Prucalopride Shows Promise for Tackling Constipation in Parkinson’s

Constipation is one of the most stubborn non motor problems in Parkinson’s and it drags down quality of life. This trial tested prucalopride, a gut stimulant already used for chronic constipation, to see whether it helps people with Parkinson’s without upsetting their movement control. Fifty seven adults with Parkinson’s and long term constipation were randomly given either prucalopride 2 mg once daily or a placebo for eight weeks. The study was double blind, so neither patients nor researchers knew who had which pill. The main yardstick was simple and meaningful: how many spontaneous bowel movements per week changed from the start to week eight. The team also tracked stool consistency, straining, constipation symptom scores, constipation quality of life, and Parkinson’s motor scores.  By week eight, people on prucalopride were going more often. Their weekly bowel movements rose by about 3.2 on average, compared with 1.6 on placebo, a difference that was statistically significant. Across the whole eight weeks, prucalopride kept an edge on bowel frequency. Other measures tended to improve but did not reach clear statistical significance. Movement scores stayed steady, and there were no serious side effects reported.  Bottom line: in Parkinson’s related chronic constipation, prucalopride was safe, well tolerated, and increased the number of bowel movements versus placebo over eight weeks. It looks like a practical option to discuss with a clinician, especially when standard measures are not enough.