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Constipation Blog

Related terms: Difficulty passing stool, Irregularity of bowels

Constipation May Help Explain Some Bedwetting

Posted 6 Feb 2012 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Feb. 6 – Constipation is often the cause of bedwetting in children, a small, new study suggests. Failure to diagnose constipation as the cause of bedwetting can lead parents and children on an unnecessarily long, costly and difficult effort to cure nighttime wetting, the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center researchers said. They found that 30 children and adolescents, aged 5 to 15, who sought treatment for bedwetting had large amounts of stool in their rectums, even though most of them had normal bowel habits. Laxative therapy cured 25 (83 percent) of the children of bedwetting within three months. The study appeared recently online in the journal Urology. "Having too much stool in the rectum reduces bladder capacity," study author Dr. Steve Hodges, an assistant professor of urology, explained in a Wake Forest news release. "Our study showed that a large percentage of these ... Read more

Related support groups: Constipation, Primary Nocturnal Enuresis

Fiber Beats Other Remedies for Constipated Kids, Study Says

Posted 27 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Sept. 27 – Many children in western countries suffer from chronic constipation, and when the going gets slow, fiber seems to beat all other non-drug remedies, new research from the Netherlands suggests. A review of nine studies with 640 children up to age 18 with functional constipation, which has no known physical cause, found that fiber supplements were somewhat better than placebos at reducing kids' abdominal pain and improving frequency and consistency of stools. Other common non-drug treatments – including prebiotics and probiotics, which help restore the digestive tract's balance of "good bacteria," increased water intake or behavioral therapy – were deemed to be of little use, a finding that puzzles some doctors. "Treatments we typically use were not, in fact, proven by these studies to be effective. I find that very difficult to believe and put into practice," said ... Read more

Related support groups: Constipation, Constipation -- Chronic, Constipation -- Acute, Dietary Fiber Supplementation

Experimental Drug May Help Ease Chronic Constipation

Posted 10 Aug 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 10 – An experimental drug called linaclotide can help reduce the symptoms of chronic constipation, according to new research funded by the drug maker. In two randomized 12-week trials, about 21 percent of participants taking the drug had at least three spontaneous bowel movements a week, compared to no more than 6 percent of those taking placebo, the study results showed. "People who received the drug had improvement in symptoms, and the treatment was generally well-tolerated," said the study's lead author, Dr. Anthony J. Lembo, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the GI Motility Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. The study, which was funded by Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, was published in the Aug. 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Between 12 percent and 19 percent of Americans have experienced ... Read more

Related support groups: Constipation, Constipation -- Chronic

Chronic Constipation Appears to Be Increasing Among Kids

Posted 1 Nov 2010 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Oct. 29 – An increasing number of American children require treatment for serious and chronic bouts of constipation, according to experts. Lack of physical activity, low-fiber diets and insufficient consumption of water may be contributing to the problem, they suggest. Gastroenterologists at Johns Hopkins Children's Center reported seeing a 30 percent rise in the number of such cases between 2008 and 2009. The center has opened a new clinic to provide medical and behavioral therapy for children with the condition. It's not clear whether the increase in children requiring treatment is due to an actual rise in the number of severe cases of constipation or whether it's the result of delayed diagnosis, insufficient treatment, and referral at more advanced stages, said Dr. Maria Oliva-Hemker, director of pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition at Hopkins Children's. Constipation is ... Read more

Related support groups: Constipation, Constipation -- Chronic

Japanese Herbals May Ease Gastro Woes

Posted 30 Mar 2009 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, March 30 – Japanese herbal medicines may help people with gastrointestinal disorders – such as constipation and indigestion – that don't respond to conventional treatments, a new study suggests. Many drugs used for these gastrointestinal "motility disorders" don't work or cause unwanted side effects, the researchers noted. "Japanese herbal medicines have been used in East Asia for thousands of years. Our review of the world medical literature reveals that herbal medicines serve a valuable role in the management of patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders," lead researcher Hidekazu Suzuki, an associate professor at the Keio University School of Medicine, said in a news release. The researchers analyzed data from studies that examined several different Japanese herbal medicines, including Rikkunshi-to and Dai-Kenchu-to. The results showed that Rikkunshi-to, which is ... Read more

Related support groups: Constipation, Indigestion, Constipation -- Chronic, Constipation -- Acute

What You Need to Know When Your Stomach Aches

Posted 28 Mar 2009 by Drugs.com

SATURDAY, March 28 – If your tummy feels funny, it could be a one-time bellyache, but it also could be a sign of something more serious. Dr. C. Richard Boland, chief of gastroenterology at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, says that everyone should know five things about serious digestive disorders: Symptoms: Alert your doctor if you have persistent symptoms, such as abdominal pain or discomfort, nausea, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn or blood in the stools. Diagnosis: Because many digestive disorders are not detectable with blood or imaging tests, they can be difficult to diagnosis. Irritable bowel syndrome, for instance, is usually diagnosed by first ruling out all other disorders. Talking to your doctor: Symptoms and your health history play a major role in diagnosing digestive disorders, so be frank with your doctor. Recording your eating habits and symptoms ... Read more

Related support groups: Nausea/Vomiting, Constipation, Diarrhea, Indigestion, Constipation -- Chronic, Constipation -- Acute, Diarrhea, Chronic, Diarrhea, Acute

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Constipation -- Chronic, Constipation -- Acute, Constipation -- Drug Induced, Gastrointestinal Disorders

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