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module menu icon Faecal softener

  • Docusate sodium (dioctyl sodium sulphosuccinate) is the only faecal softener available. It is an anionic surfactant which acts by lowering the surface tension of the intestinal contents, allowing fluid and fat to penetrate, emulsify and soften faecal material for easier elimination. The faeces are kept soft and evacuation is achieved without straining.
  • Docusate is also thought to exert a stimulant laxative effect similar to that of the anthraquinones.
  • A laxative effect usually occurs within one to three days of administration. Used alone, docusate is a weak laxative; however, it is considered useful for patients in whom straining at stool must be avoided, for example, following an operation or myocardial infarction.
  • Docusate is non-absorbable and non-toxic, but it is believed to facilitate the transport of other drugs across the intestine and could thereby increase their action and adverse effects.
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