ABSTRACT
Devoting an entire chapter to a single symptom might at first appear unwarranted. Nevertheless, the magnitude of the problem in patients who have sustained a longstanding history of constipation of ‘‘idiopathic’’ origin is great. Enthusiastic physicians report studies designed to shed light on the problem, but much of the information is incomplete or contradictory. The pharmacology of the various medications used in the treatment of constipation frequently is poorly understood.
