Docusate
chemical compound
Docusate is the common chemical and pharmaceutical name of the anion bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate, also commonly called dioctyl sulfosuccinate (DOSS).
Salts of this anion, especially docusate sodium, are widely used in medicine as an emollient laxative and as stool softeners, by mouth or rectally. Some studies state that docusate is not more effective than a placebo for improving constipation. Other docusate salts with medical use include those of calcium and potassium. Docusate salts are also used as food additives, emulsifiers, dispersants, and wetting agents, among other uses.
It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. In 2023, it was the 148th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 3 million prescriptions. In 2023, the combination with senna was the 242nd most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 1 million prescriptions.
History
Sodium docusate was patented in 1937 by Coleman R. Caryl and Alphons O. Jaeger for American Cyanamid, which commercialized it for many years as a detergent under the brand name Aerosol OT.
Its use for the treatment of constipation was first proposed in 1955 by James L. Wilson and David G. Dickinson, and quickly popularized under the name Doxinate.
Medical use
Constipation
The main medical use of docusate sodium is to treat constipation, acting as a laxative and stool softener.
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The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 26, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2815334. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2023, 1937 and 1955.
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This entry incorporates text from “Docusate” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.