COLUMBIA, SC
Chronic Constipation Clinical Trials
No chronic constipation study is enrolling in Columbia SC, and we would rather say so plainly. However, one runs about 90 minutes north in Charlotte, and it publishes exactly how many visits it needs. Compensation is provided for eligible participants once one opens here.
0
Open in the Midlands
1
About 90 Minutes North
+/- $100
Per Visit
New here? Read how this page works
First, here is the honest picture. Nothing is open in the Midlands, and the nearest study is about 90 minutes north. So here is how to use this page.
- Work out which of the three diagnoses you have. Because plain chronic constipation, the irritable bowel version and the opioid version go to completely different studies.
- Ask whether pain is part of your picture. Notably, that is the dividing line, and the study here rules out anyone with any type of irritable bowel syndrome.
- Ask whether anorectal testing is warranted. In fact, if your pelvic floor muscles tighten instead of relaxing, laxatives will never fix it and biofeedback is the treatment.
- Finally, tap the button. Then we check you against every study we track and tell you when a new one opens.
Of course, checking never signs you up for anything. You are only seeing where you might fit.
The Nearest Study to Columbia
It runs in Charlotte, about 90 minutes north. Notably, it publishes its visit schedule, so the drive can actually be planned.
The nearest study, about 90 minutes north
Nothing runs in the Midlands. Notably, this one publishes its visit schedule, which makes the drive easier to plan than most.
An Approved Drug, Tested for a New Group
Ardelyx / Late stage tablet
Tenapanor is already approved, but only for the constipation type of irritable bowel syndrome. This study tests it for ordinary chronic constipation instead. It is a tablet taken twice a day for 26 weeks. Three dose levels are compared against a dummy. So if it works, it becomes a fourth kind of option rather than a repeat of the others.
Payment is not published.
Get on the list →More details
Why researchers are excited: the drug works by a completely different route from the usual laxatives. Meanwhile, people who have run through the standard options often have nowhere else to go.
Who this study is looking for
- Age 18 to 80
- Also, meets the Rome criteria for functional constipation
- Besides that, able and willing to use a daily electronic diary
- Finally, meets the stool thresholds during a two week screening diary
Probably not a fit if: any type of irritable bowel syndrome rules you out. That includes the constipation type, which surprises people. Also, loose stools more than a quarter of the time, or a blocked bowel in the past six months.
- Placebo group: Yes. There are four groups, three doses and a dummy, so roughly a one in four chance.
- How long: About 32 weeks in total. That is two weeks of screening, 26 of treatment and four of follow up.
- Clinic visits: Ten visits across about 32 weeks, at weeks 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 26 plus screening and follow up.
- Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
- Most invasive part: Two weeks of screening with nothing to help you. Also, a daily diary throughout. However, no camera test is needed.
- Setting: Outpatient.
- Where it runs: DelRicht Research, Charlotte NC 28210; Accellacare, Salisbury NC 28144; Accellacare of Piedmont, Statesville NC 28625.
- Drive from Columbia: Charlotte is about 90 miles north, so roughly an hour and a half on I-77.
- Screening is the hard part. You come off your usual laxatives first. So a good fortnight can screen you out.
- Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
Not sure which one fits you?
First, answer a few quick health questions. Then we keep them on file. Finally, we call you when a study opens near Columbia. No account, no paperwork.
See if I may fit one of these studies →What Is Actually Changing in Chronic Constipation
The 2023 guideline was the first to name magnesium oxide and senna as evidence based options.
There Are At Least Three Different Diagnoses Here
The plain kind means no cause was found. The irritable bowel kind means pain is part of it. The opioid kind means a painkiller is causing it. So which one you have decides which studies will even look at you.
Pain Is the Dividing Line
If belly pain is a regular part of it, that points to the irritable bowel version. If it is not, that points to plain chronic constipation. Notably, the same person cannot qualify for both kinds of study. In fact, the study on this page rules out anybody with any type of irritable bowel syndrome.
Normal Is Wider Than People Think
Three times a day to three times a week all count as normal. So daily is not the target, and chasing it causes needless worry. Instead, judge it on straining, hardness and whether you feel finished. Also, those are what the studies actually measure.
