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Laxatives For Constipation Center - Charleston, WV

Charleston Gastroenterologist Doctors for Laxatives For Constipation

Type of Physician: Gastroenterologist

What is a Gastroenterologist?

A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine; practitioners focus on the stomach, intestines, colon, liver, and gallbladder (digestive organs). The gastroenterologist treats conditions such as abdominal pain, ulcers, diarrhea, cancer, and jaundice and they consult with surgeons when abdominal operations are indicated.

Specialty: Gastroenterology

Common Name: GI Doctor

Gastroenterologist Doctors in Charleston *

Charleston Gastroenterology
Hazem Ashhab
3100 MacCorkle Ave SE
STE 509
Charleston, WV 25304
(304) 342-0821

Charleston Gastroenterology
Harry E Duncan
3100 MacCorkle Ave SE
STE 509
Charleston, WV 25304
(304) 342-0821

Charleston Gastroenterology
Steven R Matulis
3100 MacCorkle Ave SE
STE 509
Charleston, WV 25304
(304) 342-0821

Charleston Gastroenterology
Joe J White
3100 MacCorkle Ave SE
STE 509
Charleston, WV 25304
(304) 342-0821

Logan Consultants
Mohammad B Haffar
117 7th Ave SW
Charleston, WV 25303
(304) 345-2255

Kanawha Valley GI Associates
Emily H Battle
424 Division St
STE 100
Charleston, WV 25309
(304) 766-4342

Kanawha Valley GI Associates
Timothy G Harper
424 Division St
STE 100
Charleston, WV 25309
(304) 766-4342

Kanawha Valley GI Associates
Richard Peterson
424 Division St
STE 100
Charleston, WV 25309
(304) 766-4342

Kanawha Valley GI Associates
Joel Reynolds
424 Division St
STE 100
Charleston, WV 25309
(304) 766-4342

Drs Harvey & Rushden
Raymond Rushden
140 Stollings Ave
Logan, WV 25601
(304) 752-8449

Ziad Salem MD
Ziad Salem
20 Hospital Dr
Logan, WV 25601
(304) 831-1820

Gastroenterology of Southern West Virginia
Touraj Farid
1844 Harper Rd
Beckley, WV 25801
(304) 250-0307

Nainesh M Patel MD
Nainesh M Patel
207 Sunset Dr
Beckley, WV 25801
(304) 255-5723

Syed Siddiqi MD
Syed Siddiqi
93 Hickory Dr
Beckley, WV 25801
(304) 255-9278

Husam M Nazer MD
Husam M Nazer
429 Carriage Dr
Beckley, WV 25801
(304) 253-0849

Charles Turner MD
Charles E Turner
5170 US Rt 60 E
Huntington, WV 25705
(304) 528-4600

Charles Bou-Abboud MD
Charles Bou-Abboud
58 Brookshire Ln
Beckley, WV 25801
(304) 252-4900

J Michael Haught MD
Michael Haught
2401 S Kanawha St
STE 105
Beckley, WV 25801
(304) 252-1511

Marshall University Medical School Internal Medicine
Monjur Ahmed
1249 15th St
Huntington, WV 25701
(304) 691-1000

Marshall University Medical School Internal Medicine
Waseem M Shora
1249 15th St
Huntington, WV 25701
(304) 691-1000

Charles R Honaker MD
Charles R Honaker
801 Garfield Ave
Camden Clark Med Office Bldg A STE 100
Parkersburg, WV 26101
(304) 424-2170

Digestive Care Center
Anil K Singh
600 18th St
STE STE 401
Parkersburg, WV 26101
(304) 424-4330

Bluefield Gastroenterology
Kamalesh P Patel
405 12th St Ext
Princeton, WV 24740
(304) 425-7243

Drs Malamisura & Taylor
Michael Malamisura
510 Cherry St
Bldg A STE 202
Bluefield, WV 24701
(304) 325-3666

Charleston, West Virginia

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Laxatives For Constipation

What is constipation?

Constipation is a condition that is characterized by infrequent bowel movements that are painful or difficult, or stools that are hard in consistency. Infrequent bowel movements alone are not a reliable indicator of constipation because bowel frequency can vary between three times a day to once a week among normal individuals. Therefore, hard stools that are difficult to pass or infrequent stools accompanied by abdominal pain, back pain, and abdominal bloating define important constipation.

What are the causes of constipation?

There are many causes of constipation including:

  • Diets low in fiber. Fiber is vegetable material that is resistant to digestion. It promotes soft stools by adding bulk to the stool and causing water to be retained in stool.
  • Side effects of medications such as narcotic pain killers, antidepressants, iron supplements, calcium channel blockers (a class of medications for high blood pressure), and certain types of antacids.
  • Narrowing or blockage of the large intestine (colon) due to colon cancer or advanced diverticulosis.
  • Ineffective contraction or spasm of the colon's muscles due to irritable bowel syndrome or other diseases of the colon's muscles.
  • Hormonal (endocrine) disturbances such as an under- active thyroid gland and diabetes mellitus with nerve damage.
  • Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and other neurologic conditions.

Examples of common medications that can cause constipation:

  • Narcotic pain medications: codeine (Tylenol #3), oxycodone (Percocet), and guaifenesin/hydromorphone (Dilaudid) and others
  • Antidepressants: amitriptyline (Elavil), fluoxetine (Prozac), and imipramine (Tofranil)
  • Anticonvulsants: phenytoin (Dilantin) and carbamazepine (Tegretol)
  • Iron supplements
  • ...

Recommended Reading Related to Laxatives for Constipation

Melanosis Coli »

What is melanosis coli?

Melanosis coli is a condition usually associated with chronic laxative use in which dark pigment is deposited in the lamina propria (one of the lining layers) of the large intestine (colon). The pigment deposition results in a characteristic dark brown to black discoloration of the lining of the large intestine. This condition is sometimes called pseudomelanosis coli because the pigment deposits consist of a pigment known as lipofuscin and do not contain melanin as implied by the term "melanosis." Lipofuscin is a cellular pigment that forms when cells are destroyed, often called "wear and tear" pigment that can be found throughout the body.

The dark color of the intestinal lining may be uniform or patterned, and the discoloration may be slight or very pronounced. The intensity and pattern of the discoloration may even vary among different sites in the colon of a patient. The condition may also be reversed upon disc...

Emergency Contact for Charleston

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Charleston Hospitals *

Saint Francis Hospital
333 Laidley St
Charleston, WV 25301
(304)347-6500

Select Specialty Hospital
333 Laidley St
Charleston, WV 25301
(304)720-7234

CAMC Women & Children's Hospital
800 Pennsylvania Ave
Charleston, WV 25302
(304)388-5432

Eye & Ear Clinic of Charleston
1306 Kanawha Blvd E
Charleston, WV 25301
(304)343-4371

CAMC General Hospital
501 Morris St
Charleston, WV 25301
(304)388-5432

CAMC Memorial Hospital
3200 MacCorkle Ave SE
Charleston, WV 25304
(304)388-5432

Highland Hospital
300 56th St SE
Charleston, WV 25304
(304)926-1600

Thomas Memorial Hospital
4605 MacCorkle Ave SW
South Charleston, WV 25309
(304)766-3600

CAMC Teays Valley Hospital
1400 Hospital Dr
Hurricane, WV 25526
(304)757-1700

Montgomery General Hospital
401 6th Ave
Montgomery, WV 25136
(304)442-5151

Boone Memorial Hospital
701 Madison Ave
Madison, WV 25130
(304)369-1230

Jackson General Hospital
122 Pinnell St
Ripley, WV 25271
(304)372-2731

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