How To Use A Suppository For Constipation

How Can Getting Older Cause Constipation

About one-third of adults 60 years or older report suffering from constipation. Unfortunately, with age sometimes comes slower digestion. The bowel muscles in the digestive tract need a bit more time to move food and stool through the intestines. The resulting constipation is a commonly reported bowel symptom in the elderly and has a considerable impact on quality of life. It is important to understand how age can change your body and how to adapt to help yourself feel better.

Before Taking This Medicine

You should not use Fleet Fleet Glycerin Suppositories Adult Suppositories Adult if you are allergic to Fleet Glycerin Suppositories Adult.

To make sure Fleet Glycerin Suppositories Adult rectal is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

• ulcerative colitis, toxic megacolon or

• if you have used another laxative for longer than 1 week.

FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether Fleet Glycerin Suppositories Adult rectal will harm an unborn baby. Do not use this medicine without a doctor’s advice if you are pregnant.

It is not known whether glycerin rectal passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medicine without a doctor’s advice if you are breast-feeding a baby.

When using this medication in any child, use only the forms that are specially made for children. Certain brands of Fleet Glycerin Suppositories Adult rectal should not be used in children.

Do not use Fleet Glycerin Suppositories Adult rectal in a child younger than 2 years old without the advice of a doctor.

Is There Anything Else I Need To Know About This Medicine

• Glycerin suppositories are known as stimulant laxatives. They should only be used to provide rapid relief from temporary constipation. They should not be used to treat chronic constipation .
• Before giving glycerin suppositories, always increase the amount of high-fibre foods that your child eats and encourage them to drink plenty of water, or use an osmotic laxative. This is another type of laxative that works by softening the stools.
• You can help your childs constipation by giving them high-fibre foods such as fruit, vegetables, bran and high-fibre cereals. Also encourage them to drink plenty of water, which will help to soften the stools. Encourage your child to be active as this will also help their constipation. Your pharmacist, doctor or health visitor will be able to give you advice and support.
• If you think someone else may have used the glycerin suppositories by accident, particularly if they have other health problems, contact your doctor for advice, although they are unlikely to be harmed.

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How Should I Use This Medicine

This medicine is for rectal use only. Do not take by mouth. Wash your hands before and after use. Take off the foil wrapping. Wet the tip of the suppository with cold tap water to make it easier to use. Lie on your side and raise your knee to your chest. Using your finger push the suppository, with the pointed end first, into the rectum. Try and keep the suppository in your rectum for 15 to 20 minutes. If you feel it must come out at once, it was not inserted high enough and should be pushed higher. Do not use this medicine more often than directed by your doctor or health care professional.

Talk to your pediatrician regarding the use of this medicine in children. While this medicine may be used in children as young as 6 years for selected conditions, precautions do apply.

Overdosage: If you think you have taken too much of this medicine contact a poison control center or emergency room at once.

NOTE: This medicine is only for you. Do not share this medicine with others.

How Should I Give Glycerin Suppositories

Suppositories

• Wash your hands with soap and hot water.
• Your child should lie on their side or front with, if possible, their knees drawn up towards their chest.
• Hold one buttock gently to one side so that you can see the back passage.
• Unwrap the suppository and hold it with the rounded end close to the back passage.
• Use one finger to push the suppository gently into the back passage. It needs to go in by about 2 cm.
• Wash your hands again with soap and hot water.
• To help make insertion more comfortable you can put a small amount of lubricant on the rounded end of the suppository, or moisten it with a little water.
• Lower their legs to a comfortable position to help hold the suppository in place. Your child should stay lying on their side for about 15 minutes to allow the suppository to spread further inside the bowel and to make sure it doesnt come out.
• If your child feels that the suppository must come out immediately, it may not have been inserted far enough.

Suppositories are administered through the anus into the rectum. They must not be taken by mouth.

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How Far Do You Push A Suppository

Doctors usually insert the suppository about an inch into the rectum. Its easiest to insert the suppository when youre lying down on your side. Keep one leg slightly bent and bring the other leg up to your chest. Slowly push the suppositorys pointed end in first. Continue lying down for 15-30, so it doesnt come out and can take effect.

Suppositories For Constipation Cons

1. Brace Yourself for an Unpleasant Experience! Whether proper party conversation or not, the biggest con of suppositories by far may just be administration method. For many people, the rectum is a foreign, scary and unexplored place, and inserting something into this area can be downright unnerving. For the skeptical, it is important to remember that whether they talk about it or not, a lot of people use suppositories behind closed doors. And, the embarrassing method of application is likely quickly forgotten when sweet relief comes about rapidly. Oddly enough, this con can actually be a pro in combative and uncooperative children since these are easier to administer than making them take medicine by mouth. However, it is important to discuss any treatment methods for constipation that you are considering for your child with a healthcare provider beforehand to ensure safety.