Learn the Bristol Stool Scale By Name
It is a seven point picture chart of stool form, and it is how studies classify you. Types one and two are the constipated end. Meanwhile, the terms you will see in a study are bowel movement, spontaneous bowel movement and complete spontaneous bowel movement. So the third one is the real target.
Some People Have a Muscle Problem, Not a Transit Problem
In one type, the pelvic floor muscles tighten when they should relax. So laxatives do very little, because nothing is stuck higher up. It is found with a pressure test and a balloon test. In fact, the treatment is biofeedback rather than any drug on this page.
Opioids Are a Separate Problem Entirely
If you take opioids regularly, this is opioid induced constipation and it needs its own studies. The body never gets used to that effect, so it does not fade with time. Also, there is a dedicated drug class for it that other constipation drugs do not match.
Senna and Magnesium Finally Got Their Evidence
The 2023 joint guideline was the first to name magnesium oxide and senna as evidence based options. That matters, because the old warning that stimulant laxatives cause dependency has not held up. Meanwhile, the standard powder laxative is cheap, safe and it works, so it is still first line.
Tenapanor: A Fourth Route If It Works
Most prescription options either draw water in through one channel or speed the gut up. Tenapanor blocks a sodium exchanger instead, which changes how fluid moves. So it is a different mechanism rather than another version of the same one. However, it is currently approved only for the irritable bowel version.
Cost Is Part of the Decision
As William Chey has pointed out, several of these drugs are still brand name only. So what you pay, and what your plan will cover, are real parts of the choice. Meanwhile, that is one honest reason a study can be worth considering.
Chronic Constipation Help Near You
Start by naming which of the three diagnoses fits you. Ask whether anorectal testing is warranted, because a muscle problem will not answer to laxatives. Also, ask for a TSH and a calcium level, and have your medicine list reviewed. Generally, your own doctor can arrange all of this.
Research Sites Near Columbia
Nothing runs in the Midlands, while the nearest sites are in Charlotte, at Salisbury and at Statesville. But sites add new studies all the time, so it is worth knowing what is near you.
Prisma Health Richland Hospital
Downtown Columbia / 37+ active studies
Cancer, blood disorders, broad hospital research
The flagship Prisma Health hospital in the Midlands. Also, by far the biggest trial operation in the Columbia metro.
Visit Website →
University of South Carolina
Columbia / 27+ active studies
Stroke recovery, physical activity, community health
Notably, a research university that runs federally funded health studies across the Midlands. Specifically, topics range from stroke rehab to disease prevention.
Visit Website →
Bogan Sleep Consultants
Columbia / 7+ active studies
Narcolepsy, sleep disorders
One of the best known private sleep research sites in the Southeast. Also, it has run sleep trials for decades.
Prisma Health Midlands Cardiovascular
Columbia / 4+ active studies
Cardiovascular disease, heart failure
The heart and vessel research arm of Prisma Health in the Midlands. So it is the natural home for cholesterol trials in Columbia.
Visit Website →
Prisma Health Children’s Hospital, Midlands
Columbia / 4+ active studies
Pediatric growth, cystic fibrosis
Basically, the Midlands hub for children’s research inside the Prisma Health system.
Visit Website →
Columbia Dermatology & Aesthetics
Columbia / 4+ active studies
Hidradenitis suppurativa, psoriasis, obesity
A skin care practice with its own research team. It runs both skin and weight studies.
Velocity Clinical Research, Columbia
Columbia / Multiple active studies
COPD, skin conditions, vaccines
Part of one of the biggest research site networks in the country. Besides, it is just the kind of site the huge outcome trials lean on.
Visit Website →
Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center
Garners Ferry Road, Columbia / 2+ active studies
Atherosclerosis, liver disease
Columbia’s VA medical center runs studies, including ones on clogged arteries. For veterans, it is often the first door.
Visit Website →
Objective Health, Columbia
Columbia / 2+ active studies
Celiac disease, fatty liver disease
Once called Columbia Digestive Health Research. Now it is part of the Objective Health network. Specifically, it runs gut and liver studies, including fatty liver trials.
