Much of the press has carried this story in various forms. I thought taking you to the original might be helpful.
Do read carefully.
Stimulant laxatives (bisacodyl, senna and sennosides, sodium picosulfate) available over-the-counter: new measures to support safe use
We have introduced pack size restrictions, revised recommended ages for use, and new safety warnings for over-the-counter stimulant laxatives (orally and rectally administered) following a national safety review. Advise patients that dietary and lifestyle measures should be used first-line for relieving short-term occasional constipation and that stimulant laxatives should only be used if these measures and other laxatives are ineffective.
Apologies if TMI... As someone who has attended a specialist constipation service run by a gastroenterologist who researches and treats chronic constipation and nothing else, this fills me with both alarm and puzzlement.
My gastro told me categorically that the concerns many GPs have about 'tolerance' to OTC stimulant laxatives like bisacodyl, along with so-called laxative 'abuse' are completely unfounded.
The 'tolerance' is actually refractory constipation that will only respond to bowel stimuants or water enema.
The 'abuse' that GPs have long alleged is only ever very short-lived, for obviously messy reasons!
The patients at the clinic I attended for two or three years were almost entirely women, so they will be disproportionately affected by OTC restrictions.
The prescription-only bowel stimulants really are very unpleasant drugs, and I had cardiac arrhythmias with several of them. The OTC osmotics I found were quite hazardous, because they adversely affected my electrolyte balance.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
B12 Ferritin and Folate
