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Might as well flush those soft gels down the toilet — because they’re not helping you flush anything else down there.
If you’ve turned to stool softeners to help with constipation but haven’t found any relief, that’s because they don’t actually work, according to licensed pharmacist Dr. Kati Forbes.
On TikTok, Forbes (@your.fav.pharmacist) explained why they’re no help — but revealed a fun way you can repurpose the pills that your kids might enjoy.
“Did you buy a ton of docusate and then realize it really doesn’t help you s–t?” she asked her 319,000 followers, shaking a bottle of generic stool softener.
Constipation is a problem with passing poop. People generally poop from three times a week up to once or twice daily, according to the Mayo Clinic — and being “regular” means something different to everyone.
Occasional constipation is relatively common, and it can be caused by any number of factors, including:
- Dehydration
- Lack of dietary fiber
- Certain medications, such as opioid painkillers, antacids, antihistamines, or antidepressants
- Lack of exercise
Constipation can also result from problems with the muscles that form the pelvic floor at the bottom of the torso or any blockage in the colon or rectum.
Health conditions such as pregnancy, multiple sclerosis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Parkinson’s disease, an overactive thyroid, or diabetes can also be linked to chronic constipation.
Why doesn’t docusate motivate the bowels to move?
“A lot of medications, we can have theories for why they may work for certain conditions. Clinical trials prove that efficacy, so it was shown in trials it actually didn’t work (despite its widespread usage)!,” she told The Post.
So what do you do with the ineffectual excess?
“Both docusate and soap are a ionic surfactants, which reduces the surface tension of water and forms a thin film that traps air,” she told The Post.
In other words, bubbles.
Rocking a SpiderMan beanie with pliers in hand, Forbes crushed a handful of pills, extracting the liquid inside the gel caps.
Adding water to the pill juice and dipping a plastic wand in the mix, Forbes demonstrated that the crushed meds could be blown into bubbles.
“Surfactants have a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic region, so water-loving and a water-hating region. Essentially, it can help things like oil and water mix; the term for this is ‘amphiphilic.’” she said.
Forbes explained that surfactants are nonactive ingredients added to products to increase solubility and bioavailability.
Cationic surfactants have a positive charge and are added to products like conditioners and benzalkonium chloride, a popular disinfectant.
In contrast, docusate, like soap and shampoo, is considered an anionic surfactant, meaning it has a negative charge.
“The idea with docusate is that it might help your stools absorb water and help them pass easier, but some studies show that doesn’t really happen,” she said.
And while the jury is out on whether the meds ease bowel movement, they’re undoubtedly effective at making bubbles.
What does help constipation? Experts say exercise, a cup of coffee, prunes, probiotics, and increased fiber can all conspire to help you get your poop on the exit ramp.
Forbes, who also makes lip balm and body butter, has previously shared the essential meds she keeps in her medicine cabinet to combat symptoms during cold and flu season.
