These medications include tricyclic antidepressants, antihistamines, and incontinence medications, like oxybutynin (Oxytrol for Women, Oxytrol, DitropanXL). But your bowels may be affected if you take them most days.Īnticholinergic medications can also affect the muscle movements in the intestines and cause constipation. If you take NSAIDs for pain from time to time, this may not be an issue. They’re commonly linked to gastrointestinal (GI) problems, but constipation is a lesser-known side effect. Some OTC pain relievers, like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories ( NSAIDs), can also cause constipation. And they can affect the muscle that keeps stool inside the rectum, which makes it more difficult to poop.īut opioids aren’t the only medications to blame. Opioids also cause the body to absorb more water from the intestines, making stool drier and harder.

Opioid pain medications, like acetaminophen/codeine ( Tylenol with codeine), tramadol, and hydrocodone/acetaminophen (Vicodin, Norco) slow the intestines down and are a common cause of medication-induced constipation. Some medications are particularly good at this. Anything that slows the movement of stool through the intestines can cause constipation.

I bet you can't stay soft