Turn on your TV, and you're likely to see advertisements about products and medications to help ease constipation. Some of those ads are geared toward bowel issues caused by opioid use. In a recent study, Mayo Clinic experts say that opioids, which are the most frequently used medications for chronic pain, often cause constipation.
In this Mayo Clinic Minute, reporter Vivien Williams talks to Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist Dr. Michael Camilleri about how prescription painkillers can cause constipation and what you can do about it.
View complete series:
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Prescription drugs ─ the changing face of addiction
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Facts on fentanyl
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Avoid opioids for chronic pain
- Mayo Clinic Minute: 2 reasons not to share pain pills
- Mayo Clinic Minute: When are opioids OK to take?
- Mayo Clinic Minute: What opioids do to your guts
- Mayo Clinic Minute: How to stop popping painkillers
Journalists: Broadcast-quality video pkg (:59) is in the downloads. Read the script.