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Laxatives For Constipation Center - Porterville, CA

Porterville 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 Porterville *

Kannappan Mohan MD
Kannappan Mohan
583 W Putnam Ave
Porterville, CA 93257
(559) 781-6655

Jeffry A Brown MD
Jeffry A Brown
1622 S Court St
Visalia, CA 93277
(559) 732-8888

Ching Wu MD
Ching Wu
1642 S Court St
Visalia, CA 93277
(559) 739-1698

Roger C Wu DO
Roger C Wu
1642 S Court St
Visalia, CA 93277
(559) 739-1698

Alvin Y Au MD
Alvin Y Au
205 S West St
STE D
Visalia, CA 93291
(559) 625-3383

Visalia Medical Clinic Inc
Neshan Tabibian
5400 W Hillsdale Dr
Visalia, CA 93291
(559) 738-7500

Anil Mehta MD
Anil Mehta
3941 San Dimas St
STE 104
Bakersfield, CA 93301
(661) 322-8466

Advanced Gastroenterology
Paramvir S Rahal
3737 San Dimas St
STE 102
Bakersfield, CA 93301
(661) 323-1200

Boris Reznik MD
Boris Reznik
470 Greenfield Ave
STE 37
Hanford, CA 93230
(559) 589-9460

San Joaquin Community Hospital
W J Bresnahan
1709 20th St
Bakersfield, CA 93301
(661) 395-3000

Hua Lin MD
Hua Lin
2225 19th St
Bakersfield, CA 93301
(661) 395-1271

Digestive Disease Center
Love Dalal
1408 Commercial Way
Bakersfield, CA 93309
(661) 327-4455

Digestive Disease Center
Ramesh C Gupta
1408 Commercial Way
Bakersfield, CA 93309
(661) 327-4455

Digestive Disease Center
Ivaylo Vagliarsky
1408 Commercial Way
Bakersfield, CA 93309
(661) 327-4455

Rajeev R Manu MD
Rajeev R Manu
9870 Brimhall Rd
STE 100
Bakersfield, CA 93312
(661) 587-7611

Nandakumar Ravi MD
Nandakumar B Ravi
9870 Brimhall Rd
STE 100
Bakersfield, CA 93312
(661) 588-8725

Gastroenterology Medical Group
Harpal A Bhaika
5959 Truxtun Ave
Ste 200 STE 200
Bakersfield, CA 93309
(661) 324-1203

Gastroenterology Medical Group
Rabinder A Bhogal
5959 Truxtun Ave
Ste 200 STE 200
Bakersfield, CA 93309
(661) 324-1203

Gastroenterology Medical Group
Tabassum A Chowdhury
5959 Truxtun Ave
Ste 200 STE 200
Bakersfield, CA 93309
(661) 324-1203

Gastroenterology Medical Group
Robin Matuk
5959 Truxtun Ave
Ste 200 STE 200
Bakersfield, CA 93309
(661) 324-1203

Ishaan Kalha MD
Ishaan S Kalha
6001 B Truxtun Ave
Building B STE 240
Bakersfield, CA 93301
(661) 325-0055

Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Muhammad Sheikh
2823 Fresno St
UNIT ENDO
Fresno, CA 93721
(559) 459-3882

VA Medical Center
Helen W Wong
2615 E Clinton Ave
Gastroenterology Dept
Fresno, CA 93703
(559) 225-6100

Melvyn Froese MD
Melvyn Froese
5305 N Fresno St
STE 108
Fresno, CA 93710
(559) 222-5241

Ajit Arora MD
Ajit S Arora
7407 N Cedar Ave
STE 101
Fresno, CA 93720
(559) 451-0170

Ajit Arora MD
Pradnya Mitroo
7407 N Cedar Ave
STE 101
Fresno, CA 93720
(559) 451-0170

Spruce Multispecialty Group
Stanley F Chang
1275 E Spruce Ave
STE STE 101
Fresno, CA 93720
(559) 439-5757

Patrick D Ginn MD
Patrick D Ginn
1187 E Herndon Ave
STE 101
Fresno, CA 93720
(559) 440-0450

Patrick D Ginn MD
Kevin T Kodama
1187 E Herndon Ave
STE 101
Fresno, CA 93720
(559) 440-0450

K R Mohan MD
K R Mohan
1187 E Herndon Ave
STE 103
Fresno, CA 93720
(559) 485-6750

Prahalad Jajodia MD
Prahalad B Jajodia
6137 N Thesta St
STE 103
Fresno, CA 93710
(559) 431-8888

GI Medical Group of Fresno
Soo Y Kim
6169 N Thesta St
Fresno, CA 93710
(559) 449-1703

GI Medical Group of Fresno
D Robert Lewis
6169 N Thesta St
Fresno, CA 93710
(559) 449-1703

Ram Mittal MD
Ram Mittal
7215 N Fresno St
STE 101
Fresno, CA 93720
(559) 449-0309

California Digestive Disease Center
Ujagger S Dhillon
7405 N Fresno St
Fresno, CA 93720
(559) 438-8400

Roberto Gugig MD
Roberto Gugig
9300 Valley Childrens Pl
STE 2215
Madera, CA 93638
(559) 353-5745

California Digestive Diseases
Shahla P Durrani
451 E Almond Ave
STE 103
Madera, CA 93637
(559) 673-4000

Porterville, California

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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 Porterville

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Porterville Hospitals *

Sierra View District Hospital
465 W Putnam Ave
Porterville, CA 93257
(559)784-1110

Porterville Developmental Center
26501 Ave 140
Porterville, CA 93258
(559)782-2222

Tulare Regional Medical Center
869 N Cherry St
Tulare, CA 93274
(559)688-0821

Kaweah Delta Medical Center Health District
400 W Mineral King Ave
Visalia, CA 93291
(559)624-2000

Delano Regional Medical Center
1401 Garces Hwy
Delano, CA 93215
(661)725-4800

Kaweah Delta Mental Health Hospital
1100 S Akers St
Visalia, CA 93277
(559)624-3300

Kaweah Delta Rehabilitation Hospital
840 S Akers St
Visalia, CA 93277
(559)624-3700

Corcoran District Hospital
1310 Hanna Ave
Corcoran, CA 93212
(559)992-5051

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