharmacist for more details.
If you have any of the following health problems, consult your doctor or pharmacist before using this medication: severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, sudden change in bowel habits over the previous 2 weeks.
Before having surgery, tell your doctor or dentist about all the products you use (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbal products).
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant before using this medication.
It is unknown if this medication passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.
Interactions
Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects. This document does not contain all possible drug interactions. Keep a list of all the products you use (including prescription/nonprescription drugs and herbal products) and share it with your doctor and pharmacist. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicines without your doctor’s approval.
A product that may interact with this drug is: mineral oil.
Does Colace interact with other drugs you are taking?
Enter your medication into the WebMD interaction checker
Overdose
If someone has overdosed and has serious symptoms such as passing out or trouble breathing, call 911. Otherwise, call a poison control center right away. US residents can call their local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. Canada residents can call a provincial poison control center.
Do not share this medication with others.
Keep all medical and lab appointments.
To prevent constipation, eat dietary fiber, drink enough water, and exercise. Use this medication for temporary relief of constipation only. To prevent becoming dependent on laxatives, do not take this medication for a long period of time.
If you miss a dose, use it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose. Use your next dose at the regular time.
Do not double the dose to catch up.
Store at room temperature away from light and moisture. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medications away from children and pets.
Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company.
Images
Colace 100 mg capsule
Color: red,whiteShape: ovalImprint: RPC 053
This medicine is a red white, oval, capsule imprinted with “RPC 053”.
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This survey is being conducted by the WebMD marketing sciences department.
Selected from data included with permission and copyrighted by First Databank, Inc. This copyrighted material has been downloaded from a licensed data provider and is not for distribution, except as may be authorized by the applicable terms of use.
CONDITIONS OF USE: The information in this database is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of healthcare professionals. The information is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions or adverse effects, nor should it be construed to indicate that use of a particular drug is safe, appropriate or effective for you or anyone else. A healthcare professional should be consulted before taking any drug, changing any diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment.
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A glass of vodka – how is it in Russian.
..
Photo: Evgenia Abzhueva / City portals
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Who among us in chilly weather or in a difficult situation was not advised to drink a glass of vodka: they say, you will warm up immediately, let go a little. Yes, and under the appetite during a magnificent lunch or dinner. Remember how beautifully all this is presented in Bulgakov’s Heart of a Dog:
– Dr. Bormental, I beg you, leave the caviar alone! And if you want to listen to good advice, pour not English, but ordinary Russian vodka.
For many, it is quite like a guide to action: if a professor of medicine does not deny himself the pleasure, why mere mortals abstain. Moreover, Preobrazhensky says that vodka must certainly be only 40 degrees and not lower.
In fact, it is unlikely that doctors will advise you to roll the treasured hundred grams every day during lunch to satisfy your appetite, not to mention more substantial doses.
“Doctor Peter” asked the vascular surgeon Alexei Svetlikov about this.
Aleksey Svetlikov — Chief Vascular Surgeon of the FGBU SZONKTs im. L.G. Sokolov FMBA of Russia.
“If alcohol enters the body every day, it can harm the bacteria in the stomach that are responsible for normal digestion,” explains vascular surgeon Alexei Svetlikov. – Having a high acidity index, alcoholic beverages can damage the walls of the stomach and intestines.
Many people think that a small amount of vodka is good for you. It is even believed that a glass or a glass of vodka improves appetite and normalizes sleep, the doctor says.
“But in fact, all alcoholic drinks have a detrimental effect on health, no matter how much they are consumed,” the doctor warns. — Alcohol affects almost all organs at once. The liver, stomach, heart and brain are especially affected.
— Of course, vodka has benefits, but only when it is used for other purposes, explains Alexey Svetlikov.
– So, this drink is considered an excellent external antibacterial and antifungal agent, which can treat wounds and insect bites. Wipe furniture and things with vodka to get rid of bacteria and odors. You can add a small amount of vodka to dishes, for example, in the ear. But this is more for taste, and not for good. In all other cases, vodka is very detrimental to health.
– It is worth remembering that women are allowed to consume no more than 30 grams of spirits per day, and men – no more than 50. That is, drunk 100 grams already exceed the allowed limit. With the daily use of vodka, the mental state of a person is disturbed, as there is a detrimental effect on the nervous system. There are malfunctions in the vestibular apparatus, serious memory problems begin.
- Pancreatitis;
- cancer;
- alcoholic hepatitis;
- cirrhosis of the liver;
- hypertension;
- ischemic heart disease;
- atherosclerosis and others.
Even 100 grams of alcohol is enough to increase blood pressure for several days at once, and significantly change the work of the cardiovascular system.
— I advise everyone to watch the film “One more time” — it shows the fate of people who drink alcohol every day, especially in large quantities, very concretely, — sums up the doctor Alexei Svetlikov.
Previously, “Dr. Peter” told what kind of alcohol raises cholesterol the most.
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Proper drinking regimen is an important condition for the normal functioning of the human body.
Water is the main element that makes up the biological system of the structure of cells, vessels, organs, tissues of the body. The body of a newborn baby contains 90 percent water. The life cycle takes place in the active processes of metabolism, thermoregulation, digestion, hematopoiesis and the removal of excess substances from the body. In old age, the human body “dries out”, loses water, and the percentage of fluid content is no more than 60.
