Tegaserod in constipation associated with Parkinson disease

Impaired gastrointestinal motility and constipation are common problems in Parkinson disease (PD). Many patients with PD continue to experience constipation, despite multiple interventions (dietary modification, bulk-forming agents, stool softeners, and laxatives). Tegaserod is a 5-hydroxytryptamine type 4 agonist that stimulates gastrointestinal motility and is approved for the treatment of chronic idiopathic constipation. We report our experience with tegaserod in 5 patients with PD-associated constipation. Tegaserod was well tolerated and improved both bowel movement frequency and stool consistency in most of our patients. Further trials with tegaserod are warranted in PD-associated constipation.