Accepted answer
Take it from the SURMOUNT-4 adverse-event table by arm, and check the unit before you use it. An incidence can be the proportion of participants who reported the event at least once, or the count of events divided by exposure time, and the two differ by however many people had it repeatedly. Then subtract the placebo arm, because the untreated rate is not zero. And read the discontinuation column beside it: an event that made people leave the trial is under-counted at every later visit, so a low late-timepoint incidence can mean the event was severe rather than rare.
The honest answer is that this needs an active plan rather than waiting, since it does not usually resolve on its own.
Magnesium-containing preparations act osmotically and are widely used; they are a laxative rather than a supplement in this context, and the dose is what makes the difference.
Gastrointestinal adverse events, indicative pooled rates
| Event | Active arm | Placebo arm | Timing |
|---|
| Nausea | 40–45 % | 15–20 % | Peaks 1–2 wk after each step |
| Vomiting | 15–25 % | 5–8 % | Follows nausea |
| Diarrhoea | 20–30 % | 10–15 % | Early, variable |
| Constipation | 20–25 % | 8–12 % | Later onset, persistent |
| Discontinuation for GI events | 4–7 % | 1–2 % | Mostly during escalation |
Ranges span agents and doses; read the specific prescribing information for a specific figure.
Concretely, stimulant laxatives are effective and are not a first choice for a problem that is going to persist for months, because of tolerance and dependence concerns with regular use.
Osmotic laxatives such as macrogol have the strongest evidence base for chronic constipation and are first-line in most guidelines.
25 to 30 grams a day, deliberately planned, because it will not happen by accident.