The most common form of constipation is known as idiopathic or functional constipation. This means that the cause is unclear, therefore the disease can only be defined by the symptoms that it displays. Very often, the first line constipation remedies are preceded by high fiber therapy. However, in the cases that it doesn't work (which is the majority), patients will often turn toward laxatives.
The general consensus among physicians and researchers is that laxative constipation remedies is safe and well-tolerated. But given that some patients must take them over long periods of time, doubts have come up about both efficacy and long term, unintended consequences. A consequence of these doubts have been the appearance of what seems to be misconceptions concerning laxative usage.
There are three kinds of misconceptions about laxative usage. The first is the idea that long term use causes nerves in the gastrointestinal tract to be damaged. The second is the idea that long term use leads to higher chance of cancer. The third is that the gut starts to become "immune" to laxatives and perhaps suffer "rebound" effects that worsen constipation.
On the topic of the first misconception, reports about nerve damage came up first in a survey of patients who were using laxative constipation treatments. Colonoscopy showed discoloration in their intestinal lining, and some were diagnosed with damage to the nerves. But the correlative link was never made definitive. Many criticized the findings by pointing out in general patients with constipation had more chance of nerve damage, regardless of laxative use or not.
On the topic of the second, people reported a connection from laxatives to cancer by looking at animal experimentation. Rodents which were given very high doses of laxatives showed more DNA damage and thus propensity toward cancer. Yet the studies used extremely high concentrations of drugs that are never seen in humans. Likewise, studies with such high concentrations of aspartame and artificial sweeteners show a link between consumption and cancer that are rarely realized in epidemiological surveys.
On the topic of the third, informal reports from patients who said they were seeing diminished effectiveness from medication initiated the idea of laxative intolerance. The counterpoint to this is that controlled studies in both animals and quadraplegic patients who used laxatives for as long as 34 years did not suffer from intolerance effects.
Laxatives seem to be a helpful part of the treatment regimen to combat constipation. The reports of these three kinds of side effects needs to evaluated against case studies which show the opposite: that long term side-effects are not a given.
The general consensus among physicians and researchers is that laxative constipation remedies is safe and well-tolerated. But given that some patients must take them over long periods of time, doubts have come up about both efficacy and long term, unintended consequences. A consequence of these doubts have been the appearance of what seems to be misconceptions concerning laxative usage.
There are three kinds of misconceptions about laxative usage. The first is the idea that long term use causes nerves in the gastrointestinal tract to be damaged. The second is the idea that long term use leads to higher chance of cancer. The third is that the gut starts to become "immune" to laxatives and perhaps suffer "rebound" effects that worsen constipation.
On the topic of the first misconception, reports about nerve damage came up first in a survey of patients who were using laxative constipation treatments. Colonoscopy showed discoloration in their intestinal lining, and some were diagnosed with damage to the nerves. But the correlative link was never made definitive. Many criticized the findings by pointing out in general patients with constipation had more chance of nerve damage, regardless of laxative use or not.
On the topic of the second, people reported a connection from laxatives to cancer by looking at animal experimentation. Rodents which were given very high doses of laxatives showed more DNA damage and thus propensity toward cancer. Yet the studies used extremely high concentrations of drugs that are never seen in humans. Likewise, studies with such high concentrations of aspartame and artificial sweeteners show a link between consumption and cancer that are rarely realized in epidemiological surveys.
On the topic of the third, informal reports from patients who said they were seeing diminished effectiveness from medication initiated the idea of laxative intolerance. The counterpoint to this is that controlled studies in both animals and quadraplegic patients who used laxatives for as long as 34 years did not suffer from intolerance effects.
Laxatives seem to be a helpful part of the treatment regimen to combat constipation. The reports of these three kinds of side effects needs to evaluated against case studies which show the opposite: that long term side-effects are not a given.
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