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Constipation Care in Katy & Cypress, TX
Constipation Specialist in Katy, Cypress & Near Fulshear, TX
Constipation is more than fewer bowel movements. Hard stools, straining, a feeling that stool is stuck or that you did not empty completely can all be part of it. United Gastroenterology Associates evaluates persistent, recurring or newly changed constipation at our offices in Katy and Cypress, TX. Most major insurance plans are accepted. Check insurance information.
Dr. Muhammad Ali Khan, MD, FACP, FASGE
Board-Certified Gastroenterologist & Hepatologist
Meet Your Constipation Specialist: Muhammad Ali Khan, MD, FACP, FASGE
BOARD-CERTIFIED Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist
CREDENTIALS AT A GLANCE
Board-Certified
Gastroenterology, hepatology, and internal medicine
Academic Medicine
Former Associate Professor, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Published Research
More than 100 peer-reviewed articles in gastroenterology
FACP and FASGE
Fellow, American College of Physicians and American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
Dr. Muhammad Ali Khan, MD, FACP, FASGE
Board-certified gastroenterologist and hepatologist, United Gastroenterology Associates
Dr. Muhammad Ali Khan, MD, FACP, FASGE, is a board-certified gastroenterologist and hepatologist who sees patients at the United Gastroenterology Associates offices in Cypress and Katy. He evaluates chronic and new constipation, IBS-C and difficult bowel emptying, and performs colonoscopy when it is clinically appropriate.
Dr. Khan earned his medical degree at Dow Medical College, completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Toledo, and completed a gastroenterology and hepatology fellowship at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and as an Associate Professor at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
He is board-certified in gastroenterology, hepatology, and internal medicine, is a Fellow of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (FASGE) and the American College of Physicians (FACP), and has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed articles. Read Dr. Khan’s full profile.
Professional Memberships
- American College of Gastroenterology
- American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (Fellow)
- American Gastroenterological Association
- American College of Physicians (Fellow)
- Texas Medical Association
- Texas Society of Gastroenterology & Endoscopy
Areas of Care
- Chronic constipation
- IBS with constipation
- Slow-transit constipation
- Pelvic-floor dysfunction
- Medication-induced constipation
- Changes in bowel habits
- Colonoscopy
- Colorectal cancer screening
Board-Certified
Gastroenterology, hepatology, and internal medicine
Academic Medicine
Former Associate Professor, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Published Research
More than 100 peer-reviewed articles in gastroenterology
FACP and FASGE
Fellow, American College of Physicians and American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
What Are the Symptoms of Constipation?
Constipation describes bowel movements that are difficult, uncomfortable, incomplete or less frequent than usual. You can be constipated even with more than three bowel movements a week, because stool consistency, straining and incomplete emptying matter as much as frequency. Your usual pattern matters too: a new change from what is normal for you deserves attention.
Constipation may occur by itself or as part of another condition, such as irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C).
When to seek emergency care
Seek prompt medical care for constipation with rectal bleeding, black stools, constant or severe abdominal pain, a rapidly swollen abdomen, inability to pass gas, repeated vomiting, fever or unexplained weight loss. Call 911 for life-threatening symptoms; do not use an online form for an emergency.
Common symptoms of constipation
- Fewer bowel movements than usual
- Hard, dry or pellet-like stools
- Straining to pass stool
- Pain during bowel movements
- Feeling that stool is stuck or blocked
- Feeling that you did not empty completely
- Abdominal bloating, pressure or cramping
- Rectal discomfort or hemorrhoids
These symptoms have many possible causes and should be evaluated by a qualified medical professional when they persist.
When Constipation Becomes Chronic
Constipation is generally considered chronic when symptoms are present for several weeks or longer; doctors often use a three-month window when diagnosing chronic constipation. See a gastroenterologist when constipation does not improve with reasonable self-care, keeps returning, needs frequent or increasing laxatives, interferes with daily life, or started after a new medication.
