Laxatives

Key points

• Laxatives are one of the most commonly prescribed medicines in clinical practice. It should of course be remembered that constipation may be secondary to other pathology but many patients will have simple idiopathic constipation.
• osmotic laxatives
• faecal softners Osmotic laxatives
• examples include lactulose, macrogols and rectal phosphates Stimulant laxatives
• examples include senna, docusate, bisacodyl and glycerol