Bisacodyl Induced Severe Rectal Ulcer with Proctitis

Constipation is a prevalent, often chronic, gastrointestinal motility disorder. Bisacodyl, a stimulant laxative, is widely used to treat constipation in adults and children. This drug is usually safe, but it has some side effects including diarrhea, abdominal pain, colitis, and proctitis. There have been reports that rectal administration of bisacodyl could cause injury to the rectal mucosa by mechanical and chemical mechanisms. However, there has been no report of severe proctitis with rectal ulcers in patients taking oral bisacodyl. In this report, we describe the case of an 80-year-old woman with severe rectal ulcers and proctitis after taking oral bisacodyl for several days, and review the literature.