Farm Comunitarios. 2022 Jan 11;14(1):49-56. doi: 10.33620/FC.2173-9218.(2022/Vol14).001.07

Progress of constipation in patients who make chronic use of stimulant laxatives when a fiber supplement is introduced

Benavent Núñez C1, López García JC2, González C3, Perulero T4, Izquierdo B5, Delgado R6
1. Doctor en Farmacia por la Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Farmacéutico adjunto en Oficina de farmacia Carmen Núñez Martín. 2. Especialista en Aparato Digestivo. Gastroenterología y Endoscopia Digestiva. 3. Farmacéutico adjunto en Oficina de farmacia Ángeles Nebot Rico. 4. armacéutica adjunta en Oficina de farmacia Susana Bereciartúa. 5. Farmacéutica titular de Oficina de farmacia Verdaguer. 6. Asesora Médica, Departamento Médico Laboratorios Casen Recordati.
Benavent C, López JC, González C, Perulero T, Izquierdo B, Delgado R. Progress of constipation in patients who make chronic use of stimulant laxatives when a fiber supplement is introduced. Farm Comunitarios. 2022 Jan 11;14(1):49-56. doi: 10.33620/FC.2173-9218.(2022/Vol14).001.07
Abstract : 

Objective: To determine the progress of constipation in patients who make chronic use of stimulant laxatives when a fiber supplement is introduced in their diet.

Design: Epidemiological, multicenter and prospective cohort study with a 10-week follow-up. Site: the study was conducted in 16 community pharmacies. Participants: 106 chronically constipated patients, self-medicated with stimulant laxatives, in whose diet fiber is introduced and who are kept under observation to record what happens when laxative is gradually withdrawn. Main medications: Frequency of bowel movements and consistency of stool. The laxatives required and gastrointestinal symptoms are quantified. 

Results: At base level, 94.2% of patients required laxatives, the average number of bowel movements/week was 4.2 (DE 2.4) and only 4.8% of patients had a normal consistency of stool (4 on the Bristol Stool Chart). From the first week of treatment with fiber, a significant reduction in the use of stimulant laxatives was reported (P<0.02). Of the patients who completed the study, less than half (41%) required a few doses of stimulant laxatives during the last week and 59% of patients managed to discontinue their use. 98.4% of patients evaluated the use of fiber as “sufficiently/very/extremely” easy.

Conclusions: In patients who suffer from constipation and make chronic use of stimulant laxatives, the gradual introduction of a fiber supplement maintains the patient’s frequency of evacuations and normal consistency of stool, reducing the need for use of stimulant laxatives, whose use should be occasional as opposed to chronic.

Article download link: 

Editor: © SEFAC. Sociedad Española de Farmacia Clínica, Familiar y Comunitaria. 
Copyright© SEFAC. Sociedad Española de Farmacia Clínica, Familiar y Comunitaria. This article is available from url https://www.farmaceuticoscomunitarios.org/. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Share

-

Manual for authors

Journal Information