What may increase your risk for a problem from constipation?
Many conditions, lifestyle choices, medicines, and diseases interfere with your ability to heal or fight infection. You may be at risk for a more serious problem from your symptoms if you have any of the following. Be sure to tell your health professional.
Conditions
- Age older than 60
- Conditions that decrease the ability to communicate, such as autism or Down syndrome
- Eating disorders, such as anorexia
- History of physical or sexual abuse
- Pregnancy
- Previous surgery on the colon, rectum, or anus
- Recent surgery
Lifestyle choices
- Alcohol abuse or withdrawal
- Drug abuse or withdrawal
- Lack of exercise
Medicines
- Antacids with aluminum
- Anticonvulsants
- Antidepressants
- Blood pressure medicines, especially clonidine or calcium channel blockers (for example, verapamil)
- Calcium supplements
- Chemotherapy medications
- Cold medicines (antihistamines)
- Corticosteroids, such as prednisone
- Diuretics, such as Lasix and hydrochlorothiazide
- Iron supplements
- Levodopa
- Lipid-lowering agents, such as cholestyramine
- Medicines for Parkinson's disease
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- Opiates, including pain medicines with codeine
- Psychotropics
- Radiation therapy
Diseases
- Arthritis of the hips or spine
- Cancer, especially colon or rectal cancer
- Collagen-vascular diseases, such as scleroderma, amyloidosis, or dermatomyositis
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Hirschsprung's disease
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
- Hypercalcemia
- Hyperparathyroidism
- Hypothyroidism
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Kidney disease
- Nerve damage or nerve loss, such as from a stroke, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, or multiple sclerosis
- Prior radiation therapy to the pelvic area
- Problems with the structure of the pelvic floor, such as vaginal vault prolapse, rectocele, rectal prolapse, or uterine prolapse
- Rectal disorders, such as hemorrhoids or anal fissures
- Spinal cord dysfunction or injury
| Author: | Jan Nissl, RN, BS | Last Updated: December 14, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine Jerome B. Simon, MD, FRCPC, FACP - Gastroenterology | |
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