Learning about the basic information regarding Movicol will guide you before deciding to take this medication. The article below will explain the use, the ingredients, dosage, precautions, Movicol side effects as well as other relevant knowledge essential for the user.
What Is Movicol?
Movicol is a medication used as a treatment for constipation and its related symptoms. It is available in 13.8g sachets of powder to be dissolved for convenient use. It is a laxative treatment recommended for adolescents, adults, and the elderly. It is not suitable for children.
What Is Movicol Used For?
Movicol is used to relieve the difficulty of passing stool or constipation. It helps people who suffer from this condition have a more comfortable bowel movement. Movicol is also used for a diagnosed condition called faecal impaction. This is a condition wherein hardened stools or faeces build up in the rectum as a result of long-term constipation.
How Does Movicol Work?
Movicol increases the movement of your bowel through its laxative content. It pushes the digestive system to pass a stool. Movicol has macrogol (polyethylene glycol ‘3350’), a type of substance known as an osmotic laxative. Other active ingredients of Movicol include sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride, and potassium chloride.
Macrogol passes through the gut but is not absorbed into the body. It alleviates constipation by retaining water in the bowel instead of being absorbed into the body. This elevates the water content and volume of the stools in the bowel which makes them softer and easier to pass, it also encourages the muscle in the bowel walls to expel the stools along.
Movicol also has electrolytes in the form of sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride, and potassium chloride to prevent dehydration. This helps in making the laxative work without disrupting the normal amounts of sodium, potassium, or water in the body.
How Long Does Movicol Take To Work?
Movicol won’t make you expel your bowels right away. Movicol starts to work after one to two days from the first dose.
What Are The Benefits Of Taking Movicol?
Constipation may happen to anyone at any time and while it may not be a threatening condition, it can be excruciating. Constipation may cause stomach ache, bloating, trapped wind, and cramps, so treating with Movicol immediately and efficiently will help you get back to normal quickly.
