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Docusate Brand Names
BeneHealth Stool Softner | Colace | Colace Clear | Correctol | D.O.S. | DC | Diocto | Doc-Q-Lace | Docu Liquid | DocuLace | Docusoft S | DocuSol | DOK | DOK Extra Strength | Dulcolax | Enemeez | Fleet | Genasoft | Kaopectate Liqui-Gels | Kao-Tin | Phillips Stool Softener | Silace | Stool Softener | Stool Softner DC | Sulfolax | Surfak | Sur-Q-Lax | Uni-Ease | VACUANT
What is Docusate
Salts of docusate are stool softeners used to treat or prevent constipation or to prevent fecal impaction in adults and pediatric patients.
Docusate originally was marketed as dioctyl (salt) sulfosuccinate, but later the generic name was shortened to the current version.
The salt forms of docusate (e.g., docusate sodium, docusate potassium, or docusate calcium) are considered clinically interchangeable in terms of therapeutic effect; each provides minimal amounts of the associated cations. Interestingly, docusate sodium solution has been administered off-label as a ceruminolytic to facilitate the removal of earwax following cerumen impaction; however, the drug may offer no clear benefit over other widely used non-prescription therapies, including saline irrigation of the external ear canal, and thus it is not usually used in this manner.
Docusate was approved by the FDA in 1957 and is available for non-prescription (OTC) use in the US.
Indications
- constipation
For the prevention or treatment of constipation
Side Effects
- diarrhea
- rash
- throat irritation
Monitoring Parameters
- laboratory monitoring not necessary
Contraindications
- abdominal pain
- breast-feeding
- geriatric
- GI bleeding
- pregnancy
- vomiting
Interactions
- Calcium Phosphate, Supersaturated
- Dichlorphenamide
- Loop diuretics
- Mineral Oil
- Sodium Phosphate Monobasic Monohydrate; Sodium Phosphate Dibasic Anhydrous
