CONSTIPATION
Report #7263
The most common complaint of most older people is constipation (1,2). Several new drugs may help.
If you suffer from constipation, check with your doctor who will usually order thyroid tests and a barium enema to rule out obstruction. Most of the time, these tests will be normal and you suffer from a faulty diet. Eat whole grains and stop eating foods made from white flour. The pain of constipation is usually caused by gas stretching your colon where it has been blocked by hard stool. Food is turned into a soup in your stomach and remains that way until it reaches your colon, where water is absorbed and stool is formed. If you don't drink enough fluid or eat enough fiber, the stool rapidly turns into hard stones. Eating low-fiber foods, such as breads, rolls, pastries, bagels, pretzels, noodles and pasta causes hard stool, while eating fiber-rich foods, such a fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans, keep everything soft. If you drink lots of water and eat lots of fiber and are still constipated, you may have nerve damage and need to be checked for diabetes. Laxatives and fiber supplements offer little help (3), but the antibiotic, erythromycin (4), the gout medicine, colchicine (5) and the stomach medicine, prevacid can treat constipation.
By Gabe Mirkin, M.D., for CBS Radio News
1) Discomfort from gas: DM Owens er al. Arthritis and Rheumatism 1995(Jan);122:107. 2) HW Vaillant. Constipation happens. Journal of General Internal Medicine 12: 1 (JAN
1997):75. 3) SM Tramonte, MB Brand, CD Mulrow, MG Amato, ME Okeefe, G Ramirez. The treatment of
chronic constipation in adults: A systematic review. Journal of General Internal Medicine
12: 1 (JAN 1997):15-24. Both fiber and laxatives modestly improved bowel movement
frequency. 4) Erythromycin, a motilin receptor agonist has been shown to have prokinetic effects on
the upper gastrointestinal tract and gallbladder. SS Sharma, N Bhargava, SC Mathur. Effect
of oral erythromycin on colonic transit in patients with idiopathic constipation - A pilot
study. Digestive Diseases and Sciences 40: 11 (NOV 1995):2446-2449. 5) GN Verne, EY Eaker, RH Davis, CA Sninsky. Colchicine is an effective treatment for
patients with chronic constipation: An open-label trial. Digestive Diseases and Sciences
42: 9 (SEP 1997):1959-1963. colchicine 0.6 mg three times a day.
Checked 8/9/05; see report #211.
Health Reports from The Dr. Gabe Mirkin Show and DrMirkin.com