How is IBS with constipation treated?
The treatment of IBS with constipation is pretty typical for how you would treat another patient with chronic constipation that may not necessarily be due to IBS. But, there was one medication that was FDA-approved for IBS with constipation that was tegaserod, but that has been recently suspended by the FDA for a low prevalence, but a prevalence of cardiovascular events. So that the information is being rediscussed and re-evaluated, but currently tegaserod is suspended. That was the only FDA-approved medication for IBS with constipation. So in general, to treat patients with constipation, you usually give them a laxative agent or an agent to stimulate motility and movement of stool through the bowel. And, laxatives are divided into osmotic laxatives and stimulant laxatives. Now none of these have been FDA-approved or studied in high-quality studies in IBS, but, they are generally used for constipation whether it is due to IBS or not. Osmotic laxatives are saline laxatives or magnesium-
