# General question about Movicol



## skato

Hello everybodyI do hope somebody can help me. I am a 39 year old female who is having terrible trouble with constipation. I have not been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome but I believe I suffer from the symptoms. Constipation is my problem, it started with small pellet like faeces and my doctor told me to take Normafibe, which made things worse. Doctor then put me on Movicol. I was taking it in the morning after breakfast, initially 2 sachets a day for a few days and I was going too much. I now take one sachet a day at night before bed and upon waking up in the morning I now have the urge to go. I don't go immediately but after 20 minutes I have a bowel movement, easy to pass and good size stool. My bowel cannot empty all of the faeces at once like most people, I am back and forth to the toilet about 3 times within a 2 hour period before work. Each time good size faeces, but it gets me down as I would rather just get it all out at once if you know what I mean.Im a bit of a nervous person and do worry about things a little bit too much. Can anybody please give me some information if Movicol is safe to take on a daily basis and long-term, I have now been taking it for months. The box says the usual course does not exceed 2 weeks. Any information would be most grateful.Thank you.


----------



## eternalpain

Hi skatoI have been taking Movicol for months. My usual dose is one sachet about an hour before & go to bed & this helps me have a daily BM. However, as I suffer from IBS-C I sometimes have to take more sachets. The most I have taken was 5 a day!! I have been told by my GP that Movicol is safe to take long term & the normal dose for this type of use is 1 or 2 sachets a day.I don't get any side effects with Movicol but occasionally when I feel I need a good "clear out" I take 2 Ducolax as a stimulant as Movicol only adds water to soften the stools.Hope this helps. Best wishesPatsy


----------



## skato

Thanks for your advice about the movicol. I didn't take movicol on Thursday night and had a bowel movement Friday. I took fybogel on Friday morning and then Saturday I didn't go hardly at all. I took a movicol in the morning and another before bed. I am now waiting to have a BM but nothing is happening. I don't know what to do. I don't want to feel like #### all day again. How long is it going to take for the movicol to work. Should I take 3 sachets today


----------



## Mary5

Movicol contains polyethlene glycol '3350', an osmotic laxative. Movicol’s ingredients also contain sodium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, and potassium chloride (to prevent dehidration).Here in the US it is marketed as Miralax (only contains plyethlene glycol) and last year became available over the counter. It is perfectly safe to use long term. And you can take as much as you need to (this confirmed and reconfirmed by my gastroenterologist). Many people are successful when they take a dose say at 7 pm and another at 9pm or so,before going to bed. Just keep trying until you find your dose. Start with the standard dose and then increase until you get your results. Relax, it is perfecly safe and for people with IBS-C perfectly safe to use long term.


----------



## skato

thank you so much for your response I really appreciate it. I have settled down now and things have settled in the BM department as well. So again, I appreciate your information about Movicol.


----------