Primary-care clinicians manage many uncomplicated cases. A gastroenterologist helps when the cause is unclear, standard treatment has not worked, specialized bowel-function testing may be needed, or colonoscopy should be considered for another reason.
Incomplete Bowel Movements and Difficulty Emptying
A feeling that stool is stuck, that the rectum is blocked, or that you never fully empty often points to a problem with how the pelvic-floor muscles relax and coordinate, called pelvic-floor or defecatory dysfunction. Other signs include prolonged straining, a strong urge without being able to pass stool, needing to change position or use manual assistance, and laxatives that repeatedly fail.
In these cases, simply adding more laxatives may not solve the problem. Anorectal manometry, balloon-expulsion testing and sometimes defecography can show how the muscles work, and pelvic-floor biofeedback therapy can retrain them when a defecatory disorder is found.
Constipation With Bloating or Abdominal Pain
Constipation commonly causes bloating, pressure and cramping. When recurring abdominal pain is linked to bowel movements and changes in stool frequency or form, the pattern may fit IBS with constipation (IBS-C), which can be treated differently from chronic constipation without recurring pain.
Bloating can also come from other conditions, so a gastroenterologist looks at the whole picture rather than assuming one cause.
Bloating and gas specialist · Abdominal pain specialist · IBS specialist
New Changes in Bowel Habits
A new change in bowel habits, such as new constipation, constipation that alternates with diarrhea, narrower stools or a change in frequency, deserves evaluation, especially after age 45, with bleeding or anemia, unexplained weight loss, or a family history of colorectal cancer. Most bowel changes have benign causes, but these features help decide whether a colonoscopy is needed.
What Causes Constipation?
Constipation often has more than one contributing factor, so a good evaluation looks beyond fiber intake alone.
Diet, Fluid and Routine
Low fiber, not enough fluid for your needs, low activity, travel, schedule changes and regularly delaying bowel movements.
Medicines and Supplements
Opioid pain medicines, iron, certain antacids, some antidepressants, anticholinergic and blood-pressure medicines. Do not stop a prescribed medicine without talking to your prescriber.
Digestive and Pelvic-Floor Conditions
IBS-C, slow colon transit, pelvic-floor dysfunction, rectocele, anal narrowing, diverticular disease, prior surgery and, less commonly, a blockage or tumor.
Medical and Neurologic Conditions
Diabetes, hypothyroidism, celiac disease, pregnancy, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord conditions and aging.
Types of Chronic Constipation
Knowing the type of constipation helps guide treatment:
Normal-Transit Constipation
Stool moves through the colon at an expected rate, but bowel movements still feel hard, painful or incomplete.
Slow-Transit Constipation
Stool moves more slowly through the colon, often with infrequent bowel movements, bloating and a reduced urge to go.
Pelvic-Floor Dysfunction
The muscles used to empty the rectum do not relax and coordinate correctly, causing straining and incomplete emptying.
IBS With Constipation
Recurring abdominal pain linked to bowel movements, with hard or infrequent stools.
Medication-Induced Constipation
Constipation caused or worsened by a medicine, which may need a medication review or a specific treatment plan.
Secondary Constipation
Constipation caused by another condition, such as hypothyroidism or a neurologic disease, treated by addressing the cause.
Gastroenterology Care for Fulshear Patients
Patients from Fulshear and nearby communities can conveniently visit our Katy gastroenterology office at 23920 Katy Freeway, Suite 555, Katy, TX 77494, about 21 minutes away. United Gastroenterology Associates welcomes new patients seeking evaluation for constipation, bloating, abdominal pain, bowel changes, IBS, colonoscopy and other digestive concerns.
How Is Constipation Evaluated?
Evaluation starts with your bowel pattern, stool form, straining, symptoms of blockage, medications, diet and the treatments you have tried, followed by a focused examination that may include a rectal exam. Testing is selected for your situation rather than done routinely for everyone.
