The best time to take a stool softener is usually at bedtime. You should follow the directions on the packaging or ask your healthcare provider for specific instructions.
If you have any of the following health problems, consult your doctor or pharmacist before using this medication: severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, sudden change in bowel habits over the previous 2 weeks. During pregnancy, this medication should be used only when clearly needed.
Stimulant laxatives are usually taken on an empty stomach for rapid effect. Results are slowed if taken with food. Many stimulant laxatives (but not castor oil) are often taken at bedtime to produce results the next morning (although some may require 24 hours or more).
You'll usually have a bowel movement after about 12 to 72 hours upon using a stool softener. Don't take stool softeners for more than a week at a time. If you're still having hard stools after a week of using them, contact your healthcare provider.
Others may not take effect for 24–48 hours. Stimulant laxatives, such as Dulcolax and Senna, may take 6–12 hours. Stool softeners, such as Docusate, may take 24–48 hours. Fiber-based laxatives, including Fibercon and Metamucil, can take 12–72 hours.
Stool softeners like docusate (Colace) work by reducing the hardness of stools, which should make them easier to pass. Problem is, they won't do much if you're already constipated, since they take three of four days to kick in, he adds. But they can help treat chronic constipation.
Over-the-counter stool softeners are effective for some people. However, in controlled clinical trials, there is no evidence that they improve symptoms. While they only are intended for short-term relief of constipation, using a daily stool softener long-term probably is not harmful.
Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects. Tell your doctor right away if you have any serious side effects, including: nausea/vomiting/diarrhea that doesn't stop, muscle cramps/weakness, irregular heartbeat, dizziness, decreased urination, mental/mood changes (such as confusion).
The fastest-working oral laxatives include mineral oil, saline laxatives (like magnesium hydroxide and magnesium citrate), and stimulant laxatives (like bisacodyl and senna tablets). Common OTC products in this group include Milk of Magnesia, Dulcolax, and Senokot.
take 1 to 3 softgels daily. This dose may be taken as a single daily dose or in divided doses.
The active ingredients of laxatives can have different half-lives. For example, the half-life of lactulose is about 2 hours while the half-life of bisacodyl is 16 hours. Bulk-forming laxatives don't have a half-life, because they're eliminated with your next bowel movement.
This medicine can be taken at any time with or without food. Dissolve the content of each sachet in 125ml (1/4 pint) of water and drink. Constipation: A dose of Movicol is 1 sachet dissolved in 125 ml (1/4 pint) of water.
A laxative defines any medicine that facilitates a bowel movement which includes a broad range designed to treat varying levels of severity. A stool softener is a mild (OTC) over-the-counter laxative used to soften the stool for easier passage and less strain.
Bulk-forming fiber supplements include calcium polycarbophil (Equilactin, Fibercon), methylcellulose fiber (Citrucel), and psyllium (Fiber-Lax, Konsyl, Metamucil), and wheat dextrin (Benefiber). Unlike other laxatives, you can take these every day. They make the stool bigger and softer.
Colace, the brand name of docusate sodium, is an over-the-counter (OTC) stool softener used to treat occasional constipation in adults and children ages 2 years and older. It's taken by mouth, usually in tablet or capsule form, either once or twice daily.
More than one dose a day of popular laxatives used to treat constipation could have dangerous — even deadly — side effects for adults and children, federal health officials warned Wednesday.
You may think that cutting back on food will help “clear out” your colon. That's not the case. Do this: Eating, especially healthy whole foods that contain fiber, helps your body move stool.
Eat more fiber: Add more fresh fruits, vegetables, and fiber-rich foods into your diet. Whole-grain cereals, beans, prunes, and bran are excellent sources of fiber. These foods increase the weight of your stool, helping it pass through your intestines.
Usually people find that Movicol takes effect around one to two days after taking it. The duration of the treatment for constipation may continue for up to two weeks.
WHAT TIME OF DAY SHOULD I TAKE MOVICOL®? If you are taking more than one sachet per day you can spread them out, for example one morning and night or add a third sachet in the middle of the day. However, it is of course perfectly acceptable to take the whole dose at once.
Movicol won't make you have a bowel movement immediately; it can take one to two days of taking Movicol for it to work.