Management of chronic constipation in adults - UpToDate

Constipation is a common complaint that affects up to 15 percent of the population and may be due to a variety of causes. Initial management of chronic constipation includes dietary and lifestyle counseling, fiber supplementation, and laxative therapy. This topic will discuss the initial management of chronic constipation. The etiology and evaluation of chronic constipation, as well as the management of persistent, unresponsive constipation and opioid-related constipation, are discussed elsewhere: ● (See "Etiology and evaluation of chronic constipation in adults".) ● (See "Management of persistent unresponsive constipation in adults".) ● (See "Prevention and management of side effects in patients receiving opioids for chronic pain", section on 'Opioid bowel dysfunction'.) GENERAL APPROACH The initial management of chronic constipation includes dietary and lifestyle counseling for all patients (algorithm 1). Patients with mild constipation may improve with dietary and lifestyle modifica

Constipation is a common complaint that affects up to 15 percent of the population and may be due to a variety of causes. Initial management of chronic constipation includes dietary and lifestyle counseling, fiber supplementation, and laxative therapy. This topic will discuss the initial management of chronic constipation. The etiology and evaluation of chronic constipation, as well as the management of persistent, unresponsive constipation and opioid-related constipation, are discussed elsewhere: ● (See "Etiology and evaluation of chronic constipation in adults".) ● (See "Management of persis