Index
This medicine contains macrogol (polyethylene glycol), a type of medicine known as an osmotic laxative.
Each Movicol sachet contains baking soda, sodium chloride, and potassium chloride. The contents of the sachets must be mixed with water to make a drink.
This drug is used to help people who have been constipated for a long time to have a comfortable bowel movement.
Relieves the most severe constipation known as fecal impaction, where there is an accumulation of compressed and hardened stool in the rectum due to chronic constipation. A doctor must diagnose this.
Polyethylene glycol
Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a polyether compound with many applications, from industrial manufacturing to medicine.
Polyethylene glycol is also known as polyethylene oxide (OPE) or polyoxyethylene (POE), depending on its molecular weight. The structure of polyethylene glycol is commonly expressed as H- (O-CH2-CH2) n-OH.
How does Movicol work?
Macrogol is an osmotic laxative, an inert substance that passes through the intestine without being absorbed by the body.
The Movicol sachets and the liquid contain macrogol (polyethylene glycol ‘3350’), a type of medicine known as an osmotic laxative. Movicol also contains sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride, and potassium chloride.
Baking soda, sodium chloride, and potassium chloride (electrolytes) are included in Movicol to make sure the laxative works without causing the body to gain or lose significant amounts of sodium, potassium, or water.
Movicol will not make you have a bowel movement right away; it may take one to two days to take Movicol for it to work. It won’t work correctly, and you risk causing dehydration.
This medicine is Movicol flavor-free. Each envelope contains:
- Macrogol – 13.125 g.
- Sodium chloride – 350.8 mg.
- Sodium bicarbonate – 178.6 mg.
- Potassium chloride – 50.2 mg.
When made into a drink with 125 ml of water, each sachet gives the equivalent of:
- Sodium – 65 mmol / L.
- Chloride – 53 mmol / L.
- Bicarbonate – 17 mmol / 50.
- Potassium – 5.4 mmol / L.
Each sachet contains 13.7 grams of powder. Water is added to the powder to make a drink.
What the Movicol looks like and the contents of the package
Movicol is a white powder. Movicol is available in 2, 6, 8, 10, 20, 30, 50, 60, or 100 sachets.
Pharmacokinetic properties
It is virtually unabsorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. When macrogol is absorbed, it is excreted through the urine.
Macrogol, often in combination with electrolytes, is used for the short-term relief of constipation and long-term use in constipation of various causes.
Even in patients with multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease (an often overlooked non-motor symptom) and constipation caused by drugs such as opioids and anticholinergics.
Macrogol total bowel irrigation is part of bowel preparation before surgery or colonoscopy. Limited data also support its use for the treatment of fecal impaction.
A 2007 comparison showed that patients with constipation had a better response to macrogol than tegaserod.
Preclinical safety data
Preclinical studies provide evidence that macrogol does not have a significant systemic toxicity potential, based on conventional studies of pharmacology, repeated dose toxicity, and genotoxicity.
Indirect embryo-fetal effects are seen, including reduced fetal and placental weight, decreased fetal viability, increased hyperflexion of the extremities in ducks, and abortions.
In the same rabbit, a toxic dose for the mother was 3.3 x the maximum recommended dose in humans to treat chronic constipation and 1.3 x for fecal impaction.
What are forms of Movicol available?
There are a few different forms of Movicol that you can buy without a prescription at pharmacies or that your doctor can prescribe:
Movicol sachets/sachets and Movicol medium sachets/sachets contain a powder mixed with water to make a drink. They come in plain, chocolate, and lemon and lime flavors.
Each sachet contains 13.8 grams of Movicol. Movicol medium sachets / sachets contain 6.9 g of Movicol. Both have the artificial sweetener acesulfame potassium (E950).
Movicol for pediatric pain does not contain colors, flavors, or sweeteners. Each sachet contains 6.9 grams of Movicol.
Liquid Movicol is an orange-flavored concentrate mixed with water to make a drink. Movicol ready-to-drink sachets contain liquid that does not need to be diluted: you take the strawberry and banana-flavored medicine directly from the sachet/sachet.
Movicol pediatric sachets are for treating constipation in children under 12 years of age and are only available with a prescription.
Movicol must be administered with water. Choose the amount of water that your child can drink at one time. This quantity must be at least 125 ml for Movicol (60 ml for Movicol medium sachets / sachets or Movicol pediatric sachets).
