What is the difference between lactulose and lactose

Taking this medication to treat constipation if you're lactose intolerant can cause cramping, diarrhea, bloating and stomach pain. Talk with your doctor before you use this stool softer or any other medication to treat a medical condition. Lactulose is broken down in the large intestines and causes increased water to be added to the stool in the colon, which causes the stool to pass with greater ease. This medication is available in a liquid or pill form and is taken once a day for constipation or up to four times daily for liver disease, according to PubMed Health.

If you develop adverse reactions after taking this medication, stop using it and call your doctor immediately for further evaluation. Lactose is a sugar that is primarily found in milk. Most sugars that you ingest require an enzyme to break them down into more simple sugars. You can report any suspected side effect to the UK safety scheme. Lactulose is generally safe to take during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Constipation is common at the end of pregnancy and just after having a baby.

If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, it's always better to try to safely treat constipation without taking a medicine. Your doctor or midwife will first advise you to eat more fibre and drink plenty of fluids. You'll also be encouraged to do gentle exercise.

If dietary and lifestyle changes don't work, you may be recommended a laxative such as lactulose. Tell your pharmacist or doctor if you're trying to get pregnant, are already pregnant or if you're breastfeeding. There are no known problems mixing lactulose with other medicines or herbal remedies. For safety, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal remedies, vitamins or supplements.

Lactulose is broken down in the bowel into products that pull water out from the body and into the bowel to soften poo and make it easier to pass.

It's called an osmotic laxative. People with liver disease can sometimes get problems in their brain hepatic encephalopathy. This happens because the liver isn't clearing toxins properly. In this situation, lactulose clears the bowels and helps the body remove the toxins that build up when the liver is failing. You can take lactulose for as long as the constipation lasts, or for as long as your doctor has recommended.

This will usually be for up to a week. For more serious constipation, and if you are taking lactulose for hepatic encephalopathy, your doctor may recommend that you take it for many months.

Ideally, you should only take lactulose occasionally and for a few days at a time. Using laxatives like lactulose for longer can lead to prolonged diarrhoea. It can also cause an electrolyte imbalance, where levels of substances like sodium, potassium and magnesium in your body get too high or too low.

An electrolyte imbalance can cause serious health problems such as muscle spasm and twitching and even convulsions. However, there are some situations where you may need to take lactulose for many months, for instance, if you keep getting constipation or if you have a health problem called hepatic encephalopathy. In this instance, your doctor will decide exactly how long and how much lactulose you need to take.

Occasionally, you may need to take 2 different types of laxatives at the same time to get your bowels moving again. Only take 2 laxatives together on the advice of your doctor or pharmacist as there is an increased risk of side effects. There are other types of laxatives. They work in a different way to lactulose but are equally good at treating constipation. Some work more quickly than lactulose. It's not a good idea for people with irritable bowel syndrome IBS to take lactulose.

Lactulose increases gas and bloating in the stomach, which can make IBS worse. Other types of laxative may be more suitable if you have IBS.

Yes, usually they can. If you have diabetes , ask your doctor or pharmacist whether this medicine is suitable you. If you have diabetes and are taking normal doses of lactulose for constipation, the medicine will have little, if any, effect on your blood sugar levels.

However, if you have diabetes and need to take high doses of lactulose for many months, the medicine may affect your blood sugar levels. In this case, monitor your blood sugar levels carefully and share the results with your doctor.

Your diabetes treatment or diet may need to be adjusted. People with diabetes often think that lactulose is the same as lactose - a sugar that can dangerously raise blood sugar levels. But lactulose is very different. Polyethelyne Glycol vs. Lactulose Which relieves chronic constipation more effectively? Lee-Robichaud H et al. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

Accessed Conclusions: With the dose chosen in this trial, lactose did not have any laxative effect in lactose tolerant persons. Laxative effect was mild with lactulose and most pronounced with bisacodyl.