Bulk Forming Laxatives and Their Potential for Side Effects

To understand bulk-forming laxatives and side effects, I'd like to explain what a bulk-forming laxative is.

Bulk-forming laxatives are those laxative aids that add bulk to stool. These laxative types will travel through your body, and will not be digested like your regular food is. Fibers in bulk forming laxatives are the stimulator for the movement of stools to pass.

Now when you take any fiber that is bulk-forming, you must drink LOTS of water in order for this laxative type to have the most effectiveness. You need to also realize that insoluble fibers and soluble fibers are what really makes the stools form. You need fiber laxatives therefore, that contain both soluble and insoluble fibers.

Calcium Polycarbophil is one example of a bulk fiber laxative. Results usually occur within ten to twelve hours of ingesting. You must drink plenty of water with this laxative. Side effects from not drinking enough fluids with this laxative is that it can cause an intestinal blockage which can be very serious. It can also block the esophagus, especially in the elderly folks. Other side effects can be the retaining of extra water and also hypertension. This is especially true in pregnancy. Sometimes these bulk forming laxatives can even cause trouble swallowing foods, skin rashes along with itching a lot.

As far as drug interactions with Calcium Polycarbophil, it is not good to use them with any of the tetracycline antibiotics. The laxative can also interfere with diuretics.

Another bulk-forming laxative is known as Fructan. This bulk-forming laxative is a bit different than the others since it contains carbohydrate, and does not provide bulk to stools. This laxative Fructan contains only soluble fiber. Since it is a soluble fiber, it forms a gel type of a substance in the colon. The gel will build fecal matter in the colon, and form what is known as fatty acids. You can also get Fructan naturally in asparagus, bananas, onions, and leeks. The big side effect to this bulk-forming laxative is flatulence.

Malt Soup Extract is a bulk-forming laxative that takes up additional liquids in your intestines, then they will swell up to form stools. This laxative should not be used if you have trouble swallowing issues at all, have an intestinal blockage problem, or have an impaction of the stool going on. Also again, if you do not swallow a lot of water with this laxative, it could easily cause you to choke.

Psyllium is a bulk-forming fiber laxative, that like Malt Soup Extract, acts in the same way in absorbing the additional liquid from intestines, and then swelling up to make stool form. This laxative when taken with lots of fluid, has an effect within not more than four days. When taking Psyllium, be aware of the fact that it causes similar side effects of the others of trouble swallowing if not taken with sufficient liquids, water retention, and can cause an increase that is significant in blood pressure.
And this bulk-forming laxatives like the others, can also cause a lot of flatulence.

So, these bulk-forming laxatives then, need to be used with care and caution by everyone who is using them. Talk to your doctor about any other drugs you are taking and ask his or her advice on this if you need to. Doing this will avoid having other possibly related drug interactions with pills you are already taking.