How to take Movicol® and Laxido®
Date issued: October 2022
For review: October 2024
Ref: B-333/AC/Medicine/How to take Movical and Laxido v2
PDF: How to take Movicol and Laxido final May 2015.pdf[pdf] 195KB
Instruction for patients seen in the Pelvic Floor Clinic
What are these medications?
These medications are laxatives, often referred to as osmotic laxatives. They are similar drugs that are made by different companies and hence have different names.
How does it improve bowel control?
They contain a substance called macrogol, which passes through the body without being absorbed from the gut. It works because it keeps hold of the water it is taken with and prevents it from being absorbed. The extra water in the gut keeps the poo soft and prevents constipation. They also contain small amounts of salt to prevent dehydration and salt deprivation.
What are the risks?
Osmotic laxatives cannot be used by all people, ensure that you have discussed with your doctor if it’s safe for you if you have had
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An obstruction in your intestine (gut)
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A perforated gut wall
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Severe inflammatory bowel disease, like ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease or toxic megacolon.
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Are being treated for heart failure or an irregular heartbeat
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If you have been told to follow a low sodium diet
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An allergy to any of the ingredients
It is important that you read the leaflet provided with the medication before taking it.
If you are pregnant or breast feeding, talk to your doctor / nurse before taking the laxatives.
Osmotic laxatives can interact with antiepileptic drugs. If you take these, you should discuss an alternative medication that may be more suitable with your doctor or pharmacist.
The most reported undesirable effects with osmotic laxatives are mild. Sometimes people have stomach aches or rumbles, feel bloated or sick or have increased wind. You may have mild diarrhoea especially when starting.
If you feel weak, breathless, very thirsty, with a headache, get puffy ankles or have an irregular heartbeat, stop taking the medication and inform your doctor or pharmacist.
If you experience any other undesirable effects that are not listed, tell your pharmacist or doctor.
What are the benefits?
The benefits of taking osmotic laxatives are that the passage of stools through the bowel is quicker and the stools are softer and so easier to pass. Taking laxatives regularly prevents constipation.
What are the alternatives?
There are other medicines that have a similar effect on the bowel, such as Fybogel.
What dose do I take?
A suggested starting dose will have been discussed with you. It is usual to start with one sachet a day but some people will require a larger dose. People vary a lot in their response, but it can take 1-2 days to have the desired effect. It sometimes needs some experimentation to find the dose that will soften your bowels without giving you diarrhoea. It is usual to start on a low dose and build it up slowly over a few days so that you can judge how your body is responding. If you take too much and get bad diarrhoea, stop taking it until it clears, then start again at a lower dose.
How to mix
Take the medication before or after meals. Pour the contents into a glass of water or you can add juice or squash (about 125ml or quarter of a pint). Stir well until the powder has dissolved and the solution is clear or slightly hazy, and then drink it. You must take the medicine as soon as possible after preparing it.
