A client informs the nurse that he is taking a stimulant laxative in order to be able to have a bowel movement daily. What should the nurse inform the client about the taking a stimulant laxative?

Question

A) They can be habit forming and will require increasing doses to be effective.
B) As long as the client is drinking 8 glasses of water per day, he can continue to take them.
C) The laxative is safe to take with other medication the client is taking.
D) The client should take a fiber supplement along with the stimulant laxative.

Answer 1

A
Feedback:
The nurse should discourage self-treatment with daily or frequent enemas or laxatives. Chronic use of such products causes natural bowel function to be sluggish. In addition, laxatives continuing stimulants can be habit forming, requiring continued use in increasing doses. Although the nurse should encourage the client to have adequate fluid intake, laxative use should not be encouraged. The laxative may interact with other medications the client is taking and may cause a decrease in absorption. A fiber supplement may be taken alone but should not be taken with a stimulant laxative.