If your child does not drink enough water with Movicol, the medicine will not work correctly, and your child could become dehydrated. Never give the powder without water.
If your child doesn’t like the taste, you can add fruit squash to the drink. The medicine will still work correctly.
If they can’t take it all at once, they can take it for about 30 minutes. It can be helpful to use a straw.
If your child needs to take medicine at school, you can make the mixture at home for your child to take to school. It would help if you told the school that you are doing this.
When should the medicine start to work?
It may take a few hours or a day or more before your child produces a loose stool (diarrhea).
This will depend on how severe the constipation is and its cause. Your doctor can give you a plan to provide you with more sachets in one day if the Movicol doesn’t seem to be working at first.
What if my child is sick (vomiting)?
If your child is sick less than 30 minutes after receiving a dose of Movicol, give the same amount again.
If your child is sick more than 30 minutes after a dose, you do not need to give him another amount. Wait at least 4 hours before giving more Movicol.
What if I forget to give him the Movicol?
If you miss a dose, give your child the missed dose as soon as you remember. You must provide each envelope with a glass of water. Do not put two sachets together in a drink.
What if I give too many movies?
It is unlikely that you will give too much Movicol to your child. Contact your doctor if you think you have given too much Movicol to your child. Please have the package with you if you call on the phone.
If this happens, stop taking Movicol and drink plenty of fluids. If you are concerned, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
How do I take Movicol?
Movicol can be administered at any time of the day.
Your doctor will develop a plan that tells you how many sachets of Movicol you can give your child in a 12-hour day. Your doctor will explain how to adjust the program so that your child produces loose stools regularly.
Your doctor will also tell you the maximum number of sachets your child can have in one day. Your doctor will calculate the amount of Movicol (the dose) right for your child. The quantity will be shown on the medicine label.
Always take the Movicol product you are using as directed by your doctor or pharmacist. The dose needed, how often to take it, and how long to wait depending on the severity of your constipation.
You can take Movicol for up to two weeks to relieve chronic constipation.
Your doctor may recommend that you take Movicol in a lower dose more regularly if your constipation is caused by conditions such as:
Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis, or if you are taking regular medications that cause constipation, such as:
Opioid pain relievers (such as morphine), antispasmodic medications (such as hyoscine and atropine), or anticholinergic medications for Parkinson’s symptoms (such as procyclidine).
In these situations, medicine can help produce regular bowel movements.
When treating fecal impaction, your doctor may ask you to take Movicol for three days. If you have not had a bowel movement after this time, you should see your doctor again.
How to take Movicol unflavored
Constipation: the recommended dose is one sachet per day. This can be increased to 2 or 3 sachets daily if necessary.
Fecal impaction: the dose is eight sachets per day taken within 6 hours. You may need to take this dose for up to 3 days. If you have a heart condition, do not take more than two sachets in an hour.
Add about 125 ml of water to the glass. Stir well until all the powder has dissolved and the unflavored Movicol solution is clear or slightly cloudy, then drink it. If you want, you can add a flavor to the drink, such as orange squash.
Drink plenty of water. Increase fiber in the diet, except in cases of drug-induced constipation. Long-term use of laxatives is undesirable and can lead to dependence.
Prolonged use may be necessary for some circumstances, but it should only be under medical supervision.
If you take too much unflavored Movicol and have diarrhea, stop taking it until it goes away. If constipation recurs, you should check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking a new course of unflavored Movicol.
Movicol envelopes
You can take one sachet up to three times a day to treat constipation, depending on how severe your constipation is. The content of each sachet must be dissolved in 125 ml of water before drinking.
The usual dose is eight sachets per day to treat fecal impaction, all of which should be taken within six hours.
You can complete this dose in one go (dissolve eight sachets in one liter of water) and keep it covered in the fridge. Drink the total amount for six hours. (If you have a heart condition, do not drink more than 250 ml of the prepared solution in an hour.)
Half movicol sachets
To treat constipation, you can take two sachets up to three times a day, depending on how severe your constipation is. The content of each sachet must be dissolved in 62.5 ml of water before drinking.
To treat fecal impaction, the usual dose is 16 sachets per day, all of which should be taken within a six-hour period.
You can complete this dose in one go (dissolve 16 sachets in one liter of water) and keep it covered in the fridge. Drink the full amount for six hours. (If you have a heart condition, do not drink more than 250 ml of the prepared solution in an hour.)
