Constipation Treatment

What are the best treatments for constipation?

Tablets

There are a range of tablets for the relief of constipation. If other methods haven’t helped, like eating more fibre, exercising and drinking more water, you can try one for gentle relief from symptoms. Some of the tablets for constipation include natural ingredients like fibre, senna fruit or probiotics, and others might include pharmaceuticals to help. They work in slightly different ways and you might not be sure which one is right for you, which is totally normal. Chat to our pharmacist who’s always happy to help with expert advice.

Sachets

If you struggle to take tablets or suppositories, there’s still a solution for the relief of constipation symptoms. A number of brands offer sachets containing laxative powder that you mix with water, as a drinkable solution (how easy is that?). These work just as well as constipation pills to ease symptoms. If you’re not sure which sachet is best for you, just ask our pharmacist. They’re on hand to help with expert advice.

Suppositories

If you have constipation, quick relief is sometimes what you need. Even though using suppositories may be a little uncomfortable (or you’re just a bit put off by the thought), they tend to work much faster than tablets or sachets. They can work in as little as 10 minutes, too. Before using suppositories, it’s a good idea to chat to a pharmacist to see if they’re the best immediate laxative solution for you. You can reach out to our pharmacist who’ll be able to help with advice and guidance.

Liquid oral solutions

If you’re looking for a convenient way to get relief for constipation symptoms, you might want to think about taking a liquid solution. Unlike powder sachets, you don’t need to mix them with water. There are a few brands to choose from, so have a look and see what’s right for you. Some offer the liquid solution in ready-to-take sachets and others are in bottles that you’ll need to quickly measure out before taking.

What are the best brands for constipation relief?

OptiBac

OptiBac offers a natural solution for the relief of constipation. It contains a probiotic called bifidobacteria lactis BB-12, which has been shown to keep your bowels moving naturally, without having a laxative-like effect. It also contains fibre, which is great for helping with constipation. OptiBac bifidobacteria and fibre comes in handy sachets with powder that you’ll mix into water. While you might not get instant relief, it does increases your fibre intake which helps your body to naturally relieve symptoms. It’s suitable for infants (1 year+), pregnant women, vegans and people with gluten intolerance.

Movicol

Movicol comes in easy-to-take sachets containing a flavoured powder or liquid laxative. Its active ingredient is macrogol, which helps waste travel through your bowels more easily. It also contains essential electrolytes that you might have lost while you’re constipated. Movicol usually takes a day or two to work and can be used by most people. But, if you’re taking other medicines or if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, you should chat to a pharmacist or doctor before taking this medication.

CosmoCol

CosmoCol is another laxative that comes in handy sachets of flavoured powder that you’ll mix with water. It contains macrogol, which provides relief of constipation. You should only use CosmoCol if it’s been recommended by your doctor or a pharmacist as it might interact with other medications you could be taking. You can get in touch with our pharmacist who’ll be able to let you know if this is the right solution for you.

Dulcolax

Dulcolax has a range of laxative medicines, including constipation tablets, suppositories and liquids. Each of them have been made to help you with the symptoms of constipation, and they even have solutions for children. They all contain an active ingredient called bisacodyl that helps your bowel to move so you can go to the toilet more easily. If you need fast, effective relief you could use the suppository, which can start working in as little as 15 minutes. The tablets usually take between 6 - 12 hours to start working, so you can take them before bed for relief when you wake up. As with any laxative, you should chat to your pharmacist or doctor first as they may interact with other medicines you’re taking or they might not be suitable for you. We have a pharmacist on hand to help with any questions you may have and to recommend the right solutions for you.

What helps constipation fast?

If you’re constipated, there are a few ways you could get relief. Before taking a laxative, you should try a natural remedy such as eating high fibre foods like apples or prunes, drinking water, add wheat bran, linseed or oats to your diet and even exercising. If none of these work, you might want to consider a gentle laxative. To choose the right one, chat to our pharmacist, who’ll help with the right advice.

What are the best immediate laxatives?

The laxatives that generally work the fastest are suppositories. We’ll be honest – they can be a little uncomfortable to insert, but they’re also worth it. They’ll start working between 10 and 30 minutes. Always chat to a pharmacist or your doctor before taking a suppository, as they may not be suitable for everyone.

How long is too long to be constipated?

Being constipated for any length of time isn’t ideal, but sometimes it can become really dangerous if you don’t get treatment. We recommend contacting your doctor if you’ve been constipated for more than 5 days.