As with most medicines, there are benefits and risks to using suppositories for constipation. Some of these make them superior to other treatment methods, and some worse, as explored in the aforementioned pros and cons. Regardless, that does not mean that they do not have their place among potent poop producers, and individuals will have to decide whether or not they are right for them based on their specific symptoms and needs.

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Problems You Might Have

Suppositories are usually safe. Yet there can be some problems when you take medicine this way:

• Some of the medicine might leak back out.
• Sometimes your body doesnât absorb the drug as well as if you took it by mouth.
• The medicine can irritate the spot where you put it in.

Ask your doctor before you use a suppository if you:

• Have had recent surgery on your rectum
• Are a man who’s had prostate surgery recently
• Are a woman whoâs had surgery or radiation treatment to your vaginal area

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Q Should A Suppository Be Inserted With The Blunt End Or The Pointed End First Or Does It Not Matter

The rectal mucosa has a rich blood and lymph supply that aids systemic absorption. Suppositories are medicated solid preparations primarily for insertion into the rectum. They may be used for both local and systemic effect.

This route of drug delivery is relatively painless and particularly useful for patients who are fasting or nil-by-mouth before or after surgery or who are unable to tolerate oral medication due to nausea and/or vomiting. It is also useful for children who have needle phobia and require medication.

Suppositories for local effect are useful in the management of chronic constipation, in bowel preparation prior to bowel investigations and for the treatment of itching and pain caused by haemorrhoids.

Suppositories are manufactured in a torpedo shape with a pointed end and a blunt end . The blunt end is often concave, forming a useful indentation for the fingertip to push against.

Historically suppositories were inserted pointed end first but the publication of one study changed nursing practice overnight. The authors suggested retention is more easily achieved if suppositories are inserted blunt end first because the squeezing action of the anal sphincter against the apex pushes them into the rectum.

Since the authors made no particular reference to clinical need, arguably the study can be interpreted to include suppositories for either a systemic or local action or both.

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How To Use Suppositories For Constipation

Before inserting the suppository, you need to thoroughly wash your hands with mild soap and water and dry them off. Remove the suppository from the wrapper and refrigerate it for a few minutes if it has become too soft to insert into the rectum. If just half the suppository is necessary, use a blade to cut the suppository in the middle, saving the other half for another use.

If you have a finger cot or disposable glove, put it on as you will be inserting part of your finger into the anus. Use a water-soluble lubricant and coat the suppository. Try not to use Vaseline because this will block the flow of medication from the suppository. If you don’t have a lubricant, use water to wet down the area around the anus. Lie down on your side with your lower leg straight and the upper leg bent. Insert the suppository into the rectum, making sure it gets past the anal sphincter and stays in. Hold your butt cheeks together for a minute so that the suppository is sucked up into the rectum. Stay on your side for about five minutes so you can guarantee that the suppository won’t slip out. Throw away the finger cot or disposable glove and wash your hands again.

Note:

You can also learn the usage of suppositories from the video below:

Suppositories For Constipation Overview

Suppository is a small glycerin-based tube that has medications imbedded into it. Suppositories can be divided into vaginal suppositories, rectal suppositories, and urethral suppositories. They have the capability of melting and releasing medications that act on the entire body or that act locally in the area where the suppository is inserted. Detailed information about various types of suppositories is list below:

• Vaginal suppositories. These can be used to deliver antibiotics to the vaginal area, to provide medications for female hygiene, as contraceptive agents, and to deliver medications that alter the environment of the vagina.
• Urethral suppositories. These are rarely used and often must be compounded by special compounding pharmacies.
• Rectal suppositories. These are primarily suppositories for constipation, although some suppositories can deliver acetaminophen, anti-emetics, and other types of medications. They are shaped like small bullets and are inserted into the anus. Most rectal suppositories are designed to dissolve at normal body temperatures, where the medication is released and absorbed into the rectal mucosa and the blood that supplies the rectum.

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What Is A Suppository

A suppository is a small package filled with medicine that is inserted into the rectum. It contains an over-the-counter medicine called bisacodyl or glycerin, known for its stimulant laxative properties.

Suppositories are mainly used for the following reasons:

• To relieve symptoms of constipation or impaction.
• To cleanse the rectum and lower intestines to prepare for an examination.
• To remove feces from the body to prevent contamination during surgery.

The active ingredients that are used in suppositories, bisacodyl and glycerin, are considered stimulant laxatives. The suppository is inserted into the rectum about an inch inside. It works by melting to release the medication.

The medication stimulates the nerves in the rectal and colon walls to contract, which is called peristalsis. It is the peristalsis action of the colon that relieves constipation by breaking up and moving any impacted feces through the intestines.