But in ordinary life, people practically do not think about how much water to drink per day, and do not control the amount of fluid consumed. The exception is those who follow medical recommendations, or independently organize a healthy lifestyle for themselves. Most people drink when they feel thirsty. The desire to drink arises already with the loss of 1 percent of water in the body. Thirst increases in hot weather, with intense physical exertion, after taking spicy and salty foods.
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How much water to drink per day to feel good
The amount of water consumed per day depends on a person’s weight, health status, lifestyle and other circumstances.
Lack or excess of water in the body leads to disruption of metabolic processes and serious health problems. In case of violation, not only physical health suffers, but also the mental state. 75 percent of the human brain is fluid, so migraines, occipital and parietal pains, and ailments occur due to dehydration. A person has scattered attention, impaired auditory and visual perception, convulsions and other pathological conditions.
The drinking regimen affects the condition of the skin, nails and hair, the consistency of the blood, and the mobility of the joints.
Lack of water leads to high blood pressure due to thickening of the blood. Maintaining water balance is especially important for people suffering from hypertension. Allergy sufferers also need to carefully observe the drinking regimen. With dehydration, allergic reactions are activated due to an excess of histamine. Attending physicians, along with medication prescriptions, give such patients recommendations on how many glasses of water to drink per day.
Nutrition of body tissues also occurs due to internal water circulation. Together with the fluid, nutrients are supplied to the joints, tendons and cartilage. With insufficient supply of them, fragile tissues wear out, a person develops osteochondrosis, arthrosis and other articular and cartilaginous pathologies.
Another group of chronic patients needs constant monitoring of water consumption – diabetics. Sweet juices and drinks raise blood sugar levels and increase thirst, so it is advisable to replace them with plain water. Sometimes, according to how much a person drinks a day of water, preliminary diagnoses of serious diseases are made. Constant thirst and dry mouth are a symptom of gastrointestinal pathologies, impaired metabolism, and diseases of the endocrine system.
Dehydration is manifested by dark urine, drowsiness, lethargy, peeling of the epidermis, rapid heartbeat and other signs. Lack of water increases the risk of developing diseases arising from blood viscosity (thrombosis, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, heart attack, stroke).
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How much water can you drink per day
Drinking too much water is just as dangerous to health as not drinking enough. Within an hour, healthy human kidneys process no more than a liter of fluid. But some people have unhealthy habits of long “tea drinking” or constant emptying of bottles in hot weather. With an active metabolism and the natural removal of excess through the pores, the negative consequences do not manifest themselves clearly. A person simply does not pay attention to how much liquid he has poured into himself, and does not think about how many liters of water to drink per day is permissible without harm to health.
If the daily volume consumed exceeds 5 liters, there is a danger:
enhanced protein breakdown;
kidney overload;
profuse sweating;
slow digestion of food due to a violation of the concentration of gastric juice;
leaching of useful salts;
lack of calcium.
Hyperhydration is fraught with edema, water intoxication, exacerbation of cardiovascular diseases and other serious problems. An unhealthy kidney, liver, and gallbladder are good reasons to be careful with your fluid intake. The doctor should calculate the allowable volume for patients, based on the individual condition of the patient. This takes into account the volume of liquid, which does not include drinks (compotes, fruit drinks, juices, tea, cocoa, coffee), soups, watery fruits, but only pure water.
How much water to drink per day by weight
The allowable amount of fluid intake depends on many factors, including weight. An adult healthy person should drink water at the rate of 20-40 ml per 1 kg of weight. With a weight of 70 kg per day, you need to drink at least 1700-2000 ml of liquid. From this volume, the amount contained in liquid foods and drinks should be subtracted. The rest must be replenished with clean water, which is drunk between meals in small sips.
If a person weighs 60 kg, the daily intake should not be less than 2 liters on hot days, and under normal conditions it is not recommended to drink less than one and a half liters. With such consumption, the internal needs of the body will be replenished, the skin will not lose elasticity, hair and nails will receive water nutrition in full.
Do we drink correctly
To maintain health, it is important not only the quantity, but also the quality and culture of drinking. Try to follow certain rules:
Increase the amount of water you drink during intense and heavy loads. Sports training is associated with an active loss of fluid that needs to be replenished. Drink before your workout and after your workout at the gym.
Do not drink solid food with water. For the digestion of solid food, a certain concentration of hydrochloric acid is required in the stomach, which decreases when diluted with water. It is better to drink in between meals.
Control the water temperature. It is recommended to drink slightly warm water for good absorption and reduce the energy consumption of the body for absorption. The optimum temperature is 36 degrees.
Drink before meals. If you feel hungry, it is useful to drink table mineral water (250 ml). The rule is useful for those who want to lose weight. Water will occupy the internal volume of the stomach, eliminate the feeling of hunger, as a result of which less will be eaten later.
Drink in the morning on an empty stomach. A glass of drinking water on an empty stomach is the best way to replenish the lost night volume of fluid, normalize pressure and blood circulation.
If you care about your health and the health of loved ones, follow the correct drinking regimen and monitor the quality and purity of the water you drink. Use purification filters or buy bottled water from reliable and trusted manufacturers.