| Patients with encephalopathy require a low-protein diet and enough lactulose to produce three or four bowel movements daily. |
| Osmotic laxatives such as lactulose are effective alternatives to soften hard stools. |
| In addition, unabsorbed lactose has an osmotic effect not unlike that of lactulose, a synthetic laxative, increasing the amount of fluid retained in the bowel. |
| The most effective daily treatments for opioid-induced constipation are senna, senna combined with a stool softener, Phillips' Milk of Magnesia or lactulose. |
| The standard perioperative care consisted of lactulose, metronidazole and analgesics. |
| Enteric flora modification with antibiotics, such as metronidazole or neomycin, is a second-line treatment, and can be used in combination with lactulose. |
