Key takeaways:
There are certain steps you can take on your own for constipation. These include adding more fiber to your diet, drinking plenty of water, and getting regular exercise.
If that doesn’t work, there are several over-the-counter laxatives and stool softeners you can take for constipation. In some cases, prescription medications can help with medication-induced constipation.
Rectal enemas and suppositories work faster than oral laxatives (taken by mouth). Stimulant laxatives are a common first choice for oral medications.
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Stool can come in different shapes, colors, and textures depending on your diet and overall health. In general, your goal should be to have soft stools. But if you’ve ever had constipation or hard stools, you know that it can be an uncomfortable experience.
Fortunately, you have a few options when you get constipated. Simple steps like making changes to your diet, daily habits, or exercise routines can be a good place to start. If those don’t work to resolve your constipation, over-the-counter (OTC) medications are often the next step.
Let’s take a look at your options.
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What to take for constipation
There are many types of OTC laxatives and stool softeners. Some are taken by mouth (as pills or powders), while others are placed in your rectum (as suppositories or enemas). These medications can work in different ways to help get things moving again.
1. Stimulant laxatives
Stimulant laxatives work by stimulating the muscles of your large intestines. These muscles move stool more quickly through your intestines and into your rectum for evacuation. Stimulant laxatives also lessen the amount of water your body absorbs from your intestines, which helps keep your stool softer.
Examples of stimulant laxatives include:
Senna (Senokot, Ex-Lax), which comes as a tablet or liquid
Bisacodyl (Dulcolax), which comes as a pill or suppository
2. Osmotic laxatives
Osmotic laxatives work by bringing more fluid into your intestines to ease constipation. They’re available as liquids, suppositories, or powders that you mix into a beverage.
Examples of osmotic laxatives include:
Polyethylene glycol or PEG (Miralax, Glycolax)
Magnesium citrate (Citroma)
Magnesium hydroxide (Milk of Magnesia)
Sorbitol
Saline enema (Fleet enema)
What you eat matters. Some foods can relieve (and prevent) constipation. Here are our top food picks for constipation relief.
Drinks can make a difference, too. Learn about which drinks can help if you’re constipated — and which ones to avoid.
When is constipation an emergency? Know the warning signs that mean you should get medical attention for your constipation.
Glycerin suppositories work the fastest. Certain oral laxatives like PEG can take a few days. But if you’re concerned about side effects, PEG works well and causes fewer feelings of urgency and cramping than other types. If you have kidney problems, check with your healthcare professional before using an osmotic laxative.
3. Emollient laxatives or stool softeners
Emollient laxatives (stool softeners) help make stool softer and easier to pass by allowing water and fat to build up in it. The most common emollient laxative is docusate sodium (Colace, DocQLace).
Emollient laxatives aren’t the best choice for medication-induced constipation. While they cause fewer side effects, they’re less effective than stimulant or osmotic laxatives. If you have a new opioid prescription, your prescriber may recommend taking one of these laxatives along with another type. This is to help prevent constipation from starting in the first place. In fact, you can find senna and docusate together in one pill as Senna-S or Dok Plus.
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4. Bulk-forming laxatives
Bulk-forming laxatives add soluble fiber to your stool. This helps your stool hold more water, making it bulkier and easier for your colon to push out.
Examples of OTC bulk-forming products include:
Calcium polycarbophil (FiberCon)
Psyllium (Metamucil)
Methylcellulose (Citrucel)
Be sure to drink a lot of water while taking bulk-forming laxatives. Not getting enough water can lead to complications with these medications, like a blockage in your intestines. Healthcare professionals usually recommend starting with a small dose and slowly increasing it until you have regular bowel movements.
5. Lubricant laxatives
Mineral oil is the only OTC lubricant laxative. It’s available as a generic oral liquid or as a rectal enema (Fleet Mineral Oil Enema).
Mineral oil makes the surface of stools slippery, which helps them pass through your body more easily. It can be used rectally for constipation caused by impaction (a hard lump of stool that gets stuck in your rectum). But it shouldn’t be used regularly.
Which laxative works the fastest?
Now that you know your options, let’s talk about how to get things moving quickly. What can make you poop instantly?
In general, suppositories and enemas work the fastest. They can give you relief in less than an hour.
But what about medications taken by mouth? The fastest-working oral laxatives include:
Mineral oil
Stimulant laxatives
Certain osmotic laxatives, like magnesium hydroxide and magnesium citrate
Other laxatives take longer — usually 12 hours to 3 days — to work. These include:
Bulk-forming laxatives (fiber products)
Stool softeners
Polyethylene glycol (Miralax)
Here’s a brief comparison of some of the popular medications.
Senokot vs. Dulcolax
Senokot and Dulcolax are both stimulant laxatives. And they both work within 6 to 12 hours when taken orally.
Dulcolax suppositories work faster — usually within 15 to 60 minutes.
Dulcolax can cause cramping, stomach pain, or diarrhea. These side effects can also happen with Senokot, but it may be better tolerated.
Dulcolax vs. Miralax
Compared to Dulcolax, Miralax usually takes longer to work.
As mentioned above, Dulcolax can start working within 15 minutes to 12 hours, depending on how you take it. But it also causes some unpleasant side effects.
Miralax, an osmotic laxative, typically takes 1 to 3 days to work. It’s only available as a powder that you mix into a beverage. While it’s slower, it tends to cause fewer side effects than other laxatives.
Colace vs. Miralax
Colace is a stool softener. It doesn’t actually stimulate you to have a bowel movement. But it can help alleviate straining that comes along with constipation.