History and Examination
Identifies contributing factors and warning signs, and often guides treatment without extensive testing.
Blood and Stool Tests
May include a blood count, thyroid and celiac testing, or stool tests when they would change your care.
Colonoscopy When Indicated
Considered when screening is due or with bleeding, anemia, weight loss, a new bowel change or a family history of colorectal cancer.
Bowel-Function Testing
Anorectal manometry, balloon expulsion, colonic-transit testing or defecography for selected patients who do not respond to basic treatment.
Does Everyone With Constipation Need a Colonoscopy?
No. Constipation by itself does not automatically require a colonoscopy. A gastroenterologist may recommend one when colorectal cancer screening is due, or when constipation comes with rectal bleeding, blood in the stool, iron-deficiency anemia, unexplained weight loss, a new change in bowel habits, abnormal examination findings, a history of polyps or a family history of colorectal cancer.
How Is Constipation Treated?
The goal is a safe, sustainable plan that improves stool consistency, ease of passage and quality of life, not just one bowel movement. Treatment may include:
Fiber, Added Gradually
Beans, lentils, whole grains, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds or a fiber supplement. Adding fiber too quickly can increase gas and bloating.
Fluids and Bowel Habits
Adequate fluid, responding to the urge, unhurried bathroom time, a footstool for positioning and regular activity. Ask about fluid limits if you have heart, kidney or liver disease.
Over-the-Counter Laxatives
Fiber supplements, osmotic or stimulant laxatives used as advised. Frequent or increasing laxative use should be reviewed with a clinician.
Prescription Medicines
Considered when lifestyle measures and over-the-counter options are not enough, chosen based on the diagnosis, health conditions and response to treatment.
Pelvic-Floor Biofeedback
Retrains the muscles used for bowel emptying when testing shows a defecatory disorder, often more helpful than adding laxatives.
Treating the Underlying Cause
Addressing thyroid disease, a contributing medicine, IBS-C, opioid-induced constipation or a structural problem. Surgery is rarely needed.
Do not start, stop or change medication without medical advice.
Constipation Care at Our Katy and Cypress Offices
Dr. Khan sees patients at the Cypress office at 21216 Northwest Freeway, Suite 640, Cypress, TX 77429, serving Cypress, Tomball, Jersey Village and northwest Houston, and at the Katy office at 23920 Katy Freeway, Suite 555, Katy, TX 77494, serving Katy, Fulshear, Richmond, Rosenberg and west Houston. Fulshear-area patients usually find the Katy office most convenient. Both offices share one phone number for scheduling.
United Gastroenterology Associates – Cypress Office
Cypress office – Northwest Freeway (US-290)
- Address: 21216 Northwest Freeway, Suite 640, Cypress, TX 77429
- Phone: (346) 340-4414
- Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–5:00 PM (closed 12:00–1:30 PM for lunch; last appointment 4:30 PM)
United Gastroenterology Associates – Katy Office
Katy office – Katy Freeway (I-10) near the Grand Parkway
- Address: 23920 Katy Freeway, Suite 555, Katy, TX 77494
- Phone: (346) 340-4414
- Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–5:00 PM (closed 12:00–1:30 PM for lunch; last appointment 4:30 PM)
Insurance and Self-Pay Options
United Gastroenterology Associates accepts most major insurance plans. Insurance coverage, benefits and patient responsibility vary by plan and should be verified before treatment or procedures; the office can help you check your benefits. Self-pay options are available.
A carrier logo does not guarantee coverage for a specific plan or service. Call (346) 340-4414 to confirm your benefits.
What Patients Say About Dr. Khan
These reviews were shared by patients of United Gastroenterology Associates and are published on the practice website.
“Dr. Khan is an exceptionally kind and compassionate physician. He truly listens to his patients and takes the time to explain everything clearly and thoroughly. His treatment plans are straightforward and easy to understand, and he provides a very personalized, attentive level of care. I felt respected, heard, and genuinely cared for throughout my visit.”
