Co-danthrusate is a combination of dantron and

docusate Docusate is the common chemical and pharmaceutical name of the anion bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate, also commonly called dioctyl sulfosuccinate (DOSS). It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Salts of this anion ...

. Dantron is a mild

peristaltic Peristalsis ( , ) is a radially symmetrical contraction and relaxation of muscles that propagate in a wave down a tube, in an anterograde direction. Peristalsis is progression of coordinated contraction of involuntary circular muscles, which ...

stimulant which acts on the lower bowel to encourage normal bowel movement without causing irritation. It belongs to the group of medicines under the term

stimulant laxative Laxatives, purgatives, or aperients are substances that loosen human feces, stools and increase defecation, bowel movements. They are used to treat and prevent constipation. Laxatives vary as to how they work and the side effects they may have. ...

. It stimulates the nerves in the stomach wall which causes the stomach muscles to contract. This medicine is used for analgesic-induced constipation. It takes six to twelve hours to work. This can cause discoloration of urine and bowel and liver tumors. Co-danthramer is dantron plus poloxamer. It is (in the U.K.) only to be prescribed to terminally ill patients because of its

carcinogen A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that promotes carcinogenesis (the formation of cancer). This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes. Several radioactive substan ...

icity in rats. It is often prescribed to people taking long term

opioid Opioids are substances that act on opioid receptors to produce morphine-like effects. Medically they are primarily used for pain relief, including anesthesia. Other medical uses include suppression of diarrhea, replacement therapy for opioid us ...

, because it relaxes the effect of opioid induced constipation. It will not alleviate the symptoms of opioid induced delayed gastric emptying and abdominal cramps.

References

{{reflist Laxatives Combination drugs

See also

References