America is suffering a shortage of LAXATIVES due to surging demand –  and hybrid working is partly to blame

America is suffering a laxative shortage due to surging demand — and experts say hybrid working and poor diets are to blame.

Demand is beginning to outstrip supply for polyethylene glycol 3350, the generic name for laxatives like Miralax and Glycolax.

An aging population with more digestive problems is partly to blame, plus the fact that most Americans generally do not eat enough fiber, which makes stools easier to pass. 

Lingering effects of the pandemic when people were eating more unhealthily, exercising less and feeling more anxious due to lockdowns — all of which contribute to bowel dysfunction — might also be at play.

And now, more people are working in a hybrid schedule, which leads to irregular mealtimes and bathroom times. 

The hashtag #guttok has over 1.1 billion views on TikTok, while guttok without the hashtag has over 207 million

Eating stimulates the reflex that causes waste to travel through the gut, so if workers are skipping breakfast and lunch, it will restrict bowel movement.

Dr George Pavlou, who runs Gastroenterology Associates of New Jersey, told the Wall Street Journal: ‘It’s crazy to think that our collective bowel dysfunction problems have gotten so bad that we’re literally running out of stool softeners.’

Laxatives are drugs that loosen stools and increase bowel movements and are used to treat and prevent constipation. They work by drawing in water or physically stimulating the colon to contract.

Some people are also taking laxatives as a budget Ozempic to feel skinnier, psychologists say.

Searches for laxative pills on Amazon have more than tripled over the past year, said analytics company Pattern.

Meanwhile, the companies manufacturing the fiber supplements Metamucil and Benefiber have reported huge sales growth in recent years.

Dow Chemical, which makes pharmaceutical ingredients for drug companies, is building new factories which employees said is partly to produce more polyethylene glycol — the laxative that has been hard to get since the pandemic. Polyethylene glycol is also used in cleaning products and moisturizers.

The elderly move less and are more likely to take medication that causes constipation as a side effect. Physicians often advise that they take laxatives or fiber supplements — which help the body form stools that are easier to excrete.

Surprisingly, growing numbers of younger customers are using fiber supplements, suppliers say.

Haleon, the manufacturer of Benefiber, a popular plant-based fiber supplement, said that 18-42-year-olds are copping the supplement quicker than ever.

Jissan Cherian, who is head of marketing at Haleon and notes that its messaging has not altered, said: ‘The demand has changed.’

He thinks the move is due to millennials becoming more focused on wellness and an increasing awareness of the relationship between gut bacteria and depression.

Earlier this year, Haleon launched a gummy version of its product to appeal specifically to young adults.