Laxatives for chronic constipation in adults

A 25 year old woman attends her general practitioner with a six month history of constipation. Despite having increased her daily intake of fibre and water, she is still only passing two stools a week. Her general practitioner excludes red flag features and finds no abnormality on examination, apart from a loaded rectum. He suggests she try using laxatives to increase her stool frequency. Alexander C Ford and Nicholas J Talley describe which laxatives should be prescribed and how they are taken and monitored.