Laxative Therapy

Laxative therapy, using substances also called purgatives or aperients, loosens stool and increases bowel movements, and is used primarily to treat and prevent constipation. Laxatives act through several different mechanisms: bulk-forming agents add bulk to the stool; others draw additional water and fat into the bowel, coat feces with lubricating lipids, or create an osmotic gradient that stimulates bowel activity, with different formulations acting on the small intestine, the large intestine, or the colon specifically. Stimulant, lubricant and saline laxatives are also used to empty the colon before a rectal or bowel examination, sometimes supplemented with enemas, while bulk-forming laxatives are generally considered the gentlest and best suited to long-term maintenance of regular bowel movements.