Alternative Medicine
The following information is specific for alternative and complementary medicine.
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Also indexed as:
Colace
Docusate, which is available without a prescription, is used to treat constipation and is in a class of laxatives known as stool softeners.
An asterisk (*) next to an item in the summary
indicates that the interaction is supported only by weak, fragmentary,
and/or contradictory scientific evidence.
A woman and her newborn infant experienced low blood levels of magnesium, which was possibly due to chronic use of docusate throughout and after pregnancy.1 Controlled research is necessary to determine whether people taking docusate for long periods of time need to supplement magnesium.
Taking docusate increases the amount of potassium excreted from the body in the stool.2 Whether people taking docusate for long periods of time need to increase their intake of potassium is unknown.
Schindler AM. Isolated neonatal hypomagnesaemia associated with maternal overuse of stool softener. Lancet 1984;2:822 [letter].
Moriarty KJ, Kelly MJ, Beetham R, Clark ML. Studies on the mechanism of action of dioctyl sodium sulphosuccinate in the human jejunum. Gut 1985;26:1008-13.
The information presented in Healthnotes is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires August 2007.
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