Movicol sachets ready to drink
To treat constipation, you can take two sachets up to three times a day, depending on how severe your constipation is.
You need to take medicine directly from the sachet; it is not necessary to dilute it. However, you need to make sure that you drink plenty of fluids throughout the day.
To treat fecal impaction, the usual dose is eight sachets per day, all of which should be taken within a six-hour period.
If you have a heart condition, do not take more than two sachets in an hour. It would help if you drank an additional liter of fluid per day while taking medicine to treat stool retention.
Movicol liquid
To treat constipation, you should take a 25 ml Movicol liquid, diluted in 100 ml of water, up to three times a day. Movicol juice should not be used to treat fecal impaction.
Who should not take Movicol?
Do not take this medicine if your doctor has told you that you have:
- People with a hole in the intestine (intestinal perforation).
- An obstruction in the intestine (people with a blockage in the intestine) is caused by a structural or functional disorder of the intestinal wall.
- A perforated intestinal wall.
- Severe inflammatory bowel disease includes ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, or toxic megacolon.
- Bowel paralysis.
- An allergy to macrogol.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding.
If you are pregnant, talk to your doctor before taking unflavored movicol. Unflavored Movicol can be taken while breastfeeding.
Other medications
Laxative products like unflavored Movicol have the potential to interact with other medications by altering their absorption.
The effects of your medications may need to be closely monitored when you start or stop taking Movicol unflavored regularly. It would help if you discussed this with your doctor.
What are the possible side effects of Movicol?
We use medicines to make our children better, but sometimes they have other effects that we don’t want (side effects).
Medications and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects associated with Movicol.
A side effect is established here does not mean that all people using this drug will experience that or any side effect. For instance:
- Abdominal pain.
- Feeling sick or vomiting
- Swelling or swelling of the abdomen.
- Abdominal rumbling and gurgling due to movement in the intestines.
- Gas (flatulence).
- Anal discomfort.
- Diarrhea .
- Headache.
Side effects that you should take action on:
If your child is sick (vomits) often, or if the vomit is dark green or brown, he may have a bowel obstruction. Do not give more Movicol to your child and contact your doctor immediately.
Alterations in the levels of electrolytes (especially potassium) in the blood. Stop taking Movicol and see your doctor if you start to feel weak, tired, short of breath, very thirsty with a headache, or if your ankles are swollen.
These symptoms may indicate that your fluid and electrolyte levels are altered and that your doctor may need a blood test to check this.
Read the leaflet that comes with the medicine or talk to your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist if you want more information about the possible side effects of Movicol. If you think you have experienced a side effect, talk to your doctor.
They should settle in once your child begins to pass loose stools regularly.
If your child feels sick or vomits only once or twice, continue to give Movicol, but take it less often during the day.
Special warnings and precautions for use
When reconstituted with water, the liquid content of Movicol does not replace regular fluid intake, and adequate fluid intake should be maintained.
If patients develop symptoms indicating fluid/electrolyte changes (e.g., edema, shortness of breath, increasing fatigue, dehydration, heart failure), movicol should be stopped immediately and electrolytes measured, and any abnormalities should be treated appropriately.
Can I take Movicol with other medicines?
You can give your child medicine that contains acetaminophen or ibuprofen unless your doctor has told you not to.
You must tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are already taking any medicines, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines before you start taking Movicol.
Similarly, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medicines while taking Movicol to ensure the combination is safe.
Large volumes of liquid can cause tablets and capsules to pass through the intestine without giving them a chance to be absorbed by the body.
For this reason, if you are taking a large volume of this Movicol at one time, you should avoid taking other tablets or capsules in the hour before and after. Consult your pharmacist for further advice.
What other medicines contain the same active ingredients?
- CosmoCol envelopes.
- CosmoCol half sachets.
- CosmoCol pediatric sachets.
- Rust envelopes.
- Pediatric oxide sachets.
- Masilax sachets.
- Masilax pediatric sachets.
- Molative Envelopes.
- Pediatric molative envelopes.
- Molaxole envelopes.
- Pediatric Movicol.
- VistaPrep envelopes.
Macrogol oral powder is also available without a brand name as a generic drug.
Why is it important for my child to take this medicine?
If constipation (or difficulty with defecation) is severe, the stool (poop) may become hard and difficult to pass (this is called fecal impaction). Constipation can make your child feel very unwell.
Movicol is a type of laxative. It should help produce a comfortable bowel movement (defecation) even if your child has been constipated for a long time. The goal of treatment is for your child to have loose stools regularly.