Columbia Gastroenterology Associates
Columbia / Active studies
Digestive conditions
A long-running gut health practice. Also, it takes part in digestive trials around Columbia.
What to Expect in a Constipation Study
New to studies? Here is how one works, step by step.
01
Prescreening
First comes a short phone call or online form. Also, it takes about 10 to 15 minutes. The staff check whether you might fit. Then they tell you what is open.
02
Screening Visit
Next the clinic runs the tests that decide it, which usually means blood work. Also, they go through the consent form line by line, and you can bring somebody with you.
03
Treatment Period
Then the study begins. So you take the study drug or the placebo on the agreed schedule. Meanwhile, your own doctor keeps managing everything else.
04
Follow-Up
Finally, there is a check in period at the end. Also, your own doctor gets the results, and you can stop at any point without affecting your care.
Chronic Constipation Trial FAQs
Real answers about chronic constipation studies near Columbia SC.
Is there a study for this near Columbia?
No, and we will not pretend otherwise. Nothing is recruiting in Columbia, West Columbia, Lexington, Irmo, Cayce, Sumter or Orangeburg. However, one study runs in Charlotte about 90 miles north, and it publishes its visit schedule, which is ten visits across about 32 weeks. Notably, that is a real commitment at that distance, so ask about travel costs before deciding.
Which kind of constipation do I have?
There are at least three, and it decides everything. The plain kind means no cause was found. The irritable bowel kind means pain is part of it. Finally, the opioid kind means a painkiller is causing it. Notably, the same person cannot qualify for both of the first two kinds of study.
Will I get a dummy?
Yes, that is possible, and here the odds are actually published. There are four groups, which are three doses and a dummy. So that is roughly a one in four chance. Also, it is one of the few studies on our site that publishes its visit schedule too.
Do I have to stop my laxatives?
Yes, for a two week screening period, and that is the hardest part of joining. The point is measuring your baseline without anything helping. However, the exact list of what you must stop is not published, so ask the clinic for it. Notably, if your bowels behave better than usual that fortnight, you can screen out.
How often is normal?
Anywhere from three times a day to three times a week. So daily is not the target, and chasing it causes needless worry. Instead, judge it on straining, hardness and whether you feel finished. In fact, those are what the studies actually measure.
What if laxatives never work for me?
Then ask about your pelvic floor, because that is a different problem. In some people the muscles tighten when they should relax, so nothing is stuck higher up. It is found with anorectal manometry and a balloon expulsion test. Notably, the treatment is biofeedback rather than any drug.
Are stimulant laxatives really harmful?
The old warning about dependency has not held up. The 2023 joint guideline named senna and magnesium oxide as evidence based options. Meanwhile, polyethylene glycol remains cheap, safe and effective, and it is still first line. So a laxative is a reasonable starting point rather than a last resort.
What if I take opioids?
Then you need an opioid constipation study rather than this one. The body never gets used to that effect, so it does not fade with time. Also, there is a dedicated drug class for it that other constipation drugs do not match. So say early that you take them, because it changes which studies fit.
Does it cost anything to check?
No. There is no cost, and no insurance is needed. Tether is a nonprofit list, so we do not run studies and we are not paid to send you anywhere. Also, checking never enrolls anyone in anything. You would always call the clinic yourself.
Where can I get help near Columbia SC?
Prisma Health and Lexington Medical Center both run digestive services across the Midlands. Also, ask for a gut specialist, and ask whether pressure testing is available if laxatives have never worked for you. Generally, your own doctor can check your thyroid, your calcium and your medicine list first. Meanwhile, those three explain a good share of stubborn constipation.
Ready to Explore a Study?
Check your eligibility, or just reach out to our Columbia team. No pressure. Also, no sales pitch.
← Back to All Clinical TrialsSources
- Tenapanor study record, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07382167
- ACG and AGA: the care guideline, with comment from Lin Chang, MD
- Healio: on opioid related cases, with comment from Seth Crockett, MD
Study details and per-site recruiting status verified against ClinicalTrials.gov on August 16, 2026. Each site row was read individually. The exact list of laxatives and other medicines you must stop before screening is not published on the public record, so ask the clinic for it directly. Study availability and criteria change; the research clinic confirms everything before you enroll.