How Do I Store And/or Throw Out Glycerin Suppositories

• Store at room temperature.
• Keep lid tightly closed.
• Protect from heat.
• Keep all drugs in a safe place. Keep all drugs out of the reach of children and pets.
• Throw away unused or expired drugs. Do not flush down a toilet or pour down a drain unless you are told to do so. Check with your pharmacist if you have questions about the best way to throw out drugs. There may be drug take-back programs in your area.

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How Do I Prevent Constipation

There are several things you can do to help prevent constipation. Make sure your child eats a well-balanced diet with plenty of fiber. They also need to drink lots of fluids and get plenty of exercise. Most importantly, encourage them to use the bathroom when they need to. Let them play a little longer outside or give them a reward when they stop for a bathroom break. If potty training, make sure you have scheduled potty time.

Before Using Rectal Bisacodyl

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to bisacodyl, any other medications, or any of the ingredients in these products. Check the label or ask your pharmacist for a list of the ingredients.
• tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
• tell your doctor if you have stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, a sudden change in bowel movements lasting more than 2 weeks, anal fissures, or hemorrhoids.
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while using rectal bisacodyl, call your doctor.
• talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of using this medication if you are 65 years of age or older. Older adults should not usually use rectal bisacodyl because it is not as safe or effective as other medications that can be used to treat the same condition.

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How Effective Are The Suppositories For Constipation

Just how effective a suppository is depends on what kind of medication is in the suppository. Those that contain a bowel stimulant besides glycerin will work faster than a suppository that just contains glycerin. Some suppositories do not contain any type of stimulant but contain only a lubricant. A lubricant suppository will make it simpler to expel the stool but won’t work if the stool is extremely hard. Those suppositories that contain a stimulant and a lubricant work the best and will both stimulate the muscles of the colon to contract and will lubricate the stool being expelled. Ask your doctor what type of suppository you should be using before going out and buying one.

When you use a suppository for relief of constipation, you will likely get a more prompt response than if you choose to use a laxative you take by mouth. It takes about twelve hours or more for an oral laxative to take effect, but it takes a rectal suppository only about an hour to give you relief. If you try taking an oral laxative and it doesn’t work very well, you can add a rectal suppository for constipation.

There are some side effects to using suppositories for constipation. Some of these include cramping of the abdomen, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. In some cases, there can be rectal irritation from the suppository or nausea, depending on the medication imbedded in the suppository.

How Can We Re

Once the large intestine has been emptied, laxatives are administered regularly to produce soft bowel movements once or twice each day. Virtually any laxative preparation will be effective if it is given in high enough doses.

Most of the commonly used laxatives contain different elements but produce basically the same end results: the element is poorly or not absorbed by the intestinal tract, the element stays in the intestine keeping water with it, much more water stays in the stool, the stool stays very soft and moves through the intestine more quickly.

Can diet accomplish the same thing as these laxatives?

In high enough doses, many foods, especially fruits and juices, can be very effective laxatives. But it is often difficult to eat or drink enough of these foods day-in and day-out to be an effective long-term treatment. Many people are familiar with using prunes as laxatives. Much like fiber laxatives, prunes contain complex sugars that are not digested or absorbed in the intestine. As a result, the sugars remain in the intestine and keep water with them. As with fiber laxatives, high doses of prunes often produce bloating and gas.

Are laxatives safe?

While many parents and physicians are worried about using laxatives in children, most of their concerns are unfounded. Some common misconceptions include:

How long does treatment need to continue?

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How Do I Manage It

With diet

Fiber draws fluid into the bowels. This helps soften stools so they can pass more easily during a bowel movement.

• It may take up to 25 to 35 grams of fiber a day to help.
• Try to drink extra water to help the fiber do its job.
• Some high fiber foods also act as natural laxatives, such as prunes, prune juice, and dried apricots.
• Good sources of fiber include: Fruits, Vegetables and Whole Grains
• Add fiber to your diet slowly especially if you dont get much now. At first, your body may make more gas, but it can get better over time.

With lifestyle changes

To help the bowels work well:

• The body has a natural rhythm or schedule. The rhythm can be off if your routine changes. Sometimes it can help the bowels work more regularly if you keep a regular routine, including meals, sleeping and waking.
• When you have to go to the bathroom, listen to your body. Go when your body tells you it needs to. Try not to hold it for too long.
• Eat breakfast every day.

Many herbal laxatives contain stimulants such as cascara, aloe, and rhubarb.

With enemas

Common enemas:

• Whole wheat
• Wild rice

Please be mindful of your own dietary needs when choosing foods to try. These foods are examples and may not work for everyone.

Stomach massage

Massaging the stomach can help ease cramping, bloating, and constipation by helping to move stool along the colon.

Stool softeners

Caution: Stool softeners should not be used by people who have:

• Nausea, vomiting, or stomach pain
• Blockage in the intestines