Constipation as a presenting symptom of multiple sclerosis

Chronic constipation and co‐morbidities: A prospective population‐based nested case‐control study

“…Moreover, gastrointestinal symptoms are known to be common in MS, and more than half of patients with MS have constipation 41 , 42 . Indeed, several case reports 14 , 43 have reported that constipation is an early symptom of MS. In our study, both MS and Parkinson’s disease were diagnosed before the date of the current study survey, but due to the cross‐sectional retrospective design, causality cannot be definitively ruled in.…”

“…In the clinic, physicians usually focus on the infrequency of bowel movements, straining, hard stools and feelings of incomplete evacuation when documenting the problem; patients, however, often have a broader set of complaints or comorbidities they believe may be linked to the condition 8–11 . More importantly, we and others have observed that constipation appears to be associated with the development of neurodegenerative disease, specifically Parkinson disease 12–15 . Moreover, constipation may be a major predisposing factor for diverticulitis 16 and local anal pathology, 17–19 although this remains controversial 20 , 21…”

“…[8][9][10][11] More importantly, we and others have observed that constipation appears to be associated with the development of neurodegenerative disease, specifically Parkinson disease. [12][13][14][15] Moreover, constipation may be a major predisposing factor for diverticulitis 16 and local anal pathology, [17][18][19] although this remains controversial. 20,21 A comorbidity is defined as a condition that coexists with an index disease.…”

Constipation Treatment in Neurological Disorders

“…Constipation may represent an early symptom of MS and large bowel impairment can precede the onset of MS by many years (Lawthom et al, 2003;Chellingsworth et al, 2003). Bowel dysfunctions are multifactorial and include neurological impairment, behavioural problems, inappropriate toilet facilities, side effects of drugs or coexistent disorders.…”