It is not easy to watch a child suffer, and many parents turn to pediatric laxatives to help bring their children symptomatic relief.
We want our children to have a lifetime of healthy poop, and there are several physical and emotional ways that we can support them in this. Children are constipated, and it is becoming a growing problem.
Pediatric constipation makes up 25% of referrals to gastroenterologists, and doctors generally recommend over-the-counter laxatives for children to deal with what is essentially a mechanical problem.
The problem with children’s laxatives is that they rely on them when constipation becomes a chronic problem.
So you’re constantly giving them these additional harmful ingredients daily while also increasing their dependence on laxative use to poop. It can be challenging to determine what is causing your child.
Unfortunately, your pediatrician will most likely not have time to work out problems with you and may recommend laxatives and, after a while, recommend a scope.
This can have an even more damaging effect and contribute to increased stressful associations for your child.
Since most constipation problems in children are functional, it may be a matter of trial and error to determine the main contributing factors.
This is worth following up on and managing as soon as possible to help ensure healthy and natural bathing habits as your child grows.
Causes of pediatric constipation
There are some overlaps with adult causes, but children have their unique reasons for constipation.
Keep in mind that 95% of childhood constipation is functional, which means that it does not have a physiological cause, such as a particular condition, disease, or abnormality. Some of the reasons children become constipated are:
Food intolerances or allergies: These can be a cause of pediatric constipation. This is one of the most important and is often ignored as it can be considered difficult to prove or adhere to. However, think about what you would do as a parent if your child had a nut allergy.
Constipation may not be life-threatening, but it affects your child’s quality of life.
Children with gluten sensitivity can have symptoms similar to those with celiac disease (which is very difficult to diagnose in children fully), including constipation. Cow’s milk, in particular, can be incredibly constipated for children.
Sugar and refined foods: This is related to not getting enough fiber and the impact that sugar and refined foods have on the microbiome of children (and adults alike).
Foods high in sugar can upset the microbial balance in the gut and directly contribute to both constipation and intermittent constipation and diarrhea often associated with irritable bowel syndrome.
Not Enough Fiber: Fiber is essential for good poop, as it adds bulk to our stools. Our intestines are a muscle, and fiber trains them.
If children’s diets are erratic or picky, it can be challenging to get them to eat enough fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and other fibrous foods to help them poop.
You don’t drink enough water: Water helps us absorb the fiber we are eating and the bags of poop through our intestines and out the back door. Usually, if we are dehydrated, we will not poop properly or have hard, dry shells that are difficult to pass.
You don’t get enough exercise – Kids can spend a lot of time being sedentary, just like adults. Kids may not have enough fresh air and exercise to pump poop through their intestines between sitting at school and spending time in front of screens.
Holding it down: you’ve probably been around a child who’s dancing, who needs to urinate but refuses to go.
Sometimes children resist the urge to poop. It may be because they don’t want to stop the activity they do (play a game, watch a show, etc.), or they have some fear of going to the bathroom (see next point).
Toilet Stress or Fears: Toilet fears may seem irrational to us as adults, but to children, they are genuine.
Maybe they feel rushed when they have to go; perhaps they experience cramps or pain when they poop, which scares them, or they don’t like a public or school bathrooms. Children who had a more challenging time learning to use the bathroom are also more likely to become constipated.
Stress and anxiety in general: There is a deep connection between the gut and the brain, called the enteric nervous system. When we are stressed, our minds impact our intestines and vice versa. If a child is worried or anxious, he may have trouble going to the bathroom.
General medication advice
Just give this medicine to your child. Never give it to anyone else, even if your condition appears to be the same, as this could be harmful.
Contact your doctor immediately if you think someone else may have taken medicine by accident.
Make sure you always have enough medicine. Order a new prescription at least two weeks before it runs out.
Make sure the medicine you have at home has not reached the container’s expiration date and expiration date. Give old medicines to your pharmacist to dispose of.
Where should I keep this medicine?
Keep Movicol sachets in a closet, away from heat and direct sunlight. It is not necessary to store the envelopes in the refrigerator.
Mix it well before giving it to your child. You can keep a mixture of Movicol powder and water in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Make sure children cannot see or reach the medicine. Keep the drug in the container it came in.
Do not store above 25 ° C. Throw away any solution you have not used within 6 hours. Do not dispose of medicines through sewage or household waste.
