Can Lactulose Benefit Individuals with Liver Disease?

How Lactulose Helps with Severe Liver Disease Symptoms

Lactulose is a medication prescribed by doctors to treat severe liver disease symptoms. It works by decreasing the absorption of ammonia into the blood via the colon, where it can be removed from the body through a bowel movement. A build-up of ammonia can occur in severe liver disease due to a change in blood flow to and from the liver as well as the liver not being as effective in converting the ammonia to urea.

Lactulose is frequently used to treat constipation, which can result in diarrhea. While it does not cure liver disease, it can help improve symptoms and increase patients’ intellectual functioning, which can be affected by hepatic encephalopathy. However, the use of lactulose in the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy should always be guided by a doctor.

How Lactulose Helps with Cirrhosis and Other Liver Diseases

Liver diseases and cirrhosis can result in hepatic encephalopathy, which can cause a decrease in a person’s brain functioning. Symptoms may affect patients in a wide range of severity and can either be short or long-term. Hepatic encephalopathy is generally triggered by the accumulation of toxins in the blood. The liver usually removes these toxins. However, if the liver is unable to do this, toxins such as ammonia accumulate and can lead to cirrhosis, which is advanced liver disease.

Hepatic encephalopathy is the result of blood containing high levels of toxins reaching the brain and other areas of the body. These toxins cause cells within the brain to swell, which can cause a range of symptoms. Lactulose is a type of sugar that the gut is unable to absorb. It works to decrease ammonia absorption in a number of ways, including increasing the amount of ammonia taken up by the microbes that colonize the colon and stopping the production of chemicals in the gut that are converted into ammonia.

How to Take Lactulose for Liver Disease

Lactulose for the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy should always be prescribed by a doctor. It can be taken either orally as a syrup or rectally as an enema. A dose of 15 to 30 mL of lactulose syrup is given two to four times a day to patients with hepatic encephalopathy. The aim is to get two semisoft stools per day. For patients with acute (short-term) hepatic encephalopathy, a dose of 45 mL is given hourly until the first bowel movement is made. If lactulose is to be taken rectally, it’s usually given as an enema at a dosage of 300 mL in 700 mL of water. After administering the lactulose, the liquid should be retained in the colon for an hour. This treatment can be repeated every two hours.

Side Effects and Precautions

Using lactulose can cause side effects, which may include cramping, increased burping, gas, nausea, and bloating. These common side effects should go away within a couple of days. If they don’t go away or become severe, talk to your doctor. More serious side effects of lactulose may include discomfort or pain in the stomach, vomiting and/or severe diarrhea, which can cause dehydration. If you experience these more severe side effects, call your healthcare provider or emergency services. Lactulose can also cause electrolyte imbalances.

The use of lactulose for hepatic encephalopathy should always be managed by a doctor. Often patients suffering from liver cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy may also be affected by dehydration or a bowel obstruction, in which case lactulose should be avoided. Some individuals should be careful taking lactulose, including patients with galactosemia, people with diabetes, older adults, and pregnant women.

Conclusion

Lactulose is a medication that can help improve severe liver disease symptoms and hepatic encephalopathy. It works by decreasing the absorption of ammonia into the blood via the colon, where it can be removed from the body through a bowel movement. While it does have some side effects and precautions, it can be an effective treatment option when prescribed and managed by a doctor.