Why do patients with chronic pain have problems with constipation?
• Inactivity and lack of exercise can slow down the bowel. Exercise stimulates bowel contractions. Because of pain, many chronic pain patients are not active. • Medications frequently cause constipation. Some of the medications that frequently cause problems in pain patients are: • Opioids (narcotic pain medicines) such as codeine, Vicodin or Lortab, Darvocet, morphine, Oxycontin, methadone, Dilaudid.