Maria Andreina Behrens · Katy
“Dr. Khan is an amazing physician. He is so kind hearted & wants to help you in every way possible. He listens & doesn’t make you feel rushed. I feel so comfortable talking to him about anything. I am so glad to have him as my gastro doctor. His staff is outstanding as well. Shout out to Dr. Khan & his staff.”
Donna LaPlante · Cypress
“Dr Kahn and his staff are AWESOME. He is thorough, kind, listens and puts you at ease. The staff are patient and very helpful. I was so afraid of having a colonscopy. Dr Kahn was wonderful. My procedure went so well. It was over and done with in what seemed like a minute! So expect that! Dr Kahn is excellent, I trust him completely. And I recommend him, and his staff.”
Steph Apie · Fulshear
Related Conditions and Patient Guides
These pages cover conditions and tests related to constipation and bowel changes.
Bowel Conditions
Testing and Screening
Constipation: Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions about constipation and constipation care in Katy and Cypress.
When is constipation considered chronic?
Constipation is generally considered chronic when symptoms last several weeks or longer; doctors often use a three-month window. Ongoing or recurring constipation deserves an evaluation.
What causes incomplete bowel movements?
A feeling of incomplete emptying is often related to pelvic-floor muscles that do not relax and coordinate correctly, hard stools, a rectocele or IBS. Specialized testing can identify the cause.
Can IBS cause constipation and bloating?
Yes. IBS with constipation (IBS-C) commonly causes hard or infrequent stools with abdominal pain and bloating. Other conditions can cause similar symptoms.
When should new bowel changes be evaluated?
A new change that lasts more than a few weeks should be evaluated, sooner if it comes with bleeding, anemia, weight loss, or starts after age 45 or with a family history of colorectal cancer.
How many days without a bowel movement is considered constipation?
There is no single number for everyone. Fewer than three bowel movements a week is one sign, but hard stools, straining and incomplete emptying also matter.
Do I need a colonoscopy for constipation?
Not automatically. It depends on your age and screening status, bleeding, anemia, weight loss, family history and whether the change is new.
Can medicines cause constipation?
Yes. Opioid pain medicines, iron, certain antacids, some antidepressants and anticholinergic medicines can contribute. Do not stop a prescribed medicine without speaking with your prescriber.
Where can I see a constipation specialist near Katy, Cypress or Fulshear?
Dr. Muhammad Ali Khan sees patients at 23920 Katy Freeway, Suite 555, Katy, TX 77494 and 21216 Northwest Freeway, Suite 640, Cypress, TX 77429. Fulshear patients usually visit the Katy office. Call (346) 340-4414.
Need a Gastroenterology Appointment?
United Gastroenterology Associates welcomes new patients at our Katy and Cypress offices. Send a request and our team will contact you to schedule, or call (346) 340-4414.
- Board-certified gastroenterologist & hepatologist
- Most major insurance plans accepted
- Katy and Cypress locations
- Convenient access for Fulshear patients at the Katy office
- Colonoscopy and endoscopy available when clinically appropriate
Request an Appointment
Tell us how to reach you. Please do not include detailed medical information; we will discuss your symptoms when we call.
Prefer to book yourself? Use our online scheduler. Insurance coverage, benefits and patient responsibility vary by plan and should be verified before treatment or procedures. View insurance information. For a medical emergency, call 911.
Sources
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Constipation. niddk.nih.gov
- Chang L, Chey WD, Imdad A, et al. American Gastroenterological Association–American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Practice Guideline: Pharmacological Management of Chronic Idiopathic Constipation. Gastroenterology. 2023;164(7):1086–1106. doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2023.03.214
This page provides general educational information and does not replace medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Symptoms should be evaluated by a qualified medical professional. For a medical emergency, call 911. Content reviewed by United Gastroenterology Associates, PLLC. Last updated September 30, 2026.