Constipation in Adults (cont.)
IN THIS ARTICLE
When to Seek Medical Care
Call your health care provider if you have these concerns:
- Symptoms are severe and last longer than 3 weeks
- Recent and significant change in bowel habits, for instance, constipation alternates with diarrhea
- Severe pain in the anus during a bowel movement
- Symptoms of other diseases in addition to constipation (For example, tiredness, fatigue, poor tolerance to cold weather may suggest the need to assess your thyroid function for hypothyroidism, an underactive gland.)
- Constipation for 2 weeks or longer with returning abdominal pain, which might be a sign of lead poisoning
Seek emergency medical care: Although constipation may be extremely uncomfortable, it is usually not serious. It may signal a serious underlying disorder, however, such as cancer of the bowel. Because constipation may lead to complications, go to a hospital's emergency department for any of the following reasons:
- Rectal bleeding
- Anal pain and hemorrhoids
- Anal fissures or cracks in the mucous lining (severe pain during defecation in the anal area)
- Fecal impaction (immovable intestinal contents) in very young children and in older adults
- Rectal prolapse or sagging (Occasionally, straining causes a small amount of the intestinal lining to push out from the rectal opening. This may lead to secretion of mucus that may stain underpants.)
- Recurrent vomiting with constipation and abdominal pain (This may suggest intestinal obstruction and needs urgent hospital treatment.)
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Important Safety Information
- KAPIDEX may not be right for everyone. You should not take KAPIDEX if you are allergic to KAPIDEX or any of its ingredients. Severe allergic reactions have been reported.
- Symptom relief does not rule out other serious stomach conditions.
- The most common side effects of KAPIDEX were diarrhea (4.8%), stomach pain (4.0%), nausea (2.9%), common cold (1.9%), vomiting (1.6%), and gas (1.6%). KAPIDEX and certain other medicines can affect each other. Before taking KAPIDEX, tell your doctor if you are taking ampicillin, atazanavir, digoxin, iron, ketoconazole, or tacrolimus. If you are taking KAPIDEX with warfarin, you may need to be monitored because serious risks could occur.
Uses of KAPIDEX
- Persistent heartburn two or more days a week, despite treatment and diet changes, could be acid reflux disease (ARD). Prescription KAPIDEX capsules are used in adults to treat heartburn related to ARD, to heal acid-related damage to the lining of the esophagus (called erosive esophagitis or EE), and to stop EE from coming back. Individual results may vary. Most damage (erosions) heals in 4–8 weeks.
Talk to your doctor or healthcare professional. Please see full Prescribing Information for KAPIDEX.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
KAPIDEX™ is a trademark of Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc., and is used under license by Takeda Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
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Constipation »
Constipation is a common symptom, but it often remains unrecognized until the patient develops sequelae, such as anorectal disorders or diverticular disease