Compared to Colace, Miralax may be a preferred choice. That’s because it softens stool and increases water content to encourage bowel movements.
What prescription laxatives work for constipation?
What happens if OTC laxatives aren’t doing the trick? In this case, your healthcare professional may recommend a prescription medication. There are a few different options, especially for constipation caused by opioids.
Prescription options for chronic constipation
There are some prescription laxatives your prescriber may try for chronic constipation if OTC laxatives aren’t working. These include:
Prucalopride (Motegrity)
Linaclotide (Linzess)
Plecanatide (Trulance)
With the exception of lactulose, these medications are only available as brand-name products. But manufacturer copay savings cards can help make your prescription more affordable.
Prescription laxatives for opioid-induced constipation
For opioid-induced constipation, there are specific prescription medications that block opioid effects in your gut. They work by targeting the cause of the problem. Options include:
Naldemedine (Symproic)
Naloxegol (Movantik)
Methylnaltrexone (Relistor)
Lubiprostone (Amitiza)
With the exception of lubiprostone, these medications are only available as brand-name products. But if you have commercial insurance, you may be able to pay as little as $0 with a copay savings card from the manufacturer. Patient assistance programs may also be available.
How to take laxatives
Each type of laxative works differently, so always follow the instructions on the label. As mentioned above, some laxatives should be taken with a lot of water. Enemas can also be tricky to use, especially the first time. When in doubt, reach out to your primary care team or pharmacist for help.
Typically, it’s best to start slowly. Try one laxative, and then adjust the dose or add an additional medication over time until you get relief. If you don’t feel better, see your healthcare professional for more guidance.
Other tips for treating constipation
Prevention is usually better than treatment when it comes to constipation. Here are some simple lifestyle changes that can prevent, reduce, or even resolve constipation:
Drink enough water every day to help keep your stool soft. This allows for easier movement of your stool through your colon.
Eat a high-fiber diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Consider supplementing with fiber if you don’t get enough.
Simulate digestion with regular exercise. Moving your body helps keep your bowels active.
Empty your bowels when you have the urge. Holding it in can make it harder to go later on.
Use a footstool (or a Squatty Potty) to raise your feet while using the toilet. This will improve your toileting mechanics for an easier bowel movement.
Be consistent with the timing of your bowel movements. Your bowels work best when you have a consistent routine.
Frequently asked questions
There are two main ways that medications cause you to be constipated. One way is by slowing the movement of stool through your colon (large intestine). The other way is by causing your body to absorb more water from your colon. Both of these effects make your stool harder, drier, and slower to pass.
There are common classes of medication that can cause constipation. These include opioid pain medications, such as hydrocodone or oxycodone. Anticholinergic medications, like antihistamines or incontinence medications, can also slow your bowels. And GLP-1 medications, like Ozempic and Mounjaro, may cause constipation as a side effect.
Experts recommend that a fiber-rich diet is important for overall health. But fiber supplements and laxatives — like Metamucil and psyllium — don’t work well for medication-related constipation. These bulk-forming laxatives don’t stimulate your bowels. Instead, they add bulk to your stool without helping it move, which can make medication-induced constipation worse.
You can take stool softeners (like docusate sodium) daily, but only for a short period of time. They’re sometimes recommended while taking pain medicine after surgery, for example. But you shouldn’t take them daily for longer than 1 week.
It’s OK to take bulk-forming laxatives (with lots of water) every day. You can take Miralax daily for up to 1 week. Some people can take it longer (for several months) under supervision of a healthcare professional.
Many people think that stool softeners and laxatives are different medications. But stool softeners are actually a type of laxative. Laxatives are categorized based on how they work, as described above.
There are two main ways that medications cause you to be constipated. One way is by slowing the movement of stool through your colon (large intestine). The other way is by causing your body to absorb more water from your colon. Both of these effects make your stool harder, drier, and slower to pass.
There are common classes of medication that can cause constipation. These include opioid pain medications, such as hydrocodone or oxycodone. Anticholinergic medications, like antihistamines or incontinence medications, can also slow your bowels. And GLP-1 medications, like Ozempic and Mounjaro, may cause constipation as a side effect.
Experts recommend that a fiber-rich diet is important for overall health. But fiber supplements and laxatives — like Metamucil and psyllium — don’t work well for medication-related constipation. These bulk-forming laxatives don’t stimulate your bowels. Instead, they add bulk to your stool without helping it move, which can make medication-induced constipation worse.
You can take stool softeners (like docusate sodium) daily, but only for a short period of time. They’re sometimes recommended while taking pain medicine after surgery, for example. But you shouldn’t take them daily for longer than 1 week.
It’s OK to take bulk-forming laxatives (with lots of water) every day. You can take Miralax daily for up to 1 week. Some people can take it longer (for several months) under supervision of a healthcare professional.
Many people think that stool softeners and laxatives are different medications. But stool softeners are actually a type of laxative. Laxatives are categorized based on how they work, as described above.
The bottom line
Treating constipation begins with adding fiber to your diet, drinking more water, and moving your body more. Starting with lifestyle changes can be simple and easy. But if those steps don’t work, OTC laxatives are the next step in treating constipation.
Stimulant laxatives are a common first option. Osmotic laxatives, like Miralax, can take a bit longer to work, but they typically have fewer side effects. Stool softeners (emollient laxatives) are also an option. But they may not work as well on their own. There are also some prescription options — especially if your constipation is caused by opioids. Talk to your prescriber to help you find the best laxative options for you.
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