A client presents to the emergency department with severe abdominal pain. The client reports taking more than the recommended dose of bisacodyl for the past month. What is the client at risk for?

A. Hyperkalemia: Chronic stimulant laxative use increases gastrointestinal potassium losses rather than potassium retention. Bisacodyl promotes electrolyte and fluid secretion into the bowel lumen. Prolonged use is more commonly associated with hypokalemia due to ongoing losses. B. Fluid overload: Bisacodyl causes increased intestinal fluid secretion and accelerated stool passage. Long-term overuse leads to dehydration and volume depletion rather than excess fluid retention. Fluid overload is not a pharmacologic effect of stimulant laxatives. C. Intestinal blockage: Stimulant laxatives increase peristalsis and bowel evacuation, reducing the likelihood of fecal impaction when used alone. Chronic misuse can alter motility, but true mechanical obstruction is uncommon. The primary risk relates to structural and functional injury of the bowel. D. Bowel damage: Long-term bisacodyl overuse can damage colonic nerve plexuses, leading to cathartic colon and severe abdominal pain. Chronic stimulation causes dependence, loss of normal peristalsis, and mucosal injury. These changes place the client at risk for permanent bowel dysfunction.