LAXATIVE EFFECT AND TOLERANCE OF LACTULOS E - ONE VERSUS 2 INTAKES INPATIENTS WITH CHRONIC CONSTIPATION

Objectives. - The aim of this study was to compare the tolerance and e ffects of lactulose taken at a daily dose of 20 mg in one or two intak es, in the treatment of idiopathic chronic constipation. Methods. - A total of 121 outpatients (30 men, 91 women, mean age 55) was included in a prospective double blind crossover multicentric study. Patients t ook lactulose according to two different ways of administration and fo r two successive 3-week periods. Each period consisted in 2 weeks of a daptation and one week of evaluation. At the end of each period, a glo bal visual satisfactory scale was evaluated as a global index. Patient s collected every day the frequency and the aspects of the stools, the quality of exoneration and the existence of digestive symptoms. Resul ts. - Number of stools per week (7.29 +/- 3.20 vs 7.08 +/- 3.03), cons istency, quality of exoneration, were equivalent whatever the number o f intakes and the period of treatment. With one or two intakes, the sa tisfactory index was the same but significantly better at the end of t he second period. With one or two intakes, frequency and intensity of side effects were low and identical. They mostly occurred during the f irst pe,?od. Conclusion. - Effects and tolerance with one single intak e of lactulose (20 g) in the evening and with two intakes, were found to be equivalent. Effect on exoneration persists during the sir weeks of administration and then tolerance improves.